Much to her relief, Mo didn’t return during Aida’s time at the museum. She spent hours engaging with the curator, delving into every aspect of the artwork, the extensive book collection, and even the curator’s personal impressions. They discussed his favorite pieces, the reasons behind his preferences, the art that captivated the museumgoers, and any noteworthy reactions to the exhibits. On her final day, Friday, when the museum opened its doors to the public, Aida planned to observe the guests and interview them about their favorite aspects of the museum.
After the second day, Trista stepped back, leaving Aida to finish the research on her own. That was always the plan, she said, to make sure Aida had everything she needed to be productive. Trista explained that she would occasionally accompany her on location, but there was no real reason for her to spend hours waiting around for Aida to finish her work.
Lost in the sanctuary of the library, Aida was particularly drawn to Goethe’s deep appreciation for ancient Greek culture. His journey to Italy was fueled by a desire to grasp Hellenism, and he intriguingly merged his reverence for both ancient Greece and Rome. During his second Roman sojourn in 1788, Goethe set aside many of his Christian beliefs to explore Greek morality and religion. As a historian who had always been captivated by Greek and Roman myths, Aida found this aspect of Goethe’s life intensely fascinating. She was especially interested in the myth of Faust that Goethe had made so popular, and why people reveled in the downfall of Mephistopheles.
By Thursday, Aida was confident enough that MODA wasn’t monitoring her, so she powered down her MODA equipment on her walk home and tried calling Yumi on her personal device. Aida’s conversations with both her fiancé and best friendwere constrained to superficial topics due to the restrictions on using the MODA phone at the palazzo. They’d discussed the wedding plans, Yumi’s house renovations, regional news, and the general sights Aida had encountered in Italy, avoiding any mention of their jobs. Trista’s caution after Aida’s meeting with Felix had heightened her wariness, making her doubt whether she was ever truly alone. Yumi’s role in software security naturally limited what she could share about her work, mirroring Aida’s own reticence. Still, it left a strange void between them, this unsaid part of Aida’s life, which she desperately wished she could share with both Yumi and especially Graham.
“I think I’m alone now...” Aida said in a singsong voice when Yumi picked up the call.
“For reals?”
Aida laughed. “For reals.”
“Okay, I have a solution to our 404 error.” Yumi launched into an explanation. “I should have had you do this before you left, but how could we know they would be so authoritarian about your life? You probably can’t use it at the palazzo, but you should download Signal on your personal phone. It will encrypt all our conversations—voice, video, or text.”
“Really? You sure it’s safe?”
“Hell, that whistleblower Snowden uses it. We’re good.”
“It feels so strange to sneak around just to have a conversation,” Aida said.
“But do you love the job?”
Aida had to admit that aside from missing her loved ones, even with the secrecy and the strangeness of MODA, the work was fascinating, and she was enjoying being in Rome.
“Well then, it’s worth it. We can play Secret Agent Man on the side. Find me on Signal when you’re out and about. You should be able to sneak a text or voice message to me from a bathroom at some point. It will be like a game. Where will Aida text me from next? Ha! Just be careful not to turn your workphone off for too long, and we should still have our regular calls when you’re home... We don’t want them to get suspicious, after all.”
They talked for a while and Aida filled her in on Mo’s arrival at the museum.
“Wow, sounds like a character out of a novel,” Yumi said when Aida had finished. “Just my type.” Yumi laughed before shifting the conversation to the wedding. “So, about the bridesmaids... Erin’s been ghosting me all week. I’ve tried calling, texting, everything. We need to finalize the dress orders, and she’s not responding. It’s worrying and, honestly, really frustrating.”
Aida frowned. “That’s not like Erin. Is she okay?”
“She just won’t respond to calls, emails, or texts. I’ve been trying for days to reach her,” Yumi said. “But she’s been posting on Instagram like everything is hunky-dory.”
“That’s strange,” Aida agreed. “I’ll send her a text. Maybe she’ll respond to me.”
Yumi sighed, her frustration palpable. “Thanks. It’s stressing me out. We’re running out of time.”
Before Aida could respond, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. She glanced at the screen. It was Graham.
“One second, Yumi. It’s Graham.”
Yumi chuckled softly. “Go talk to your man. We can finish up later.”
“Thanks,” Aida said, feeling a little bad for cutting Yumi off but knowing she’d understand. “I’ll text you later about Erin.”
“Talk soon,” Yumi said before Aida switched the call.
She took a breath and answered, seeing Graham’s smiling face appear on the screen. “Hey.”
“Morning from Boston,” Graham replied, his voice warm and familiar. “How’s your day going?”
She smiled, already feeling lighter. “Good. Oh, I miss you. How’s everything back home?”
“I miss you too. Everything’s great, just busy with work. The house feels empty without you though.”
“I’m glad you’re keeping busy,” Aida said. “Hey, Yumi mentioned Erin’s been out of touch lately and hasn’t responded to messages about the bridesmaid dresses. I know you’ve been talking with her. Do you know if anything’s going on?”
