Page 19 of Ciao, Amore

Nico looked up over the roundness of Dani’s shoulder, but his eyes were quickly drawn back to her. She was awake, soft and vulnerable and awash in gold and russet light. When she smiled at him, she eclipsed the sun. His heart stopped to see it but restarted after a slow kiss.

“Benvenuta a Italia,” he said.

He bent to kiss her again, but she squealed, “Hey.” Dani turned over to look out the windows at the dawn. “I need mouthwash.”

Nico paused, wondering if she was seriously not going to kiss him over something like a little morning breath.

“You’re right. You’re totally gross,” he joked.

Dani tossed an eye roll back in his direction, sat up, and grabbed her bag. She was gone before he could get another joke out.

“Okay. Not a morning person. Duly noted,” he mumbled, rifling his hair with a yawn.

After a change of clothes and an excellent breakfast, Dani’s attitude improved. She fished her vitamins and a pack of birth control pills out of her bag. Giving him the side-eye, she made a show of popping a pill out of the foil packet and swallowing it with orange juice. He didn’t think she could make it more obvious that she didn’t want any surprise souvenirs out of him by the end of the festival.

She still only allowed a small kiss right before it was time to exit the plane. She avoided making eye contact with the flight attendants or the other couple. The guy winked at him, indicating they’d known exactly what had gone down in the bathroom. Nico ignored them as they headed for Immigration and Customs with their declaration cards ready.

It felt awesome being back there after a year, hearing Italian spoken everywhere. As always happened when he first arrived, his tongue struggled to catch up with his mind at first, tripping over everything he wanted to say. Fortunately, it caught up fast enough that he was able to explain Dani’s work visa situation to the immigration agent and confirm that yes, she was an American who had permission to work in Italy temporarily.

“Remember, I’ll need to get to Milan at some point during this trip to start my residency paperwork,” Dani said.

“I’ll remember,” Nico assured her.

By the time they’d collected their bags, the language lag time was over, and he was able to speak rapidly without thinking too hard. He fielded several texts from his brothers, who’d all arrived the day before and were already at the villa in Posillipo with their grandparents and parents. They were dying to meet Dani, after trying unsuccessfully to pressure him into bringing her over while they were still in New York. He’d declined, for her sake and his own; he’d been sure she’d cancel on the trip if she got a taste of their crazy beforehand.

The exception was his sister, who was the only person he’d told about how he and Dani had really met. Gina had thought she was cool, and Dani had liked her too. That was all he needed. It was the wee hours in New York, so he put off calling her to let her know they’d arrived safely. He did, however, text Angelo to say they made it.

“Can’t wait till you get here,” was the response.

“Alright,” Dani proclaimed, “before jet lag kicks our asses, let’s hit the bricks.”

The itinerary they’d settled on included seeing the major sights of the City of Rome. The train to the city center took about half an hour. At the station, they stored the bags in a locker and set out for the day.

“If I’d known we’d become members of that Sky Club, I would’ve gotten us a room for a few hours instead,” Nico said, pulling her close and kissing her neck.

“Sky club?” They were in the middle of a flow of pedestrians wheeling luggage or running to catch trains. Grabbing his hand, she started walking as though she knew where she was going, and amused, he followed. “What we did was fucking crazy. We could’ve got caught and banned from flying that airline ever again.”

“I doubt that. That other couple did it in plain sight, and no one said anything. Why would we get singled out?”

Nico was confused about her switch from the sultry, free-spirited sex goddess in the bathroom to blushing virgin beside him. Nevertheless, it was probably best not to bring up that she was the one who’d started it all when she brought up the thong-wearing elephant.

They exited the Termini Train Station, and there it was, the sights and sounds of Rome in all its busy splendor. Dani forgot to continue her freak-out as she gazed at the people and the buildings. Nico’s attention was half on their surroundings; it was a city, after all, and his New Yorker instinct to keep alert kicked in right away. But the other half was set on absorbing Daniela’s every reaction as she took it all in.

Nico wasn’t disappointed the way he had been when they hit first class. Dani’s eyes widened and sparkled when she stopped short at the sight of the Piazza della Republica, with its curving white stone facade and big fountain bubbling in front, featuring sea nymphs from Roman legend. Nearby were the old Roman baths in what was now a museum. They’d already agreed not to spend too much time in any one place since they still had to make it to Naples that evening, but he didn’t want to rush her, either. There was only one first impression of a city like this.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“It’s gorgeous. I’m trying so freaking hard not to look like the typical tourist, but I can’t help myself. It’scrazythat all this history is just…out here. You know how New York is. Anything older than fifty years, and ‘let’s just tear it down’ or lock it up in a museum. Sorry for the rant. That’s the history degree talking.”

“I still find it funny you studied history, of all things,” he said. “Who would’ve taken you for a nerd.”

Dani paused to roll her eyes at him. “Yeah, I like history. I know most people look at me and think ‘there goes a basic chick, all fashion and fun, no substance.’”

Chagrined, he quickly replied, “Youarefashionable and fun, but you’re anything but basic. I wasn’t underestimating you. It’s just, you’re kinda hot for a nerd. I think it’s cool that you’re interested.”

“Same,” she said grudgingly. “Not about the hotness. Ha-ha. I thought it was cool that you majored in Italian Studies. Where did you go again? I don’t think you said.”

“NYU.”

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