She hoisted a last forkful of pasta to her mouth. A dribble of oil ran palely green down her chin. Zen reached over and wiped the oil away with his fingers, then licked them clean.
‘Wonderful,’ he said, setting his own plate aside. ‘I haven’t had that for ages. So simple, yet so good.’
Cristiana smiled and poured them both some more wine. Zen held up his packet of cigarettes.
‘Do you mind?’
‘I’ll have one, if I may. I’m an occasional smoker.’
‘I know the feeling. I’m an occasional non-smoker.’
They smoked in silence for some time.
‘You miss your husband,’ said Zen abruptly.
It was not a question.
‘In a way,’ replied Cristiana. ‘It’s not easy being a single woman in this place. It’s like being a child again. Everything you do is subject to scrutiny and comment.’
‘Does your mother know that you’re here?’
Cristiana shrugged.
‘I expect so. There’s always someone watching.’
In the next room, the phone started ringing shrilly.
‘Damn!’ said Zen, getting up. ‘Don’t go away.’
Cristiana smiled ruefully.
‘Where would I go?’
The moment Zen picked up the receiver, he knew it had been a mistake to answer the phone.
‘Aurelio? Where the hell have you been? Why haven’t you been in touch?’
‘Hello, Tania.’
‘I’ve been trying to get hold of you all day! We both have.’
‘Both?’
‘Your mother and me.’
‘The old firm.’
‘What?’
‘How are things? Rome still there? I suppose it must be. Eternal city and all that.’
‘Are you drunk?’
‘I’m happy.’
‘Happy? Why?’
‘Why am I happy?’
Laughter pealed out from the kitchen.
‘Who’s that?’ demanded Tania. ‘Have you got someone there with you, Aurelio?’
‘Of course not. It was someone in the street outside. The windows are open.’
‘I see. Well, you may be happy, but I’m certainly not, and neither is your mother. Maybe you should think about that.’
‘Maybe I should.’
‘All you seem to care about is yourself. Out of sight is out of mind as far as you’re concerned. I’ve been talking about you to your mother, Aurelio, and I have to say that I find what she’s told me extremely disturbing. It confirms a lot of things I’d already suspected about you.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like the fact that you’re deeply selfish. That you don’t give a damn about other people. They’re just a means to an end, as far as you’re concerned.’
‘That’s what my mother told you?’
‘Not in so many words, but the things she told me made it quite clear that you’d been ruthlessly self-centred and manipulative ever since you were a child.’
‘It didn’t occur to you that she might have an axe to grind herself, Tania?’
He was angry by now, and his tone showed it.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that she’s jealous of this woman who’s threatening to alienate the affections of her darling son and do disgusting things to him in bed, so she’s doing everything she can to frighten you off so that she can have me all to herself again.’
There was a brief silence.
‘That is the most shocking thing I’ve ever heard anyone say about their mother. For God’s sake, Aurelio! What kind of monster are you? Are you seriously suggesting that your mother is sexually jealous of me? That’s just totally sick! It’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever …’
Zen quietly replaced the receiver on its rest and walked back to the kitchen. Cristiana raised her eyes to meet his.
‘What was that all about?’
He shook his head wearily.