Amalfi, Italy: Church of St. Michael, Saturday afternoon
"So how are you settling in?" Parker asked Giusseppe, peering at him over her sunglasses. "Doing the priest thing."
Giusseppe gave her an amused look, and said, "Very well, thank you for asking. How is that separation of Church and Parker developing? Still in a Cold War?"
The drive up to Amalfi had been gorgeous, and Giusseppe had been pleased to see her when she arrived. They'd started a walking tour around the city, taking it slow because of the hills, stopping for lemonades at various places, catching up on what they'd been doing in the last two years as well as since the last time she'd written.
"Pretty much." Parker shrugged, and leaned against a stone balustrade overlooking the ocean, admiring the play of light on the water. "Even if my views on the fairness of the world may have mellowed. Very slightly."
"The last time you wrote, you said you weren't so bitter now about your mother," Giusseppe said, very delicately. "Is this part of that?"
Parker was quiet for a long minute, then said, "I know why she did what she did now. So, I guess I forgive her." She turned her head to look at Giusseppe. "She never meant to leave me. The rest of it was just." She tried to find the right word, finally settled on, "Misjudgments. Without malice, or selfishness."
"I'm glad." He leaned with his back to the view, folding his arms across his chest. "How is your father doing?"
She gave him a sardonic look. "Like you really want to know?"
"I do, yes. Yes," he insisted as she laughed. "For your sake, cara. He is important to you. And therefore, I hope he continues well."
"You're about the only one of my friends who would say that, you know." She raised her eyebrows. "Sure you're not bucking for sainthood along with that collar?"
Chuckling, Giusseppe said, "You avoid questions by asking questions. Still."
"What, is this supposed to be my time for confession?" Parker tilted her head up to the sun, and said, "One more reason I quit the Church. I'm not sorry for what I've done. 'Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been four years since my last confession. These are my sins.' And I can't honestly say I'd change any of it." She was quiet again, then said, "I confess to plotting and scheming and lying to my father. Just like the last time I was here."
"Just like?" Giusseppe frowned, but his eyes were laughing. "You are seeing a young man your father would not approve of behind his back?"
"I'm here with you, aren't I?" Parker smiled at him, then said, "No. Worse. He'd disown me if he knew, not just find some other school or city to put me in."
"I am sorry, Parker." He reached out to cover one hand on the balustrade with his own. "I know how that must cause you pain." She nodded, not speaking. After a moment, he said, "Are you so sure that he would not forgive you? That he would not understand?"
"Very sure. Very certain." She thought of the man whose identity she was concealing in Russia, Mikhail Gorin. How badly her father wanted to know who had leaked the Centre's plans to the public; and what he'd do to Gorin, if he ever knew. "Some things are just unavoidable."
Giusseppe held her hand for a while, not speaking, and she remembered again why she'd gotten involved with him in the first place. Aside from the gorgeousness, and the motorbike, and being older. He was solid. Just there. The machismo and the Church had meant it was never going to last, but it had made being in Rome the first time around a lot better, to have him as a friend as well as a lover.
"Some day, perhaps, when you are older," he finally said. "And are not dependent on him. Perhaps the two of you can talk as adults, then, without this pain."
"Maybe. Someday." Parker squeezed his hand. "Did I tell you I'm going to Los Angeles next month? To visit Zero?"
"Ahh, Zero. The one of the multi-colored hair. I am still sorry I was not able to meet her last weekend. What will you be doing while you visit her?"
"Clubs, beaches. Visiting friends who run a detective agency. Possibly movie premieres." A mischievous smile. "Getting into trouble. We got chased out of the Coliseum. Just as well you didn't come up to Rome last Friday."
"Just as well." Giusseppe shook his head. "And your friend? Jarod? Have you heard from him?"
"Not yet." She bit her lip. "He could be anywhere. He's probably okay." And there was no way to find out if he wasn't. Parker shook her head. "Which reminds me that I owe other friends phone calls tomorrow. Callisto, and who knows what I'll say to her. Jack, the dork. Weiss. Isabel."
"Tomorrow is tomorrow. Tonight?" Giusseppe swung her hand in his, pulling her away from the view. "I still have my motorcycle. She is ready and waiting for us at the villa."
Parker laughed. "I still can't believe they let you keep that. But no way am I turning down a ride with you. Since all other forms of indulgence are out of the question," she pouted.
Giusseppe mimed taking a shot to the heart. "Bella, cara, Parker. You wound me! If not for the Church--"
"Yeah, yeah. I know. If not for the Church-- you'd be married to Anna Luisa Grazella." She grinned. "Show me the motorcycle, and let's go for a drive."
"As you wish." And they both laughed, before walking back to the villa, and a drive around the town on his motorcycle.
Giusseppe gave her an amused look, and said, "Very well, thank you for asking. How is that separation of Church and Parker developing? Still in a Cold War?"
The drive up to Amalfi had been gorgeous, and Giusseppe had been pleased to see her when she arrived. They'd started a walking tour around the city, taking it slow because of the hills, stopping for lemonades at various places, catching up on what they'd been doing in the last two years as well as since the last time she'd written.
"Pretty much." Parker shrugged, and leaned against a stone balustrade overlooking the ocean, admiring the play of light on the water. "Even if my views on the fairness of the world may have mellowed. Very slightly."
"The last time you wrote, you said you weren't so bitter now about your mother," Giusseppe said, very delicately. "Is this part of that?"
Parker was quiet for a long minute, then said, "I know why she did what she did now. So, I guess I forgive her." She turned her head to look at Giusseppe. "She never meant to leave me. The rest of it was just." She tried to find the right word, finally settled on, "Misjudgments. Without malice, or selfishness."
"I'm glad." He leaned with his back to the view, folding his arms across his chest. "How is your father doing?"
She gave him a sardonic look. "Like you really want to know?"
"I do, yes. Yes," he insisted as she laughed. "For your sake, cara. He is important to you. And therefore, I hope he continues well."
"You're about the only one of my friends who would say that, you know." She raised her eyebrows. "Sure you're not bucking for sainthood along with that collar?"
Chuckling, Giusseppe said, "You avoid questions by asking questions. Still."
"What, is this supposed to be my time for confession?" Parker tilted her head up to the sun, and said, "One more reason I quit the Church. I'm not sorry for what I've done. 'Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been four years since my last confession. These are my sins.' And I can't honestly say I'd change any of it." She was quiet again, then said, "I confess to plotting and scheming and lying to my father. Just like the last time I was here."
"Just like?" Giusseppe frowned, but his eyes were laughing. "You are seeing a young man your father would not approve of behind his back?"
"I'm here with you, aren't I?" Parker smiled at him, then said, "No. Worse. He'd disown me if he knew, not just find some other school or city to put me in."
"I am sorry, Parker." He reached out to cover one hand on the balustrade with his own. "I know how that must cause you pain." She nodded, not speaking. After a moment, he said, "Are you so sure that he would not forgive you? That he would not understand?"
"Very sure. Very certain." She thought of the man whose identity she was concealing in Russia, Mikhail Gorin. How badly her father wanted to know who had leaked the Centre's plans to the public; and what he'd do to Gorin, if he ever knew. "Some things are just unavoidable."
Giusseppe held her hand for a while, not speaking, and she remembered again why she'd gotten involved with him in the first place. Aside from the gorgeousness, and the motorbike, and being older. He was solid. Just there. The machismo and the Church had meant it was never going to last, but it had made being in Rome the first time around a lot better, to have him as a friend as well as a lover.
"Some day, perhaps, when you are older," he finally said. "And are not dependent on him. Perhaps the two of you can talk as adults, then, without this pain."
"Maybe. Someday." Parker squeezed his hand. "Did I tell you I'm going to Los Angeles next month? To visit Zero?"
"Ahh, Zero. The one of the multi-colored hair. I am still sorry I was not able to meet her last weekend. What will you be doing while you visit her?"
"Clubs, beaches. Visiting friends who run a detective agency. Possibly movie premieres." A mischievous smile. "Getting into trouble. We got chased out of the Coliseum. Just as well you didn't come up to Rome last Friday."
"Just as well." Giusseppe shook his head. "And your friend? Jarod? Have you heard from him?"
"Not yet." She bit her lip. "He could be anywhere. He's probably okay." And there was no way to find out if he wasn't. Parker shook her head. "Which reminds me that I owe other friends phone calls tomorrow. Callisto, and who knows what I'll say to her. Jack, the dork. Weiss. Isabel."
"Tomorrow is tomorrow. Tonight?" Giusseppe swung her hand in his, pulling her away from the view. "I still have my motorcycle. She is ready and waiting for us at the villa."
Parker laughed. "I still can't believe they let you keep that. But no way am I turning down a ride with you. Since all other forms of indulgence are out of the question," she pouted.
Giusseppe mimed taking a shot to the heart. "Bella, cara, Parker. You wound me! If not for the Church--"
"Yeah, yeah. I know. If not for the Church-- you'd be married to Anna Luisa Grazella." She grinned. "Show me the motorcycle, and let's go for a drive."
"As you wish." And they both laughed, before walking back to the villa, and a drive around the town on his motorcycle.