Page 200 of Marcello

On the dashboard was a screen, and it showed the outline of my house on a map – just like a science fiction movie!

“Oh, wow,” he muttered. “Nice place.”

I pointed at the map. “That’s the road! The little one behind it!”

“Okay, no problem.”

We sped off through the deserted streets of Naples.

As we drove up into the hills, I looked out at the sparkling lights of the city and ached to go back again –

To see a very specific someone.

The driver eventually pulled onto the tiny back street filled with fruit trees, then drove forward slowly until I saw the stone steps.

“This is it!” I cried out.

I gave him my remaining two hundred euros, which made him light up like a Christmas tree. He thanked me profusely and handed me a tiny card with his name and number. “Call me anytime you want – if I’m available, I’ll come pick you up!”

“Okay. Oh, I forgot – please stay here until another woman comes back down. She needs a ride.”

“You got it, Signorina.”

I said goodnight and raced up the stone steps.

I was a quarter of the way up when I remembered my dress and headscarf.

Surely the camera couldn’t see me all the way down here – could it?

Just to be safe, I ran back down to street level, put on the headscarf, tucked in my sleeves, and pinned up the hem of my dress.

Then I started back up the hill, keeping my head bowed and my eyes on the ground.

Every step also made my private parts ache a little –

But that brought back good memories.

Great memories, actually.

I quickly realized why Esmeralda had been winded – it was a steep climb. By the time I reached the bottom gate, I was huffing and puffing.

Esmeralda’s voice floated out of the darkness inside the tunnel. “Have a good time, kid?”

“It was incredible,” I said dreamily.

She laughed. “Good.”

“I told the taxi driver to wait for you.”

“Thanks. Hold on, let me go get Porky Pig.”

That was pretty funny. Eugenio did kind of look like Porky Pig with a mustache – although I shuddered to think of him without pants on.

I heard her footsteps go up the steps. A few minutes later, Eugenio came down in front of her and unlocked the gate.

“You’re late,” he said sourly.

“Not that late,” Esmeralda said behind him.