The Italian Lesson [Installment in 16]

Chapter Three, Continued

Walking to the restaurant together turned out to be a small stroke of genius: my nerves calmed with every step. It helped, of course, that Matteo and I had already met once—well, twice, counting my run-in with him and Bella. But even though he’d washed the dishes and we’d shared a couple of bottles of wine, there was still the trepidation that always ac…