One Step to You

by Federico Moccia

  “Everything all right?”

  “Just fine.”

  Step paid John fifty thousand lire while Babi checked her tattoo. It had turned out perfect. A short while later, on the motorcycle, she undid the top button of her jeans, loosened the gauze dressing, and peeked at it again, happily.

  Step noticed what she was doing. “Do you like it?”

  “I love it.”

  On her delicate skin, still swollen with color, a small, newborn baby eagle, similar to Step’s, a daughter of the same hand, was soaring on the cool breeze of a sunset.

  * * *

  The doorbell rang, and Paolo went to answer it. There at the door was a distinguished-looking gentleman.

  “Good evening. I’m here to see Stefano Mancini. I’m Claudio Gervasi.”

  “Good evening. I’m afraid my brother isn’t here.”

  “Do you know when he’ll be back?”

  “No, he didn’t tell me when he’d be back. Sometimes he doesn’t even come home for dinner. He just comes in late at night.”

  Paolo looked at that gentleman. What on earth could he want with Step? Looks like trouble, he thought. It must be the usual thing, something to do with a fistfight or brawl.

  “Listen, if you’d like to make yourself comfortable, he might arrive soon, or else he might telephone.”

  “Thanks.” Claudio walked into the living room.

  Paolo shut the door but he couldn’t restrain himself any longer. “Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?”

  “No, I wanted to speak to Stefano. I’m Babi’s father.”

  “Ah, I understand.” Paolo flashed him a bland smile. Actually, he hadn’t understood a damned thing. He didn’t have the faintest idea of who this Babi was. A young woman, he thought, which is worse than a brawl. More serious problems. “Excuse me for a moment.” Paolo went into the other room.

  Claudio, alone now, looked around. He walked over and inspected a few posters on the walls, and then he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one. At least this whole thing has one silver lining. I can smoke without worrying about it. How strange though. This is the brother of Stefano, that guy Step who beat up Accado, and yet he seems like a perfectly respectable young man. Maybe the situation isn’t as bad as I thought. As usual, Raffaella likes to exaggerate. Maybe it really wasn’t even worth bothering to come. These are just kid issues. They naturally work them out among themselves. It’s just a crush, a teenage love story.

  Maybe Babi would get over him soon.

  * * *

  “Hey, Babi, ciao. I need to go!” Step took her in his arms.

  “Where do you have to be? Stay a little longer.”

  “I can’t. I have an appointment.”

  “Tell me right away who you’re going out with,” Babi said.

  “You’d never guess.”

  “Do I know her?”

  “Very well indeed. Excuse me, but first of all, why don’t you ask me if this is a man or a woman.”

  Babi heaved a sigh of annoyance. “Is this a man or a woman?”

  “A man. I’m seeing your father.”

  “My father?”

  “He came looking for me at my house. When I phoned, he was there waiting for me. We made an appointment to meet in a few minutes at Piazza dei Giuochi Delfici.”

  “What does my father want with you?”

  Step put on his jacket. “I don’t know! But once I find out, I’ll call you and tell you. All right?”

  He gave her a powerful, dizzying kiss. She let him do it, still stunned and surprised by that piece of news.

  Step went galloping down the stairs, hurtling over the last few steps, and she watched him vanish. Then she went back inside, silent, sincerely worried. She tried to imagine the two of them meeting. What would they talk about? And what would come of it?

  Then, worried especially about her father, she just hoped they wouldn’t come to blows.

  Chapter 30

  When Claudio arrived, Step was already there, sitting on the low wall, waiting for him and smoking a cigarette. Claudio parked nearby and got out of his car.

  “Hello.”

  “Good evening, Stefano.” They shook hands. Then Claudio lit a cigarette, too, to feel more at ease. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. That young man really was strange. He just sat there, smiling at him in silence, staring at him, in that black jacket.

  He was very different from his brother. Among other things, he was a lot bigger, Claudio thought to himself. Suddenly, just as he was about to sit down next to him on the low wall, a sort of sudden recollection burst into his mind. That boy had beat up his friend Accado. He’d busted his nose. And now he was dating his daughter. That young man was dangerous. He’d a thousand times rather be talking to his brother.

  Claudio remained standing. Step looked at him curiously. “Well, what are we going to talk about this fine day?”

  “Well, here’s the thing, Stefano. At my house, we’ve been having some problems lately.”

  “If you only knew how many problems I’ve been having myself…”

  “Yes, sure, I understand, but you see, we’ve always been a very happy family. Babi and Daniela are two very good girls.”

  “It’s true. Babi is a special young woman. Listen, Claudio, is it okay if I call you Claudio? I’m already not that much of a talker. If I have to be all formal, well, then I really lose touch.”

  Claudio smiled. “Certainly.” Deep down, this young man was likable enough. If nothing else, he still hadn’t tried to hit him.

  Step stood up from the wall. “Listen why don’t we go sit somewhere else? We could talk more comfortably and maybe we could even drink a little something.”

  “All right. Where are we going?”

  “Not far from here is a little place some friends of mine opened up. It’s like being at home. No one is going to bother us there.” Step got on his motorcycle. “Follow me.”

  Claudio climbed into his car. He was happy. His mission was starting to look easier than expected. That’s a relief, he thought.

  He followed Stefano down toward the Via Farnesina. At the Ponte Milvio, they turned right. Claudio took care not to lose sight of that small red taillight as it raced through the night. If he made that kind of stupid mistake, Raffaella would never forgive him.

  Step turned to look back every so often, making sure that Claudio was still behind him. Luckily, he thought to himself, this guy wasn’t one of those drivers who cling fearfully to the steering wheel and are terrified of using the gas pedal.

  A short while later, they stopped on a small street just behind Piazzale Clodio. Step pointed Claudio to an empty spot where he could park his car while Step left his motorcycle right in front of the door to Four Green Fields. They went downstairs. The place was jumping. There were plenty of young people perched on stools in front of the long bar. Other people, some of them older, were seated at round wooden tables scattered throughout the room, talking animatedly.

  The walls were painted dark brown, and light-colored columns divided the big room into sections. All around were paintings and logos of brands of beer from various countries. A guy with round wire-rimmed glasses and unkempt hair was moving frantically behind the counter, making fruit cocktails or simple gin and tonics.

  “Ciao, Antonio.”

  “Oh, hey, ciao, Step. What can I get you?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll talk it over and decide. What’ll you have?”

  As they were going over to sit down, Claudio remembered that he hadn’t had anything to eat yet. He decided to go easy. “A Martini spritz.”

  “So a nice blond beer and a Martini spritz.”

  They sat down at a table in the back of the place, on the left, where things weren’t quite so loud and crazy. Almost immediately a beautiful, dark-skinned young woman named Francesca came over. She brought what they’d ordered, and she stayed at the table awhile to chat with Step.

  He introduced her to Claudio, who politely stood up to shak
e hands. Francesca was surprised at this show of chivalry. “This is the first time I’ve seen a gentleman in this place.”

  She held Claudio’s hand a little longer than was normal.

  He looked at her, slightly embarrassed. “Is that a compliment?”

  “Certainly! You are distinguished, courtly, and charming.” Francesca laughed. Her long raven-black hair danced cheerfully around her dazzling white teeth. Then she walked off, sensually, well aware that his eyes would be following her.

  Claudio took a seat, careful not to sit on the tail of his jacket. He decided he didn’t want to disappoint her.

  Step picked up on that. “Nice ass, eh? Brazilian girls all have incredible asses. At least, that’s what I hear. I really wouldn’t know because I haven’t been to Brazil yet, but if they’re all like Francesca…” Step laughed and tossed back half his beer.

  “Yes, she really is quite attractive.” Claudio drank his Martini spritz, slightly annoyed that his mind had been so easy to read.

  “So, what were we talking about? Ah, yes, we were saying that Babi really is a remarkable young woman. Very true.”

  “Yes, that’s right, and my wife, Raffaella…”

  “Hmm, yes, I’ve met her. She’s a little powerhouse, shall we say.”

  “Yes, true enough.” Claudio finished his Martini spritz. He was in full agreement with Stefano on that point too. At that moment, Francesca went by again. She tossed her hair, laughing, and shot a provocative glance at their table.

  “You made a good impression, you know that, Claudio? Listen, shall we get something else to drink?” He didn’t give him time to answer. “Antonio, would you bring me another beer?” Then he turned to Claudio. “What’ll you have?”

  “Why, no thanks. I don’t really want anything else…”

  “What do you mean, you’re not having anything? Come on, now…”

  Claudio decided that, at least for the moment, it wouldn’t be a good idea to push back too hard. “All right, then I’ll have a beer too.”

  “Two beers and a bowl of olives, some potato chips, you know, bring us something to munch on.”

  A short while later, their order arrived. Claudio was a little disappointed. Serving them now wasn’t Francesca but a black guy, slightly overweight, with a kind face.

  Step waited for him to leave. “He’s Brazilian too. But a completely different kind of Brazilian, eh?”

  They exchanged a smile. Claudio tasted his beer. It was good and cold. He drained another gulp. Stefano was a good guy. Maybe he was even more likable than his brother. In fact, no two ways about it.

  And he took another drink of beer. “Anyway, like I was saying, Stefano, my wife is very worried about Babi. You know, this is her last year, and her final exams are coming up.”

  “Yes, I know. I heard about her teacher, too, and the problems she’s been causing.” Step decided that it was probably wise not to mention the money they’d had to pay.

  Claudio seemed surprised. “Oh, so you heard…”

  “Yes, but I’m pretty sure that things will settle down.”

  “I certainly hope so…” Claudio threw back a long slug of beer, thinking back on the ten million lire he’d been forced to pay out.

  Instead, Step thought about Signora Giacci’s dog and Pollo’s efforts to teach it to play fetch. “You’ll see, Claudio, everything’s going to turn out fine. Signora Giacci is going to stop pestering Babi. That problem no longer exists, take it from me.”

  Claudio tried to smile. How could he tell Step that the real problem was him?

  Just then, a group of young guys came in. Two of them saw Step and came over to say hello. “Oh, ciao, Step! What the fuck happened to you? You have no idea, we’ve been looking for you everywhere. We’re still waiting for our rematch.”

  “I’ve had other things to do.”

  “Scared, are you?”

  Step seemed slightly annoyed. “What are you talking about? Scared of what? We thrashed you two. And you’re still talking?”

  “Hey, calm down, don’t lose your temper. We just haven’t seen you since then. You took our money, and then you disappeared.”

  The other young man worked up his nerve a little too. “Plus you had a piece of luck on that last ball.”

  “Just be glad that Pollo isn’t here. If not, I’d be glad to take the same amount of money from you, and we wouldn’t be talking about luck. We just made a series of incredible shots, one pocket after another.”

  The two young men put on dubious expressions. “Yes, okay.” They went over to the bar to order a round of drinks.

  Step saw them chatting. Then they looked over at him and started laughing. Step couldn’t stand it. “Listen, Claudio, do you know how to play pool?”

  “There was a time when I played frequently. I was pretty good too. But now I haven’t picked up a pool cue in, like, forever.”

  “Come on, please, you need to help me out. I can beat these guys like a drum. I just need you to set up the shots for me. I’ll take care of getting them into the pockets.”

  “I don’t know though. We were supposed to talk.”

  “Come on, we can talk later. All right?”

  Claudio nodded. Maybe after a game of pool it would be easier to talk to him. But what if they lost? He preferred not to think about that.

  Step stood up and went over to the bar, where he spoke to the two guys. “All right, you’re on. Come on, Antonio, give us the table. We’ll win the same amount of money off these two.”

  “Wait, who are you playing with? That guy?” One of the two boys pointed at Claudio. He was sitting at the table, finishing his beer.

  “Yes, why, are you good to play with him?” Step asked.

  “Hey, if you’re happy with him as a partner, you must know what you’re doing.”

  “Well, no doubt if Pollo was here, it would be quite a different story. You both know that. It’s just going to mean I’m willing to give you some money today. All right?”

  “No, if you’re going to be like that, then we’re not playing. Afterward you’ll just say that we won because Pollo wasn’t there.”

  “Ah, I can beat the two of you by myself,” Step said.

  “Yes, of course you can!” The two guys broke out laughing.

  Step gazed at them seriously. “You want to raise the stakes? You want to make it two hundred thousand lire? You in? But just one game, I’ve got things to do.”

  The two guys exchanged a glance. Then they looked at Step’s partner. There Claudio sat, at the far end of the room, playing awkwardly with a pack of Marlboros on the table. Maybe that was what finally made up their minds for them.

  “Okay, you’re on. Let’s go on in.” The guys picked up the box of pool balls.

  Step went over to Claudio. “Do you know how to play American-style? One game, two hundred thousand lire. Come on, Claudio, don’t worry. Those guys are delusional. We can take them!”

  “No, Stefano, no thanks. We really ought to have this talk.”

  “Come on, just one game. And if we lose, I’ll pay.”

  “That’s not the issue—”

  “So what are you two going to do? Are you going to play some pool?” It was Francesca. She stood facing Claudio, a smile on her face. “Come on. I’ll come watch, and I’ll root for you. I’ll be your cheerleader.”

  Step looked at Claudio, curious now. “Well?”

  “Okay, but just one game.”

  “Yahooo! Let’s go over there and beat them silly.” Claudio put the cigarette pack in his pocket, and then he stood up.

  Cheerfully, Francesca locked arms with him, and all three of them walked over to the poolroom. The balls were already racked on the green felt. One of the two young men lifted the triangular rack. The other one went down to the far end of the table and took a precise shot, breaking the rack. Balls of all colors scattered across the felt, rolling silently. Then some of them smashed together with flat clacks and then, slowly, came to a halt.

 
The game started in earnest. At first, it was simple, carefully calibrated shots, then harder and harder, more demanding and difficult. Claudio and Step had the striped balls. Step made the first pocket. The other guys put in two balls, with a third pocket that was just dumb luck.

  When it was Claudio’s turn, he took a long shot. He was out of practice. He came up short. It didn’t even come close to the pocket. The other two guys exchanged a look of amusement. They could already feel that money in their wallets.

  Claudio lit a cigarette. Francesca brought him a whiskey. Claudio noticed that she had small but perky and firm breasts under her dark T-shirt.

  A short while later, it was his turn again. His second shot turned out better. Claudio hit the ball square on, and with a nice lag, he left the cue ball in the middle of the table. The ball was the fifteen, and the two young men had left it open for him, certain that he’d miss.

  “Nailed it!” Step slapped him on the back. “Nice shot!”

  Claudio looked at him, beaming, and then tossed back another gulp of whiskey and bent over the pool table. Concentrating, he struck the cue ball just slightly to the left, hitting the cushion and running down along the edge, with a sweet effect on the ball. A perfect shot. In went the target ball.

  The two other guys exchanged a worried look while Francesca clapped her hands. “Nice!”

  Claudio smiled. He dabbed the tip of his tongue onto the light blue chalk and rapidly buffed the end of his cue stick. “I really used to be good!”

  They went on playing. Step put in a few balls, but the other two guys were luckier. After a few more shots, they had nothing left to pocket except for the red ball and the yellow ball.

  But now it was Claudio’s turn. There were still two striped balls on the table. Claudio crushed out his cigarette. He picked up the chalk, and as he was quickly buffing the tip of his pool cue with it, he studied the situation. It was hardly ideal. The thirteen ball was pretty close to the far pocket, but the ten was practically in the middle of the table. He’d have to place the ball perfectly, make it stop on the spot, while still knocking the ten ball sideways into the left middle pocket. Back in the day, he might have been able to pull that off, but now…