Gaia - Worlds Apart, Book One

Chapter 2

Rome

Rome in May is spectacular. Life is easy, and you know that summer is there, around the corner, waiting for your legs and shoulders to come out again. I love Rome, even with the constant traffic; it is a city that makes you feel part of history. I have always been proud to have been born in Rome, "la Cittá Eterna," the eternal city.

I was wearing a jeans skirt, very short but not a mini, and a white Lacoste that perfectly matched my brand-new white Superga tennis shoes. While I was waiting for the bus to arrive, I had time to reflect on some thoughts bothering me. A eucalyptus tree was protecting my freckles from the morning sun, and a very pleasant breeze was keeping me relaxed and perspiration free.

I had been dating a guy on and off for the last six months, but I couldn't decide if I wanted something more from him or not. Marco was good-looking and funny, an outdoor kind of guy, always dressed perfectly for the occasion, whatever it might have been.

We had met at the university, during a protest against who knows what. At La Sapienza, there was always something to protest against. Marco was there at the right moment; he protected me from the angry crowd, removing me at the last moment from someone's trajectory. Thanking him and having coffee with him had been easy, as if we had known each other forever.

And that was why I was pondering under the eucalyptus tree. All my friends had asked me what was wrong with me and why exactly I wasn't considering Marco for something more serious. The worst part was that even Marco was starting to wonder. During the bus ride to the university, I tried very hard to make a list of pros and cons. By the end of the ride, I still wasn't sure there was anything wrong with him.

Marco had plans for us that night, so I was running all my errands at the university before my second-year classes started, to have some time to change before our date. Marco was a romantic guy, and he had said he wanted to surprise me because it was a special occasion. Therefore, I needed time to make myself pretty, and I was already thinking about what to wear for the night; maybe that nice top that showed a little bit of lingerie and that silky skirt that blew over my legs like air.

Once I reached the campus, I had enough time to buy the books I needed for sociology class, to put money on my lunch card, and finally to reach my friend Sara at the small coffee place known as the Bar. It probably had been "Bar dell'Università" at some point, but the neon sign was burned out, and only the word "Bar" was readable.

"Ciao, Gaia!" Sara was the ever-happy friend, the one who knew everything and anything about me, and because of that she was a big fan of Marco. Sara knew how lonely I had been and knew about my problems with intimacy.

"Love your hair today. New highlights? The blond is shinier." She had good taste in everything and, as I liked to say, especially in friends.

"Instead of wasting time in complimenting me, you should be preparing for tonight. What are you doing here?" She raised an eyebrow, and her lovely blue eyes sparkled in annoyance.

"Oh, don't worry. I've plenty of time, and as you can see, I already shaved my legs." I playfully turned my leg right and left to show her my smooth skin.

"Are you taking this date seriously?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Marco called you, didn't he?"

One corner of her lips turned up, but she didn't confirm my suspicion. Instead, she ordered breakfast for us. After eating the cornetto—the Bar had the best croissant in the whole city—and drinking the cappuccino—which in turn was just passable, but everybody was there for the cornetto anyway—she said, "If I were you, I'd wear something sexy tonight."