After arriving, Flavia had barely turned off the engine when she saw Cristina coming out of the building, smiling even in the rain as she hurried to get into the car.

«Sorry, I took a while in the changing room» she said with the rustle of the windshield wipers in the background. «Have you been waiting long?»

Flavia noticed that she had put much more care than usual into looking pretty.

«Don't worry» she replied pretending not to have noticed anything unusual. She imagined having Franco's jugular between her teeth and clenched her jaw.

Cristina looked at her with concern as they merged into traffic.

«Are you okay? You look worried.»

«Yes, but...» Flavia doubted, «it's silly thing, really.»

«It didn't go well with Flavio, did it?»

Flavia made a grimace. «That guy didn't give me even half a signal» she sighed.

«He just needs a push from you. It's obvious that he's waiting for nothing else!»

Cristina had too positive an image of Flavio, and Flavia considered this a good sign.

«I don't think so, his interest in me is an illusion» she said with a smile of resignation. «Someone like him can't be interested in an eye-candy doll like me; after, all I'm not his type, I already know that much» she explained.

«Oh, really? And what would his type be?»

Flavia turned for a moment to meet Cristina's gaze, and then it came to her mind exactly what his type was.

«Girls like you» she said bringing her eyes back to the water sliding on the windshield. «Those who have brains and enough confidence to never feel the need to flaunt it, who have...» she searched for the words, «who have so much character that they could dominate anyone who crossed their path and enough discipline to bring it out only as a last resort... and who are refined, so refined that their immense strength and generosity disappear, hidden behind a smile.»

Cristina chuckled, she seemed excited. «Hey, you're making me blush!»

Flavia snorted. «I'm being serious!» she retorted.

Cristina's laughter softened into the smile that Flavia had just described. «Me too,» she replied.

Flavia glanced at the passenger side. Despite the amber twilight of Rome's night that flowed over Cristina's face, she could see that she was blushing for real, with a warm and radiant expression lost in the lights of the traffic.

«I have a favor to ask you» she came forward.

«Tell me» Cristina nodded.

«Do you think you could make a hiring recommendation on your work project?»

Taken by surprise, Cristina hesitated for a second. «Maybe, it depends. For whom?»

«It's for Flavio.»

«You're asking me a lot. Are you sure? The environment is tightly controlled and...»

«Please.»

The rain had almost stopped, and the rubbery rustle of the windshield wipers swept away the sudden silence that had formed inside the car.

«When did you say he graduates?»

«He's already sorting out the paperwork to be assigned a thesis.»

«If he's really brilliant as you say...»

«He is!»

«I see...» Cristina said in an accusatory tone, «and how did he find out about the project and that you had a hook-up?»

«I didn't tell him anything!» Flavia apologized. «Besides,» she added, lowering her voice, «I found out by chance about his interest in that project of yours at the Ministry, he didn't ask me to help him.»

«Is he that important to you?»

«Yes.»

«Alright, I'll see if I can open a door for him. Did he mention anyone in particular?»

«I know he needs a help with a professor at his faculty...»

«Oh, I know whom you're talking about» Cristina laughed. «It's not worth wasting time with that one, he's an idiot. I'll take care of finding Flavio a good place.»

Flavia found a parking spot near the Drunk Teddy Pair and got out of the car with Cristina. As they walked towards the pub, she told her about the party she wanted to throw in Valdaora shortly after New Year's Eve. "If Franco doesn't come, there's no risk" she repeated to herself. She hinted at her plans to go back to Valdaora together with Flavio. She warned her that they would have to travel a few days after bringing Fabrizio's car back to Rome but, caught up in the excitement of the party idea, Cristina didn't seem to mind.

«It's not a problem, it'll be fun! I just hope I don't have any sudden commitments at work.»

«I'm sure you won't have any surprises, Captain, trust me» Flavia predicted.

«Oh, yeah? Can you foresee the future?» Cristina teased her.

Flavia returned the smile with innocence and winked at her.

«Sometimes I can.»

They walked through the entrance of the Drunk Teddy Pair and, as they were embraced by the lively warmth of the place, they headed to their regular table, leaving the usual trail of men who tried to pretend they weren't distracted by their behinds.

They joined their friends who had already passed the point where the coasters were wet and the center of the table was sprinkled with crumbs from pretzels and chips.

«What happened to Franco, wasn't he coming with you?» Alessia asked at some point.

«He told me he wasn't coming tonight, he has to catch up on some studying» Cristina dismissed the topic.

Flavia was glad that the evening was taking a positive turn. She thought about her life perspective, her plan to make herself a spare future, and then extended an invitation to everyone for a gathering in Valdaora after New Year's Eve.

«Hey, Paolo!» Giuseppe yelled above the chatter of the customers, «come here, Flavia is inviting us to the mountains in January!»

Paolo gestured to his brother that he was busy at that moment, but whatever it was he was fine with it.

«What's wrong with him tonight? Is he in a bad mood for something?» Gianluca asked.

«Nah! It's just that he met a girl recently and he can't think about anything else.»

At that moment, they heard someone greeting them and, in a reflex, the whole table turned to look at the last arrival.

«How's it going, guys? Were you waiting for me?» Franco announced himself.

No one noticed Flavia's bulging eyes and clenched jaw, no one noticed Cristina's tight lips and raised eyebrows, no one noticed Michela's nose wrinkling and eyes rolling. On the other hand, Alessia forced everyone to notice her intoxicated enthusiasm.

«You came, how wonderful! Did you know that Flavia wants us all to go to the mountains with her next month?»

«Oh, really? It's no problem for me» Franco assured them, dispelling fears that no one had «are we staying at your place in Valdaora?»

«I actually...» Flavia began to scramble on the abyss of panic.

«Yes, yes!» Alessia squeaked over her. «She said it's big and we can all fit!»

«Well, it's not a castle...» Flavia tried to contain the situation.

Giuseppe managed to catch his friend's discomfort and joined in with a gesture of cooperation. «Paolo and I have plenty of sleeping bags if we need them!»

«Great! So we can have a big party as you wanted!» Alessia cheered again, turning to Flavia.

«Cri and I can take someone in the car, if you want» Franco offered, sitting down next to Flavia and Cristina.

«Flavia and I have already agreed to take Flavio» Cristina retracted.

«And who's Flavio?» Franco asked.

«A dear friend of Flavia's» Cristina spelled out, between impatience and condescension.

Gianluca approached Flavia and whispered in her ear. «If you needed a guy to save face, you could have asked me...»

«I don't give a dead rat's ass about saving face!» Flavia hissed at him.

«Sure, that's why I've never seen you with a girl.»

«I'm fine as I am!» Flavia exhaled a sigh of despair. «Look at this mess! I didn't want Franco to ruin my trip with Cristina!»

«You need to stop fantasizing about your straight friends. When are you going to introduce us to a girlfriend?»

«Don't torture me now, this is a disaster!» she lamented in a whisper while Franco made plans for the trip.

«And this Flavio doesn't have a car?» Franco asked.

Flavia stared at him with eyes narrowed to slits that could intimidate a viper. Franco, however, was dealing with Cristina's scolding.

«He lives thanks to the scholarships he earns, he's not one of those who had the chance to learn how to drive with their father's car...»

«Oh... I see» Franco took the reproach and, satisfied with having highlighted someone else's difficulties, moved on to another topic.