Page 37 of Enzo

I get the impression that dancing isn’t his thing. I don't know his name and I'm not going to ask him because if he wanted to tell me, he would have.

I also like that he's not getting all touchy and handsy like some of the guys I've met. He seems to understand that we’re just friends.

“Shall we go for a walk?” I suggest. “This is such a big palace. We could explore a bitt.”

The more we've talked, the more relaxed I am around him.

“That sounds like a good idea.” He seems eager to leave.

I expected him to want to stay or meet someone or have his eye on someone here but he doesn't. He's happy enough to hang out with me. As we leave the ballroom, officials nod as we walk past.

“We're not doing anything wrong by leaving, are we? They wouldn't tell us off, would they?”

He laughs at this. “No. Do you get told off a lot?”

“That depends on what I’ve done.”

The palace is enormous and there are staircases which the officials tell us we can go up to and look at some paintings if we want to. So we do.

There are a lot of paintings.

“Do you have children?” I ask, suddenly. The thought just popped into my head.

He frowns. “Do I look old enough?”

“Well, yes.” I examine his face closely. “I don't understand what that means. You look to be in your early twenties.”

“Twenty-eight, actually.”

“Oh. I'm only twenty-three.”

“I'm not ready to settle down yet and have children.”

“Me neither.”

I sense he's withdrawn into himself again.

“Families are complicated.” He sounds a little distant. I’m not sure where that came from, and I don’t know what to say to that.

“They can be,” I say after a while. “I’m still on probation at the school, but it’s quickly become a family of sorts. I’ve made good friends, and my headmistress is almost like a mom to me. And the children…” I smile. “Well, they’re precious.”

He watches me, saying nothing.

“What about you?” I ask, hoping to pull him from his thoughts.

He hesitates at first, then, “I have a big family. Five brothers.”

“Five brothers!” I’m so envious. “What's it like having so many siblings? It must be so much fun, I bet. You've always got things to do.”

I wait for him to say more, but he doesn't. I sense he doesn't want to talk about it because he shrugs and moves to the next painting without answering. This painting is as boring as the last three we've looked at. I don't want to waste more of my evening here doing this.

“Not so much now.”

“Not so much, what?” I stare at the painting in confusion.

“My siblings. They're mostly busy with their girlfriends now.”

“Oh.” I’m stumped because, once again, I don’t know what to say. So I ask the obvious. “But not you?”