out at the restaurant right now. She asked and …” He shakes his head, trailing off.
“You can’t say no.” I finish.
“Exactly. Although, it’s not too bad.” He smirks at me, a hidden meaning in his words.
A couple walks onto the patio and takes a seat a few tables over from me.
Lorenzo stands and indicates that he will be with them in a moment. “It was a pleasure discussing Dante with you Mia.” He smiles again. “And you did great carrying our conversation in Italian. You’ll be fluent before you leave Rome.” He turns to greet the couple.
I stare at his back and watch his hands gesture with the different dishes he describes. The woman at the table stares at him, enthralled. Her husband chuckles suddenly at something Lorenzo says. Then I realize what he said to me and touch my fingers to my lips. I talked. To an Italian. In Italian. I laugh to myself. I’m such a local. I have a spot and I’ll be fluent in no time.
* * *
The rest of the week passes quickly as I start to settle into a routine. Although I emailed the girls my first week here, I finally get around to writing follow up emails, letting them know more about Gianluca and Paola, Lexi, my classes, and sightseeing in Rome. Later in the week, I mail off the postcards I purchased. I send Dad one of the Colosseum—one of his favorite sights in Rome.
On Friday, even though I don’t have any classes, I debate whether or not I should message Pete about our partner project. I mean, it’s still way too early to be so invested in a project, isn’t it? But I hate the uncertainty of not knowing what our topic will be, how we will deliver our project, when we will meet, etc. I’d rather just start nipping the different aspects in the bud now instead of waiting for the semester to be half over and having an anxiety attack. Because that would be the worst.
Before I join Lexi on her “friendly neighborhood walk,” which she informed me is code for “scoping out the hot guys that live near us,” I send Pete a text message.
Me: Hey, Pete. It’s Mia from Italian class. Just wanted to get a jumpstart on the partner project. Are you free to meet up next week?
I’m pleasantly surprised when he responds minutes later.
Pete: Hi, Mia. Sure, how about Wednesday? We could get lunch after class.
Me: Okay, sounds good.
Pete: Cool, see you then.
Lunch? Is that a date? Or a friendly invitation to eat together while we work? Or nothing at all? Oh jeez, who cares?
Chapter Thirteen
Lorenzo
My eyes close as Francesca bobs her mouth up and down, up and down, over my dick. I run my fingers through her hair, clenching it tightly in my fists. She’s a fucking pro. Should have done this months ago. But Sandro was still fucking her in July and it seemed best to wait a few weeks, make sure he didn’t catch anything before I messed around with her.
Not that I’ll fuck her. I’ve never been into sloppy seconds, but if she wants to swing by to get me off, who am I to stop her? She groans loudly, her palms gliding up my thighs, her right hand fisting in the hem of my T-shirt. She moans again. I roll my eyes. Stop with the fucking show and just suck, sweetheart.
Francesca’s downright slamming, even though she’s nearing thirty. She’s got a great set of tits and a tight ass. Too bad she’s got such a reputation; despite her many talents, no one in my circle would ever take her seriously. Too much drama, too much baggage, too many stories.
The one thing she’s really got going for her today is she’s a brunette, which beckons a flood of unintended, yet always welcomed thoughts of another brunette. Mia. She was so sweet at Angelina’s last week. The way she murmurs words to herself when she reads, the intensity in her eyes as she loses herself in Dante’s Canti, her furious scribbles in her notebook. I shake my head, a smile forming on my lips just from thinking of her.
I look down at the top of Francesca’s head. Placing my hand at the back of her
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