“How can you both live in the same place?” Bewildered, I looked between Mason and Nico, both of them standing in the kitchen of the apartment, their arms crossed, identical scowls on their faces.
“We’ve come to a truce,” Nico explained, speaking English out of courtesy to Mason. “It’s the only one left in the building, and it has two bedrooms.”
I gaped at him. “Roommates? You’re going to be roommates?”
“Why not?” Mason shrugged. “It’s cheaper. And they’re willing to sign a month to month lease, which is something I haven’t been able to find anywhere else in this city.”
“But… but…” I couldn’t even begin to tell them how much of a bad idea I thought it was. I sputtered and spat my objections, which just came out as garbled gibberish.
“It will be easier for you,” Nico remarked with a smirk. I could have smacked it off his face.
Mason snorted a laugh. “True enough.”
“This is crazy,” I muttered, storming off toward the bathroom. It was hard enough, being with both of them at once, especially since they turned everything into some sort of pissing contest. But having them live together? It was impossible. I splashed water on my face, frowning into the little mirror over the sink.
And then it occurred to me. Maybe this was part of their plan. If I couldn’t separate them, split them up, see one here and one there, I’d have to make a choice faster, wouldn’t I? But then what? What happened when I chose Mason instead of Nico? Or Nico instead of Mason? Both scenarios made me feel dizzy and I gripped the edge of the sink, breathing hard.
“Dani?” It was Mason, knocking.
And then there was Nico, right behind him, echoing, “Dani? Are you all right?”
“Fine!” I called, opening the door to find them both standing in the doorway. I sighed, looking between the two of them. “So now what?”
“Now we buy furniture,” Mason replied, slapping Nico on the shoulder. “We’ve already got beds though, right?”
I blinked. “You do?”
“Mine from home,” Nico explained. “And my sister gave us another. I put it in the second bedroom.”
“My room,” Mason reminded him.
“She’s okay with this?” I scoffed.
Nico looked sheepish. “I told her it was for a friend.”
“And what does your mother say about it?” I inquired.
His jaw tightened. “It doesn’t matter. I’m moving out.”
“Good for you, man.” Mason slapped him on the shoulder again.
“Am I in a Twilight Zone episode?” I asked faintly, shaking my head.
Mason turned to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “Hey, I’ve got a meeting tomorrow afternoon. Can you come as my interpreter?”
Nico scowled. “We were supposed to go to the gallery tomorrow afternoon.”
“We can do the gallery after the meeting,” I said to Nico.
“I suppose.” His scowl disappeared when he said, “Oh, my sister wanted to know if you could come to dinner at her place tonight.”
I bit my lip “Is it something special?”
“It’s Maria’s tenth birthday.” Anna’s daughter. I knew she’d be disappointed if I didn’t show up.
“We’re going to dinner tonight,” Mason reminded me.
I sighed. “I did already make plans.”
Nico relented, but tried again. “What about tomorrow night?”
“How many birthdays does your niece have?” Mason countered.
Nico rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”
“I could do dinner with you tomorrow night,” I offered, trying to make peace. This was impossible.
“We can go to Il Ridotto again.”
I shook my head and sighed. “Nico, that’s so expensive.”
“That’s where I’m taking her,” Mason interrupted. “I don’t think she’s going to want the same thing two nights in a row.”
The irony of that statement didn’t escape any of us.
“I think Il Ridotto once a year is sufficient,” I said.
Nico didn’t give up. “There’s always the Jazz Club 900. Or we could go to another club. Do you want to go dancing?”
“Dani doesn’t dance.” Mason snorted laughter.
“I dance!” I nudged him with my elbow, admitting, “I just don’t dance well.”
“I can teach you.” Nico took me in his arms and I saw Mason scowl as he led me lightly around the living room floor. “It’s easy. You just have to let yourself go.”
“Yeah, well, you can let her go right now.” Mason stepped in, separating us, and the two men faced each other, glowering.
I smirked. “This living together thing is going to work well. I can tell already.”
They both backed off a little, turning their glares toward me, saying almost simultaneously, “It will be fine.”
“Oh!” I grabbed for something, suddenly lightheaded, and Mason caught me with an arm around my waist. Not to be outdone, Nico appeared on my other side, both of them buoying me up. “Dizzy. Too much dancing I guess.”
“You should sit.” Nico said, but there was no chair or sofa. The only furniture was the mattress in the bedroom and I wasn’t even going to consider that, with both of them standing beside me.
“I have to go anyway.” I untangled myself. “I have some studying I’ve neglected.”
“I’ll take you home.” Nico offered.
“In the gondola?’ Mason snorted.
Nico swiped his hand under his chin at Mason, the Italian equivalent to giving him the middle finger. “V affanculo!”
Mason didn’t need an English to Italian dictionary to interpret what he meant.
“I’ll walk,” I said, heading for the door. “The fresh air will do me good.”
“I’ll see you tonight,” Mason called. “Pick you up at seven?”
I didn’t answer him. My flat was half a mile away, and it was good to be out in the fresh air. I gulped it down, trying to clear my head. Days like today, I was ready to tell both men to go jump in the Grand Canal and be done with it. Of course, when it came down to it, this thing was my own fault. If I would just make a decision, they would stop trying to compete with each other, right? So what was wrong with me?
I still couldn’t believe the two of them had decided to room together. It made me wonder what they were up to. It was the last thing I’d expected, after my confession to first Nico and then Mason, that I was seeing them both. Part of me had expected Nico to end things, and Mason to turn around and head back to the states, but neither of those things had happened.
Jezebel mewed at the door when I opened it, demanding to be fed. I filled her bowl, glancing at the books on my little kitchen table. I’d been too distracted lately, first Nico and now Mason, neglecting my studies. I should have cracked the books but instead I poured myself a glass of wine and took it to the sofa, sitting and sipping and listening to Jezebel eat.
I couldn’t get either man out of my head, and now I couldn’t separate them either. When I closed my eyes and imagined them, their hands and mouths and voices melded in my mind. The wine, of course, wasn’t helping. It made everything fuzzy around the edges. Jezebel joined me on the couch, kneading my thigh with her paws before settling next to me with a large yawn.
The knock on my door startled us both, and Jezebel followed me, just as curious as I was who might be calling. Cara Lucia stood there in the entrance, frowning, her gray hair covered, as usual, under a dark-colored scarf. She remained in mourning for her husband, who made it through WWII in one piece only to die twenty years later from delayed effects of nerve gas.
“Here.” She spoke English, handing me a sheet of paper, and my heart dropped to my toes. Had someone seen Mason here and said something? Was I being evicted? “No more visitors in the room. Capice?”
Sure enough, it was a warning about having Mason over. Someone must have seen him coming or going. I cringed, folding the paper and putting it into my back pocket, already apologizing, but she waved my excuses away.
“I can’t have different rules for different tenants.” She was back to speaking Italian again. “I’m sorry.”
“I understand.” Of course I did. But I also knew she must be angry with me. I hadn’t been to lunch with her since I started dating Nico. “I promise, no more.”