“Hi, Olivia,” I say.
“Oh, hey!” she says, smiling, switching her backpack from one shoulder to the other. It would appear by the size of her bag that she might not be planning to stay overnight—which means we’d only have a few hours before the last ferry departs for Naples. I tell myself to make the most of our time together.
“How was your trip?” I ask.
“It wasn’t too bad. Easy flight.”
“You flew?”
“Yeah. It’s, like, an eight-hour drive to Naples. I actually took a train to Genova, then flew to Naples,” she says.
“Oh my gosh! I had no idea you were going to that much trouble….”
“It’s no trouble,” she says. “It was actually very efficient.”
I smile. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. Are you hungry? Should we have lunch?”
“I’m always hungry!”
We stand there, grinning at each other for a few seconds, before we start walking down the narrow road, single file. A couple of minutes later, as we reach a stretch of shops and cafés, we cross the street to check them out. We pass by the first few options but eventually find a restaurant that feels nice. Ducking inside, I ask a lady clearing tables if they’re still serving lunch. She nods as Olivia asks her a follow-up question in Italian. The lady responds, gesturing toward the seating area.
“Do you want to eat inside or outside?” Olivia translates.
I glance around the dining area, then point to a small table in the corner right next to an open window—a compromise. “Maybe that one?”
“That works,” she says, striding over to it. She drops her backpack on the floor before taking a seat.
“Your Italian is really good,” I say, sitting across from her. “Have you picked that up in the last few weeks?”
She smiles and says no, telling me that she’s been working on it for a few months.
I tell her I’m terrible at foreign languages—that I took eight years of French and never achieved any sort of fluency.
“The trick is—don’t be embarrassed. Try whenever you can. There is no shame in trying,” she says.
I nod, thinking her advice applies to many things in life. As we review the menu, I also glance at the wine list, debating whether to have a glass. It feels a bit early in the day, especially given how much I had to drink last night.
I look back up at Olivia. “Are you going to have a glass of wine?”
“I shouldn’t. Training and all of that,” she says. “But you should have one…. And maybe I’ll have a sip of yours.”
I smile back at her. I’ve had a good feeling about Olivia since that first time we spoke on the phone, but now I really like her. Weirdly, it also feels like I’ve known her a very long time. Maybe that’s because she’s related to Lainey, but I doubt it, given the very different feeling I had in Ashley’s living room.
Our waiter is in no rush to take our order, which seems to be normal here. I don’t mind, though. In fact, I like the feeling that nobody ever seems to be in a hurry or bothered. When he finally makes his way to our table, Olivia orders the risotto alla pescatora, and I go with the spaghetti alla posillipo, ordering in Italian. I also choose a glass of red wine.
“Good job,” Olivia says, giving me a thumbs-up.
Our eyes lock, and we both smile as butterflies invade my stomach.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
“Sorry. I’m just a little nervous. I’m not sure why…. I guess because I haven’t told Lainey you’re here.”
Olivia bites her lip and nods. “I figured…. What does she think you’re doing right now?”
“I told her I was going for a walk…and possibly meeting up with this guy we all met….”
Olivia raises her eyebrows and smiles. “Oh?”
“Nothing like that…. I mean, he’s very cute…but no.”
She nods, then says, “Too soon?”
“I don’t think it’s that. The idea of a rebound is appealing,” I say. “It just wasn’t there, I guess. That spark.”
“How are you feeling generally? About the breakup?” Olivia asks.
“I’m doing surprisingly okay. I think it might be a different story when I get back home,” I say, my heart sinking at the thought. “But for now, I’m holding my own.”
“Have you heard from your ex?”
I shake my head and say, “No. And nothing from my mother, either.”
“Good,” she says. “But be careful of the stealth attack. They often come when you least expect it.”
I nod, then say, “Yeah. I dread going back to it all. I really wish I could just move away for good.”
“Why can’t you?”
