When Olive Leaves Beckon

For years, Mario Rossetti has been living a double life. Most people know the affable, handsome Italian from Verona as a member of the Monte Carlo Casino security team and/or a joint owner of olive groves in Tuscany. Few are aware that Mario is a mercenary. Violence, misery, and death describe his alter-ego's engagements when on missions with European colleagues in Third World countries, mainly in Africa. Their current mission is to assist the return of a former African leader to establish himself as his country's new leader. Mario was given a small share of the country's inactive diamond mines as additional compensation.

Mario reaches a point when he feels a need to reassess his lifestyle. While on a mission, he begins to question whether he feels more than friendship with Marianne, a Belgian schoolteacher. A change would mean becoming more sedentary. A topsy-turvy romance ensues, causing Mario to put wedding plans on hold, leading him to depart on another mission to Africa. Yet, he must reflect—are olive leaves truly beckoning him? Ultimately, it comes down to this—make love, not war.