Page 58 of Filthy Rich

“And there’s something so dark and moody about the city in spots,” I say, struggling to put the vibe into words. Some of the alleys are so narrow and twisty that I half expect to see a mythical creature slouching into view at any moment. “I feel like if ghosts exist, they’d be here in a city like Venice. Either here or Savannah. Or New Orleans, of course.”

“Of course.”

I focus on him again and discover that he’s wearing his trademark skeptical face. “Let me guess. You don’t believe in ghosts.”

“I’ve seen no evidence of them thus far,” he says.

“That’s because you haven’t been spending enough time in Venice, Savannah or New Orleans.”

We laugh together and are still laughing when the gondolier brings our ride to a graceful conclusion and returns us to the dock. After slipping him a nice tip, Lucien takes my hand and we set off.

“Where to now?” I ask eagerly.

“St. Mark’s Square.”

“Fantastic.”

I don’t know how he does it, but Lucien has the best sense of direction of anyone I’ve ever seen. He knows his way around everywhere, navigating easily without ever needing his phone. It’s really amazing.

“One of these days, I want someone to blindfold you and drop you into a random city,” I tell him as we weave through the crowd. “Maybe Baghdad or Kathmandu. I’m guessing you’d know your way around. I’d bet money on it.”

“You’d lose, but I appreciate the vote of confidence,” he says, and we laugh again. “Feel free to blindfold me any time you want, by the way.”

“Don’t start,” I say, blushing at the sudden sensual gleam in his eyes.

Another turn or two, another dark alley, and then there it is, the vast square opening in front of us with tables around the perimeter, flocks of cooing pigeons wandering around and St. Mark’s Tower on the far end.

“Oh my God,” I say, gasping. “There it is.” I press my hand to my heart because I just can’t get over the beauty and the overwhelming sense of familiarity, even though I’ve never been here before. “It looks exactly like every movie about it I’ve ever seen. It’s unreal.”

“It’s spectacular,” he says, his indulgent gaze lingering on my face, and it’s the moments like these, hundreds of them that we’ve shared during the trip, that make me wonder whether he thinks I’m as special and memorable as some of the sights we’ve been seeing.

“What are you thinking about when you look at me like that?” I ask before I can stop myself.

His expression rearranges itself into something else, something less intense, but even he can’t hide the vivid flush that concentrates on his cheeks.

“I’m wondering whether you deserve two scoops of gelato today or only one.”

I laugh despite the tinge of disappointment. “Serves me right for being nosy, I suppose.”

“Indeed.”

We find a nice little place where I order a cup of pistachio and he orders limoncello. The next thing I know, we’re sitting at one of the tables ringing the square, watching the pigeons scuttle back and forth begging for scraps.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. We found an apartment,” I say, after a while, pulling out my phone. “Let me show you.”

“Oh, yeah? Let’s see.”

“I’m so excited.” I thumb my way to the saved listing. “It’s getting so late in the summer, and I was afraid I’d never find anything. East Village. Four bedrooms. The little one’s mine. And the kitchen’s actually got a full-size refrigerator and oven. Laundry down the hall. One and a half bathrooms. And there’s a subway station two blocks over. It’s perfect.”

I look up from scrolling to discover him frowning down at my phone as though I’ve suggested subleasing the lid from Oscar the Grouch’s trash can. Not the reaction I was expecting. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re not living there.”

“What?” I say, my heart sinking. “Why not?”

“You need somewhere where you’ll have a fighting chance against the rats and the bedbugs.”

I’m so startled by his vehemence that I glance back down at my phone and scroll through a few more pictures, wondering what I’ve missed. But there’s nothing. “What are you talking about? This is a perfectly fine apartment that I can afford that’s not too far from my hospital.”

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