Enemies Abroad

I walk a little faster. So does he.

I round a corner and am about to make it to the door of the courtyard before him, but he rushes ahead and gets ahold of it. Playing the gentleman I know he’s not, he steps back and holds it open wide for me. Not about to accept an ounce of kindness from him lest I become indebted, I try to take the door from him.

“After you,” I tell him with a strained voice as I attempt to wrestle it free.

“Allow me,” he insists through clenched teeth.

I wedge my body between him and the door, and still, the thing doesn’t budge. He’s got a death grip on it.

“What are you playing at?” I ask with accusing eyes.

“You’re going to strain your back.”

“Then let go.”

“After you.”

“You’re such a child.”

“Then what does that make you?”

Left with no choice, I heave a sigh and give up.

Noah and I walk out into the courtyard side by side. We look like we’re a united front when we’re anything but.

Lorenzo is waiting for me, exactly as promised. He’s handsome bathed in the early morning light. I didn’t take the time to notice his outfit earlier, but it’s stylish. Cuffed pants, brown boots, a black shirt, half-tucked. It’s clear he’s taken care with his appearance. His short hair has pomade in it so the front does that dramatic swoop thing.

“Audrey,” he says with a bright smile, approaching me with confidence.

He greets Noah too, but it’s only for a moment, an afterthought, really, as he leans in and gives me a kiss on each cheek, his hands firm on my shoulders.

His confidence rubs off on me, and I gift him a wide smile.

I chance a quick glance at Noah, and he looks deeply disturbed. It’s probably because he’s never seen me look so happy. His little robot brain can’t compute my expression.

This, Noah, is how normal humans behave. Watch and learn.

“So Lorenzo, where are we headed?” I ask, dropping my hand to his forearm to give it a little squeeze.

“There’s a little coffee shop right on the river. I want to take you there and get you a proper drink. Much better than the sludge they serve in the dining hall.”

“That sounds lovely.”

See, Noah? When two adults converse in a normal manner, there’s an exchange of positive feedback, a smile, a nod, a touch or two. Lorenzo will gesture toward the gate and place his hand on the small of my back and I’ll think of something witty to say. His reply will be charming and we’ll both think to ourselves, Wow, this is going well. We’re really hitting it off.

We’ll want a second date as soon as the first one is over.

Noah isn’t paying attention to my lesson though. He’s too busy coming up with questions to delay our departure.

With his eyes narrowed shrewdly on Lorenzo, he asks, “So is this coffee date program sanctioned? Do I get to look forward to a one-on-one with the director as well?”

I know immediately where his brain is headed, but Lorenzo doesn’t.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Noah,” I hiss under my breath.

“I’m just curious if you’re going to ask Gabriella and Ashley out for coffee too. If this is official study abroad business or…”

Lorenzo takes no offense to Noah’s third degree.

He merely shrugs. “I hadn’t thought about asking either of them for coffee, no.”

“So Audrey’s just special?”

I grab Lorenzo’s arm. “Ignore him. His hard drive is short-circuiting.”

Lorenzo’s expression remains open and guileless. “It’s just a cup of coffee. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.”

I immediately contradict him. “No. No he may not.”

There’s a long tense moment of silence, a cowboy standoff sans pistols, then finally, Lorenzo smiles and claps Noah on the shoulder. “I’ll have your dear Audrey back here in one piece before lunch. You have my word.”

I shoot daggers at Noah. Happy now?

His harsh expression doesn’t ease. Whatever his objective was with that little tirade, he didn’t achieve it. He’s as grumpy as ever as Lorenzo leads me through the courtyard gate and out onto the street.

Our date has officially commenced.

Let the good times roll.

The happy jitters should be starting up any moment now.

Hey, butterflies, where ya at?

“You’re walking pretty fast,” Lorenzo tells me.

“Oh, am I?”

He laughs. “Yeah, and we missed our turn back there. Here, let’s double back.”

Right. Crap.

I force a laugh. “Sorry. Just…antsy to get to the coffee shop.”

In truth, I need to burn off some energy. I feel like I could go three rounds in the ring with Stone Cold Steve Austin and still be hungry for blood.

As we walk, Lorenzo talks to me about Julius Caesar and the fall of the Roman Republic, and my impersonation of Girl Listening could get me short-listed for a spot on SNL.

I wish I could march right back to St. Cecilia’s and give Noah a piece of my mind. Who does he think he is embarrassing me like that? I don’t need a minder or a babysitter or a big brother. I’m an adult woman with a stellar track record when it comes to steering clear of creeps. Take Noah, for example—I know to avoid him like the plague. I can spot an asshole from a mile away, and Lorenzo is not one of them.