5

Chapter 5 - Curiosity

The next day, as Giovanni had announced, Marco showed up at the apartment to accompany her to the academy.

"Hi, I'm Marco!" he greeted as soon as Brenda opened the door. "Do you remember me? I was there on the wedding day."

"Vaguely. There were so many unfamiliar faces, and I was so nervous..."

"Yes, that's understandable. Giovanni has asked me to accompany you to the academy and help you with the paperwork."

"Yeah, I barely speak Italian and couldn't do it alone," she said apologetically.

"Well, whenever you're ready, we can go."

Marco was a blond, slim guy, just a little taller than Brenda. She immediately felt comfortable in his company.

Like Giovanni, he spoke Spanish perfectly and had no trouble communicating with him.

"It's a relief to talk to someone other than Giovanni. Since I hardly know any Italian..."

"You should enroll in an academy. If you learn it just by ear, you'll speak it wrong for the rest of your life. If you want, I can ask Francesca to find out."

"Francesca is Giovanni's assistant..."

"Yes, that's right."

"I wouldn't want to bother her with things that aren't part of her job."

"Francesca will gladly do anything related to Giovanni. Besides their working relationship, they're good friends."

"Just that?" she asked, casually.

"He told me they're friends; I don't know more," he shrugged.

"Got it. Don't worry about talking to me; I understand that Giovanni has lived alone for a long time and must have had some relationship before me, it's normal. I'm not jealous," Brenda said disinterestedly.

"Look, Brenda, I don't talk about Giovanni's personal life, neither with you nor with anyone else."

"I understand. Is he your boss?"

"Not exactly. He's my friend; I don't belong to the company the same way he does. I'm a draftsman and decorator, and I take care of all the renovation projects following Giovanni's instructions, but I'm independent. I show up there a few hours a day, always on the schedule that suits me best, and then I go home to work on the plans and sketches, and then I deliver and get paid. That's why, and because I have a flexible schedule, Giovanni asked me to accompany you today. He's much busier with work."

"I see... Well, I'm glad he asked you," she smiled, "and don't worry, I won't ask you anything else about him. His previous life doesn't interest me."

She was going to say his private life, but she understood that Marco wouldn't understand if he didn't know her real situation, and she was glad he had a relationship with his assistant; it would leave her alone.

Marco showed her the bus stop she should take in case she entered the academy, and they made the journey together so she could get used to it.

They got off a few meters from the building.

Brenda inquired about the courses and was told that there were several levels, and she should start with the first one, which was drawing, but she would have to take an aptitude test to be admitted.

She filled out the application, and they scheduled her for the test the next day. Afterward, they started their journey back home also by bus.

As they got off, Brenda spotted a café with a terrace almost in front of the house and offered Marco:

"Can I treat you to something? You've spent the whole morning with me, and it's the least I can do."

"Don't worry, it's been a pleasure to enjoy a morning off and outdoors."

"Please, I'll feel bad if you don't accept."

"Well, in that case..."

They sat at one of the tables.

"I hope they admit me..."

"Brenda, I don't want to disappoint you, but I understand that you have to be very good to get in there; they're very demanding. I haven't seen your drawings; maybe you have the necessary ability, but if you don't make it, you shouldn't be disappointed. There are other very good academies in the city too. Francesca prepared a list of all of them, and if you don't get into this one, they'll surely accept you in another."

"Does Francesca take care of everything related to him?"

"Practically. She even cleans his apartment when he's traveling..."

Brenda felt slightly annoyed.

"Well, it won't be necessary now. Now I'm here."

"Of course, I suppose that's how it should be," Marco said, not very sure.

They chatted for a while and had a snack, and then they said goodbye. Marco offered:

"Do you want me to come tomorrow to accompany you to the test?"

"It's not necessary. I know where to catch and drop off the bus. You don't need to waste another morning because of me."

"It's been a very pleasant time. If you ever need me to accompany you somewhere else, just tell Giovanni, and he'll let me know."

"Thank you, Marco," she smiled kindly.

Brenda went upstairs and dared to open the fridge and prepare something to eat without touching what Giovanni had left cooked for her. She had to decide to enter the kitchen someday, and the sooner she did it, the better.

Then, she spent the afternoon practicing some of the things they had told her would be on the test the next day, and Giovanni caught her by surprise when he returned.

He already knew how their morning had gone; Marco had told him.

When mentioning it, something Marco had talked about that morning immediately came to Brenda's mind, and she asked Giovanni abruptly:

"Does Francesca have keys to this house?"

He stood still, staring at her, tremendously surprised by the question.

"What makes you think that?" he inquired with interest.

"Something Marco said this morning," she said, somewhat embarrassed. "That Francesca cleans your apartment when you're away. She must have keys for that."

"Not necessarily. Actually, she doesn't; I leave her mine so she can check the house when I'm away, and she usually cleans it before I return if the absence has been long, but that's all," he raised an eyebrow, and she shifted uncomfortably. "Any problem?"

"No, it's just that I wouldn't like to know that a stranger is going through my things," she cleared her throat, looking away. "If Francesca has keys, I would put a lock on the door of my room so no one can enter while I'm not there."

"Bambina, not even Alcatraz has more security measures than your room!" he exclaimed, amazed and amused. "What do you keep in there? Drugs, gold, precious stones?"

She frowned.

"Only my drawings, but I don't want anyone unauthorized to see them, and I don't like strangers going through my things."

"Don't worry; even if Francesca had keys to the house, she would never go through your things."

"I can't know that; I don't know her," she shrugged, wary.

"But you'll get to know her soon. The company has granted me the promotion I was owed and has announced your welcome dinner for next Saturday," he announced, returning to his normal demeanor. "We'll celebrate both things. I would appreciate it if you didn't make any plans for that night."

"I don't have plans yet; I don't know anyone here."

"You know me and Marco."

"That's not enough for a very intense social life," she said, almost reproachfully.

"Another thing..." he commented, now amused, "when you want to know something about my life, you can ask me, and I'll answer without any problem. You don't need to go prying with my friends."

Brenda swallowed hard, quite uncomfortable.

"I didn't pry Marco; he just mentioned that if I didn't get into the academy, Francesca would find me another one, and I asked him if she took care of all your affairs, even the personal ones, and he said yes, that she even cleans your apartment when you're away," she explained, seemingly calm. "That's all. Don't think we spent the whole time talking about you."

"I hope not," he made a feigned horror face, "or else you'll be on the first plane back to your country."

"Are you whores?" she looked at him in horror.

"I would rather say we were," he said with a smile. "Now we've settled down: Look at me, I even got married..."

"Very funny," Brenda rolled her eyes, "but you don't plan on changing your lifestyle."

"On the surface, yes," Giovanni joked. "No, seriously, those wild nights were the result of our eighteen years. We're more formal now; we don't get drunk every weekend."

"How mature! And what's behind this change?" she asked sarcastically.

"I simply discovered that there are better ways to have fun than waking up with a hangover every Sunday."

"That doesn't mean you're now using drugs or something worse... right?"

"Not at all. I've traded waking up with a hangover for waking up with a woman. It's much healthier," he said nonchalantly, causing a knot in Brenda's stomach.

"Well... that's one way to see it," she shrugged, wondering if he changed women as often as he changed underwear.

She didn't let any of her curious thoughts out, just listened and formed an opinion of the man she had married for convenience.

"I'm going to take a shower before preparing dinner," Giovanni said, after looking at her with some interest.