Page 38 of Two Chances With You

“Yeah, of course. In spite of all the lessons that the hotel manager gives her.”

“You see that you remember it? Step acts like a tough guy, but deep down, he’s just a big softy!”

“Way, way deep down.”

“But I like to excavate. Who’s in a hurry? When I was a little girl, I wanted to grow up to be an archeologist. And then I figured out that I suffer from claustrophobia, and I never would have been able to enter a pyramid anyway.”

Just then Schello pulls out the boom box and quickly pushes play. “Every meal needs a good soundtrack.” Out of the speaker of his Aiwa boom box, the theme fromHairstarts up, full volume. Everyone starts dancing in their seats, waving their arms in the air in time to the music.

Then the most incredible thing happens. Gin climbs up onto her chair and lets loose, doing her best karaoke version of the legendary Treat Williams inHair. She puts one foot up onto the tabletop and so on, one step after the other. Gin moves forward, dancing, letting her hair hang down in front and then whipping it back, uncovering her face again. Smiling, then sensual, then tough again, and the whole time, breathtakingly beautiful.

And everyone plays along. They move their now-empty plates aside, grabbing forks and glasses with every step she takes. Hook, Lucone, and Schello, even the other women are up for it. Everyone yanks back everything on the table in front of them. They pretend to be horrified by that outrageous Gin, just like the guests at that long banqueting table inHair. Gin dances incredibly well.

Vit comes running in desperation. “For fuck’s sake, what are you all, insane? Go on, get down off of there.”

I reach up and grab Gin’s arm and pull her down off the table. She’s about to fall but I catch her in midair.

“What is it, what’s wrong?” she asks.

“Nothing for the moment, but still, we’d better get out of here.”

“Wait. Let me get my jacket,” and she goes back and grabs her dark denim Levi’s jacket and then takes off.

“Ciao, Vit. Sorry to eat and run, but we’ve got a party to go to.”

“Sure you do. There’s always a party for you guys, isn’t there? I’d throw you a party!” He seems irritated, but he’s actually amused, like always. He’s standing there, resolute, at the door. He watches as we head out at a dead run, making a tremendous din.

Schello leaps in the air, clicking his heels together sideways like John Belushi, and the other guys laugh. Balestri trudges along. He looks weary, a little tipsy, and who knows what all else. Still, he smiles and spreads his arms as if to say,That’s just the way they are.

“Just don’t ever say I didn’t buy you dinner,” I say to Gin.

And so we run out into the night, following the others, hand in hand. And at that instant, in the night, I have just one thought. I’m happy that Gin robbed me of twenty euros’ worth of gasoline.

Chapter 13

Alittle excessive but still hilarious and likable, your friends. Sometimes we women find ourselves going out with certain stiffs,” Gin says from the passenger seat of her car.

“Who iswe women?”

“Okay, then let’s just say that sometimesI’vefound myself going out with certain stiffs. Is that better?”

“A little better.”

“Okay then. So what else should I say? How aboutLiving legends, those friends of yours! Is that better?”

“Living legends.What a horrible expression. Sounds like the title of a movie about Carlo Vanzini. You should just say that they’re epic, maybe!”

Gin starts laughing. “Okay, touché.” Then she looks at me and furrows her brow. “Oops, apologies. You don’t know French, do you?”

“Of course I do.Touchémeans…”

I suddenly swerve into a super-tight curve, and Gin falls straight into my arms. “There, is that whattouchémeans? Am I right?”

She tries to haul off and slap me, but this time I’m faster than she is. I block her hand.

“Oops, apologies. Or should that be, pardon! I didn’t mean to ‘touché’ you, mais tu es très jolie! So how does my French seem to you? Anyway, we’ve arrived. But that’s something I don’t know how to say.”

I get out of the car. Gin is furious.

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