The lively banter continued as they shared slices of pizza. Aida tried to focus on the comforting aroma of warm dough and cheese, the bite of the gin, and the good company of her friends. But it wasn’t easy to live in the present when such a deep unease about the future lingered.
As the evening wore on, Aida found herself glancing atLuciano, the unspoken connection between them growing stronger with each passing moment. Eventually, the group decided to call it a night, and Luciano offered to walk Aida partway back to the palazzo.
The streets of Rome were eerily quiet as they strolled under the soft glow of the streetlights. Luciano immediately took her hand, and Aida wished it weren’t so cold that they needed gloves.
“I like your friends,” he told her. “Felix mi famoriredalridere.”
Aida laughed. “Yes, he makes me die of laughter all the time too. And he’s absolutely brilliant. He knows more about history than anyone I’ve met. I’m not sure how he remembers everything.”
“And Yumi, what a good friend she is to you.”
It was an observation that warmed Aida’s heart. “She is. We’ve known each other a long time.”
“That’s why she’s so invested.” Luciano squeezed her hand. “If I had just lost my job, I’d be panicking and spending every last second trying to find another one.”
“She’s always been able to land on her feet,” Aida said. “She’s very good at what she does. The fact that she hasn’t found Pandora yet says more about their godlike capabilities than it does about her. But she loves a good puzzle. She won’t quit till she’s figured it out.”
He paused then and pulled her close. “Neither will I.” He leaned forward, his lips a warm contrast to the crisp air that touched her cheeks. Aida let herself be lost in the moment, savoring the tingle that rose within her when their tongues met, when his hands pulled her close. Around them, Rome stood still, its historic stones a silent witness.
Aida laughed when they finally pulled apart. “We really should stop doing this in dark alleys.”
“At least we don’t have teenagers heckling us this time,” he said. “But you’re right. We should have some sort of proper date.”
That seemed highly improbable—the mere fact that theywere walking together in public was a danger in itself. Aida smiled, masking the stab of disappointment at the thought. How could they ever have any semblance of proper anything as long as MODA employed them? She leaned forward and kissed him again, with more urgency, channeling her worries into the passion between them. Who knew what would happen in their future? Aida would do everything she could to enjoy her now.
“Diomio,” Luciano whispered. “Maybe we should just skip the proper date.”
“Sì, but not tonight,” Aida said. “Later this week? But now I should go. If Trista is tracking me, she’s probably wondering why I stopped a few blocks away for so long.”
Luciano nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the nose. “A presto.”See you soon.He backed away, then, with a wave, turned back the way he came.
23
March 2020
Four days later, the gravity of the situation had intensified. Aida, Yumi, Felix, and Luciano had reconvened at Yumi’s apartment when the news broke. Italy had been placed under a nationwide ban of public gatherings, religious services, and football matches. The streets of Rome were hauntingly deserted. Museums, cafés, and even hairdressers had been forced to shut their doors, a tangible sign of the crisis gripping the country.
“I never imagined it would come to this,” Yumi said, her voice laced with disbelief. “The entire country on lockdown. Everything closed. The Pantheon, the Galleria Borghese. Hell, even the Vatican is shut.”
“How will we do our jobs?” Aida asked, looking at Luciano. “Will we even have jobs?”
“I think so. Dolores sent me an email this morning with more details for my next assignment. Surely, they know what’s going on. It seems they are still planning on having us do work in some way.”
Aida stiffened. “They still want you working? Now?”
Luciano nodded. “Apparently.”
Aida found that suspicious. “Does Dolores seem... at all concerned?”
Luciano frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, the world is shutting down, people are terrified,and yet she’s acting like nothing’s changed. Like she expects us to go on as usual.”
“Well... I suppose.” He hesitated. “She’s always been practical.”
“Or programmed,” Aida murmured.
Felix gave her a sharp look. “You think she’s one of them?”
