the ankle boots you have on with a stock?»
«Sure» I say it with a smile. «I got it from a shop in Vicenza going bankrupt: a nice stock on bankruptcy online auctions, and in the lot there were also these jeans» I add, lifting the crossed leg and running my hands along the calf and then on the thigh.
«Those are super cool too.»
«I like them a lot too» I reply, crossing my leg again and noticing how the movement caused the jeans to crumple, a few centimetres beyond the ankle boots.
«What do you say, shall we go?»
«Five more minutes, come on: I still don’t want to go back up» she replies, staring at my half-naked calf.
I look amused at my colleague as she continues to stare at my legs. «So?» I say in a low voice.
She rolls her eyes and stares at mine. «Can’t I look at your calf? You, you always do it with me.»
«That’s not true, Sere. It’s your idea.»
«It’s not my idea: even while I was eating, you kept looking at my legs» she replies. «And my shoes too.»
«That’s not true, Sere: I often watch other people’s clothing. You know it’s my obsession and then with my second job it can be considered almost as professional bias.»
Serena reaches out to my calf and hits it with the tip of her shoe.
«That’s true» I add. «I don’t look at legs or feet: I look at trousers, jeans, shoes or clothing in general.»
«I understand» she says with a smirk. «But I didn’t say you looked at my feet.»
«The feet are inside the shoes, the legs are under the jeans: it seems to me that there is no difference» I reply.
«Whatever, Lavi» she whispers. «Come on, you have two more minutes before I have to get back up.»
«Two minutes for what?» I ask puzzled. I stretch my crossed leg and I fix the rolled-up jeans, bringing it back down to my ankle. Serena stares at me and doesn’t answer.
«Sere, you are such a pain in the ass» I say a bit abruptly. «If I look at your legs it’s because I like them, don’t you think?»
She remains silent and I cross my leg again, looking out the glass. «Is that enough?»
«Yes, that’s enough.»
«So, you like my legs: period.»
I look back at Serena, who smiles amused. «Yes, I like them in general: I think they are the first thing I look at in a person» I say in a low voice. «The first I look at in a man, of course, but I always look at the women’s too. I do not know, I’ve always been attracted by the shape of the legs. Very attracted, I would say.»
«Interesting, Lavi: you never told me that.»
«Yes, it’s okay to me to have never told you about it: it is usually not a topic of conversation.»
«So? Does it mean that you are attracted to my legs?»
«I did tell you I’m attracted by them, in general» I snort. «Actually, I don’t like men’s legs as much, I much prefer the women’s: to be exact I would say that I like men’s legs when they are feminine.»
«Sorry, feminine in what sense?» she answers a little bewildered.
«Yes, not too big or muscular. I like the legs on men when they are quite slender.»
«Ah!» Serena exclaims. «More or less clear. Why do you like mine, then?»
«Is question time back on?»
«So?»
«Ugh» I sigh amused. «Because they are magnificent: they are thin but toned and when you are wearing high heels, your calves are all tensed and look very sensual.»
She remains silent looking at me with her intense eyes.
«Is it okay as an answer? Is the third degree questioning over, pain in the ass?»
«Yes, finished» she replies, laughing. «We can go now.»
«Yes, let’s go, before I give you a kick.»
We get up and head to the cash desk, where we find the striped boy. We pay, greet him and head for the door, while I seem to hear Serena’s smartphone ringing, following me at a close distance. «It’s my husband!»
We get out and I cross the street, walking to the square in front of our building: I am a few steps away from the entrance. Serena crosses the street and stops about ten meters behind me: I see her talking, laughing, on her phone, while behind her, in the distance, I notice the waiter who has got out of the bar and is now busy arranging the tables in the dehors.
I stop and look up, trying to identify our floor. The glass construction makes the whole building compact, mixing the levels into an almost indistinct wall of vertical structures that reflect the surrounding light: calculating with difficulty two glasses per floor, when I reach the fourteenth, I feel that it should be ours. I get to the fourth when I suddenly feel two hands around my hips from behind, squeezing me tightly: «I am here!»
I recover from the start I felt all over my body and I laugh. «Could you let go of me, please?»
«No, I’m not going to let go of you now» she says, laughing. I feel her placing her chin on top of my right shoulder and kissing me on my neck.
«Did the carpaccio make you even more affectionate?» I ask. I grab her hands above my hips and try to free myself from her grip as she opposes to my attempt.
«You are so unpleasant, Lavi!» she laughs. «I’ll bite you then!» She brings her mouth close to my neck again and I feel her teeth slightly biting into my flesh.
I grab Serena’s hands, free myself from her hold and turn around saying: «You’re crazy!»
She laughs, while I do the same.
«You’re insane, Sere.»
«It was just a little bite.»
«No, you are insane: you have lost it» I insist, walking towards the entrance of the building, while she joins me and continues to laugh.
We go past the glass door, we notice that Mauro’s station is still empty and get to the corridor with all the lifts.
«Make sure you don’t bite anyone in the office» I say with a grin.
«Can I give you a hug to say bye?» she asks, stopping in front of me.
«Of course, not» I retort abruptly.
«Bye, then, you nasty thing.»
She walks away down the hall, her calves tightened moving rhythmically on her high heels, towards the lifts.
Конец
