One Step to You by Federico Moccia

Author:Federico Moccia
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2021-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Paolo was sitting at the table, idly leafing through the newspaper. When he got to the business section, he focused a little more intently. Just then, a noise attracted his attention. The milk had boiled over, foaming over the sides of the little pot onto the burner below, partially extinguishing the flame.

He ran toward the stove. Now the coffee came gurgling up under the lid of the Moka Express coffeepot.

Paolo turned off both burners. Then he picked up the pot of milk and the coffeepot and went back to the table. Midway there, he realized that they were both burning his hands. He picked up his pace, going faster and faster, until finally he was running. When he reached the table, he was finally able to set them down.

He waved his hands in the air, now free to cool off, and sat down. He looked around. There wasn’t much there for breakfast. Strange. He’d asked Maria to bake an apple pie. Naively, he supposed she must have forgotten. He opened a jar. Cookie fragments still lay on the bottom of the jar in a golden dust. He bit into one. It crumbled in his mouth without a hint of flavor. This wasn’t turning out to be one of the better breakfasts in his life.

He remembered a pastry he’d bought for emergency situations. He decided that this might be one of those cases. He opened several cabinets. At last he found it. He’d hidden it well to keep it from the ravenous hunger of Step and his friends.

He set it down on the table, unwrapped it, and cut himself a slice. Just then, Step came in. “Ciao, brother.”

Paolo looked up at him and then shook his head. “Does this seem like the time of the morning to come home? Now you’ll spend the rest of the day in bed, then, best case, you’ll go to the gym, and come evening, you’ll be out and about again with Pollo and the other half-dozen criminals you hang out with. Life is good for you…”

“Very good indeed.” Step poured himself some coffee and then some milk. “As it happens, though, I’m not coming home. I’m leaving.”

Paolo glanced at his watch with some concern. Then he must be late. No, it was seven thirty. He heaved a sigh of relief. Everything was under control. Still, something didn’t add up. Step had never left the house at that time of the morning. “Where are you going?”

“To school.”

“Ah.” Paolo relaxed. Then he suddenly remembered that Step had finished school the year before last.

“What for?”

“Fuck, what’s with all these questions, and at the crack of dawn too?”

“Do whatever you want, just try to stay out of trouble. Wait, didn’t Maria make an apple pie?”

Step looked at him with an innocent expression. “Apple pie? Not that I know of.”

“Are you sure? It’s not like you ate it all up, you and Pollo and those other pigs you call your friends?”

“Paolo, why do you always have to insult my friends? It’s not nice.

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