Page 19 of Marcello

And gagged as searing hot air filled my lungs.

I tried to hold my breath, but all I did was cough uncontrollably.

Federica laughed and patted me on the back like she was burping an infant. “Not a smoker, are you.”

“…no…” I wheezed.

“Hold on.” She stood up and went to the tiny fridge in the kitchen, then came back with a cold bottle of beer – a different type than we’d had at the restaurant. I gratefully took a swig.

“Coughing’s good,” she reassured me. “That’s how it gets into your lungs.”

It took another couple of minutes for me to be willing to try another hit, but I managed to hold my breath for ten seconds before I started coughing again.

Federica laughed and told me I was doing a good job. Then she took another hit herself.

As she continued to talk about art, I noticed that the colors of her paintings were suddenly a lot more vivid… and the colored light from the lamps had a different quality to it.

My head felt light and buzzy, and the room seemed to shift slightly – not like it was spinning, exactly, but sort of.

“Are you feeling it?” she asked.

“…uh… yeah,” I murmured as I stared around at the artwork. “Wow… your paintings are really good…”

She laughed. “You’re so cute.”

“I try,” I said in an attempt at humor.

“Did you have a girlfriend back in Florence?” she asked softly.

“No. We broke up.”

I looked over at her.

She stared silently into my eyes.

It felt so intense –

And then she leaned forward and kissed me.

I didn’t kiss her back.

I’d been expecting her to make a move, but what with being drunk and stoned, it was still a surprise when it came.

She pulled away. I saw apprehension in her eyes, like she was afraid of being rejected.

In that moment, in the fog of the alcohol and pot, she looked different to me. Prettier. I didn’t mind the nose ring and the eyebrow piercings.

It had been nice to feel the warmth of her lips on mine.

And most of all, I didn’t want to be alone.

…what the fuck.

I leaned forward and kissed her.

She kissed me back hungrily.

From there, it was only a short trip to the futon.