So, everything seemed to be going so well at the birthday party …
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A couple of hours later, and some of the guys from Pisa — especially the guys who played soccer at Galileo High School, and who never beat the Burlamacchi Baluardi even once, because of Davide “The Scoring Machine” Guinigi — were starting to get upset.
They were upset because it looked to them like
The Scoring Machine and his hockey playing buddy were invading their turf, by obviously flirting with
two of Pisa’s most beautiful and eligible girls in their generation…
And the alcohol that they had been drinking for several hours wasn’t helping them maintain their composure.
About 8pm, a group of five Pisani guys walked over to where Wendy and DeDo, and Michaela and Mario, were talking and laughing.
The biggest dude in the group clearly wanted a confrontation…
“So it’s Davide Guinigi, The Scoring Machine himself! Who obviously can’t score anything in Lucca, so he and his pal here are trying to steal the prettiest girls in Pisa! How pathetic!”
“These beautiful girls have been in front of you guys for over 20 years, so maybe somebody else should get a chance to meet them” DeDo said calmly.
“Maybe you and your pal ought to go and play hide and seek in that over-hyped shrubbery your family is so proud of” the big dude taunted. “And when you go, be sure to take those oversized budini with you …. they taste like dog poop!”
When he said that, DeDo and Mario both put down their glasses of Prosecco, and DeDo winked at Mario.
“Prove it” DeDo hissed at the Pisani.
The big dude lunged at DeDo, who sidestepped him like a matador avoiding a charging bull,
AND THREW THE DUDE INTO THE POOL!
Then all hell broke loose, with the other four Pisani tackling DeDo and Mario like they were in a rugby scrum, and the
entire group, fighting and yelling, was launched into the pool, where the fighting continued!
Wendy and Michaela started screaming, then lots of others at the party started screaming! “Security!!!!” was called out. Wendy, seeing that three of the Pisani guys including the big dude were trying to beat up DeDo, completely lost it, kicked off her shoes, and screaming “DeDo!!!!!”
she jumped into the pool and started trying to pull one of the Pisani away from DeDo.
Seeing that, Michaela immediately jumped into the pool also, and yelled “I’ll help you Mario!”
Mario started laughing when this happened, because he had been fighting other hockey players for years, and was thoroughly enjoying fighting the other two Pisani.
Suddenly the two guards who had been hired by the Tuttovinci family as security for the party came rushing into the pool area from the front courtyard,
and they jumped into the pool themselves, trying to stop the fighting, but somehow adding to the chaos!
After about a minute, a very loud police siren was heard, clearly heading toward the Tuttovinci palazzo,
and there was a momentary break in the fighting. Then all of the guys who were fighting started scrambling out of the pool.
DeDo saw Wendy to his left where she had been trying as best she could to help DeDo survive his outnumbered 3-on-1 fight.
“You’re wonderful Wendy!”
DeDo said, and he quickly kissed her, and then left his Gucci loafers floating in the pool as he and Mario ran toward DeDo’s Alfa Romeo to try to escape!
Coming out of the tunnel that marked the dividing line between Pisa and Lucca, DeDo had a couple of bruises on his face and Mario had a visible red scratch on his neck, but…
both of them were laughing uproariously!
“That was the most fun that I’ve had since Silvio Martini and I fought the entire Prato Pinguini hockey team in the University League two years ago!” Mario laughed.
Back at the Tuttovinci palazzo, Wendy was scared to death that her father, witnessing the screaming and the chaos, would prohibit her from ever seeing any Lucchese guys again.
But when Signor Tuttovinci emerged from his study, surveyed the situation, and talked with the security guards and the police who arrived, he was calm. No, Signor Tuttovinci didn’t want to press charges against anyone.
He gave extra Euros to the two security guards, and told their boss by phone that they had been heroes by trying to stop the fight.
He gave extra Euros to the catering company people,
and asked them politely to get everything cleaned up and put away with as little fuss as possible.
Then he walked over to Wendy and Michaela, who were all wet and covered in huge pink beach towels.
“Papa they … they…”
Wendy and Michaela started crying.
“Don’t cry about a thing girls! Those Lucchese boys held their ground like they were Baluardi themselves — impressive!”
said Signor Tuttovinci as he smiled and walked back into the palazzo.
Wendy could only stare after him in amazement. That was the first positive thing that she had ever heard her father say about a Lucchese in her entire life!
