Johansen: Sorry, Kate. I’ve been somewhere without access to my phone. I should have given you my partner’s number. I just wasn’t expecting to hear from you. I have nothing new to tell you. I’m guessing you’re already in Italy. I would have discouraged you from going there all things considered, but I can see how you would love it there. Be careful. Try not to stand out.”
She texted him back.
Kate: What do you mean “all things considered?” What things?
Then she texted her mom and included her dad into the conversation, who had texted her not long ago.
Mom: So glad you arrived safely. What have you been up to today?
Kate wasn’t about to share the news about the locket and Carmela. She hadn’t digested the information for herself yet. And, she wasn’t sure they were going to end up in Venice. Not really.
Kate: We ate some amazing pasta at a quaint café. Hiked up through a bunch of arches to get to a cool church, went to a medieval market (too touristy), and right now we’re at a piazza and Ellie’s shopping for jewelry.
Mom: Sounds lovely.
Kate: It is beautiful here. Could do without the graffiti, but other than that, it’s spectacular.
Mom: Send pictures please.
Kate: Will do. Ellie’s done. Gotta go.
Mom: We love you. Stay safe.
Gallo took the same care with the jewelry Ellie picked out, carefully examining and cleaning it before putting it on her. He obviously loved his trade.
He had been taught by a master and was his own master now. Ellie took pictures of both men. She knew Kate would want to put pictures of the shop into her search journal as soon as possible.
They spent the next couple of hours shopping for Italian clothes and learning their next couple of lessons about being Italian.
Number nine: Italians love to give constructive criticism. And if you ask advice about buying clothes to fit in as an Italian, you should be prepared to receive advice about everything else.
And as for the clothes, that lead to number ten: Italians dress gaudy and glamorously, but the fabrics and the quality are amazing.
They sat on a bench while Kate entered all the information she’d learned from Gallo and Manfredo, making sure to spell the name of the shop correctly into her journal. She tried not to think about Venice. Ellie drew the outside of the shop on the opposite page and then took a picture. Kate and Ellie smiled as they made their way back to the apartment with bags of new clothes and costume jewelry and a sense that they would finally fit in.
10
The guys returned to the apartment shortly after the girls. “Go change. We’re heading to dinner.”
“Do Italians dress up for dinner?” Ellie asked.
Colby nodded. “And after we show you around campus, we’ll be heading to a party.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“We have some things to tell you, Colby,” Kate said. She really wished she could talk to him about the pictures of the dead people, but that would have to wait.
“We can talk at dinner, okay? I need to change.”
“Okay.” The girls were excited to wear one of the outfits they’d bought on the piazza. After changing and getting freshened up, they walked out of the tiny room and the guys whistled. The girls played it up, spinning for them. The guys had been in Italy less than a week and had already caught onto that cultural norm.
“Let’s go!” Spain said.
“We’re going to a little café down the road. We eat there a lot. Great food.” Colby put his arm around Kate. “You’re going to love it.”
“Yeah. You must only eat out. I mean, you have no food in this place.” Ellie folded her arms across her chest.
“Sorry about that, but we’ve really had no time to do any grocery shopping. Everything is closed when we get out of class.”
As promised, the café was not far and it was packed, but it didn’t matter. The guys walked right up to a table that looked full and sat down. Everyone just squished up together and made room. Unlike in the States there wasn’t one table per group of customers; if there was an open spot, anyone could sit there and apparently, if there wasn’t a spot, they’d make one.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Colby said. “No more waiting. Sit by me.”
Italians’ definition of space was very different from Americans’. And it was loud. While Kate couldn’t understand much of what was being said, it was easy to determine it was happy and full of life.
“What do you want?” Colby asked.
“What is there?” Ellie and Kate looked at a menu, but it was all in Italian.
“Every pasta and sauce you could think of. The servers can understand you if you speak in English.”
“We had pasta for lunch.”
“You’ll eat pasta for every meal here,” England said and they all laughed.
“I thought Italy was known for its pizza.”
“It is, just not at this café. We can have pizza another night.”
After ordering various pastas and sauces including a Ragu, a specialty of the area, everyone talked with varying degrees of English proficiency as they tried to understand each other. The food was made fresh to order and came slowly. Very slowly. Kate looked around the room, soaking up the atmosphere and trying to embrace this new idea of personal space. It made her nervous at first, but after twenty minutes or so, she was able to relax and enjoy herself. When the food came, it was delicious. The crusty bread rounded off the experience. She couldn’t help wondering why Americans didn’t eat crusty bread regularly like they did here. Kate focused on savoring every bite and not hurrying.
“What did you want to tell me?” Colby asked. The room still boomed with conversation.
He was so close and Kate liked how he seemed to have taken her under his wing. “It’s so loud in here. It can wait.”
An hour and a half after arriving, they got up to leave. Kate turned and then whipped her head toward the back of the restaurant where the servers came and went from the kitchen. She thought she saw one of the girls from the Marconi club in Jersey, but when she turned back all she could see was the back of the girl as the door shut behind her. No. It wasn’t. It couldn’t have been. Cold dread pumped through Kate’s veins even though she thought her mind was playing tricks on her.
Ellie grabbed her arm and Kate stopped staring at the closed door. “What’s up? You look like you saw a ghost.”
“I thought I did for a second there. This girl from…” She let her words trail off as her eyes fell on Ellie. “It was nothing. She was nobody.” Kate didn’t want to tell Ellie what she thought she’d seen because after she’d gotten back from New Jersey, she had thought she had seen lots of different Marconis and Bellinis around every corner, fear of them finding her and taking control.
“Everyone is already outside. Come on.”
Kate nodded. Just great, now she was hallucinating. What next? But, Colby wasn’t outside, he was standing next to the door holding it open for them. “You okay?”
“Yeah. It was stupid.”
The guys were obviously all pumped, ready to go to the party, talking loudly, laughing, and posturing. As soon as the three of them joined the others, they started down the sidewalk.
“It’s still a little early to show up at the party. We’ll give you a tour of the campus as we go. The party is clear on the opposite end. Keep your hand on your purse and don’t get too close to anyone or you will lose your stuff for sure.” Colby gave them a warning look. With the mass of students attending the university, it seemed a very daunting task to maintain law and order.
Both Kate and Ellie grabbed hold of their bags, pressing them close to their bodies. Colby focused on the older university buildings centered along Via Zamboni, along with lots of other pubs, cafés and pizzerias. The whole area was plastered with posters and advertisements searching for or offering rooms, selling or buying something, or promoting any kind of event or party. It was quite dirty and there were a lot of what appeared to be homeless
and strange people. Kate felt on edge and was happy to have Colby right next to her. Perhaps the prettiest among all the buildings on the street was the Facoltà di Giurisprudenza, Faculty of Law, which occupied a renaissance palazzo with a beautiful inner courtyard. Colby had to use a keycard to get them inside the actual building. Kate was glad to find the graffiti didn’t extend inside.
They stopped at Gelateria Gianni, which reminded Kate they needed to talk to Colby and tell him about their plans to go to Venice tomorrow. It also reminded her about the guys they promised to meet up with. She fell back and snagged hold of Ellie, pulling her away from Belgium. “The guys.”
“What guys?”
“The guys we’re supposed to go out with tomorrow.” Maybe this was her way out of the date.
Ellie kissy-faced her response. “If we go early enough, we can be back in time to still go out with them.”
“You think?”
“Sure. Venice is only a few hours away. We can even do the whole tourist thing and be back well before seven.”
“Okay.” Kate looked ahead for Colby. “We need to tell Colby.” They hurried to catch up with him.
“Colby, we’re going to Venice tomorrow,” Kate announced.
He stopped walking. “Venice?”
Ellie interrupted. “Kate’s locket was made there.”
“Ellie has this crazy idea that the son of the guy who made it will remember Carmela.”
“Just because the locket was made there, doesn’t mean her mom got it there.” Colby sounded skeptical.
“I know.” Ellie huffed. “But chances are high because they only sold these lockets from that particular store and there were not a lot made.” Ellie’s shoulders were square, like she was settling in to argue with him until he gave up.
“Maybe they received it as a gift.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Ellie said. Kate hadn’t either, but she said nothing. “It doesn’t really matter, Colby. It’s a lead we have to follow. If it turns out to be nothing, then we at least got to see Venice.”
“You shouldn’t go alone. Mom and Dad wouldn’t like it and Kate, your parents would freak if they knew you were leaving here to search for your birth mother.”
He was right. “You can come with us.” Kate pushed her shoulders up and grimaced. Colby being there would go a long way in assuaging her fear.
“I can’t. I have classes and labs, remember? Just forget about it. You have the address of the shop?”
They nodded.
“Write them a letter. You’ll get the same information, but won’t have to travel there and you won’t be in any danger.”
Kate kind of liked Colby’s suggestion, but the look on Ellie’s face told Kate she better not interfere.
“Look, Colby,” Ellie said. “We aren’t asking your permission. I’ll tell Mom and Kate will tell her parents. We are going.”
“Mom and Dad will never let you.”
“I’ll text them right now. You know they’ll let me. You’re just blowing smoke.”
Colby rolled his eyes and they started walking again. “Why do you two have to go looking for trouble all the time? Kate, just stay here where you are safe.”
Kate felt a yank on her bag and turned to see a guy’s hand on it. Without a thought, her defense training kicked in and she smacked the guy in the face with the heel of her hand and then kneed him in the groin. He scrambled up, wailing in pain, and took off.
Colby started off after the guy.
“No, Colby. Stop.”
He did and stared at Kate.
“Wow, ninja girl. That was amazing.” Ellie put her hand up for a high-five and Kate slapped it, adrenaline still rushing through her.
“All those hours in my self-defense classes are finally getting some use.” Her face burned. It shocked her that her body had reacted so naturally to the threat.
“I’d say. That was pretty hot actually.” Colby grinned.
Ellie cleared her throat. “So, big brother, as you can see, we can take care of ourselves.” She put an arm around Kate’s shoulder.
Colby raised one eyebrow. “I don’t want you two getting hurt. That’s all.” His eyes seemed to be piercing Kate’s.
“We’ll be careful. Don’t worry.” Ellie hugged Colby. “I love you and I’m glad you worry about me, but I’m a big girl. We are big girls. Besides weren’t you the one preaching that Kate should explore her Italian-ness?”
He glanced at Kate. “Italian-ness, not track down her birth mother. And I can see that you two aren’t weak, well at least Kate isn’t,” he raised an eyebrow and moved out of the way of Ellie’s punch, “but don’t expect me to be happy about it. And if Mom and Dad say no, I can’t let you go.”
Ellie pulled out her phone and started texting. Kate palmed her phone in her pocket. She wouldn’t text her parents. She’d call them as soon as they got to the party. She didn’t think they’d get upset, but she wasn’t sure how they’d feel about the search for Carmela in Venice. She hoped they wouldn’t forbid her from going since Colby wasn’t going. She had promised to stay with both Ellie and Colby. She hadn’t kept that promise so far. Even though she felt a little sick about telling them, she knew she had to. She’d promised to keep them abreast of what she was doing. This was not something she could keep from them, like it or not. At least she could delay telling them.
“And by the way,” Colby said. “I’m learning all kinds of interesting stuff about people’s tendencies and what they do in certain circumstances when seen through genes. Very fascinating. It’s a wonder anyone thinks they have any individual choices at all.”
Kate didn’t know what to think about that.
“And you, Kate, would be a very interesting test subject for the study.” Is this why he’d been so protective of her? He wanted her to be a part of his experiment?
“No thanks. I don’t like to be examined and I truly believe I have choices. I don’t do things because I’ve been pre-programmed to do them.”
“Think what you will. If you change your mind, I have a questionnaire I could give you.”
Kate didn’t respond.
“Uh, it’s Feierabend, everyone. No more school talk. It’s party time,” Germany said, as they walked through colorful halls and beautiful porticoes as well as sections of buildings adorned with mosaics. Kate examined everything in awe as she did her best not to be left behind.
Finally, they arrived at the party. It was being held at a large house that had been sectioned off into three apartments. The interior was packed with people. They literally had to push their way through the crowds, sweaty bodies hindering their path until they got to the back of the house. She’d been crazy to think she would be able to have a conversation with her parents there. A bartender stood at his bar serving beer but also mineral water, soda, and wine. It seemed most people had wine glasses in their hands. The boys headed straight for the alcohol. Colby stayed back, his eyes perusing the crowds.
“You going to be okay?”
“Of course,” Ellie said. “Go. Have fun.”
The backyard was a gem. It was large, with grass, fountains and little sections that were secluded from the rest creating private spaces to hide away with someone special. Tables with chairs dotted the garden. The atmosphere was inviting and somehow calm despite the crowds. Music played and people danced, but there wasn’t the loud, booming bass or frenzied movements that seemed to prevail at parties in Texas. And everyone was dressed to the nines, glamorous and gorgeous. Kate felt a surge of happiness that they’d bought new clothes. She didn’t feel like an American, standing out for everyone to gawk at, and she could find somewhere to call her parents back there, she was sure of it.
However, there were some people who looked oddly familiar. She tried not to let it freak her out, but she found herself ducking away from the glances of certain individuals. These people were Italians and the only other Italians she knew had been in Jersey. She justified ignoring her feelings with the idea that she was
thinking they looked familiar simply because they were Italian, nothing more. That’s when she saw him.
11
Martino stood only twenty feet away. He looked amazing. Tall, lean, and ever so handsome. And standing next to him was Constantin and several of the other guys from Admire Piazza Maggiore. They’d also changed and were surrounded by women. Italian women. Kate leaned into Ellie and said, “Look who’s here.”
She took one look and said, “We are going over there to claim them.”
“Claim them? Please. We don’t own them.”
“But they’re going out with us tomorrow.”
“That doesn’t mean we have any rights to them tonight. How about we observe them. Stay in the shadows and see what kind of guys they are. Maybe we don’t want to hurry back from Venice.”
Ellie gave Kate a look of complete disbelief. “I don’t care how they act tonight. I am gonna get me some action with Constantin tomorrow no matter what.”
Kate laughed, but she didn’t feel amused. “Fine, but let them come to us. Let’s pretend we didn’t see them.” Kate was sure that when faced with the choice of those women or Ellie and Kate, they would choose the former every time. And she found she didn’t really care. Her heart was with another boy. One in Jersey. One she’d never be with again.
“For a while, but…”
And as if Fate was stepping in, a couple of guys walked right up to them. They said something in Italian. Kate smiled. These outfits were doing their job. “We don’t speak Italian. Do you speak English by chance?”
“Sì! Yes.” The guy looked at Kate and said, “But you look Italian.”
“Thank you,” both Ellie and Kate said.
“What was it you asked?”
“Dance?” Both guys held out their hands. Ellie’s eyes sparkled as she moved toward the other guy and took his hand.
“I’m Kate.”
“I’m Marco.”
“Nice to meet you, Marco. I’d love to dance.” She took his hand and they met Ellie and her guy on the dance floor.
Marco and Kate tried hard to have a conversation about something substantial, but the language barrier proved the death of their time together. Ellie didn’t seem to care and held on to her dance partner like he was the last man on earth. Kate got a drink and stood by a tall table and people watched. A couple of guys brought her glasses of wine and when she turned them down, they didn’t stay for long, except for one.
Kate Concealed Page 9