60

 60

THE TEACHER ANSWERED the entryphone immediately and Lea said her name. There was quite a long pause, after which he repeated her name as if he couldn’t believe his ears. That irked her—Well, if I’m this easily annoyed I’m not so sure, she thought.

“Am I disturbing you?”

“No, absolutely not. I didn’t expect—third floor.”

She found him waiting at the door when she got out of the lift. He no longer seemed taken aback, but neither did he seem ready to dispense with small talk and jump on her. He offered her coffee and canestrelli, daisy shortbread. They made broken conversation, both distracted by what they were about to do.

“There’s an elephant in the room,” she said.

“Well, yes. It’s you.”

“Thanks a lot.”

And they kissed. She didn’t know him and all his strangeness came out in that first kiss, but she was ready and waiting for it. He put too much passion into it, was uneasy and overdid it in an effort to get across how much he liked her. He held the nape of her neck in his large hand, moving his lips from her cheeks to her neck as if her lips had no boundaries or will of their own.

Someone rang the bell—not from outside, but from the inside landing.

“That’ll be my neighbor. She sometimes brings me lunch on the weekend. I’ll be right back.” He pulled the door to and went to open up. She heard him speaking to a woman in a friendly voice, neither agitated nor hurried. He came back to show her an aluminium tray pearled with steam; inside were hot stuffed crepes.

“We might be hungry later,” he said.

Lea stood up. “I’m not sure what’s gotten into me, but maybe it’s better if I go.”

“Why?” Now he really was thrown.

“There are plenty of reasons.”

“There weren’t any when you got here.”

“You’re right. But I have to think about it.”

“Did I say something?”

“No.”

“Do something?”

“No, not at all. Maybe just the interruption. It gave me time to see myself from the outside.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry. I came here in a whirlwind and now I’m making a run for it.”

“I was just getting used to the idea.”

“Yeah.” She picked up her handbag. “Am I presentable?”

“Absolutely.”

“All right, then.”

He went to the door with her and called the lift while she waited in his small, untidy hallway.

“Are you worried that the neighbors will see me?”

“No, I’m not even married.”

“No, I guess you’re not.” She kissed him gently on his black beard and the desire to embrace him came back to her.

“Are you really sure?” he asked, a hand on her elbow. “I’m sure. Sorry.”

“Okay.”

“I might come back, though.”

“Whenever you want.”

Back in the road, Lea looked up and saw not the teacher but the gray head of a woman, a bit past it, peeping out from behind the curtains on the second floor. She waved goodbye and the head disappeared.