Step crossed the living room. From the window at the far end, the one overlooking the terrace, came a breath of wind. The curtains were tossing lightly in the breeze, and then, as they settled back to vertical, two figures took shape beneath them. Hands could be seen trying to open the curtains. A handsome, well-groomed young man was soon successful, finding the right opening in the draperies. A few moments later, a young woman appeared at his side. They were laughing happily, amused by that minor mishap. The moonlight from behind faintly illuminated her dress, rendering it translucent for an instant.
Step stood there staring at her. The girl shook her hair, smiling at the guy. She displayed a mouthful of beautiful white teeth. Even from a distance, it was possible to sense the intensity of her light blue eyes. Step remembered her, remembered their meeting. Or perhaps, more than a meeting, their argument.
The young man and young woman near the curtains said something to each other. The girl nodded and followed the boy over to the drinks table. Suddenly, Step was thirsty too.
* * *
Chicco Brandelli led Babi through the guests. The palm of his hand barely brushed her back, and with every step, he savored a whiff of her light perfume. He and Babi greeted a few of their friends who’d arrived while they were on the terrace. They chatted at the table covered with drinks.
Suddenly a guy stood face-to-face with Babi. It was Step.
“Well, I can see that you listened to my advice, and you’re trying to solve your problems.” Step tilted his head in Brandelli’s direction. “I understand he’s just a first rough attempt. But he could work. For that matter, if you haven’t found anything better, he’ll have to do…”
Babi looked at him, faintly uncertain. She didn’t know who he was but she didn’t much like him. Or did she? What was familiar about this guy?
Step refreshed her memory. “I accompanied you to school one morning, not very long ago.”
“That’s impossible. My father always takes me to school.”
“You’re right. Let’s just say that I escorted you. I was holding on to your car.”
Babi realized who he was and gazed at him in shock.
“I see you’ve finally remembered.”
“Sure, you were the guy who was spouting all those dumb lines. You haven’t changed, have you?”
“Why should I? I’m perfect.” Step threw both arms wide, displaying his physique.
Babi decided, at least from that point of view, she couldn’t argue. It was all the rest that didn’t work. Starting with his clothing and ending with his behavior.
“You see, you didn’t say no.”
“Because I’m not even talking to you.”
“Babi, is this guy bothering you?” Brandelli had the ill-advised impulse to step in at this point. Step didn’t even look at him.
“No, Chicco, thanks,” Babi said.
“Well, then, if I’m not bothering you, it must mean you like me.”
“I’m completely indifferent. In fact, I’d say that you bore me and annoy me a little, to be exact.”
Chicco tried to cut off the discussion by speaking directly to Babi. “Would you care for something to drink?”
Step answered in her place. “Yes, thanks. Go ahead and pour me a Coca-Cola.”
Chicco ignored him. “Babi, do you want something to drink?”
For the first time, Step looked at him. “I said, yes, a Coke. I already told you that. Now get on it.”
Chicco stood there, looking at him, with a glass in his hand.
“Leave him be.” Babi intervened, taking the glass out of Chicco’s hand. “I’ll do it.”
Babi finished pouring and set down the bottle. “Here, and make sure not to spill any.” She threw the glassful of Coca-Cola right in Step’s face, drenching him from head to foot. “I told you to be careful.”
Chicco started laughing. Step gave him such a powerful shove that Chicco flew onto a low coffee table, knocking over everything on top of it. Then he grabbed the ends of the tablecloth and gave it a hard yank, trying to do the trick that certain prestidigitators know how to pull off, but it turned out badly. A dozen or so bottles overturned, flying onto nearby sofas and guests. A few glasses shattered. Step wiped his face dry.
Babi looked at him in disgust. “You really are a filthy beast.”
“You’re right. What I need is a nice hot shower because I’m all sticky. And that’s your fault. I’m going to find a bathroom, and then I’ll be right back. Don’t go away, all right?”
The music of Anthrax filled the living room, and many of the guests had stopped talking.
Roberta, worried, stopped in the doorway, gazing out appalled at her devastated living room.
“Excuse me, where’s the bathroom?”
Roberta pointed Step to it. “That way.”
Step thanked her and continued in the direction she’d pointed him.
Next Brandelli went over to Roberta. “Where’s the telephone?”
“That way.” Roberta pointed in a different direction, the opposite way from the bathroom. She felt like a cop trying to direct traffic, trying to manage the terrible outburst of chaos that was unfolding in her own living room. Unfortunately, she lacked the authority to write them tickets and kick them all out.
A few people, either smarter or more cowardly than the others, came over, planting kisses on her cheek. “Ciao, Roberta, happy birthday. We’re so sorry, but we’re going to have to leave, okay?”
“That way.” By now in a bit of a fugue state, Roberta pointed to the front door of the apartment. If it hadn’t been her home, in fact, Roberta would gladly have fled through the door herself.
Step entered the bathroom and pulled open the pebbled-glass door to the shower. He took off his T-shirt and started to rinse off with the shower spray.
Just then, Babi walked in, slamming the door behind her.
“So you just can’t resist. You’re compelled to follow me everywhere I go.”
“Do you mind having a word with your friends?” Babi asked. “They’re destroying my girlfriend’s apartment, and you started the whole thing—”
“Me? You were the one who threw a Coke in my face, weren’t you?”
“Okay, I was wrong to throw it.”
“Yeah, I know that you were wrong.”
Step took the shower spray in hand. “It’s too late now. The damage is done. This is all your fault. You should have kept your cool, and above all, you should have kept a handle on your hot temper…Sometimes the best thing in these cases is an ice-cold shower!”
And with those words, he turned on the spray and drenched her.
“You idiot!” Babi twisted and struggled, trying to avoid the water, but Step managed to grab her hand before she could run out of the room and made sure she got wet all over. “Let go of me!”
“Trust me, a shower does you a world of good. It can clear your mind. It improves your circulation, you get more blood to your brain, and that helps a person understand that they need to act nice to others…that they need to be nice and drink a glass of Coca-Cola, not throw it in someone’s face.”
Schello entered at that very moment.
“Come on, Step. Let’s go. Some guy called the police.”