chapter 2

"no not at all" I answer him maybe my answers were a bit naive but I was so ...

we chat some more but then I tell him that it's late and I have to go

So we close saying goodnight

He writes me

"Talk to you tomorrow"

Yeah right

I think in my mind

Instead in the morning at

6.30 a.m. there was a "good morning".

I don't answer him I had no time that morning I had woken up late ...

I turn off the ringer and go to school ...

As soon as I arrived at work Emma whose shifts always coincided with mine asks

"so about the hot guy from last night any news?"

"I don't know if he's really as hot as in the picture".

"if he's the same as in the photo he's not bad".

"yes indeed"

I had just turned up the ringer when I hear the phone ringing

"yes hello" I answer

"jennifer?" asks a deep voice

"No, it's not me" I answer instinctively.

"You're not Jennifer?" he insists.

and only then does the app come to mind

"max?" I ask looking at my Friend

"yes I am"

"but how did you do that I didn't leave my number in the app"

I asked surprised

"there's an option to call through the app even if you don't leave your number" she answered, making me ashamed of my naivety.

and when he asked

"why didn't you know?"

if I could have I would have buried myself alive but I answered truthfully

"yes I didn't know"

"so you can call me too if you like ... if it pleases you"

"yes I'd like to, it's just that I'm at work".

"oh sorry I disturbed you then"

"no problem, but it's better if I talk to you when I go out, I don't want my boss to complain".

"Yes, alright! What time shall I call you?" he asks.

"I leave at eight.

After that time, whenever you want, of course not late, because I have to get up early for school."

"Yes, sure... it's just that at that time it's a bit of a nuisance for me, there are comrades around and they act like idiots, but I'll see if I can get away somehow".

"OK then see you tonight"

I say under Emma's glittering gaze

"yeah see you tonight"

I have time to close the door when she says "you're at my place tonight".

"why?"

"I want to see how this story develops" she says all happy.

"What time are you talking?" she asks again.

"I don't know, she said that in the evening there are other comrades around and that they're fooling around, but that she'll try to get away".

"it must be wonderful living in barracks!" exclaims my friend

"but what are you saying"

I reply in amazement

"Claudia, but can you imagine all those guys with their sculpted physiques all together, it would be wonderful.

"But you weren't the one with no stable relationship"

I reply again

"In fact, I only said that it would be nice, not that I would have an affair with one of them".

"and what did you mean then?"

I ask again

sometimes I was dumb

"I was talking about getting laid not having an affair"

"OK now I know you"

and we both burst out laughing

but soon the bar was full of people and we had to stop, and when we left that evening, we were both exhausted.

"Come better to my place," I say.

"I feel like taking a shower."

"But what happened to your parents?"

"Let's say that my father didn't see much of each other for him, the house was a hotel, my mother met a rich guy on holiday and stayed with him".

"So you're alone at home?"

"Yes, until they come back."

"Why don't you stay with me?" she asks.

"Because once I have to pay all the bills, at least I can enjoy it."

"Max is right for you," she said winking.

"Now don't be a fool for a phone call".

I say without giving too much importance to the matter

"now let's see tonight when he calls and how long he is and then we'll talk about it".

"as soon as I get home we'll have a plate of pasta and then I'm going to take a shower"

it was only nine o'clock when he calls

M "jennifer!"

C "max "

M "what are you doing?"

C "I just got out of the shower"

noooo why did I say that...

M "Are you still in your bathrobe?" she asks and even though she can't see me I blush as I answer

C "yes"

M" I got the moment wrong again then"

C "no it doesn't matter"

I answer him but in the distance I could hear voices

C "but where are you, it's so loud!" unlike today when there was silence.

M "I told you that in the evening there's a mess, now you can hear it yourself ... and I moved away, listen to the noise they're making".

and after a moment there was a hubbub of laughter and heavy jokes, all from very clear male voices, evidently he had come closer ...

Did you hear me?"

he asks me again and once again the voices drift away

C "yes"

I answer him.

We talk for over an hour, he asks me how old I am, what school I go to, if I like it,

what I do for a living, etc.

and I ask him more or less the same questions even if when I hear his age I am a bit puzzled, he was twenty-nine, eleven years older than me.

he was a man ...

not a boy like Marco...

anyway he tells me that he will talk to me the next day when I close I look at my friend

"but it's big ...."

"how big excuse me?" she asks

"he's twenty-nine but can you imagine".

"not even that old, last year I had an affair with a guy of thirty-five and I'll tell you he was good at it..."

"Emma"

I exclaim by way of reproach.

"What did I say wrong, they're older, more experienced, you can't compare a man with Marco".

"but you're out of your mind"

"it's up to you to decide what you want if you want to have fun, he can be forty years old as long as he's handsome, if you want a real relationship it's different".

"I don't know what I want either"

"Then what's the problem? Go, then what will be will be... you'll have had experience".

"Now you're in on it too!"

"I'm sorry but weren't you annoyed with the same guy all that time?"

"Not at all!"

I answer him.

I loved Marco and would never have left him.

and even now, when I thought that, I felt bad...

"anyway I like him all the same if it doesn't go as you hope I'll console him".

"Emma you're shameless" I say joking

"sex is also an art and I want to refine my knowledge as much as possible for when I find the right man".

" an art?"

I don't know why I've never seen him like this.

"Of course, everything is an art... cooking is an art. Why can't that be an art too?"

"Because I think it's a special art."

"Of course, coming from you, it's very special." He teased me.

but I was used to his jokes.

and then it was true

so I couldn't get angry.

"back to max, but you should tell him that your name isn't Jennifer!"

"yes tomorrow I'll tell him".

"That's better" she commented again.

"Do you want to stay the night?" I ask.

"No, I'm going!" he replies immediately.

"Stay, I'm in school tomorrow and I get up early, you can either come with me or stay here so we can go to work together.

"No, if you want, I'll come with you".

"OK", I answer.

so the next day we go out together and meet at the bar at noon where he impatiently asks me "did you hear from him?"

"Yes ... both this morning and now".

"So it's serious", she says, convinced.

"It's very serious", I tease her.

"Did you tell him?"

"No, I'll tell her tonight."

"Yes, it's better!"

So in the evening, when she calls me, her voice is so warm and deep it gives me the shivers.

and she says

M "hi jennifer how are you!"

C "fine thanks...but my name is not jennifer"

M "ah no and what's your name?"

C "Claudia"

M "and why didn't you tell me that before?" he said surprised

C "so" I said with a shrug "and it's only our second phone call".

M "Maybe, but I feel like I've known you forever".

Now I was the one who was surprised.

wasn't he pulling my leg?

M "what do you want me to call you then Claudia or jennifer?"

C "I beg your pardon?"

I told him my name was Claudia and he insisted on jennifer?

M "yes do you want me to call you Claudia or jennifer? it would be nice if only I called you that! what do you think?"

C "no I prefer you to call me Claudia" I answer him

M "OK then Claudia, not even the profile picture is yours?"

C "no even if it looks like me it's not me".

M "then why don't you describe yourself a little so I can get an idea of what you look like".

OK, I'm 5'7" and I weigh about 200 pounds, I have black hair and brown eyes and white skin...anything else you want to know?"

M "That's enough for tonight".

C "You look like in the picture?"

M "yes, the photo is mine