Page 60 of That's Amore


Font Size:

“It’s Italy,” she says. “Rome in particular. Time feels like it’s going so fast when it’s hardly moving. I have no idea why.” She leads us out into the courtyard. “Thank God the heatwave broke, right? We can sit out here and not swelter. Finally.” She tells Ria to bring us wine and nibbles, and we sit.

“So, what’s new?” I ask her, and it really does feel like we haven’t seen each other in weeks and weeks, when it’s really only been a handful of days. “Any more out-of-town guests coming?”

“Next month,” Serena says. “A couple that were good friends of Tony and me.”

“Well, that sounds fun.”

“It will be. I’m always happy to get a little blast of home, you know?”

“I do,” I say as Ria hands me a glass of chilled white that makes my mouth water just from looking at it. She sets a charcuterie board filled with goodies, smiles at me, and disappears back into the kitchen, or wherever it is that she goes. “I love it here, but I’ve felt a tiny bit homesick recently, especially after talking to my mother today.”

“I understand that. Kind of inevitable when you’re away for a long stretch.”

I nod and sip. The wine is crisp and acidic with just a touch of fruitiness. Perfect.

“How’s the book coming along?” Serena watches my face as she sips.

“It’s been great recently,” I say, and I don’t know if there’s something in my expression or the tone of my voice or what, but suddenly, Serena is looking at me with a knowing grin. “What?”

“Sounds like the inspiration experiment paid off.”

“The inspiration experiment?”

She gives me a littlepfft. “Please. You know what I mean. Marina.”

Of course I know what she means. But I’m trying to be more subtle about it. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“And?” Serena gives her hand a roll as if to spur me on. “Details!”

I inhale a deep breath and let it out. On the one hand, I don’t want to talk about me and Marina. It’s private, and I’m not a gossip. On the other hand, though, I’m so freaking giddy at the thought of her, and I can’t keep from smiling.

Serena points directly at my face. “I knew it. I knew you two would be good together.”

I hold up a hand. “Okay, slow your roll, ma’am.”

“I want to hear all about it,” she says, as if she’s been waiting for this exact story all day. “What have you done? Where have you gone? How does it feel?”

“That’s a lot of questions,” I say with a laugh. “But…it’s nice. She’s great. We’re having a lot of fun.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “Sweetie. Those are not details.” She takes a sip of her wine, then asks, “How’s the sex?”

I am mid-sip, which I nearly choke on at her words. Serena laughs and laughs as I cough through my shock. Once I manage to find my breath again, I meet her gaze, ready to remind her how private that question is, and I wonder, do I even want her to know that we’ve slept together? But one look at her face and I give up. “It’s fucking fantastic.”

Serena gives a whoop of joy, coupled with anotherI knew it, which makes me laugh.

“Wow. I don’t think anybody’s ever been so happy about my sex life. Including me.”

She pulls herself together and reaches for a bite of cheese from the charcuterie board. “I just love it when a match I knew would work out works out. Thrills me no end.”

“Well.” I shrug and help myself to a dolma from the board. “It’s not anything serious. We’re just enjoying ourselves.” As I chew, she nods and seems, I don’t know. Pensive? “What?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Nothing.”

But I feel like I’ve grown to know her pretty well. “Bullshit.” I say it with a grin to let her know I’m teasing.

A shrug. “I just don’t want either of you to get hurt is all.”

I frown. “We’re fine. No need to worry. We both know what’s what.”