“Just a little? I’ll bring half a glass of this beautiful wine from”—she leaned forward to look up at one of the surrounding hills rising up at the north end of the piazza—“there.”
“Right there?” Vilmari twisted in her seat. “Wow.”
“Maybe just a sip,” Lora conceded.
“Don’t worry. It’s not like America,” Andrea said, standing. “No one is going to think you are a social deviant for drinking before fivePM.”
“No,” Giada said, laughing. “They might be confused if you don’t. I’ll be back.” She turned to walk back into the café, but not before giving Andrea a look. What could be going on there? They’d definitely dated. How awful it must be to livein the same small town and have to run into him day after day. Poor Giada.
“And yet you only drank water with your lunch.” Lora unfolded the paper napkin and laid it on her lap.
“Reflux,” he said. “I have an unforgiving digestive system, unfortunately. It makes me very un-fun at mealtimes.”
“Only then?” Lora looked up, attempting to land a burning stare, but got lost around the fullness of his bottom lip and a vision of gently tugging at it with her teeth. She dug her thumbnail into an adjacent finger.
“Eccomi.” Giada placed two small glasses of white wine on the table and scooted out of the way.
“Usually,” he answered, staring back as if he could hear what she was thinking. “I hope you don’t mind, but I asked Franca if she would assist in this citizenship project because no one knows the policies and procedures like she does. If she can look through the information and advise you about anything missing or overlooked, you’ll be a step ahead of everything.”
“Oh. Thank you. I don’t know what I could have overlooked, but that’s very nice of you.”
“You’re welcome. If you can leave that folder of documents on her desk when you get back to the office, that will be great. Now, I’ve got to make a visit to the Solaris because they are complaining that the retaining wall behind their house is broken and the deer are eating all of their tomato plants. See you back at the office,” he said, turning back to call a goodbye to Giada.
Was he helping or trying to prove to her that her concept of the time frame to get this done was completely wrong? Hewas either a genuinely good guy or hell-bent on being right. But none of it mattered if she couldn’t find the damned birth certificate. She looked at her watch.
“Do not rush me. I am enjoying this breeze,” said Vilmari, closing her eyes.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I can feel you thinking it, though. He’s adorable. Those glasses. Like Clark Kent without redcalzoncillos.”
“Do you think he’s legit?” Lora asked.
“Legit what? Hot? Intelligent? In possession of a magnificent hairline? The answer is yes to all.”
“I mean, do you think he’s trying to help?”
“No, Lor, I think he’s trying to keep you from becoming a citizen because you rejected the tuna packed in olive oil.” Giada approached the table with two steaming bowls in her hands. She placed thetrofie, hand-curled pasta doused in rich green pesto, in front of Vilmari and thepansottiin front of Lora. “Let the man help, and don’t think so much,” said Vilmari.
“This looks amazing,” said Lora, smiling up at Giada.
“Andrea was correct that I don’t make thepansotti. My girlfriend, Vivi, does. She’s the chef at a restaurant a few towns over, and she’s amazing. If you like them, I can give you the name. It’s worth a drive over there.”
“That would be wonderful! If this tastes half as good as it looks, we are going there tonight.” Lora cut one of the pasta parcels in half and took a bite. It was so light and flavorful, it disintegrated in her mouth. The cheese and herbs played perfectly against the savoriness of the olive oil, and for the second time since they’d arrived, she honestly believed the dish infront of her was the best thing she had ever eaten. “This is spectacular,” she said, turning the dish toward Vilmari. “You have to. Just do it.”
Vilmari took a bite, rolled her eyes back, and placed her hand flat on the table.
“No,” she said. “I can’t. It’s too good.”
“I am glad you like them!” said Giada.
“And to think we almost skipped lunch,” Lora said, forking into another parcel.
“Who is ‘we’? I was going to leave you knee-deep in the History Channel back there if you didn’t leave then,” Vilmari said, tucking into thetrofie.
“By the way, I wasn’t listening, but if Andrea is helping you with your documents, you can trust him.” Giada smiled. “I’ve known him my whole life. He’s like a brother.”
“That’s really good to know,” Vilmari said, eyeing Lora.
