"Follow me," he invited her. He retrieved the container that had placed on the roof of the car and shut it and went back to the path between the bushes. He wore only a light coat, unbuttoned for more, but showed no signs of suffering from the cold. He was clearly excited to have accompanied his girlfriend in his secret place, like a child ready to show his best friend to the tree house.
Simon stood behind him, at the risk of tripping and breaking the heel of the shoes at least three times in just a few meters. What not to put it at its current projects of the evening "sport" was a chance by Fabrizio, had it not been so enraptured by him, would send to that country. Instead took patience, pretending not to hear the grit that crept uncomfortably under his feet and that twigs scratched shoes, socks and clothing.
"Are you there?" He asked Fabrizio halfway up.
"More or less," she said, leaning forward to move the center of gravity trying to pull of a handle. The heels proved to be useful to get a grip on soft ground and to avoid slipping on the ice like spurs.
"Come," he said to her, placing the container on the ground and held out a hand. He took it and shook it firmly, pulling her to him and giving her the impetus to go further, to the top of small hill overlooking the road. "Here," the informed "from then on is less steep, almost."
"Thanks," said Simon, looking ahead, while he joined her. Under the pale glow of the moon, the view presented her with a filter of magic and romance: in the immediate vicinity could see the path that went on, flanked on both sides by willow trees that had to be, although he could not say for sure, in the distance stood out the Apennines. Everything was wrapped in the deepest silence, as if nature had decided to isolate under an invisible dome, to allow them to spend the evening in the privacy they deserve.
"It's fantastic," he said. Fabrizio was beside her, and had stopped to admire the same show.
"What did I tell you? And then the evening is even better, we often come just for that. "
"Are not you afraid?" She marveled, thinking he or she was vulnerable, the typical couple of horror movies, easy prey for any homicidal maniac.
"I'm not afraid of anything, I" sanctioned him and a tremendous moment to Simon thought he saw his eyes catch fire. Then he realized that his influence had made serious look and a stupid reflex. "Scherzo" Fabrizio continued, returning to smile, conscious of having made her afraid to take with her playful expression. "However, it is a place so lost that not even the crooks attend, in my opinion, so we should be safe."
"Well," said Simon, hoping he was right.
"Come, come," said Fabrizio, walking again.
Simon followed him. The road was actually a little flatter, but struggled to keep the same pace. The only positive note was that warmed and bore the cold better.
After about fifty yards they reached a grassy area large enough. At that point the trail disappeared, scattering in the high grass, and trees became more distant, as still and silent spectators on the edge of an arena. Maybe it was just an impression, but Simon seemed to sense a temperature less rigid, as if the vegetation acted as a shield, creating a more comfortable microclimate.
"Here we are," announced Fabrizio, placing the container on the ground. "If you want to get comfortable I brought a couple of towels." He opened the container and pulled them, stendendoli on the grass next to each other. Then retrieved a paper wrapper in which they were wrapped five long candles, took one and put the rest. With the help of car keys dug a tiny hole in the ground and planted the candle.
Simon was watching kidnapped, his arms folded, breathing heavily for the difficult walk. He could not deny that it was Valentine's Day more special in his life and his experiences in general one of the most intriguing and strange.
Fabrizio was trying to light a candle with a match. When he succeeded, the light emanating from the small flame, combined with the pallor of the Moon, increased the feeling of being in an enchanted place, outside of space and time, far from civilization.
Fabrizio returned to rummage in the container. He took my hands a bowl covered with a thin layer of aluminum and placed it on one of the cloths lying, passandosela first front of the nose to savor the aroma. "Seafood salad," she announced, imitating the cadence French, in front of a surprised as amused as Simona, still standing before him as if waiting for the end of an important ritual that would not spoil. Hear the name of the food caused her stomach another bite.
Fabrizio took out a plate, also covered with aluminum, and placed it beside the bowl. "Roast beef, just to do some 'fish and a little' meat ..." described, ending the sentence with the tone of suspension. "... And finally a nice salad that we eat scondita, because I forgot oil and salt together to head home, probably."
Simon laughed. "Sure it is in there too?" Jokingly asked, pointing to the container.
"Hmm" thought Fabrizio, looking inside. "No, but there's something else that might make her miss you too, my head." She reached out and retrieved a bottle of red wine. "Nero d'Avola" introduced him. "I do not know if it suits the things we eat, but I like it a lot."
"Me too," she lied Simon, who had never tasted.
"You take a seat, then?" He invited.
Simon sat on one of the two towels on the floor, feeling the cold and damp of the underlying soil against my butt and legs. Fabrizio took his seat beside her. The candlelight played with the shadows on her face. "How about if we start?" He suggested. "I'm as hungry as hell."
"Tell me about it," Simon agreed.
"Then, go!" Fabrizio began to remove the film from the bowl with the fish.
"Anyway ... thank you, "Simon murmured, becoming serious blow, and feeling within himself a joy and a satisfaction that almost made her cry tears of emotion. She had never been so well before then.
***
"Are you cold?" Fabrizio asked when they had finished dinner.
"A little '," admitted Simon, enchanted by the wonderful evening, but really cold. And even frightened by a light mist that had risen around them. Fabrizio had hoped that something more in Serbia Canon for the rest of the evening.
"Can I hug you?" But instead he asked in a sweet voice and an expression that Simon would never forget. In that moment he felt that he could marry him and become his companion for eternity.
"Sure," he said, seriously. She saw him get up and go on his towel, sitting beside her. He sensed the smell was pleasant and natural scent of his skin, his clothes, his hair. Fabrizio wrapped his shoulders with one arm and held her close. Simon let himself be led against his chest, where he rested his head, then took his free hand and took her right thigh. The sensation of heat was immediate.
They remained in that position for several minutes in silence. Simon was happy, light as it had ever been in his life, as if Fabrizio had performed at a state of inner peace, elimination of any form of negativity. It literally felt drugged, but only in the positive sense of the term. He had visions of herself, at that very closely tender embrace, but at thirty, fifty, seventy, forever young, forever strong, forever in love the same way as her man.
Then, as if impelled by a force outside its control, lifted his head and turned it up, gazed into those of Fabrizio.
He, who was enjoying the time with staring into the trees and the fog that surrounded them, returned the gesture. He leaned forward slightly and put his lips to Simona. He held her more tightly against himself and ran his hand over his tights.
Simona lost any inhibition, if he had ever had. He opened his mouth, turning the soft kiss of Fabrizio in an explosion of repressed passion, as if waiting for this moment for years. Feeling pinch and stroke, is better positioned, sitting in front of him and bringing both hands on the neck. She stroked his hair and pulled him at once, as if to give more strength to the kiss as a gesture to want to turn into almost violent, painful.
Fabrizio let his hands were moving gently along the body of Simon, first on the legs, then back, then again on the legs and from there on his ass. Simona showed no sign of being annoyed and continued to kiss passiona
tely. Around their faces breaths are condensed, the fog grew thicker and the temperature fell further.
At the height of passion, Simona Fabrizio took his hand and slipped it under the coat and into her shirt, causing him to shake a breast. The feeling of the warm hand of him against his skin cold blew the excitement waiting just below the surface and a moment later they were both lying one above another.
***
Later, Isa was lying supine in his bed, unable to sleep. Beside her, Aldo was snoring heavily. He was annoyed when he heard that Simon was not at home, he said because it was impossible for him to come out even on Tuesday, Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. In fact, Isa was convinced that he was disappointed because he could not see her until tomorrow.
In the distance, church bells rang twelve strokes. Simon was still outside, somewhere, with that damned. He changed the rules, even. Why her, then? He had never done before? In any case, had put in a horrible situation. Would have to bear that burden much longer than expected. It would have had to put up a plausible story to deflect the inevitable anxiety that Simon would hit.
"There?" Aldo moaned, turning and stopping for a moment his loud snoring.
"What?" Isa murmured, brought to reality.
"She's back?" He seemed to talk in their sleep, as if he were dreaming.
"Yes," lied Isa. "It's already been asleep for a while '."
"Um," said Aldo, starting to sleep.
It was not the case that we cared, not because Simona innervosisse who was doing the small hours. Fewer questions he had done on that evening, the better. Her poor daughter would have had enough problems to think about.
***
The next morning, a very sleepy Simona did not have time to set foot in the classroom and Erika ran to meet her, visibly revving. A couple of their classmates devoted to an eloquent look, and began to talk about the facts that their waiting time arrived for the start of classes.
"So? Tell me everything, how did it go? "Said Erika, almost engulfing her friend.
"Very well," Simon answered without hesitation. Back with the mind of the wonderful moments the night before returned energy and smile. He returned home after two in the morning and yet she could not close my eyes for a long time, because the images of the evening followed one another in his mind like frames of a replay endlessly. It was a perfect experience.
"Where did he reach? A romantic dinner? "The euphoria of Erika seemed a tad excessive, probably trying to hide some feeling less friendly.
"Oh, can not imagine what" confirmed Simon tightly. "Do not ever believe it."
"Tell me, tell me," urged her.
"Not now, not here," Simon said, pointing with his eyes the rest of the classmates sitting at their desks. "Be patient, I will tell you everything. All around , "he added, unable to suppress a smile.
Erika's eyes widened and jaw dropped. In his eyes lit up, however, a wrong light, which clashed with the wonder that he wanted to convey with his reaction. It was a light that looked a lot like a bolt of hatred. "My God, do not tell me ..." he began.
The bell rang and Simon walked past her friend to go and take a seat. Erika turned and followed her, as she felt a tremendous fear that it was a hold of her.
***
"I do not know how happy I am for you," Erika announced a few hours later, during the interval, after which Simon had it made aware of every detail of your evening. During the term of the story of Erika had known any sudden change to become paralyzed in disbelief when he reached the climax. "But let me tell you who ... confused, amazed by you and ... "
"I know, I had made a promise, but is not as simple as you think. If I were in my shoes you would understand that Fabrizio is a man like you should, maybe the person who ... "
"Here, still, I want you here" he interrupted. "The Simona I know I will not stop at appearances but goes to the bottom of things. And with all due respect, I think ten days is not long enough to know a guy you've never spoken before. "
"Are you kidding?" Simon asked, suddenly becoming suspicious. She had expected a reprimand from Erika, but playful, friendly, as was his style, while the impression was that her friend was doing a lecture itself, a criticism of his behavior, as if she were his mother and spoke to a naive girl.
"No, I'm serious," agreed Erika, hardening his gaze even more. His intention was only to warn of a dangerous infatuation as easy as that, it seemed, had already resulted in something important. If Fabrizio had not revealed what appeared to Simona she would find herself in a situation even worse than those who had lived in the past because it was larger, had the conviction to be gained and more thoughtful in their choices and, especially, was some he had met his soul mate. "Do not misunderstand, I ..."
"No," Simon blurted out, staying dall'alzare voice only because near it stood a lot of other guys. "I understand all too well. Are you angry, right? "
Erika knew that he had taken a dead end, but it was too late. I read in the eyes of Simon, who flashed. In the future it would be asked how it was possible that he had made so little infuriating to the point of questioning their friendship. "Simon, wait, no ..."
"I stop at appearances? I ? With what I went through? "Simon felt pervaded by a rage that had rarely tried and could not give an explanation, if not the one that Erika, with her words and her poorly concealed reactions, seemed like a threat, an obstacle he wanted to come between her and the culmination of a dream of love with the person who first made her feel certain emotions.
"I said to myself ..." Erika tried again to intervene.
"What the fuck are you, jealous?" He raised his voice slightly, attracting some curious eye on them. "We're on the bales like I found a guy who makes me happy ..." He hesitated, and this would allow her not to jeopardize the situation until it becomes unrecoverable if something had not pushed to go further. "... While you try for years and can not find anyone?"
Erika accused shot and did not see us anymore. The answer appeared in the mind, inviting as a hypnotic melody, sharp as the blade of a knife, destructive as a nuclear device. "Maybe because I do not go around and give it to the first one occurring" she chants, cold, his face reddening.
There was no time because Simon realized what he had heard. His hand rose and slammed her friend with a slap. For Erika just did not fall to the side. All the attention of the boys in the hallway of the school was directed at them, while Simon walked away briskly toward the class.
***
The days following were among the toughest in the life of Simon. It was divided in half between happiness for his wonderful relationship with Fabrizio, born by chance and started toward ambitious goals, and disappointment for the fight with Erika and the reasons that had led to the posting. There came to repent of their behavior toward the friend, but realized that if he had given way to explain and retract his positions, he might have avoided that spot on the perfection of the moment he was living.
Looking back at the break with Erika, she did not understand completely that it actually had made mad. Probably it was the simple fact that she had not quite found a particularly positive in his experience with Fabrizio, an attitude he says can not be shared, while Simon was convinced that everything he had done and was so glad not to tolerate anyone , including his best friend, who dared to find shortcomings in its history to romantic movies.
One thing was certain: his feelings, the last period, were amplified. The morbid attraction to Fabrizio, the sexual charge that had been unknown until then, the changes in attitude towards his mother and the ease with which he discharged his anger towards Erika were manifestations of a new aspect of his personality , something that had never experienced before and that he did not know to what cause to attribute.
In any case, Simon and Erika are ignored as they can only do two friends related as sisters when they come to a rupture. They did not speak, do not greet, they did not look even look up, and both lived with their uncomfortable proximity to the counter in the classroom. Not heard on the phone and did
not meet either of the afternoon, during the week, as they always did, in the evenings or the weekend. To live the situation was worse than Erika, because she had other people you find at home, while Simon could count on Fabrizio.
They met often in the days after that fateful Tuesday night. Simon wanted to confide in about the problems you were born to Erika and at times had been sure that Fabrizio would have the right words to make her repent and help find a solution but when I finally could lay eyes on him, any negative thoughts to abandoned and left room only for love, admiration and serenity.
In those days, Fabrizio continued to be romantic and make it fun at the same time. He could alternate with moments in which skills playing the part of hard wastes females, others in which he put on show his hand by Romeo, all honey and poetry. Simon loved the mix and believed that it resided in the source of the attraction exerted on you Fabrizio, that attraction almost tangible , palpable as a cord under tension, that since their second meeting he had attached to him.
Never returned to what had happened on Tuesday night. Fabrizio did not mention it, nor gave a sign of regret or be embarrassed, and so did Simon. He appreciated the fact that he did not take the story of their physical relationship as an excuse to take her to bed again, and wondered how she felt no longer the same desire that had pervaded the previous day. It was literally prey excitement for days and at that moment there was left but a memory. Not that you repent of having granted to Fabrizio.
They met on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday afternoon of that week, always in front of the house of Simon. Fabrizio continued to keep a certain mysterious reticence on the precise place where he lived, when she was prevaricating on that speech. He also told her that for some time could not have been out together in the evening, though not explained why. But Simon did not ask questions: it was enough to know that would see him again, not when .
***
Ten days after Valentine's Day things had changed dramatically. The relationship between cold and Erika Simon had become frozen, but will suffer the greatest consequences was the first at school, Erika was very bubbly, always smiling and serene, while Simon felt slipping inexorably towards a bottomless pit. If everything had seemed bright and beautiful in the past days, suddenly a dark shadow had fallen on his life.