Page 28 of Livia in Rome
My breath catches; this is it . . . I’m finally going to learn the truth . . .
Then Ma bursts in, the top part of her hair bouncing weirdly as she walks. ‘I fixed the umbrella with my clip!’ She beams at us with pride. ‘Like MacGyver.’
Mistaking my sigh of frustration for confusion – which, weirdly, is also accurate – her hands go to her hips.
‘Or that girl...the one on YouTube who fixes everything with stuff from her handbag.’
I raise an eyebrow. ‘Lucy the Lifehacker?’
‘Esatto!’Ma grins.
Giulio joins me behind the counter and holds up a small metal pin so that only I can see. ‘What do I do with this?’
‘Give it to Ma,’ I scowl. ‘She can fix the LeaningTower of Pisa or something.’
Opportunity to dig over, I add a twist of lemon to our drinks and round the counter to carry them over.
Ren leaps up. ‘Allow me,mademoiselle.’
But as he goes to take the tray, Giulio snatches it away. ‘That’s my job.’ His jaw is tense as he sets the glasses on the table among the food clutter, but before I can inspect the reason for it, Sofia’s excited voice breaks into my thoughts.
‘Hey! Someone’s sent a message on Ren’s page.’
Ren cranes his neck. ‘I have a page?’
‘You do now.’ Sofia shows us a beautiful photo grid of Ren’s culinary creations. ‘I set it up the other day.’
‘What is it? Do they want me onMasterChefor something?’
Giulio snickers quietly and I glare at him.
‘Umm, it’s in Italian so I don’t really understand it, but I don’t think it’s that,’ Sofia answers carefully. ‘The guy who messaged has a pretty big following, though – almost as many as I do.’
Kenzi takes the phone, skim-reading the text as she translates, simplifying the message. ‘It’s about a food tour of Rome...hang on, there’s a link.’
Ren hangs an arm over my shoulder as we all lean in.
‘It’s on Sunday,’ Kenzi continues. ‘Basically, they’reoffering the chance to go on a sightseeing tour for foodies!’
‘Nice!’ Sofia says. ‘See what a little bit of social media posting can get you!’
Ren spins me to face him. ‘You should come, Livia. You haven’t done any sightseeing, yet.’
I flinch, wishing Ren hadn’t said that in front of everyone...like I’m a tourist-in-waiting.
Before I can think of a polite excuse, Giulio clears his throat. ‘Sundays are busy here. We need Livia to help.’
I’m surprised but pleased he thinks I’m actually useful. Ma, however, who has the hearing of a cat, pounces on the opportunity to send me sightseeing.
‘Giulio,caro. Why don’t you show Livia around? If Nina wasn’t in hospital, she would do it herself...I bet she took you to all her favourite spots.’
I can think of a spot or two I’d show Giulio, Inner Isla murmurs.
But her joke doesn’t quell the little bubble of jealousy swelling inside me. It’s not Giulio’s fault I wasn’t here, I remind myself. But still, if I had Nina in my life when I was growing up, I wouldn’t be here now, feeling like a loose part half the time.
Giulio shifts his weight from one foot to the other. ‘I suppose I could. Maybe Saturday afternoon...ifyou don’t mind managing alone for a while.’
I brace for one of Ma’s cringey comments, but she surprises me by being normal and simply nodding.
