The look in his eye told Stella there was no point saying anything else. She finished tidying up, kissed her uncle goodbye, reminding him to switch off the gas when the rabbit was done, and half-walked, half-jogged to Leo’s house. She didn’t want to waste a minute of the time she could share with Gino.
* * *
Stella jolted upright. She yanked the sheet up to her chin. ‘What was that bang?’
Gino laughed. ‘It’s only the hot water, a pipe heating up. I thought you might want a shower before you went back to the shop.’
Stella exhaled. ‘Thank goodness. I thought it might be Leo at the door.’
‘I told you he’ll be at his workshop all day; he won’t come back for lunch. But I am a bit jumpy myself. At my age it should be my son sneaking girls back tomyhouse when I’m out, not the other way around!’
‘Girls?’ Stella teased.
‘You and only you.’ He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. ‘Mmm, you smell so good. I could stay here all afternoon but I suppose we had better get dressed.’
‘Some of us have to go to work.’ Stella padded across the room, surprised at how unselfconscious she felt. She’d always wrapped her dressing gown firmly around her when she’d been with Joe. She took a quick shower, careful not to wet her hair, and scrambled into her clothes. She glanced in the mirror, her eyes were bright, her skin pink from the shower – or perhaps flushed from her lunchtime frolicking – but she’d done up all her buttons neatly. With a slick of lipstick she’d look respectable enough to stand behind the shop counter.
‘I wish you didn’t have to go.’
‘Me too.’ It was wonderful to lie in Gino’s arms but her hasty departure from Domenico’s house nagged at her conscience. She should have spent the whole of the lunchbreak with him instead of rushing away to see her lover. Her uncle spent enough hours alone whilst she was running the shop.
She pecked Gino on the lips. ‘I’ll see you tonight, with Domenico.’
‘I’m so glad he’s agreed to come here. I hope he’ll like what I’m cooking.’
‘He assures me he eats anything.’ Whether her uncle liked the food was the least of her concerns. All she wanted was for him and Gino to get along.
34
Stella replaced the budgie’s water bottle. She switched the shop sign to Open, humming to herself. Her uncle hadn’t embraced her relationship with Gino like she’d hoped he would but the dinner at Leo’s house had passed without incident. Domenico had eaten everything that had been put on his plate and declared it all to bemolto buono! It was a start, a slow thawing, and for now that would have to be enough. After all, Stella hadn’t fallen over herself to build a relationship with Fernanda; they’d done no more than exchange the oddbuongiornoandbuonaserain the street.
Today was going to be a good day. She hadn’t yet served her first customer but it had already been a most productive morning. After a little head scratching, Domenico had explained where she might find a kettle amidst the stacks of boxes in the basement. The green, jug-style one patterned with orange flowers and sporting a brown plastic lid looked like it had sat amongst the stock since the 1970s but it would add a positively modern note when Stella set it alongside her uncle’s ancient kitchen appliances.
Domenico had also remembered the whereabouts of a box of costume jewellery bought during an ill-fated attempt to diversify into fashion accessories. But amongst the unlikely collection – a dollar sign studded with rhinestones had been ordered in triplicate – were some simple gold-plated chains, some of them surprisingly delicate. They weren’t particularly pretty and the clasps were awfully fiddly but one of them would do for Amy’s coin necklace until the girl was able to find a more permanent solution.
All in all, things were looking up and the day would only get better. Gino had promised to pop by. Both of them were desperate to see more of each other but her old love understood that Stella was tied up with looking after the shop. And she had no plans to repeat their cheeky afternoon siesta; she felt too guilty to leave Domenico alone during the extended lunchbreak. But they were seeing each other again tonight and this time the stakes were higher. Gino was coming to Domenico’s home. Now, what should she make for dessert?
Stella drifted off into a world ofpan di Spagnaand baked peaches stuffed with amaretti and dried apricot. The jangle of the shop bell made her jump.
‘Hi!’ Amy said. She looked remarkably well. Village life was suiting her. Even with the pale skin of a redhead she’d developed a hint of a tan and her air of being slightly lost had vanished.
‘Hi,’ Stella said. ‘Nice to see you.’
‘I was wondering…’
‘Your necklace?’ Stella interrupted.
Amy’s face lit up. ‘You found something?’
‘Perhaps one of these.’ Stella pushed two thin chains across the counter. ‘I’ve tried threading both of them through the coin. Either works so you’ve just got to choose which length. Oh, and they’re only five euros.’
‘Really? They must be more than that.’
‘To be honest, I’m probably ripping you off! These have been in the stock so long the prices were originally in lire.’
‘If you’re sure. That’s a bargain.’ Amy picked one up, winding it around her fingers. Stella retrieved the old coin from its hidey hole beneath the counter. She turned it over and traced her forefinger along the flourish carved on the reverse.
‘I don’t suppose you’ve got any nearer to finding out if this symbol means anything?’
