“I think I can do that.” It came out much breathier than intended. She could feel Liam's grin against her skin. Suddenly, there was a loud crash outside, making Liam jump back.
“What was that?” he asked, crossing toward the window.
Following, Chiara took a quick look out. She already knew what she would find.
“That’s the neighbors across the street. They tend to work out their domestic squabbles on the front lawn.” She shrugged at Liam’s look of concern. “We tried calling the cops several times, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.”
They stood for a few minutes listening to the screaming.
“Is that Spanish?” he finally asked, kneeling for a better view without being seen.
“I think so. Do you speak Spanish?”
“No, just English and some Farsi.” Liam was staring, fascinated, out the window.
“Really? You speak Farsi?”
He turned to look up at Chiara. “So? Haven’t I heard you speak some Italian?”
“Yeah, but lots of people speak Italian. I don’t know anyone who speaks Farsi.” Chiara eased down to her knees next to him.
“You probably do, you just don’t know it. What do you think they’re saying?” he said, shrugging like it was no big deal.
After watching him for a second with newfound interest, she finally turned back to the window.
“I don’t know.” They sat on their knees in silence for a few minutes, studying the neighbors.
“You have burned my dinner again, woman,” Liam said, staring out the window. It only took Chiara a beat to figure out what he was doing and join in.
“You are too fat already. You should be happy I cook at all,” she said, watching the woman wag her finger in the man’s face.
“How do I keep this fine belly in peak shape without my dinner? I am a man, hear me roar.”
Chiara couldn’t help but start giggling. She never giggled until Liam showed up. Now she couldn’t seem to stop.
“You might be a man, but I have a wooden spoon. Wait, what is she going to do with that?”
They both let out an expletive when the woman smacked the man with the spoon.
“Shit, they heard us,” Liam said, spinning to the edge of the windows.
Chiara grinned over at him from the other side. They were both sitting next to the window with their knees up like a matching pair of bookends.
“They’re still staring at the window,” Liam said, taking a peek out of the window. “Good news though, we seemed to have diverted her from whacking him with that spoon. Do they do this a lot?”
“Almost every day,” she said with another giggle.
“Miss Scaletti? I have an appointment?”
They both looked up to where another student stood in the doorway.
“Shh,” Liam hissed at her. “Get down.” When she dropped to her knees, he sent her a thumbs up. “I’m going to leave,” he whispered to Chiara. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Rocking onto his hands and knees, he proceeded to crawl out of the room while Chiara laughed. The poor student just looked on in confusion.
Chi was rising to her feet when she heard Liam outside trying to introduce himself to the neighbors. Her student rushed to join her at the window when they heard him issue an “oww.”
They watched as the older woman chased Liam around the Charger with the wooden spoon. Looking up at the window, he grinned at Chiara with his hands out. She laughed as he finally managed to jerk open the door of the vehicle and dive inside just in time to avoid another swing of the spoon.
