Un incontro a Roma

“Good morning. Are you Giulia?” he asks. His face is a little red. He is embarrassed. “Yes, I am Giulia. Are you Marco?” she answers. “Yes, it’s me. Nice to meet you. Sorry about the chair.” He seems embarrassed. “Nice to meet you too. Don’t worry about the chair. Please, have a seat.”

Marco sits down carefully and puts his bag on the floor. He is thirty years old and works in a bookshop. Sometimes he reads while he walks, and because of this he bumps into things. Many tourists come into his shop, and he gives them wrong directions because he is bad with maps.

“How are you?” Giulia asks. “I am fine, thank you. And you?” Marco adjusts his glasses. “I am fine too. But I am a little nervous,” Giulia says honestly. Marco laughs. “Me too! I already bumped into a chair!”

The waiter comes to the table. He seems tired, or bored, maybe both. “Good morning. What would you like?” he asks. Giulia looks at the menu again. “I would like a cappuccino, please.” The waiter writes very slowly. “And you, sir?” he asks Marco.

“I would like an espresso coffee, please,” Marco says clearly. “Would you like to eat something?” the waiter asks. Giulia is hungry. “Yes. I would like a croissant, please.” She points at the menu.

“And for me, a sandwich, please. A ham sandwich,” Marco says. The waiter writes everything down. He writes very slowly.

“So, one cappuccino, one espresso, one croissant and one ham sandwich. Is that right?” Marco and Giulia say yes. “Perfect. It arrives in a moment.” The waiter goes away slowly.