Page 19 of Better Than Gelato
Amazing. Probably the best date I’ve ever been on. I’ll tell you more in person.
I’ll make it clear to Carmen and Valentina that Paolo and I are just friends. And see if Valentina might be interested.
I switch to Isa’s other foot and my phone chimes again. This time it’s Jake. He must have gotten my number from Carmen.
Ciao Juliet, it’s Jake. I just found out that tomorrow is a holiday, and I have the day off. I was planning on visiting Castello Sforzesco. Would you like to join me?
A castle! That could be fun. I remember Jake’s smile when he line danced on Wednesday night.Hmm, this could be really fun. I text him back.
Hey Jake! I would be delighted to join you! Where should I meet you and what time?
I debate deleting the second exclamation point, but decide it looks too formal without it.
Great! Does Duomo at 10:00 a.m. work for you?
I reply and let him know that works just fine. No exclamation points.
“Who are you texting?” Isa asks. Because of course my business is her business.
“Just a friend,” I say. “We’re going to explore a castle.”
“Oooooh,” Isa says. “Is it the boy you went out with last night? I knew that was a great outfit.”
“Um, no,” I say, and I feel my neck get warm. “This is a different guy.”
“Wow. The last nanny never went on dates,” she says. She thinks a minute. “Probably because she never let me choose her clothes.”
That night, Sofia teaches me how to make chicken marsala.
“Marco is the cook in the family,” Sofia says. “But he travels so much for work, I’ve had to learn a few meals.”
Isa doesn’t offer to help in any way, but she stays in the kitchen, and she doesn’t throw anything, so that’s nice.
We sit at the tiny kitchen table and dig into mushroom-filled heaven. Sofia’s phone rings as we’re finishing, and she takes the call in her bedroom. I savor my last delicious bite, then make a sink of hot soapy water and load the dishes in. Isa is rearranging magnets on the fridge, and I toss her a dish towel.
“Here, you can dry,” I say.
“What? Why?” she responds, but I pretend I don’t hear her and hand her a clean wet plate.
“Just dry it off with the towel and put it back in the cupboard. That way, your mom won’t have to do it.”
Isa has the puzzled look of someone who has never considered doing something for her mom. I keep washing the dishes and stacking the clean wet ones on the counter in front of her. Eventually, she picks up a plate and starts to dry it.
“So,” I say. “If you could fly or be invisible, which would you choose?”
She puts the plate in the cupboard and starts on a glass. “Hmm. Could I choose when I got to be invisible?”
“Yes.”
“I choose that one,” she says.
“What would you do with that power?” I ask.
“Play pranks on people.”
I nod, unsurprised. I finish the dishes and start on the pots and pans. “Okay, if you could only eat one food every day for a month, what would it be?”
“Pizza,” she answers right away.
