On this trip through the apartment lobby Furio took the time to look around. It was old. The ceilings were molded plaster and the floors were marble.
"Hey! Johnathan! I'm glad to see your back on duty!" Jen high-fived a young boy in the lobby. He could only be six. He was joggling a miniature soccer ball and he had a cast on his arm. "I heard you took a nasty hit."
"Yeah! Tommy kicked the ball as hard as he could and it hit me in the tummy! Then I fell real hard! Then Joey stepped on my arm, only Mom said he didn't mean to. He was just running real fast and couldn't stop. Everyone heard my arm crunch. They said it was the best soccer injury on our team yet!" Johnathan was obviously eager to tell his story. He was grinning broadly.
"Wow! I'm sorry I missed it." Jen laughed.
Johnathan leaned around Jen to see the man standing behind her. "Who's he?"
"This is my friend Furio. Furio, this is my friend Johnathan."
"Best friend." Johnathan corrected her. He stuck out his casted right hand and Furio tried not to laugh. The boy was clearly unsure about this "new friend".
"Is nice to meet you, Johnathan."
"You talk funny."
"Johnathan!" The three look ed to the elevator doors that Johnathan's mother was stepping out of. "Say you're sorry."
"Sorry." He ran over to her and they left. His mother waved back at Jen.
"Well, I don't know about this." Jen looked up at Furio. "Johnathan is an excellent judge of character and I don't think he likes you."
"Is this so?"
"Oh, yeah. He told me from the very beginning that Johnny Mand would be trouble and then they caught him throwing rocks on the playground."
Furio smiled. "You are right. He is an excellent judge. I should leave you now before I lose my temper and throw a rock."
Jen laughed out loud. It was the laugh that had been echoing in Furio's head since the lunch at Vesuvio. "Your laughter is very beautiful."
Jen instantly quieted down but she kept smiling. She looked into Furio's eyes. What the hell is wrong with me? I get compliments all the time. This is no different.
"Come on." She took his arm again and headed for the door.
"Don't you keep her out too late!", the doorman the doorman called after them, smiling. Jen waived goodbye to him and then there was that laughter again.
Jen turned right.
"My car isa dis way." Furio gestured to the left.
"Hey, buddy, what do you think this is?", Jen put her hands on her hips jokingly. "We are going to The Spot, we are going to have dinner and we are going to have a few drinks and we are going to dance and while we are dancing we will be having a few more drinks. We'll take a cab." She lifted her chin and turned away from him.
"Hey, you wait just a minute!" Furio actually felt slight panic. "I do no dance!"
"Tonight you do!", she called over her shoulder as she hailed a taxi.