When the boat parade ended, my amore mio escorted me back for part of the trip to Giulianna’s. When I noticed we were close, I thought it was time to ask for my reward.

“So, amore mio,” I emphasized that last word, “I think I fulfilled my part of the deal. I have been calling you amore mio all night, so know you have to tell me what it means.”

“That’s right, querida”, he said, emphasizing the last word too. I could feel the laugh in his voice. “I guess you deserve it. Let’s start with mine: querida is a Spanish word. It means darling.”

So he have been calling me darling all this time? That was kind of cute.

“Wait, then last night, with the man that was chasing me…”

“Yes, I was talking in spanish with him.”

That explained why the language sounded different.

“And amore mio?”

“Well, Spanish is quite similar to Italian, you know? The same Latin roots. So I can understand the main idea of some Italian phrases, and even translate some words. And amore mio sounds quite similar to amor mío, a Spanish phrase that means… my love.”

I felt my entire face going red. So I have been declaring my love all the night to this man, and didn’t even knew it?

“I-I… H-how could you let me call you that all night without telling me!” I shouted him, and started punching him in the shoulder. “And I even shouted that in the restaurant!”

And he just stood there, laughing.

“I am sorry. But it was you who came with the nickname, doesn’t it?” he said, still laughing.

“Still!” I answered, ashamed and angry.

He took my hands and stopped my punches, and kindly hold them.

“Then let me make it up to you.” He said sweetly, and I felt my heart beating faster. He was so close, and I wanted so much to take his mask off and kissed him.

Maybe he wanted the same.

“How?” I said, lowering my voice.

“Come with me tomorrow.”

Oh, so he didn’t wanted to kiss me.

For a second, I felt disappointed, but then recalled his words. Did he still wanted to see me?

“Where?”

“Have you heard of La galleria delle meraviglie, the gallery of wonders?”