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The first thing Dev Shah spots when he sets foot in Turin’s city center is a restaurant banner that reads “aperitivo dalle 5 alle 8 ogni giorno: 10 euros”. Curious, Dev squints and starts reading it out loud, drawing attention to himself.
“Huh.” Dev lets out when he is done reading, confused. “Babe, what’s an aperitivo?”
After asking that question, Dev turns around and his eyes instantly meet an amused smile in front of him.
“It’s a famous thing in the North of Italy.” Dev’s interlocutor responds.
“Okay but that doesn’t tell me what it is exactly and why it sounds so cool.” Dev insists.
“It’s, hmm, an Italian after work, if you prefer. You can have one drink with, hmm, how do you say… Some finger food for a cheaper price.”
“Oooooooh. Interesting. Can we try one today? This one right there sounds delish.”
“We are in one of the most beautiful cities of the North of Italy and all you think about is eat already?”
“Yes Francesca, you got me, sue me for being hungry 24/7.” Dev retorts in a joking tone.
Dev watches Francesca chuckling softly before rolling her eyes at him. This simple sight puts a wide smile on his face – he will never get tired of making Francesca laugh.
“Fine, aperitivo starts at five in the afternoon usually, I guess we can try one at the end of our day.” Francesca concedes with a smile.
“Wow, dope!” Dev exclaims. “I can already tell this is going to be the highlight of my day.”
“Wait until you see la Mole Antonelliana.” Francesca retorts in that Italian accent that Dev is fond of. “Aperitivo will be boring compared to that.”
“I’m not sure I believe you but okay, mi amor.” Dev responds with a teasing smile.
When he sees Francesca getting closer to him, Dev expects her to give him a kiss, but instead, she stops right before their lips can brush and whispers in his ear instead:
“I told you a million times mi amor is Spanish, amore mio.”
Francesca steps away to wink at Dev, which makes him laugh. He loves how she can so intelligently tease him. He is aware she has him completely wrapped around her little finger but Dev does not complain one bit about that.
***
“Okay, so here is la Piazza Castello.” Francesca exclaims once they arrive in yet another big square place.
“The Italians sure do love their piazze, don’t they?” Dev points out jokingly while looking around him.
“Turinese people mostly, I would say.” Francesca shrugs. “It’s beautiful though, no?”
“It’s amazing, yeah.” Dev approves with a nod. “What’s in that building over there?”
“Oh it’s the Palazzo Madama.” Francesca answers right away. “There is the museum of Ancient Art inside. If you go all the way to the top of that tower behind, you can have a good view on the city.”
“Sounds cool, should we get tickets or something?” Dev asks.
“Eh, it’s best if we do the Museum of Cinema instead.” Francesca answers truthfully. “I mean, if you really want to do the Ancient Art one, we can plan on going back here tomorrow but I think it’s best to do the cinema one first. It is really cool. And you have an ever better view on the city at the top of the Mole.”
“Again with your mole? Man, you’re really getting my expectations up with this thing, hope I won’t be disappointed.”
“Oh believe me, there’s no chance. You’ll love it. And if you don’t, we will have to break up I think.”
Dev gasps with a pretend shocked expression, which makes Francesca giggle.
“Fine, deal.” Dev says before shaking Francesca’s hand. “But first, what do we eat for lunch?”
“Oh dio mio, quello è impossibile!” Francesca exclaims before walking away.
“Hey, I understood that!” Dev protests before catching up to her.
***
“So now we are going down the street to Mole Antonelliana. It’s called la Via Po and at the end, there is la Piazza Vittorio Veneto. It is a famous place for all the bars and caffès.”
“I take back what I said earlier, it’s not the square places that they’re obsessed with here. What’s the deal with all these archways??” Dev exclaims while looking up to point at said archways.
“You’re such a guastafeste.” Francesca sighs.
“I’m sorry, I’m just commenting on what I’m seeing.” Dev explains.
“Well, it doesn’t look like you’re enjoying what you see.” Francesca points out.
Dev stops walking when he understands Francesca’s underlying reproach. He clicks his tongue in his mouth, frustrated of having hurt that beautiful gorgeous woman he adores so much.
Before she can walk any further, Dev softly takes Francesca’s hand and makes her turn around in order to face him.
“I love what I’m seeing so far.” Dev softly tells her while gently rubbing his thumb on her hand. “I do. I’m just a dumb American who likes joking around. But this is really great and I’m enjoying it all. Especially because I’m experiencing it with you.”
Dev can feel Francesca has been tensed up until this moment in which she slowly lightens up. He sees her cracking a smile and discreetly sighing, apparently relieved.
“It’s okay, you’re a cute dumb American so it balances it out.” Francesca eventually says with a smirk.
Dev laughs and shrugs, as if the only thing he can do is agree with that statement.
“The archways aren’t that bad, anyway.” Dev adds as he starts walking again.
“What about the square places?” Francesca asks him, walking by his side.
“Ugh, don’t even get me started on those!” Dev exclaims ironically.
Francesca bursts out laughing, and Dev realizes she has not let go of his hand since he grabbed hers and that simple mundane detail makes his heart do a somersault.
***
“Allora? What do you think?”
Dev holds up a finger in order to indicate he will answer as soon as his mouth is not full anymore. He is savoring what he is eating too much to rush it.
“The suspense is terrible.” Francesca adds sarcastically.
“Oh. My. God.” Dev eventually says. “Best ice cream I ever had.”
“See? I told you the Italians make better ice creams than the New-Yorkers.” Francesca playfully responds.
“Well, I don’t know if I would say they’re better but…” Dev retorts, pursing his lips.
“You just said it’s the best ice cream you ever had.” Francesca points out with a smirk.
“I did? You sure? Maybe you didn’t understand it right, you know, because English isn’t your native language.” Dev teases her.
“Stronzo!” Francesca exclaims jokingly as she steals Dev’s ice cream.
“Hey, let me at least finish it!” Dev protests.
“Nah, you don’t deserve it.” Francesca retorts before sticking her tongue out.
“You’re evil, woman.” Dev says with a smile.
“Anyway, Alberto Marchetti is a must-visit in Torino.” Francesca adds as she points at the ice cream shop’s sign.
“Agreed. Even though it’s hard to be better than New-York’s ice cream…”
“I am going to abandon you before we get to the museum.”
“Noooo, please, have mercy, don’t leave me alone under the archways! I will be lost forever because they all look alike!” Dev dramatically screams.
Francesca widens her eyes at Dev’s high voice since it is drawing attention to them but eventually, she can’t help but laugh at his joke. And the more he hears her laugh, the more Dev falls in love.
***
“Okay, I’ve been an ass all day but I’ve got to admit – this right here is mind-blowing.”
“Looks like someone was right, then.”
“Oh really, who is that? Do I know them?”
Francesca gently nudges Dev after his sarcastic comment before they both focus on the panoramic view of Turin again. They finished their tour of the Museum of Cinema and just got off the elevator that took them all the way up the Mole Antonelliana. Dev takes time to admire and enjoy everything he sees, especially because he can tell it is very important to Francesca.
“The view is gorgeous, no?” Francesca eventually says.
Dev then turns his head to look at her and without looking away from her for one second, he smiles and softly says:
“Yes. It really is.”