“But why?” he asked. “In Verona, there is no ocean. But if there were …” He smiled. “It is hard to think of working at all when a view like that is before you.” He gestured to the expanse of ocean.
“I never thought about it that way.” I dug my toes into the cool sand. “I’m surrounded by tourists all day long, but I’m so used to living here I don’t always see how pretty it is.”
“So. Maybe you take time for it more often now.”
“That’s … not easy for me.” I shrugged. “I have tunnel vision. A lot of times all I can think about is dance.”
“And … changing your mind is not easy for you, either.”
“What do you mean?”
He studied the sand, seeming uncharacteristically shy. “I have been waiting for you to change your mind. About me.”
My heart slammed into my throat. “What? I—I’m not sure I understand.”
He brushed a hand through his hair. “You do.” He shook his head. “You don’t want to like me. I am trying to learn why.”
Agh. Why wasn’t this simpler? “Lanz. It’s—”
“The joking. I know.”
I was blushing furiously now. Talk about awkward. “No … no. It’s not the joking. You catch me off guard. It’s distracting, and I don’t let myself get distracted. Ever.”
“So. You want me to thank you, then? For not ignoring me entirely?”
I flopped back in the sand, laughing. “I give up! You’re impossible!”
He grinned. “A compliment from you at last.”
I rolled my eyes and sat up. “Will you let me say this?” He made the motion of zipping his lip. “Thank you. So here’s the thing. I never thought I’d like working in the parlor again, but since you started helping … it’s been fun. And …” I smiled. “I got pointe shoes today!”
“You did?” He beamed. “Fantastico!”
“It feels amazing. And it’s because of you. Introducing me to your mom and everything. A lot has happened because of you.” I gulped down my nerves and pushed on. “Which is why I, um, I need to tell you I’m sorry. You’ve been nothing but friendly to me, and I’ve been—” I dropped my eyes. “Well, I don’t think I’ve been very welcoming.”
He leaned closer, until one of his curls brushed against my forehead. “Until today. Maybe you’ve decided you can like me after all?”
I knew what he meant. He meant friend “like.” Of course he did. He was sitting so near to me, though. Suddenly, my head was swimming. Maybe it was the warmth of the sand, or the humidity in the air, or the simple fact that it was the first time I’d ever been so close-up to any boy other than Ethan. Whatever the cause, I understood why I’d been keeping him at a distance. Lanz made me feel things that no one else ever had before. Scary, surprising things. Enticing things. I didn’t know what to do with that, or what it meant.
“Maybe I can,” I whispered.
“You better not be feeding me formiche, or anything else in the insect family.” I started to lift the edge of the blindfold, but Lanz grabbed my hand and placed it firmly in my lap.
“No peeking for the taste test.” His scolding tone held a note of laughter. It was Sunday, and we’d come to the parlor an hour earlier than usual so we’d have quiet time for this.
“You use your sense of taste and smell only,” Lanz continued. “The best way to select flavors, my father says, is with feeling. And for your information, pistachio gelato with chocolate-covered crickets is delicious. I tasted it myself at the international gelato festival last year. But …” I could hear his smile. “Since you are faint of heart, no bugs for you today. Instead …”
I heard the clinking of a spoon, and then a strong but welcome scent wafted under my nose. “Licorice,” I guessed.
“Good.” He held the spoon to my mouth. “Now taste.”
The rich licorice ice cream zinged over my tongue, but there was another more delicate flavor. “Is that a flower?”
“Violets,” Lanz said, sounding impressed. “Now for another ice cream.”
A creamy, chocolate scent filled my nose. “Yum. That’s a yes already.” I opened my mouth and tasted mellow hazelnut mingled with richer, bittersweet chocolate. “Delicious. What is it?”
“An ice cream called Baci,” he said. “Italian, for kisses.”
“What?” a familiar voice said. I yanked off my blindfold. Ethan stood in the doorway of the parlor’s kitchen.
I dropped my hands, sure my face was glowing. I scrambled up from the stool I’d been sitting on. “Lanz was just testing some new flavors out on me.” I frantically grabbed a sponge to clean off the counter and made myself look extremely busy.
Ethan looked back and forth between Lanz and me, his face thoughtful and serious. How long had he been standing there? A nervous flutter struck up in my stomach. What could he be thinking?
“Hey, you.” Finally, Ethan smiled and reached for my hand.
“Hey yourself.” As my fingers brushed his, the universe righted itself, and the simple comfort of his hand in mine washed away the dizzying bewilderment I’d felt only a few minutes before.
“Ethan.” Lanz clapped him on the shoulder, then said, “It is VIP time, yes?” It hadn’t taken long for Lanz to fall into our morning hang-time mix. Now he pushed through the kitchen doors, offering cheerful hellos to Tilly and Andres, who were already waiting at our table.
“Do you feel okay?” Ethan asked me. “Your face is red.”
“Is it?” I said offhandedly. “It’s hot outside.” Except I hadn’t been outside for the last hour. Nice one, Malie. We stood in silence, neither one of us seeming to know what to say. Weird. I couldn’t think of a time when we’d run out of things to say to each other before.
I was guiltily relieved when Tilly stuck her head
