Page 23 of Lorenzo

I’m still rattled from the dream and Lorenzo’s mocking clap. But I force a smile on my face when I see Ciro standing in the kitchen wearing one of his perfect suits.

“Good morning, Miss Emily. Sleep well?”

“Yes,” I lie.

“Coffee? Black or cappuccino?”

“Black. Nothing else, thanks.”

Ciro places the mug in front of me without a word.

The front door opens. Gina enters with a little dog in her arms. She’s glowing and today, clearly showing her pregnancy.

Gina kisses Ciro on the cheek like a favorite uncle, then turns to me with a warm but assessing smile.

“Morning. You survived the night,” she says.

I flash a tight smile in return.

When Gina slides onto the stool beside me, Ciro prepares her cappuccino without being asked.

It may be Lorenzo’s apartment, but clearly Gina treats it as her own.

“I think you’re a perfect fit for Lorenzo,” she says, sizing me up.

“You do know it’s not a ‘real’ marriage,” I say, after a brief hesitation.

Gina smiles and shrugs. “Time will tell,” she says mysteriously before sipping her cappuccino.

“Regardless, I hope we can be friends. Who’s your best friend back home?”

“What kind of a question is that?” I sputter, coffee nearly flying from my mouth.

I don’t know why, but for some reason I feel protective about my friendship with Anna.

I don’t want to share her with anyone, even in conversation.

And Gina already seems like the kind of person who’d pester me with questions about Anna and her life in Rome.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to hit a nerve. It’s just that I haven’t had a girlfriend to talk to in months. I’m around Dante and his brothers all the time.”

“And I didn’t mean to snap,” I say, putting my hand on hers as a silent apology.

“To answer your question, my best friend’s name is Anna. We’ve been friends since we were kids.”

I take another sip of coffee, wondering how much more to reveal.

“Now she’s spending her junior year studying in Italy. La Dolce Vita and all that. I miss her but I speak to her all the time on the phone so it’s like she’s here. What about you?”

“Almost the same story for me. When I first arrived, my bestie and I spoke together constantly. Now with the baby coming it’s different.”

Smiling, Gina moves her hand below her dog to rest it on her belly. “It’s going to be a boy. Dante can’t wait,” she says as the house phone rings.

Ciro answers it, speaks softly, and turns to us.

“Miss Angie’s on her way up.”

I look at Gina. “Angie?”