I have a bad habit of judging people. I don't particularly feel bad about it. If I am totally honest, I enjoy it. Perhaps, that is why I do it so much.

You should not be wearing that blouse.

It is so obvious that his wife is cheating on him.

That poor child. Maybe it'll be better if he drowns before he grows up and realizes how ugly he is.

Some kid was leaning over the water fountain and swishing his hands in the water, his parents obviously eating their food.

A figure walked up to me, blocking my view but it wasn't until something was said in Italian that I looked up. Although my view was colored by my dark-tinted sunglasses, I noticed that a woman was staring down at me.

"What?" I responded in English.

"Excuse me, you can't sit here."

I turned my head straight ahead, sighed, and stood up from the public- or as of now not so public- street bench.

"Excuse me are you from here?" I kept walking but stopped momentarily and turned around. The woman was staring at me, expectantly.

"Here, as in?-" I tapered off.

Her expression changed as if she got her answer. Then she asked, "Would you like a tour of the castle?"

I stared at her as she stared at me a few moments ago. I looked up and realized that the large building in her background was what she was referring to, although it didn't look much like a castle. A first glance it looked like a town hall or the cathedral.

"That's a castle?" I pointed.

She laughed. No- chimed. The sound that came out of her mouth was musical as if it was designated to lure you in.

"I know," She looked back at the building for a brief second, "it's quite conspicuous, isn't it?"

Was she being serious? That was the ugliest castle I have ever seen (it was the only castle I've seen in real life, but I knew castle weren't supposed to look like this).

"Ahm, no thanks," I responded before turning back to walk away.

"Are you sure?" She threw back.

I didn't respond.

"You're still here?" Bianca was taking off her beige-colored heels at the front door.

"Were you hoping that I would be gone?"

"Not entirely."

I rolled my eyes. I liked to annoy people, but this was getting too much.

The town was boring. It was obvious that Bianca didn't want me in her apartment. I didn't entirely want to be in here. What the hell was I doing here?

I could leave. Catch a ride to Florence, and travel to more interesting places, or go home.

"I can go to a motel if you prefer."

She was silent for a moment, and I began taking that as a sign of agreement.

"I don't mind you staying here. It's just-" She stopped, and walked over to the refrigerator.

"Did you already eat?"

"Yeah." I lied.

The sounds of pans vibrated around the tiny apartment. "I am going to cook spaghetti, you can have some if you like."

I reached for the remote and turned on the TV.

The next day I went back to the museum.

I wasn't a fan of art, especially the daft art in the museum here, but the museum was the least boring place in this town.

I found myself staring at the art on the far east side of the museum.

I had to admit they fascinated me. So, I decided to take a picture of it. It was against the museum policy, but I made sure that my phone was on silent, and that hall was for the most part deserted.

The tiny blue circle on my phone screen rotated for a few seconds before the words of "No Results" came upon the blank white screen.

I went back to the castle but didn't dare go in. I waited on the bench that I apparently wasn't allowed to sit on, but no one came up to tell me that this time, and I was free to sit there and past the time by judging the people in the square.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there, but when the stone ground was reflecting the orange tint of the sky, someone approached me and when I looked up I automatically flinched back.

"What are the hell are doing here?" Her teeth were clutched and I could see the look of indignation in her blue eyes.

I looked up at the castle. "This is where you work?"

"What part of stay away from the castle didn't you understand?" Bianca was now dragging me away, or more specifically was dragging my windbreaker sleeves and me in it.

I pulled away from her grip. I wasn't a fucking child.

She rushed around and this time her look of indignation was changed to something else. If I didn't know any better, I would say fear.

She moved closer to me. "We need to go now."

I tucked my hands into my pockets and rolled my eyes before walking forward. Bianca following closely after me.

As soon as the apartment door slammed,

"Did anybody see you?"

"I was kind of sitting near the town square so I am guessing somebody must have seen me."

Bianca rushed her hands across her face. Damn, why was she so stressed about me sitting on a bench. Was there a law in the town against people sitting on public benches?

"Did anybody come up to you?"

Yes. "Uh, No." I lied.

She stared at me for a long while, before sighing."If you are going to stay here, you can't do things like that, Alisa."

Her tone reminded me of the first night when she pleaded with me to not go to her workplace or near the castle. Turned out her workplace was the castle. Why didn't she say that? What was she hiding?

"Are you a sex slave or something like that?"

"What?" She asked as if I just asked her if she had a pet dragon.

"You are really coming off as suspicious." I continued, looking her up and down. "I see the way you dress for work and that castle is a little sketch, so-"

"I am a secretary!" She cut me off by shouting.

"Ok." I deadpanned. "Who do you work for?"

"I can't tell you that."

Now I was really curious.

"Are they like the Italian Mafia or something?"

She paused for a second.

"Something like that."

She was lying. If it was the Italian Mafia, she wouldn't dare hint at that.

I was only growing more interested.

Who were these people that Bianca would rather say that they were somewhat part of the Italian Mafia than tell her the truth?