“How long have we been driving?” I asked.

“Five hours.”

“How long will it take to get there?”

“Another five, give or take some.”

I yawned. “Are we going to stop soon?”

He glanced at my face. “You still tired?”

“A lot has been going on since…the moment I met you.”

He brought my hand to his mouth, placing kisses all over my fingers. He swerved at the last minute and turned into a gas station. His last-minute turn was so smooth it almost made me jealous.

He found a spot and pulled in. I was trying to figure out how I was going to use the bathroom in the humungous dress as he made his way around and opened the door for me.

“What?” Felice held out his hand to me.

I took it and he helped me out, closing the door. We stood there.

“It’s just…I have to go pee.”

He looked at me as if to say…and what’s the problem?

I answered the look on his face. “Problem is, I need help with the dress.”

“Taking you out of that dress isn’t a problem.” He grinned.

“No, but peeing in front of you is!”

He roared with laughter. “You’re embarrassed to take a piss in front of me?”

“Pee. Women pee, Felice. Or go number one.”

“You gonumber oneon me when you come.”

He said it so causally, like we were talking about the weather.

“Are you being serious right now?”

He nodded. “Google it.”

I was speechless as he led me into thebenzinaio. The attendant working looked like he wanted to congratulate us, but the sad state of my face and dress probably stopped him. I probably looked like a waterlogged piece of paper after it’s dried out. Felice looked a proper mess, too, but it only upped hisdon’t fuck with mevibe.

People would only respect him more and think I needed help.

Such is life, as Mamma would say. I sighed.

Fredo met us inside, handing Felice a bag. Then he went back outside and moved Felice’s car and started pumping petrol. Celso was filling up their car.

“I brought you a change of clothes,” Felice said once we were in the bathroom. He locked the door behind us. “I’ll help you out of the dress and then you can go number one.” He laughed.

I rolled my eyes and turned around. His hands were warm as he released me from the dress. The material felt cold against my skin from the rain and from the cool air.

“Where did you get this?”

“The dress? Oh, before Mamma died, we picked it out together.”