Chocolate
February in Venice is beautiful and brutal: wind like a knife, near-empty streets, and—on their arrival—a snowstorm.
In St. Mark’s Square, Caroline ducked over to buy a hat against the cold while Vince waited by a fountain, a box burning a hole in his pocket. When she came back, he started to kneel—his attempt to make up for what had been the world’s most unromantic proposal with a classic, cinematic one. Caroline recognized exactly what he was doing and stopped him mid-kneel, her eyes and her mouth saying in unison “Don’t even think about it! As he stopped and stood she said, “I never did like those cliché romantic gestures.” She softened it with a thanks, but the verdict stood.
Don't even think about it
Seeking shelter from the elements they walked into a little café that looked like a 16th-century jewel – gold leaf, regal portraits and velvet chairs. Two hot chocolates arrived with a bill and Vince blinked: $24! This at a time is when a McDonald’s Big Mac meal could be had for $5!
They took a sip and suddenly knew this was the best $24 they’d ever spent. It would have been worth twice the price. They found themselves drinking perfection in a cup, liquid pudding transformed into the nectar of the gods, and suddenly the chill of the outside, both the temperature and the stunted proposal were but distant memories.