Page 32 of Unrestricted
Rosa brings a cappuccino and a plate of scrambled eggs with a couple of pieces of toasted ciabatta on the side.
"I wasn't sure what you ate in the mornings and Signore Adriano only takes coffee, so I hope this is okay."
"It's great, Rosa. I love scrambled eggs."
I dig in as Adriano sips his coffee. The eggs are light and fluffy with just the right amount of salt and a hint of pepper.
"You don't eat breakfast?" I ask Adriano.
He shakes his head. "I don't usually eat before lunch."
I screw up my eyes as I try to imagine not eating for the first part of the day. "How do you have any energy in the mornings?"
"Don't know. I guess the ten kilometer run I do when I get up helps."
"That's insane. It can't be good for you to run all that way and not eat anything for hours."
He shrugs. "Works for me."
He glances at his phone again. I wonder what men like him did before the dawning of modern technology. Did they have a steady stream of carrier pigeons bringing messages to them?
"So, what, you work out in the morning, eat nothing and then stock up on cinnamon buns later."
"Yes, though I'm cutting back on those. Gabriele's wife tells me it's bad for my cholesterol."
"And you do what Gabriele's wife tells you?"
"It seems the safest option. If you meet her, you'll see why."
The thought of meeting Gabriele's wife scares me but I'm also intrigued by the notion I might be here long enough to warrant an introduction.
Of course, if I met her I'd also have to face Gabriele and I'm far from ready to do that. I don’t know what I’d say to let him know how sorry I am about what happened to him. There aren’t adequate words.
I pick up my cappuccino, holding the cup in both hands, and drink half before setting it down again.
While Adriano gives his attention to his phone, I concentrate on my eggs. There's something about us sitting here like this that makes me uncomfortable. We could be an old married couple who've run out of things to say to each other.
He hasn't mentioned what happened in his office yesterday and I'll be damned if I'm bringing that up.
Nor has he mentioned the green dress and I know its replacement did not reach my closet without him having something to do with it.
"What are your plans today?" I ask.
"The usual."
"Ah. Terrorizing villagers and barbecuing babies."
Adriano nods. "As I said, the usual."
I can't decide if I like that I can't get a rise out of him or if I'm pleased that he's willing to go along with it when I decide to be snarky.
"And what will I be doing while you're out sacking Rome?"
"Oh, I'm sacking Rome now? That sounds much more arduous than terrorizing a village."
I smile tightly. "Can I go out?"
"Where would you want to go?"
