Italian Liaisons

Noticing Nara The air in the tiny coastal Italian town of Ardea was cool and damp, not something Melina was used to, as opposed to the hot, dry desert she’d grown up in. She shivered as she gazed out the window, waiting for Nara to come and walk her over to her place. She glanced down the hall and into the bedroom, where she could hear Ariella scurrying about as she packed for her bi-weekly antiquing trip with her kind mother and bitch of a sister, Rena. Upon their hasty wedding at the courthouse in Rome, Ari had explained to her, in Italian—which was her only language—that every other weekend they shopped for antiques in a small town about 90 miles north of Ardea to sell in their mother’s store. Upon informing Melina of this family tradition, she had asked if she felt comfortable spending the weekend alone. Melina appreciated Ari’s genuine concern over leaving her alone, and while she was reluctant to admit it, she did say that it might make her feel a bit uncomfortable. Not that she’d be scared, but she might feel bored and lonely. Ari was glad to learn that she didn’t want to be left alone because she herself felt more comfortable knowing she’d be with someone she knew and trusted. Or thought she could trust. Melina almost didn’t recognize the tall, dark woman who approached the house on foot, arms folded in front of her against the chilly late Friday afternoon, keys hanging from a ring clutched in one hand. It was the first time she’d seen her in pants as opposed to the long, conservative skirts and dresses she wore at the university, which was where they’d first met. She had makeup on as always, but none of the usual jewelry. Even her hair looked different. And she liked what she saw. “Lei è qui,” Melina called out, letting Ari know that Nara had arrived. “Va bene, Meli,” Ari replied, carrying her overnight bags from the bedroom. They greeted Nara outside a moment later as Ari locked the house and loaded the car. Then she turned to Melina. “Io ti amo, amore mio.” “I love you too,” Melina replied, looking at the woman who’d taught her what Italian she’d learned so far. “Anche io,” she repeated in Italian. They kissed, and then Ari drove off. Walking alongside Nara with her own overnight bag, they headed just around the corner to Nara’s house. “Need help carrying that?” Nara asked in a cheery voice. “No, thanks. I’m fine.” “So how ya doing otherwise?” “Ok. I love learning Italian and speaking it, but it sure is nice to talk to someone who knows English every now and then, too.” Nara laughed. “Yeah, it’s nice to take a break every so often, isn’t it?” Melina glanced over at Nara. “You look so different in jeans and a T-shirt.” “Yeah, I like to dress casually and comfortably on weekends.” “Violet looks so good on you,” Melina said, referring to the color of her shirt. “Why, thank you, ma’am.” “What did you do to your hair?” “My hair?” “It looks different, too.” “Oh, I just haven’t curled it, is all. I take a break from that too, on weekends.” “I like it straighter. I mean, it looked great with the soft wavy layers, but I’ve always been a fan of straight hair. Maybe that’s because I’ve always been stuck with curls myself.” Nara laughed again, and afraid of making her uncomfortable, Melina got off the subject of her appearance—though only from a vocal standpoint. Her eyes, however, continued to take in every detail. Just where had this sudden attraction for Nara come from anyway? Stop it, she commanded herself. You’re a married woman now. Ah, but I’m still human too, another voice inside Melina’s head argued. And looking doesn’t make me unfaithful. The gentle breeze sent a wave of Nara’s perfume in Melina’s direction. It was sweet and flowery as opposed to Ari’s more spicy fragrances like patchouli. Not even three minutes later, they entered Nara’s warm, cozy little house, filled with the wonderful aroma of cooking food. “Mmm, smells great,” said Melina. “It sure does. I’m making us a roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli.” “My favorite.” “Yeah, Ari told me,” Nara said with a smile. Melina smiled back at the woman who was becoming amazingly gorgeous by the moment. “You can throw your stuff anywhere,” Nara told her. Melina looked around her as she placed her bag on a plush chair in the living room, which was right off the kitchen. “Wow,” she said, “your place is laid out a lot like our place, just as Ari said.” “Yeah, it’s essentially the same house. It’s just got one bedroom instead of two.” Melina walked into the kitchen as Nara pulled a large pot out of the oven. “Want some help?” she asked. “Sure.” “Why don’t you set the table? The dishes and cups are up there, and the silverware is down there,” she said, nodding in each direction with her head. Melina set the table, realizing she was self-conscious for the first time since she’d known Nara—much in the same way she had been upon meeting Ari and still was, for the most part. At one point, she was right next to Nara as she was pulling the silverware from the drawer it was in. The nearly six-foot woman towered over her petite, five-foot frame. The closeness was also sending warmth throughout Melina that definitely wasn’t coming from the oven. She felt herself blush as their forearms brushed against one another’s. Oh, God, please don’t let her sense how I’m feeling! Melina thought to herself. Yet out of the corner of her eye, she could swear there was a slight smile of amusement on Nara’s face. A few minutes later, they were seated at the table eating. “You’re a good cook,” Melina told Nara. “Thanks,” Nara smiled. Melina gazed across the table at Nara. Damn, she looked good! Dark, piercing eyes, lips nearly as full as Angelina Jolie’s. She was a turn-on in a different way than Ari was. Where Nara’s best facial feature was her lips, with Ari, it was her eyes. Ari had a plain, almost snobbish look, but those equally dark eyes had melted her heart just the same. Both women had black hair, as did most Italians, but Ari’s was short while Nara’s was nearly to the middle of her back. Ari’s voice was musical and high-pitched, Nara’s deeper and throatier. Both women also had good muscle tone, but Ari, who was only a few inches taller than herself, was slender, while Nara was big-boned and looked more intimidating despite her softer facial features. For some reason, Melina was growing more certain that Nara had picked up on her attraction toward her. Maybe it was in the way she smiled at her. It was a sort of smile that was just barely a smile, but it was noticeable just the same. Seeing that she was taking it quite well, Melina dared say, “So you figured it out, huh?” For a second, Nara seemed confused, or perhaps she was surprised by her question. “Uh…” she started with a smile. “It’s ok,” said Melina, not wanting her to feel put on the spot. “I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I don’t know where it came from.” Now, Nara looked genuinely confused. “Sorry, huh? You lost me.” Melina’s eyes suddenly bulged as she exhaled in shock. You mean she didn’t know? “Can’t help what, babe?” “Never mind. You don’t want to know.” A slow but broad and knowing smile appeared on Nara’s face as Melina’s own face burned with heat. “Oh, my God, you do know!” The smile never left Nara’s face. “Really, I am sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen. It was just suddenly there, out of the blue. I don’t mean to offend you or make you uncomfortable in any way.” “No, not at all,” Nara assured her. “If we’re really talking about what I think we’re talking about. Really, Mel, you can just come out and be blunt with me. We’re not exactly strangers.” “Seriously? You won’t beat me up?” “Of course not. I’d never hurt you.” “Well,” Melina began, “not that you were ever unattractive to me, but I don’t know. It’s like something’s changed all of a sudden now that we’re away from school and in a less formal atmosphere. Now you’re just utterly gorgeous. Just tall, dark, and totally gorgeous.” To Melina’s relief, Nara smiled with flattery. “Oh, that’s so sweet of you.” “Surprise, surprise, huh?” “No, not really.” “So you did know?” “I kind of sensed it, yes. I just didn’t know if bringing it up would make you uncomfortable, despite my own attraction for you in return.” Melina nearly choked on the piece of chicken she’d just swallowed. Her eyebrows shot upward. “Me? You, attracted to me?” Nara nodded. “I always thought you were a little cutie. But,” she added with a sigh, “Ari was the lucky one.” “So I guess I’m the one in for a surprise tonight,” said Melina. “I thought you were straight.” “Nope. I’m bisexual.” “Wow. I mean, I know that having a son doesn’t automatically make one straight, but I just went along with the statistics, and well, most people are straight.” Nara smiled impishly. “Fooled ya, didn’t I?” Melina felt herself begin to relax. She was looking very forward to the evening ahead. Maybe Nara wouldn’t be as unlucky as she thought she was. And maybe she herself would be even luckier than she’d ever thought possible.