Page 214 of Roberto

Now I was intrigued.

“So you had a relationship with her?”

“More or less. I would call it an ‘arrangement.’”

“Did you love her?”

He didn’t answer, and I immediately regretted prying.

He might have felt shame over having a long-term relationship with a sex worker.

However, if hewasashamed about it, that would have bothered me immensely.

I’dbeen a sex worker when I was a dominatrix.

And I had many friends who were sex workers still.

Judgment from men about how they lived their lives –

HowIhad livedmylife –

It reminded me of my father.

How he had slapped me, belittled me, and disowned me.

Let’s just say that judgement was a gigantic turn-off.

In fact, it would have been a deal-breaker…

And I really didn’t want things to end with Roberto. Not yet.

Besides, it was none of my business.

“I’m sorry, that was too personal – ”

“It’s fine,” he said. “No… I can’t say that I’ve ever been in love.”

Uh-oh.

Another red flag.

Mid-twenties and never been in love?

It was a lot more common – and not as serious – as having your back gouged during sex, but it was concerning nonetheless.

“Never?” I asked.

Roberto floored me with his answer.

“No. But… Icaredfor Vittoria. And she cared for me. That was enough. She was the only woman I slept with the entire time we were together. And I’m fairly sure she was faithful to me.”

The tenderness with which he spoke about her…

His obvious respect and warmth for her…

It surprised me.

It also made me ashamed that I had doubted him.

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