Page 12 of Under Her Skin
“Who isshe?”
“That,” he said, nodding, “is what I intend to findout.”
Three things happenedin a very short space of time that morning. Hero found a pharmacy and bought a box of condoms. They’d left it unsaid, but if Arturo turned up at her door again tonight, she knew she wouldn’t be able to resist him. She considered a pregnancy test, but it was way too soon for that. Of course, she would have to find a doctor to test for STDs, and she berated herself. How stupid was she to have risked her health for a quick—albeit spectacular—fuck?
The second thing was her realtor called and told her the paperwork for the apartment had gone through. “Congratulations. You can move in whenever youwant.”
Hero thanked her and told her she’d be in to pick up the keys that afternoon. “I hear you’ve pissed off Arturo Bachi,” the realtor said with a chuckle. “Good. He deservesit.”
Hero swallowed hard. “You knowhim?”
“Oh, I know him. He might pretend not to know me, butIknowhim.”
So, Arturo had slept with her realtor. Great. Hero thanked her again and ended the call. What the hell was she doing? She had been in town less than a week, and already she had screwed one of the biggest man-whoresaround.
But she couldn’t stop thinking about him, and she found that her guilt over ‘betraying’ Tom’s memory grew less and less. He’d want her to be happy, right? It didn’t mean Hero didn’t miss her husband every single moment, because she did. But moving to Italy was supposed to be a new beginning in everyway.
Hero pushed all thoughts aside and went to the art shop she had found on her travels yesterday. The store was empty except for the proprietor, a young woman about Hero’s age, whose tightly curled hair was piled on top of her head. She grinned at Hero. “Hello again. Couldn’t stayaway?”
Hero smiled at her. The woman had an English accent, and her name badge read Fliss. She was small, tinier even than Hero, and she wore a 50s-style tea dress with pink flamingos on a turquoise background. Hero liked herimmediately.
“I was window-shopping yesterday. Today I’m intending to spendmoney.”
Fliss laughed. “Good to hear. What are you lookingfor?”
“Everything.”
Over the next hour, Fliss showed her around the store, and Hero immersed herself in picking out fat, round pastels in every color, a set of professional watercolor half-pans, and pencils in every hardness. She and Fliss talked about their mutual love of art—like Hero, Fliss was the product of artcollege.
“I was doing my doctorate, but that’s on hold for the moment.” Hero told her, and Fliss lookedinterested.
“Listen, it’s been a while since I got to talk about art like the geek I am. I’m closing for lunch in ten. Want to grab a bite toeat?”
Hero smiled. “I’d lovethat.”
Fliss tookher to a small trattoria down a small alley. “This is one of Como’s best-kept secrets,” she said in a low voice. “The tourists don’t know about it. It’s cheap, but my God, the food is so, so good. I recommend the rabbit stew withpolenta.”
Over lunch—and Hero took Fliss’s advice and almost swooned when she put the first delicious bite into her mouth—they shared theirstories.
Fliss had moved to Lake Como after a school trip when she was young. “I swore that I would do everything in my power to be able to live here. I got lucky. My parents are reasonably well-off and gave me my first capital to start my business. When I told them I wanted to bring it over here, their first reaction was, “Oh, great, when can wevisit?”
Hero smiled, feeling a little envious. “Have you got anysiblings?”
“Three brothers, all older, all a major pain in my arse. They’re all scientists. Can you believe it? But,” and she leaned forward conspiratorially, “I was the only one to graduate with first-classhonors.”
Hero laughed. For the first time in forever, she felt like more than a jaded twenty-eight-year-old who had already been a wife, a mother, and a widow. For once, she felt…relaxed.
“Damn, look at thatman.”
Hero blinked and turned towards where Fliss was looking. A man was dumping an armful of papers onto a stand, and Arturo Bachi’s face was on the front of each one. Hero’s Italian was good enough to read the headline.“Bachi Upset at PatrizziSale!”
Whoops. She turned back to Fliss who was eyeing Arturo’s picture with lustful glee. “Do you knowhim?”
Fliss shook her head. “No, but I hear stories. He’s quite the wonderschlong.”
Hero felt her face burn, and Fliss saw her expression. “Youokay?”
“I’m good. Listen, I’ve had a great time. Can we do thisagain?”
