Page 46 of Better Than Gelato
“That’s not good.”
I make Paolo promise he’ll come to Calypso Wednesday night to do some damage control. He says if he hasn’t left the country by then, he’ll think about it.
* * *
“Has Paolo said anything to you about me?”
The question comes from Valentina while we’re washing our hands in the bathroom at Calypso. “I know you guys are pals, and I just...wondered.”
I’m not sure how to answer. I don’t want to betray Paolo’s trust, but he’s already told her how he feels, so it’s not like I could spill the beans.
“He told me the two of you went out on a date and that he had a really nice time with you,” I say. I grab a paper towel and dry my hands.
“If he had such a nice time with me, why hasn’t he asked me out again?” Valentina asks.
“Do you want him to ask you out again?” I ask, careful to keep the surprise out of my voice.
“Yes!” Valentina says. She turns the water off. “Our last date ended...kinda weird. But I thought he’d at least ask me out again.”
“What do you mean weird?” I pry shamelessly. I need to know her side of things.
Valentina shakes her head. “He started rambling and said I smelled like a grandma and my hair looked oily. Even though I showered just before our date. And then there was something about him becoming a juggler. He was mumbling a lot and looked really embarrassed. Maybe he was embarrassed to be seen with me when my hair looked so oily? Anyway, I left as quick as I could.”
Wow. This has gotten out of hand.
I don’t want to meddle, but…I’m going to meddle. I check the stalls, make sure they’re empty and then grab Valentina by the shoulders.
“Do you like Paolo?” I ask her.
“I do,” she says with eyes filled with longing. “I have for a long time. I know he can come off kind of cynical, and a little vain, but deep down he’s a good guy. And I was so excited when he asked me out…”
“Here’s the deal,” I say. “Paolo is crazy about you. He has been for ages. He thinks you smell like his grandma’s garden and that your hair shines like olive oil. At the end of your date, he was trying to tell you how he felt. And then he was embarrassed for coming on too strong.”
“Coming on too strong? I had no idea what he was even talking about! I went home and washed my hair again!” She shakes her head. “Men are such idiots sometimes!”
I can see the meaning of my words sink in and a slow smile spreads across her face. “You think he really likes me?”
“I know he does.”
We head back to the dance floor, and I think about her liking Paolo all this time. Watching him ask me out on a date and still being sweet and supportive must have sucked for her. I watch her dance with Carmen and Diego. She is beaming.
Paolo better not screw this up.
I spy him at the bar, watching Valentina from a distance. I march up to him and say, “You need to ask Valentina out again.”
“What? Really? Right now?”
“Sometime tonight. Do it before you leave.”
“You think she wants me to?”
“Yes. And I’m officially done meddling. The rest is up to you two.”
The club seems extra full tonight, and after an hour of being jostled I need a break. I’m sitting next to Diego and Carmen, and Jake has just gone to get us some bottles of water, when Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time” comes on. It’s a weird techno version, but still, it’s Britney.
“We’ve got to dance to this one,” Carmen says.
“But my feet,” I protest.
