Pasta Imperfect - By Maddy Hunter Page 0,42

was practically wallpapered with leather goods. Vincenzo grabbed a hooked pole, lifted a raspberry-colored jacket off a twelve-foot-high rack, and motioned me into an anteroom with mirrors on all sides. He lit a fresh cigarette before removing the plastic covering from the jacket and holding it out for me. "This size forty-two. This be good for you."

Hardly able to contain my excitement, I dumped my shoulder bag at Jackie's feet. "Watch that like a hawk."

Scurrying back to Vincenzo, I slid my arms into the silky lining of a leather jacket that felt smooth as whipped butter. "Wow."

"You like?"

Chirrup chirrup. Chirrup chirrup.

"It's your phone, Emily. You want me to answer it?"

"Appreciate it," I said to Jackie, as Vincenzo did the honors of zipping up my jacket. He stood back to assess me, smoke swirling around his head.

"Very pretty. Va bene."

I turned this way and that in the mirror. "The sleeves are a little long."

"I mark them. We shorten them in one hour. You come back and pick up."

"Really?" This was better than fast food at Blimpie's.

"Emily's phone. Jackie speaking." A pause. "Oh, hi, Etienne. Yeah, she's here, but she's tied up at the moment. Can I give her a message?"

"This the best leather in all Italy," Vincenzo attested as he pulled a butane lighter from his pants pocket. He flicked the striker wheel then waved the flame down the length of my arm.

"EH!" I snatched my arm away. "ARE YOU NUTS? What are you doing?"

"Bad leather burn," Vincenzo claimed, grabbing my arm back and reapplying the flame to my sleeve. "Good leather not burn. This good leather."

"Okay, I believe you!" I stared at the flame licking my elbow and could feel my skin heating up in protest. "Hey, I can feel that. You can stop anytime."

"Etienne is sorry you were cut off," Jackie announced.

"The leather good everywhere," Vincenzo droned around his cigarette. He swung the lighter flame toward my shoulder.

"Enough with the lighter!" I said, shrinking away from the flame.

"Every panel good." I eyed Vincenzo in the mirror as he circled around to my back with the exposed flame. "Some people mix the bad leather with the good leather, but Giorgio only use -- Merda!" Up flew his hands as his cigarette fell from his mouth. "Oy!" He caught it in midflight, bobbled it in his hand, then cursed loudly as he dropped it to the floor and stomped on it.

"What's that?" Jackie asked. "Can you speak up a little, Etienne? There's a lot of background noise where you are. One-armed bandits? Euw. That's not good. How much is that in American dollars?"

I felt a little palpitation in my chest. He'd lost money. I knew that would eventually happen. I just didn't want to know how much.

"Scusi," said Vincenzo, airing out his hand.

"Did you burn yourself?" I asked.

"It's nothing," he said, massaging his palm. "I get chalk to mark your sleeves."

I preened before the mirror as he disappeared into a back room. The jacket didn't look terrific with my Laura Ashley dress, but with a pair of black leather pants, it would look sensational.

I wrinkled my nose. Phew! The air stank of Vincenzo's cigarette. Italian tobacco was powerful stuff. Little streamers of smoke still floated in the air above my head. They could use a better air-filtration system in this place.

Jackie's voice rose in volume. "I'm still having a hard time hearing. Hold on. Maybe if I walk out --" A pause. "Holy shit!"

I spun around to find her charging at me full throttle. "EHHH!" I screamed.

WUFF! She tackled me around the waist. BOOM! We crashed onto the floor. I bumped my head and cracked my elbows. Air escaped my lungs in a painful whoosh.

I beat at her with my fists, trying to fend her off. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I shrieked. "ARE YOU CRAZY?"

"Your hair!" she yelled, slapping my head with her hands. "It's on fire!"

Chapter 7

How bad does it look?" I fretted, as we dashed into the lobby of the Hotel Cosimo Firenze.

"You don't wanna know," Jackie replied. "And that awful garbage smell? It's not garbage. It's your hair."

Great. This was just great. I thought I'd had problem hair before. I couldn't imagine the styling challenge I faced with half of it missing!

"Vincenzo was crushed you didn't buy the jacket," Jackie anguished. "Losing that sale really hit him hard. I felt sorry for him."

"HE SET MY HAIR ON FIRE!"

"Still. You might be sorry later on. You don't find bargains like that every day. Hold up a minute." She unloaded