One Step to You (The Rome Novels #1)(56)

The high point came when the waiter tried to stop them. He was smacked dead center in the face by a wet chunk of bread, and there was a standing ovation. That waiter had never been more popular in his life.

Then the check arrived, and Pollo offered to collect the money. Step locked arms with Babi and led her out of the restaurant. One after another, everyone else left. In pairs or little groups of three, they all started their motorcycles. The ones in the VW Golf were the first to leave.

Babi pulled out her wallet. “How much do I owe?”

Step smiled. “Are you kidding? Forget about it.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me. Just get on.”

Step started the motorcycle. Babi climbed up behind him.

“So who should I thank? I heard Pollo say that he was going to collect the money.”

“No, that’s a sort of password.”

At that very moment, Pollo came running out of the restaurant and jumped onto his motorcycle. “Let’s go, boys!”

Pallina held on tight, and they all took off, tires screeching. The motorcycles shot forward, turning their lights off. The waiter and a few others came running out of the restaurant. They shouted, to no avail, trying unsuccessfully to read the license plates.

The sound of motorcycles echoed loudly through the narrow alleys and lanes of Fiano. One after the other, leaning around curves at high speed, they made their way out of town, taking the smaller streets, laughing and shouting, honking their horns. Then, practically flying by this point, they took the Via Tiberina, shrouded in the chill of the road. Only then did they dare to turn their headlights back on.

Pollo rode closer to Step. “Oh, that’s pretty good food at this colonel’s place. Too bad we won’t be able to go back for a while.”

“Hey, you know where we could go on Saturday?”

“Where?”

“Up to Nervi. There’s a really excellent restaurant. Farinello and the others have gone to it. They say it’s great.”

Pollo looked at him, worried now. “How much do they charge?”

“About forty apiece.”

“Too expensive!” He put on his little kid smile and then hit the gas and raced off with Pallina, laughing crazily.

Babi leaned forward. “So are you saying that we didn’t pay?”

Step slowed down. “Why, is that a problem?”

“A problem? Don’t you realize that they could report you to the police? They might have read one of your license plates.”

“They can’t see a thing with the lights off. Listen, we’ve always done this, and nobody’s ever caught us. So don’t jinx us!”

“I don’t jinx anybody. I’m just trying to get you guys to listen to reason. Even though that strikes me as quite the challenge. All right, let’s say they never catch you. But don’t you ever think of the people at the restaurant? Those are working folks. They’re in the kitchen all day, sweating over the stoves, setting tables for you, serving you food, clearing up after you, keeping the place clean, and this is how you treat them? You humiliate them, you spit on their work. You don’t give them the slightest consideration.”

“What do you mean I don’t give them any consideration? I just said that I really like the food they serve in that place!”

Babi remained silent. It was pointless. She’d leaned back a little on the seat of the bike, creating some distance from him. Around her, the night wind and the damp air of the woods rushed past her, giving her shudders from the chill. But that wasn’t all that was making her shiver. She was dating a guy she didn’t understand, whom she couldn’t understand.

She looked straight ahead. It was a crystal clear night. The stars glittered far away. Small diaphanous clouds were caressing the moon. It would all be so lovely, if only…

“Hey, Step.” Lucone pulled up beside them, with his voluminous blond girlfriend, Carla, riding behind him. “Are you ready to bet fifty thousand lire on which of us gets to the center of town first, riding wheelies the whole way?”

Step didn’t have to be asked twice. “You’re on.” He upshifted and twisted the throttle without warning. The motorcycle reared up.

Babi was barely in time to grab hold of Step’s waist. “Step! Step!” she shouted, pounding both fists hard on his back. “Stop it! Drive normally.” Step gently eased up on the gas. The motorcycle touched down on both wheels. Lucone continued on a little farther, crowing in victory.

Step turned to look at Babi. “What’s come over you? Have you lost your mind?”

“No more wheelies, no more brawls, no more high-speed chases, I can’t take it anymore, don’t you understand?” Babi was shouting now. “I want a normal, safe life. With people who ride a motorcycle like anybody else. I don’t want to run out of restaurants. I just want to pay the check like everyone else. I don’t want you to keep getting in fights. I hate violence, I hate fist fighters, I hate bullies, I hate people who don’t know how to live right, who don’t know how to talk decently, who don’t know how to engage in a civil discussion, who have no respect for others. You hear me? I hate them!”

They rode awhile in silence, letting themselves be lulled by the constant speed of the motorcycle and by the wind that slowly seemed to be calming her down.