Rome Antique
It was raining again. I was late, again!
I knew Diana wouldn’t mind because being late was exactly what she would expect from me. We had been flatmates for almost three years, so she knew me well.
When I came to the restaurant her boyfriend was still there. I tried my best not to look annoyed. He didn’t try at all. At first I thought he was mad because I came to steal his girlfriend for the evening and he had to go, but listening to them say their goodbyes I understood it had nothing to do with me.
I looked around as if I haven’t been in that place before and smiled to the grey-haired Italian waiter.
“Well, he looked quite angry. What happened?” I asked when he finally left.
Diana laughed awkwardly and took her vino.
“He’s mad. I didn’t tell him I was coming.”
What an asshole.
“Oh, you didn’t?” I asked.
“Yeah… Wanted it to be a surprize.”
“I see. Didn’t go well?”
Had she ruined some other plans by coming without notice? Long-distance relationships are not for everyone. It had been only a couple of months since Diana moved to another city, and he had not been very supportive about the whole idea from the very beginning. He probably couldn’t stand the fact she chose to go to university over him.
Maybe he’d already been hooking up with somebody else. I wouldn’t be surprized. There was something deceitful about him. I never liked Diana’s boyfriends, and especially not him.
“He would have tried to get some days off if he knew I was coming. Now, it’s too late to ask.”
Well, sounds legit. I thought. Maybe not a cheater.
“Oh, that’s a pity!”
“I should have thought about it, but you know me: I never think,” she said.
“You will next time.”
I saw the waiter approaching our table and asked Diana what she was having, so that I could copy her order, as I always do.
“Buona sera, signore! First time in Rome Antique?”
“No, no, we are just friends!” Diana replied hurriedly and extremely loudly.
She was one of those people who would yell at foreigners in order to be better understood.
At first the waiter was taken aback by that response, then he started laughing and reminded us the name of the restaurant.
He was not the only one having fun. This cracked us both up. It took us about ten minutes to calm down.
“So tell me about your new teacher,” she said still blushing. “Have you talked since then?”
“Yeah, we did. But I’m not sure he’s interested.”
And I’m not sure I am interested. I thought.
As a devoted friend, Diana was desperately trying to convince me to pursue a romantic relationship. And I was desperately trying to convince her that I am doomed; because I fall only for people who are not interested in me or already taken.
Which was actually true. She herself was proof of that. But, of course, she had no clue. And it was better this way.
“You should invite your sexy teacher to Rome Antique sometime, you know,” suggested Diana when we were leaving.
“Maybe I will.”