Broken Hearts On Boulevard Unirii novel Chapter 51

"I also think about you a lot, but it's still not a sign of love," she answered.

"I don't know if it's love, but you are on my mind all the time. I want your friendship, there is really nothing else that you can give me. Dorina, if I was looking for a sexual relationship, why would I try to have it with you? You know better than I that you aren't capable of enjoying the sexual pleasure of a man and a woman in love," I said.

"I really don't know what I am doing here with you," she replied. "Perhaps it is better that I leave right now."

"I'm not asking for anything and will not attempt to kiss or hug you. I just have one question to ask you, and please answer me honestly," I said.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Are you attracted sexually to women?" I asked.

"If you are asking me if I'm a lesbian, the answer is no. I'm not a lesbian. But men don't appeal to me sexually either," she answered.

We both fell asleep while holding hands. The next morning Dorina was no longer in the apartment. I realized now that the noise I had heard in the middle of the night was actually the door closing when she left.

I went downstairs and walked along the shopping street, just as the cafés were opening. I entered one of them and ordered a cup of coffee. I had tasted better, but didn't dare offend the locals.

I had arranged to meet the group at two o'clock in the afternoon at Café Bonjour in the Bucharest mall, which had opened about two years ago. Since the mall was within walking distance of my apartment, I decided to go by foot.

I walked along the main roads. At the corner of Strada Calea Vitan, I stopped to wait for the traffic light to change. Next to me stood a man who was looking right and left as if looking for something or somebody. When he noticed me standing next to him, he asked, "Are you a tourist?"

"Well, I am a foreigner, but I stay in Bucharest," I answered.

"Where are you from?" he questioned me.

"From Italy," I answered.

"What are you doing in Bucharest?" he asked.

"I work in real estate," I replied.

At that moment, a car pulled up alongside us. Two unshaven, muscular men, wearing sunglasses and dressed in civilian clothes jumped out of the car and handcuffed the man who was talking to me.

The one who looked like the boss, turned to me, and asked, "Did this man give you anything?"

"He didn't give me anything," was my answer.

"Did he offer anything to you," he continued asking.

"Even here in Romania, one is not safe," I thought to myself.

As it was already late, I decided to take a taxi to the mall. No taxi wanted to take me, since it was such a short trip. After promising a driver a large tip, one finally took me.

When I arrived at Café Bonjour, everybody was already sitting at a corner table and having a drink. When I told Angelo what had happened to me, he said, "These things do happen here. However, pickpockets are even more prevalent. You have to be careful, but there is no danger that they will attack you."

"Who guarantees that?" I asked. "We have to be extremely careful."

"What do we do now?"Elia asked. "Perhaps we should go to someplace nice and continue our interrupted vacation," he suggested.

Silvia sat next to him, hugging him. She didn't let go of his arm for even a second.

''How is your sister Mirella?"I asked Silvia.

"She's all right. Thanks for asking," she answered.

"She's a great girl. Too bad things between us didn't work out," I commented.