Page 47 of Better Than Gelato
Either she doesn’t hear me, or she plain ignores me, because she grabs my hand and pulls me up. I grab Diego and Valentina, who are nearby, and we head back to the dance floor. Valentina and I are shaking our hips and giggling when someone puts a hand on my waist from behind. I can tell right away it’s not Jake. I push the hand off and twist away without bothering to look behind me. Valentina sees and gives me a sympathetic look. I shrug my shoulders. This happens sometimes. It’s fine.
Until it isn’t. Two seconds later, the hands are back on my hips. I whirl around to see a tall Italian guy with a smirky grin and beady eyes.
“Basta,” I say loudly so he can hear. Enough.
I push his hands off my hips and turn back to Valentina. I’m about to suggest we sit down when I feel his hand grab my butt and squeeze hard.
And just like that I’m filled with rage. I don’t even think. My right hand clenches into a fist, and I turn and punch him in the stomach as hard as I can.
The force of my anger catches him solidly in the solar plexus and knocks the wind out of him. He doubles over, stumbling, and a couple of girls nearby yelp. I grab Valentina’s hand, and we head to our table in the back. Adrenaline is pumping through my body and my hand is throbbing.
“How did you do that?” Valentina asks as we sit down next to Paolo.
“I have no idea,” I answer honestly.
“Do what?” Paolo asks.
Before either of us can answer, Diego and Carmen come running over.
“OhmygoshIcan’tbelievethatjusthappened,” Carmen says in a rush.
“That was amazing!” Diego says. “You were like Trinity from theMatrix.”
“Are you okay?” Valentina asks. She’s staring at my hands trembling in my lap.
“What just happened?” Paolo demands.
“This guy was getting handsy with Julieta on the dance floor and she took him out. Solid punch to the stomach. He was at least six inches taller than her, but she took himdown. You don’t mess with Julieta.” Diego puts his hand up to high five me, and I high five him as gently as I can.
“Is this loon speaking the truth,Dolcetta?” Paolo asks me. His tone is light, but his eyes are filled with concern.
“More or less that’s how it went down.”
Paolo whistles. “I would have loved to see that.”
“I bet he has a broken rib,” Diego says.
“Who has a broken rib?” Jake asks. He’s just arrived at the table carrying two bottles of water.
“The Italian man your girlfriend just knocked to the floor with one punch,” Paolo says.
Jake’s mouth drops open. Carmen and Valentina and Diego share their eyewitness accounts and it’s comical to watch the expression on Jake’s face as he listens. He goes from surprise to disbelief to anger to concern while I open a bottle of water and take a long drink.
“That slimeball does not have a broken rib,” I say. “He got the wind knocked out of him, that's all.”
“Are you okay?” Jake asks. He puts his arm around my shoulders, and I let myself relax into him.
“I’m okay,” I say.
“Where’d you learn to punch like that?” Carmen asks.
“My brothers. But that’s the first time I’ve ever punched anyone. He only went down because he wasn’t expecting it. I’m not actually that strong and impressive.”
“I think you are incredibly strong,” Valentina says. “I was very impressed.”
For some reason, her words make tears pop up in my eyes. I think the adrenaline is still messing with me.
“Hey, do you realize what song we were dancing to?” Diego says.
