#FreakshowFriday

Chapter 19: Gelato and Genghis Khan

October 16, 2023

"I don't want to interrupt," Nathan says, "but we need to be out in front of the hotel at seven, and that's in five minutes."

"Yeah, I know, I know." Jamie doesn't stop typing, narrowing her eyes at her laptop screen. "I can finish this in four."

After what has been a relaxing day full of sightseeing for the most part, Jamie got to work compiling her Ultimate Informative Poveglia Email for Veronika. Although this is not an assignment with a deadline, she still wanted to have it sent out before the day is over. What Nathan and Jamie have decided to meddle in is, after all, a matter of life and death, and handling it cannot be postponed indefinitely.

Of course, this is all fine and dandy and doable in theory, except Stella materialized in front of their hotel room door a few hours ago. Stella thought it would be nice, she said, to treat her family to ice cream this evening. Would Jamie and consort be willing and able to meet up in front of Campo dei Fiori at seven P.M. sharp?

It hadn't been a conundrum. Nathan and Jamie had agreed that, one, it was a kind gesture on Stella's part, and, two, free gelato should never be declined. So they said they'd be there, and when Stella had left the room, Jamie got sucker-punched by the realization this change of plans interferes with her day's workload. She's been working on the email in a hyperfocused frenzy ever since.

"I know you can," Nathan replies. "But it's still tight. How about we go down there now and you finish and send the email when we return?"

"It's so close to being done. Like ninety-eight-point-five percent out of hundred." Jamie gives him a pleading, slightly frantic look. "If I don't finish the email, I'm gonna be walking around completely distracted by the fact it's just sitting there almost ready in my computer, and my family won't like that. I can finish it, but the more time we spend talking now, the more daylight I'm burning. So can you go ahead and tell them I'm finishing up a work email real quick and that I will join in a second? Please?"

If Nathan had to hazard a guess, Jamie has been feeling guilty about her poor conduct during coffee time yesterday, and she'd like to make up for it tonight. Nathan just isn't sure if risking showing up late is the way to go about that. On the other hand, Jamie really may be choosing the lesser of two evils here, and the email is almost done.

So Nathan will give her the benefit of the doubt and the best possible shot at getting this done. "Alright," he says, walking out the door. "See you in a few."

When he makes it outside, his phone shows him there are still three minutes to go until seven o'clock. His heart sinks a little when he realizes Jamie's parents, Stella, and Gino are all already waiting. Nathan is a pretty punctual guy himself and normally appreciates it when people show up where they need to be on time, but, just this once, he was hoping somebody else would've been late. He mentally curses this course of events before braving the Carrera family, which still kind of feels like throwing himself into a lion pit.

"Hey," he announces his presence. "Jamie's going to be here shortly. She just has to finish an important work email."

"Oh, of course." Linda Carrera acknowledges his statement, but quickly goes back to interrogating Gino about what it's like to be back in his old home again and if he would ever want to return there for good, all while her husband listens with attention. The prospect of the couple's first daughter potentially relocating to Italy concerns them much more than a simple email.

"Thanks for letting us know, Nathan. It's appreciated." That's what Stella says, and Nathan would be lying if he claimed his jaw doesn't drop to the floor. Did some other person crawl into Stella's skin or did she actually say something nice to him? He studies the woman's face, looking for an indication that she's pulling his leg and will soon have a cold jab at the ready for him.