The food was sublime. Traditional Italian, rustic, fresh, flavoursome, and Alice found herself wishing she hadn’t lost contact with Signora Verde, so she could tell her that she’d been here, that she’d eaten on the edge of one of the rivers that wended its way through Trefiumi Nord.
‘When you are distracted, you get a lovely little line right here,’ he murmured, reaching across the table and running a finger between her eyebrows.
Alice made an effort to straighten her face. ‘I’m not distracted.’
‘No?’
She pulled a face, her heart pulling as though caught on the end of a fishing line when she contemplated how well he suddenly knew her. ‘It’s just...’
‘Yes?’ he prompted, when her words trailed off into nothingness.
‘You’re not at all like what I would have thought.’
He set his fork down, leaning back in his chair, carefully watchful. ‘No?’
She shook her head. ‘You have this reputation as the playboy prince of Europe.’
He shrugged and she knew she wasn’t imagining a defensive tightening of his features. ‘Apparently.’
‘But you’re not... I don’t know. I can’t really see that.’
‘Why not?’
‘Well, you’re fiercely focussed, for one.’
His lips lifted in what was almost a smile. ‘You think that precludes me from enjoying an active social life?’
She pursed her lips. ‘No. But I don’t think you do enjoy that kind of lifestyle. It doesn’t gel.’
‘Gel?’ He repeated the colloquialism with a small tug of his lips.
‘Suit you.’
‘Ah.’ He kept his eyes on hers as he sipped his drink.
‘I’m serious. I just can’t imagine you going from this—’ she waved her hand towards him ‘—to some kind of bachelor on a yacht surrounded by drunk supermodels.’
He didn’t smile. His expression was unreadable.
‘It got me wondering about which version of you is real?’
He expelled a breath, turning to look out of the windows. ‘Can’t they both be real?’
She frowned. ‘I don’t think so.’ Alice leaned forward on the table a little, her heart running a bit faster. Despite the intimacies they’d shared, she wondered if she’d overstepped the mark in some way.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ she offered quietly, when several moments passed without him speaking.
‘I’m not ignoring you,’ he said, finally. ‘I was just trying to frame an answer.’
Her stomach flipped.
‘I like the noise that a lot of people together make.’
And despite the seriousness of their conversation, a small laugh escaped her. ‘That’s your answer?’
His owns lips twisted in a smile. ‘I don’t know. It’s hard to explain, I suppose.’
Alice thought about this. ‘I’ve never liked crowds, myself. Nor parties. I find that kind of shallow social interaction so meaningless. Making conversation with someone you don’t really know, who you don’t care to know.’ She studied him thoughtfully. ‘I suppose parties are a great way to surround yourself with people without really forging deep relationships.’