By the time the morning came, it was all I could do not to burst into the kitchen as soon as I heard Angela wake. I knew she needed to at least have a few sips of coffee before I bombarded her with my morning cheer. But as soon as I smelled the familiar brew and heard her pour up, I bolted out and plopped down on the couch, waiting.
“Well, good morning,” she said with a sleepy smile and one eyebrow hiked up.
“A very good morning, indeed.”
She chuckled. “Ah. So I wasn’t the only one who got laid last night, eh?”
I blushed and covered the giggle that came bubbling out, which made Angela roll her eyes and shake her head.
“One sec,” she said, and it was then that I realized she had a second cup of coffee in her hands. She disappeared into her room for a moment, and I heard the soft sound of another woman’s voice. When she came back out, she had only one cup of coffee, and she sat down on the couch next to me and took a sip. “Okay. Tell me everything.”
“Do you need to…?” I asked, pointing to her bedroom.
She waved me off. “She’s fine. Come on, I can tell by the stupid smile on your face that you’re about to burst, so let’s go.”
I filled her in on Liam’s apology, on dinner and everything we talked about, and finally topped it off with my proposition. I saw the worry etched in her eyes as soon as I said it, and it stayed firmly fixed there as I detailed the mind-blowing things Liam did to me once we were back at his dorm. When I finished, I hugged my knees to my chest, waiting for her to speak.
“Well,” she said after a long sip of coffee. “I’m proud of you for not staying the night. But are you sure you can do this?” She waved her hand. “Casual? Friends who hook up sometimes? Have you ever done this before?”
“No,” I admitted. “But, I mean, we’re only here for the summer, anyway. It’s not like we could have an actual relationship. So isn’t this the perfect time to get this experience? It’s like… it’s not even a choice, you know? It’s just fun in Italy, and then we both go our separate ways.”
Angela nodded, wrapping her hands around the mug of coffee balanced on her knee. “I suppose. It’s just… look, I don’t mean this in a bad way, but you’re sensitive, Harley. You’re not the kind of girl who can fuck and not catch feelings.”
I frowned, ready to defend myself, but she held up one finger to stop me.
“Again, not a bad thing. And hey, you made a good point about the fact that you don’t really have a choice, since this is just a summer program. And you did show promise with leaving before the sun came up.”
“Thank you,” I said like she’d praised my artwork.
“But, just be careful, okay? As things progress, if you start to feel anything past the urge to hang out with him and bang him, you’ve got to detach. If you get jealous when you see him with other girls, or want him to tell you how wonderful you are, or if you even think about what it would be like to have a future with him?” She made a scissor snip with her fingers. “Cut him loose. Okay? That’s how you stay safe.”
I nodded, over and over, digesting her words. “Okay. I’m definitely going to need your help navigating this.” I paused. “And what if I already get a little weird when I see him with another girl?”
“A little twinge in the gut is fine. That’s normal,” she clarified. “But if you want to set her hair on fire and shove him off a bridge, then we need to talk.”
I laughed. “Deal.” I nodded toward her bedroom, then. “And you had a fun night, too, I presume?”
Angela smiled. “A very fun night, indeed. Her name is Bianca. She’s in college in London, but is taking holiday to travel around Europe and sketch.”
“Staying in Florence for a while?”
“Just two nights, actually. She leaves this afternoon.”
“Aw. Bummer.”
Angela shrugged. “No bummer. It was fun. A colliding of the stars for just one night.”
I smiled. “I like that.”
“Me, too. Now, go get dressed and get your ass to class. And hey,” she added, squeezing my knee. “I’m happy for you, but I’m also worried. Please listen to yourself and be smart, okay? I don’t want to have to pick my roommate off the floor in a month should this all go up in flames.”
I squeezed her hand. “I promise.”
I was still all giggly and dopey-eyed as I got dressed, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take a little extra time than I normally did. Instead of throwing my hair up in a ponytail, I used my curling iron to give it a soft wave and put on a touch of light makeup that would look casual but cover up the fact that I didn’t get much sleep. My cheeks seemed to have a permanent blush, so I left them alone, and finished off the look with my favorite rust-red lipstick.