The steak was prepared for me personally. They put it in front of me along with a glass of wine. Dante ordered almost underdone. And I watched him slice the meat, and I really wanted to get up and get out of here. Smearing tears while sitting in a taxi on the way home, realizing how naive I am if I thought that a man like Marini could be interested in me as a woman.

In order to at least something to occupy myself, I myself began to cut the meat. Very gently, in small cubes, when I suddenly felt that Marini's hand lay on my knee. I froze as...