Page 21 of The First Time

“There’s a bar over in Como that is supposed to be where all the locals like to hang out. We need to take the water taxi to get there.”

“You lead the way.”

As soon as we step foot off the boat, I can hear live music. Layla leads me along the street until we turn the corner, and the bar appears before our eyes. It’s actually kind of cool looking. The large openings in the brick walls allow you to sit at the tables outside on the cobblestone while still feeling like you’re in the bar.

There are people dancing inside and all along the streets while lights hang above us.

“Oh my god! Isn’t this the cutest?” she claps excitedly.

We walk up to the bar, and I motion to her that it’s on me. “What do you want?”

“I’ll take a glass of Chianti. Thanks.”

All the wine has been incredible these past two days, but having a nice cold beer in this heat sounds pretty amazing, too.

I grab our drinks from the bartender and turn to Layla. “Where do you wanna sit?” I scream above the loud Italian music.

“Outside seems fun,” she replies.

“Cheers,” I say after I take a seat at the table she picked. “To learning how to make pasta. It will certainly come in handy on my next date night.”

I wink at her, and she scoffs, which just makes me chuckle. I don’t know why I like getting under her skin, but I do. If onlyshe could admit that there is some kind of powerful attraction between the two of us.

I know I thought I regretted this morning, but come to find out, the only thing I regret is her reaction afterward.

“So, how is the finding yourself thing going?” I ask, wanting to understand more about the woman she has become.

I want to know everything there is to know about her. I want to be the one who knows her secrets, things she doesn’t tell anybody.

“It’s been…interesting. I definitely feel like I’m detaching from work.”

“Interesting…that’s a horrible answer. I’m completely failing you in helping you succeed. Tell me—what would the younger version of Layla be doing right now?”

She purses her lips as she considers my question. “I mean, I’m in Italy. I’m single. I would probably be taking some shots right now. Dancing with some handsome man who can’t take his eyes off of me. I’d be wild and free.”

Jealousy swarms in my gut at the thought of her dancing with another man. It makes me want to let her know that she doesn’t need another man. I’m right here. “Does this morning not count as being wild and free?”

Her eyes go wide. “I can’t believe you’re bringing that up.”

I smile over my beer. “What? I can’t let you downplay that and act like it wasn’t wild. Come to think of it, you were the one who initiated it, too.”

She covers her face with her hands. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Were you thinking? I think you were just going with your gut.”

“It was hard to listen to my brain when your thing,” she says as she waves her hand at me, “was in my face. How weren’t you more embarrassed?”

I shrug. “I have a nice thing. Plus, I saw the look in your eyes when you saw it. You liked it. Admit it.”

Chapter Nine

Layla

The nerve of this asshole. To claim that I liked his thing.

I did not. It wasn’t anything special. I’ve seen better.

Ugh, okay, I’m full of shit. Even I can smell it. It was the nicestthingI’ve ever seen. I want to see it again. I want to suck on it like a damn popsicle.

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