“We were supposed to spit!”
“Gross!” I shouted.
“At any given class, we might try up to twenty different wines, so even if it is gross, it’s what you have to do. So an hour passed and I could barely stand. I was sick as a dog, and the next day I had the worst hangover in history. I’ve hated wine ever since.”
I shook my head. “And yet you still did the degree program.”
“I didn’t really have any other options,” he said, staring off into the horizon.
We were looking out onto the Gulf of Naples. All over Sorrento, there were places to catch sight of it. On the horizon, there was the thinnest gleam of sunlight.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “I’m starving to death.”
“Me too,” I said. “But everything’s got to be closed, right?”
Instead of answering, he just winked, grabbed my hand, and pulled me away.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked.
“You’ll see. For now, just try to figure out how you’re going to thank me.”
I gave him a friendly slap. Soon afterward, I saw a familiar restaurant with a terrace. Lucas took the keys out of his pocket and opened the door, then turned off the alarm.
“Won’t you get in trouble for this?”
“No! Dante’s a good guy. He knows me and trusts me. Come on, let’s go to the kitchen.”
Lucas turned on the lights, and I stood in the doorway, apprehensive, not really sure what to do. The walls were immaculate white, the tables and cabinets and appliances were all stainless steel. It smelled like air freshener and disinfectant.
Lucas took bread out of a cabinet and put it on the table, then opened the two huge double doors of a refrigerator.
“What are you in the mood for?” he asked.
“What is there?”
“Come take a look.”
I peeked over his shoulder and saw what resembled a smorgasbord. And everything looked delicious.
“Tomato and cheese,” I said.
Lucas grabbed the ingredients and took them to the table. I got comfortable on a barstool and watched him cutting the cheese and tomato into slices. His hands moved quickly and skillfully. He had a knack. Then he broke open a long loaf of bread and filled it with these ingredients, adding oregano, pepper, and oil. He cut it in half and stuffed it into a paper bag.
On our way out, he walked behind the bar and grabbed two sodas. When he’d locked the restaurant, he took me to a nearby park. There wasn’t a soul on the streets. It was deserted.
We sat on the lawn and ate in silence.
It’s incredible how quickly a person can get used to happiness.
To feeling good.
To living as though life had always been beautiful.
25
When we finished, Lucas took off his shoes and laid his feet in the grass, and I did the same. My bare skin shivered as my legs stretched out and the humid ground touched them. My head was still spinning from the alcohol, and my limbs felt like they were made of rubber.
“Do you care if I smoke?”
