His neck flushed with sudden heat. That particular concern hadn’t occured to him. He did the math: He was old enough to be her father. The uncomfortable thought lodged like a sliver into his mind.
—
The appetizers did little to take the edge off Valerio’s hunger, and by the time his meal arrived, he was disappointed that the lasagneserving was little larger than a deck of cards. But the real insult came when he took a bite.
“It’s cold!” he exclaimed. It tasted awful, too. Where was the crust of cheese, the hot noodles and tomato sauce, the creamy ricotta, the hearty chunks of meat? He wanted to spit it out, scrape it off his tongue. “What is this?”
The waiter hurried back to the table. “Is there a problem, signore?”
“This isn’t lasagne. What is it?”
“This is a raw vegan restaurant, signore. The noodles are comprised of thinly sliced zucchini, with a delicate sauce of crushed tomatoes, garlic, and cold-pressed olive oil. The cheese is homemade from cashews…”
Valerio struggled to chew and swallow. The gritty white paste masquerading as cheese coated his mouth.
“Cashews?”
“Sì, signore.”
He glanced at Maria, who showed signs of embarrassment. He felt suddenly very old and very tired. He didn’t belong in a place like this, where people ate air. What he really wanted right now was a big slab of steak, and butter, and a whole loaf of bread to sop up the juices.
“Very well,” he said.
He drank wine, ordered another, and did his best to choke down the cold vegetables. What he couldn’t eat, he pushed around on his plate. Maria showed every sign of enjoying a pasta made from raw squash and pesto. He led her to talk about her work as a model, and her blossoming career as a social media influencer. She seemed intelligent and engaged, and mature for her age.
“It doesn’t bother you that I’m so much older than you?” he asked.
“I’ve always been attracted to older men,” she told him.
Learning how young she was had unsettled him at first. He’d hoped to find a girlfriend closer to his own age—someone who had seen enough of the world to understand him and his work. Now it occurred to Valerio that being with a younger woman might be its own sort of adventure. She was so full of life and enthusiasm. He could introduce her to new experiences and ideas. The idea had a certain appeal.
—
“This is the first time I’ve tried internet dating,” he confessed when the meal was nearly complete.
Her smile was friendly. “I can tell. You’re so sweet.”
“How long have you been doing it?” he asked.
“Not long,” she said. “My last relationship just ended.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Grazie.” She reached out, brushed his hand with her fingertips. “But I’m glad I met you. I like you, Valerio.”
This warmed him. He took her hand. “I like you, too. Shall we get out of here? Head back to my place?”
Maria nodded and he signaled for the waiter.
He would take a taxi to keep Maria out of the rain. He mentally plotted their route, and thought about the storefront kebab shops he’d passed on his way here. He would ask the driver to stop by one of those, and get a big greasy meat wrap.
Maria said, “My last daddy was such a sweetheart. I’ve been so lonely since he moved back to Brussels. But you’re a sweetheart, too. I can tell.”
Some heavy gear clunked in Valerio’s mind, and everything ground to a stop.
“Your last daddy?”
She nodded. “If it’s okay with you, it’s probably best to set the ground rules about this relationship before we move on to the next stage. I’ll need twenty-four hundred a month for basic living expenses, and a monthly spending allowance of twelve hundred.”
