If her shop was closed, I’d take a train to a neighboring village in Cinque Terre and spend the day exploring. But my favorite pastime by far was just sitting out on the boulders with gelato and eating it slowly beneath the giant red sun.
In those two weeks, I kept careful watch for Gianluca. Sometimes I’d catch sight of a man with his build or hair coloring and try to convince myself I’d seen him, but I never really did. I even made a point to walk by the shuttered bed and breakfast to check for any activity, but Massimo and Gianluca kept it locked. In the two weeks I’d been in Vernazza, no one had entered the building. Shame, really. It was in such a brilliant location, right across the square from my hotel, which meant it had a view of the sea rather than the terraced hills. They were mad men to let it sit there, empty.
…
“Georgie, put the box down. You don’t need another pair.”
I was helping Katerina in her shop. She’d tasked me with unpacking leather sandals and I’d set aside a strappy pair that happened to be in my size.
“But I don’t have this style yet.”
“You’ve bought four pairs already. No one needs that many leather sandals.”
She was wrong. I did. I tucked the box behind the counter for safekeeping and got back to work unloading and displaying the shoes the way she liked.
“I can’t keep having you work here for free.”
I shrugged. “Are you saying I’m hired?”
“I can’t afford to pay you.”
I shrugged again. “Wow. Fired on my first day.”
She laughed. “How about I repay you with a lovely meal instead?”
I turned over my shoulder to watch her going at it with a mannequin, trying to stuff it into a thin, fabulous sundress.
“WAIT,” I said, pushing to my feet. “I need that dress. Don’t bother finishing what you’re doing.”
She groaned. “I’ve been at it for ten minutes already!”
I didn’t let her argue. I pulled the dress out of her hands and laid it on top of my pair of leather sandals.
“Now what were you going on about? A meal?”
“I want to cook something at my flat. It’s not a posh place or anything, but it’d fit the four of us.”
“Four?”
I dreaded the idea of another blind date.
“You, me, Massimo, and Gianluca.”
I turned round before she could see my smile.
“Sound good? I’ve already asked the boys if they’re free.”
“And are they?” I croaked.
“Yes. Massimo said they’ll be round at eight, so wear that sundress you just stole from me and be there at seven to help me cook.”
I laughed. “I thought this was a thank-you meal?”
“No. The dress is your thank you. I need help cooking.”
I grinned. “Deal.”
…
I knocked on Katerina’s door at 6:55 PM and she opened it with a big, exhausted sigh.
“I’m so glad you’re here!”
She stepped back and waved me in hurriedly, telling me to stow my things in her room to the left. Her apartment was small and ancient, but she’d made it into a lovely space. She’d hung art all over the walls, not just in the normal spots. Paintings and drawings and art prints covered nearly an entire wall in the living room.
She noticed me inspecting them. “At the market, artists come and sell their paintings and things. I can’t bear to see the good ones go unsold.”
“It’s beautiful, really.”
And I meant it. I’d never seen a space filled with such care and love. She had fresh hydrangeas on the coffee table and books stacked to the ceiling in the corners, no shelves in sight. Whatever she’d started to prepare in the small kitchen smelled absolutely divine, fresh garlic and onion, I thought.
“You didn’t wear the sundress,” she frowned, taking in my t-shirt and shorts.
I patted my bag. “I didn’t want to spoil it while we cooked. I’ll change before the boys get here.”
She grinned. “Perfect! You’re on salad duty.”
After I’d stowed my things, she gave me the grand tour of her kitchen. It was tiny, hardly enough space for one person to cook, let alone two. The appliances had probably been around during World War II, but she’d done up the place as best she could. Her cabinets had a fresh coat of white paint and she had pretty wine bottles on display on the bar between the living room and kitchen.
“I love it in here, Kat.”
“Me too. You should have seen it when I first moved in though. The place was full of rotted wood and there were leaks everywhere.”
“You fixed it up yourself?”
She laughed. “God no. I hung up the decor and painted the cabinets, but Luca did all the construction. Replaced all the leaky pipes and things. Boring stuff, but he’s brilliant at it.”
I tucked away that bit of information, careful not to seem too interested by it. Ever since Katerina had informed me that I was the latest in a line of women who’d gone gaga for Gianluca, I tried my hardest to train my features into neutral expressions. I didn’t want her to think I was pining for him or anything. Truthfully, I just wanted another chance to be around him. Even with his sullen demeanor, he was the most interesting man I’d ever come across, and despite the fact that he’d been nearly mute in our few encounters, I knew he had more to say. It was in his eyes. They were a deep chocolate brown and they seemed to carry the weight of his unspoken words.