“Birth control?”
“Birth control for men.”
She tilted her head. “Really? How does that work?”
“The practicalities are more or less the same as women’s birth control,” he said. “It’s a daily pill. I won’t bore you with all the science of it, but essentially, it makes you infertile while you’re taking it.”
“But not permanently infertile?”
“Right,” he said. “As long as a guy takes his daily dosage, he can’t get a woman pregnant. But if he stops for two weeks, it clears his system, and things go right back to normal.”
“Wow,” she said. “That’s huge. I mean, I can’t lie, I’ve wished something like that existed plenty of times. The birth control options I’ve always had…well, there’s something I don’t like about each of them.”
“You’re not the only woman who feels that way,” Lucas said. “It’s something that came up over and over again in our company’s research.”
“Wow,” she said, looking deeply impressed. “Where can I get this male birth control?”
“You can’t,” he said. “At least, not yet. It’s not on the market. I think it’ll probably be released later this year, and there will be a big advertising push.”
“Ah.”
“But,” he added with a smirk, “there are certain perks to being affiliated with the company.”
Her jaw dropped. “You’ve already got it, haven’t you?”
“Just got it last month.”
“Wow,” she said. “Lucky you.”
He took a sip of wine to keep himself from saying anything inappropriate.
The server returned with their food and the two extra plates. Lucas saw at once that he had been wise to plan on splitting their dishes. Elise was looking from hers to his as if she couldn’t make up her mind which one looked more appetizing.
He carefully transferred some pasta to an empty plate and passed it to her. Getting the idea, she put some of her shellfish on the other empty plate and gave it to him.
“This all looks amazing,” she said, licking her lips.
“The crab is especially good,” he said, watching the curve of her mouth. “Something about the way they prepare it here. I don’t know what it is.”
She took a bite and closed her eyes, savoring it. “You’re right. I think this might be the best crab I’ve ever had.”
“Of course, the crab in Albuquerque wouldn’t exactly be fair to compare it to.”
Elise laughed. “Fair enough. You’re right, I should have been going out to dinner more since I’ve been here. I’ve been missing out.”
“So you said you’re in Rome on vacation, right?” he asked her.
“That’s right,” she said. “It’s been my dream all my life. I’ve been saving up for the past ten years. Basically since I got out of college.”
“Wow,” he said. “That’s dedication.”
“Well, it’s a big deal,” she said. “And I knew the only way I’d ever be able to make it happen was by putting away every penny. I think my parents would have preferred if I’d saved up for a house, but…” She shrugged. “A house can always come later.”
He nodded. “I think it’s good you did this for yourself.”
“Some days at work, it was all that kept me going,” she admitted. “The thought that I was earning my ticket to Rome.”
“What do you do for work?”
“Sales, like you,” she said. “Not for a pharmaceutical company, though. Commercial kitchen equipment.”
“Oh,” he said. “Huh.”
She laughed. “I know, right? It sounds boring because it is. And I’m not passionate about sales, either. Customers can be so entitled.”
“I know all about that,” he said. “I have a client back at home who always calls when he’s having trouble getting his prescription filled. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told him that our company isn’t the pharmacy.”
Elise laughed. “Oh, God, the stories I could tell.”
“Tell me your worst one.”
“I don’t know if I can pick just one,” she said. “Last week I had a guy call and ask me to send him a replacement gasket for his commercial refrigerator, and when I asked him what size gasket he needed, he said, ‘isn’t that your job?’ He hadn’t even told me what refrigerator model he had!”
“You’re supposed to be psychic,” Lucas said. “Didn’t anyone tell you that?”
“That’s how it seems some days!”
They refilled their glasses of wine and continued to talk as they ate. Lucas was amazed at how easy it was to get lost in conversation with her. Ordinarily, when he brought a woman to dinner, he always felt as if he was standing at a distance, watching the meal. As if a part of him was analyzing the situation, wondering how the night would play out.
Tonight, he kept forgetting to wonder.
When the food was gone and the bill was paid, they got to their feet.
“Are you still up for gelato?” Elise asked. “Remember, it’s on me.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I’d hate to make you pay after what happened this morning.”
“I’m going to get gelato on the way home either way,” she said, smiling and raising her eyebrows. “So you can either come with me or not, but I’ll be spending money on it regardless.”
Lucas grinned. “When you put it that way, how can I refuse?”
They walked through the streets of the city. Lucas watched her cute facial expressions as she talked about the sights along the way. She led him down a narrow side street, then pointed up at one of the windows.
“That’s my apartment,” she said.
“You didn’t want to stay in a hotel?”
“This was less expensive, actually,” she said. “And it’s really nice, and I feel like I’m getting a more authentic experience this way. Living in a neighborhood and all that.”
“That makes sense.” Lucas had always stayed in hotels when he’d traveled internationally. Maybe next time he would try it Elise’s way.
They reached the gelato stand. After they’d been served, they went to sit on a fountain in the middle of the little piazza. They were surrounded by children running in circles on the cobblestones, young lovers kissing against the buildings around them, and families sitting to watch the stars come out.
“This is my favorite place in the city so far,” Elise said. “I’ve been coming here every night. This is what I’ll think of when I go back home and people ask me what Rome was like.”
“It’s hard to believe that this is home for so many people,” Lucas agreed. “It feels like something out of a dream sometimes.”
She looked over at him. “It really does.”
He didn’t plan to do it. He didn’t even think about what he was doing. But something in her deep brown eyes seemed to draw him in, and the next thing he knew, his lips were on hers.
The sounds of the city seemed to fade. He lost himself in the sweet, flowery scent of Elise’s hair and the feel of her body pressed against his. He forgot who he was. He forgot the things that had brought him here. The only thing that mattered, in that moment, was her.