Days in Genova, Nights in Portorosso

Chapter 15

Early next morning

"OK, Rosa," I say. "First order of business!"

Alberto yawns. "Max, it's 6:00 A.M.," he says. "Could you guys at least wait until 10:30 to train?"

Luca feels around the bed, waking up frantically knowing Alberto isn't there to cuddle against.

"Sorry," I say. "We'll wait."

A naked Alberto in only boxer briefs and a bad case of testata del letto goes back into the house and cuddles against Luca in bed. Now with the comfort of Alberto, Luca drifts back to sleep.

I turn to Rosa, whispering as to nto wake up anyone else. "So, what do we do now?"

Rosa shrugs, looking at me lovingly. "Let's just sit and enjoy the wonderful Portorosso."

"Yeah," I say. "It really is beautiful. Even more beautiful in the night."

"What do you mean?" Rosa asks. "Never in my life have I visited the surface in the night."

I chuckle lightly, remembering when I was little.

"When I was younger, I loved to piss off my aunt and sneak off to Portorosso even though I wasn't allowed out of Genova." I say. "That night I met  Alberto. He was so heartbroken. I didn't understand it then, but I do now. He missed Luca---- his boyfriend because he goes to school with me and my cugina in Genova. I now know that if you ever left my side, I'd feel the same despite how much you write me daily."

Rosa kisses me. My whole face lights up red.

"Of course they'll feel that way," she says, taking my hands, making me blush even more. "She'll never be able to get over it."

"Ha-ha. Very funny," I say. "You could've made it less weird by referring to me me as 'you', but you had to go and use my pronouns."

I pause. "Actually, that's pretty clever."

Rosa gasps. "I know right!" she exclaims.

We then pomiciare until 10:30, maybe a bit longer because Alberto, Luca, and Giulia have a camera and are filming us.

"Ci stati fimando cazzo adesso? (Are you fucking filming us right now?)" I shout, grabbing the camera out of their hands.

"How could we not?" Giulia says. "You and Rosa are so cute. We couldn't help it."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't you dare try that crap on us again," I say.

"Noted," Alberto says.

"By the way, don't you have training to do?" I ask.

"Not this year!" Giulia exclaims. "I've got swimming down like I had fins like all three of you!"

She's obviously referring to Luca, Alberto, and Rosa.

"I'm a master at bike riding after practising every year ever since the first race!" Luca exclaims.

"And I love pasta," Alberto says. "I could eat it all day if you let me."

Alberto realises something. "Now that we're on the topic of food, I'm definitely hungry. Let's go see what's for breakfast, shall we?"

On the table, we see frittate and brioche.

"From all the time I've lived here, you wouldn't believe how much more I've learned that Papà can cook, Giulia," Alberto says.

Giulia chuckles. "I knew already, Alberto," she says, grabbing a loaf of brioche and taking a bite.

"Since I'm hungry, I think I'll get some frittate and some brioche," Alberto says. "And a glass of spremuta d'arancia."

Then we all sit down.

"Buongiorno, Giulietta. Buongiorno, Alberto. Buongiorno, Luca. Buongiorno, Maxine," greets Zio Massimo.

I try to ignore that  he referred to me as Maxine.

"Max, sorry," Zio Massimo says, patting my head. "Who's this girl you've brought here?"

"Allow me to introduce myself, Signor Massimo," Rosa says. "I'm Rosa Attinia," she says. "Max's girlfriend."

She holds out her hand. "Piacere," she says.

"Is this true?" Massimo asks.

"True as the stars," Giulia says.

Gee, thanks, Giulia.

"Well, piacere indeed, Rosa," Zio Massimo says, shaking her hand. "So Max and Rosa, are you going to sign up for the Portorosso Cup?"

"Sure am!" I say.

"You better hurry because there's only two days left," Zio Massimo tells me.

"Oh, I know, Zio Massimo," I say. "And we'll use those two days to train."

"Trattenere," Giulia says. "Taking two days to train? Max, I appreciate that you want to compete in the Cup, but you'll miss signups. And Portorosso isn't what you think it is. It's nothing like Genova. People won't be so easily bribed."

"Excuse me? Do you really think my asking nicely like a billion times is 'bribing, cara cugina? Then you obviously don't know me that well," I say.

Giulia sighs. "Max...," she says. "You can't always get what you want. I know it's not what you want to hear, but sometimes the truth hurts."

I finish my breakfast and then drag my sea monster girlfriend along.

"I wanna stay and get to know your uncle more," Rosa says. "We can train later, innamorata."

I put my fist on the table. "We train... now," I say.

"Max...," Giulia tries to say, but knows it'll never work.

Why she continues to try never ceases to amaze me.

Giulia sighs. "Ciao. Buona fortuna."

"Thanks, but no thanks," I say. "We won't need it."