I tensed my back. He looked sideways at me.

"I have no memory of the previous occurrence. And now that you know what not to do, I can easily take you to my secret place."

My face was flushing.

"Oh."

His room had not changed much since my last visit, apart from his beloved picture being hidden. It was still the ambassador of gothic room chic.

I sat on the chaise, too embarrassed to sit on his bed, in his presence. We smiled at one another.
"I wanted to take you out today," I said.

Marcus tilted his head.
"Is it? Where would we go?"

"There's a small movie theatre running in the local theatre, as well, for extra profits. I thought you'd like watching a newly released movie...The Sister's Travelling Pants."

He frowned.
"What's this movie?"
I gawked at him.

"You are joking, right?"

His face was straight. I, somehow, could not accept that him with all the money he had, had never seen a movie before.

"You've never seen a movie before?"

He shook his head. I laughed, amazed.
"Well, I'd be happy to take you to your first movie."
He stood from his bed.

"Of course, let us be off whilst the night is still young."

He was chipper. I stopped him. He had on stuffy, black attire with a smidgeon of colour. He was attired in black slacks, black pointed shoes, a formal, black cotton shirt and a vest that was puce.

"You can't go out like that!"

He raised his eyelids.

"Oh, why not? Am I not suited by my garms?"

He was flossy; it wasn't to say he wasn't looking good but this was too much for an outing to a ratty playhouse. He looked as if he were going to a five-star hotel or an opera. I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Uh, no Marcus. It's not that, you look good it's just I think you'll draw too much attention where we are going. You should dress a bit more casually."

He studied his expensive vest with new eyes. I opened his chest of drawers and armoire and found more formal shirts and vests. This was strange I turned to him after sliding the drawers shut.

"You don't own normal clothing?"

He blinked....Guess not.

I decided to search for Demetri but luckily for me he was outside Marcus' door.

"Hey, Demetri can you get Marcus a jacket and sneakers that aren't bling bling."

He cautiously looked over my head, for approval. He went off to do what I asked. I don't know what he was told, Marcus drawled a few words in their native tongue and like a bat Demetri flew off down the hall.

Of course, he came back and I saw him with a red military jacket and white non-branded sneakers.

"Thank you, this is hot!" I smiled and he returned to his post dutifully.

I shut the door silently and was met with the most sceptical look.
"These garbs are suitable?"
I nodded.

"Ah-ha, just switch out your jacket and vest for this," I shook the jacket I held. Then I tapped his shoes with my clean sneaks. "Then you can wear these honeys instead."

I held up the white sneakers to his eye level. As unsure as he was I had to give him props; he unbuttoned his jacket and vest and put the one Demetri brought.

The pointy shoes were history as he slipped into stylish sneaks. I thought the slacks would detract from the whole look but it gave him a dapper, casual appearance.

"Let's go, the movie starts at eight."

I gazed down my watch, to see it was twenty-five minutes to eight. I looped my arm through his. We walked companionably to the play theatre under the low, white lights.

Only the sound of our squeaking sneakers halted the silence. The restaurants were closed and the city was asleep.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I honestly couldn't stop laughing during the entire movie. Marcus was quiet. I offered him my buttered popcorn and he indulged me by sampling.

He didn't really seem interested in any of the snacks offered; there were too few on selection anyway. Only peanuts and popcorn, and soda. Disappointing, really.

When we walked back to the castle I deliberated his reactions. Had he enjoyed the movie? He had not spoken a word in the solitary cinema.

"What did you think?" I finally asked.
He eased my anxious face with a diminutive smile.

"It was enjoyable, but you should have let me pay for the tickets at the very least."
I scoffed.

"I wasn't going to let you do that. I invited you."
He shook his head and stuffed his slim fingers in his pants pockets.

"You are stubborn. I had hoped you would be more open to the idea. It is the culture here," he said gazing out into the dimness in front of us.

"But at home when a girl and a guy dat.."

He looked down at me as I changed the words in my sentence. I almost slipped up and told him I thought of this as our first date.

"Uh...when a girl and guy go out, they split the bill," I said hastily, sweat dribbling down my back.

Marcus tsked me and stood under the flood of the lamp-post.
"American culture differs from Italia's culture. The men here adore treating the women."

I remembered the extravagant gifts men brought their girlfriends on my campus.
"And I've noticed women here expect nothing less."

"You American women disparage yourself. Our women esteem themselves."

Was it true? Did American ladies devalue themselves when it comes to relationships.

I pondered silently as Marcus had done before. No, wanting to pay was expressing your independence. It didn't mean I valued myself less.

"I can't break the status quo?"

He gave a bell laugh. Tinkering, surprisingly feminine in its output and soft on the eardrums.

"Not if you don't want to draw too much attention where we go," he said with a faint wink in his eye.

I swallowed as he made a play on the words I had uttered to him in his room. My heart started its old tricks. I huffed, a little florid in expression now.

"I'm still not letting you pay when I take you out."

He responded with a tinkling chortle.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I was stretching my back as I re-entered my room. Marcus had cautioned me that travelling back at eleven p.m. would be hazardous. So, he offered his roof, again and a room, that looked more like a hotel suite than a family bedroom.

It had white walls and cream beddings, an ensuite bathroom and in-built drawers and marble chaise and stools. I had come from showering in the bathroom , a thick cream towel around my waist.

Then I noticed a strange new item on my bed. A silk scarf with blossoms. I crept up to pull it nearer to my eyes. But I felt the weight of something beneath its material. I felt out a small rectangle. I pulled it out and my eyes bubbled.

"Fuck!"