Where too much unnecessary is said
After dinner, the members of Leonardo's family left us, apologizing. The table was cleared and we sat inhaling the aroma of wax dripping from the candles. Leo moved even closer to me; I tried to argue in some way, but couldn't manage to drive him away. Besides, who was I to argue with him in his own house?
— Shall we play a different game? — Sarah cheerfully stood up and brought everyone a glass of champagne. Everyone except her was already too exhausted for this, as well as for arguing, so they all silently agreed with her idea.
— What game? — Ella asked with interest.
— "I have never," — replied Visconti.
— Usually, such things don’t end well, — said Dam. — I’m in!
We began chattering, interrupting each other: some liked the idea, while others were against it. I was among those who opposed it because usually, such games force people out of their comfort zones, and I had no desire to play that in the company of this unfamiliar blonde beside me. But in the end, we agreed that we had nothing else to do and started the game.
The essence of the game: one of the participants says something they have never done, and the others take a sip of their drink if they have done it.
— I think no one will mind if I start, — Elizabeth volunteered. — I’ve never… lied about my age, — she finished and, satisfied with herself, turned back to me. I realized that today I definitely wouldn't leave this house sober.
And here it begins; I immediately understood that Ella said this deliberately, as I have often lied about my age in my life. I take a sip from my glass of champagne. Leo and Mia follow my lead. Everyone is waiting for explanations. In this game, you should tell the truth, but no one is going to check.
— You’ve never lied about your age on public transport? — I ask almost worriedly, raising my left eyebrow. Of course, I've lied about my age not just there, but they don’t need to know about other occasions.
— Dell, it’s only in our US that twelve-year-olds pretend to be six to ride for free, — Elizabeth mocked me.
Everyone around chuckled. I blushed a little but said nothing.
— I don’t remember ever taking public transport, except for the metro, — Leo looked very calm.
My face, I’m sure, looked more sour than a lemon.
— Where else can you lie about your age? — I asked cheekily. But De Vil only grinned and replied:
— I lied about my age in all business meetings. Most of my partners at that time wouldn’t have taken me seriously as a competitor if they knew how old I really was. I remember when I was eighteen, I lied that I was twenty-two. I didn’t even shave to look older, — suddenly he seemed to dive into memories.
— I have a similar situation, — Mia assured, all eyes turned to her, — they took in big ballet performances from sixteen, and I was only fourteen then, but my level was much higher, I just didn't fit by age. At that time, I simply said that I would soon be sixteen, and no one objected.
In the room, everyone began to support Mia and ask more about her activities. In a moment, I realize that I have to continue, so I interrupt the chatter:
— I have never ridden on a ferris wheel, — that was the first thing that came to my mind. And then everyone drinks. I even feel a little embarrassed.
— Seriously, you've never ridden one, why not? — Nick seems shocked, which makes me blush even more.
— I’m afraid of heights, — I cursed myself, realizing that this rather unpleasant conversation shouldn’t have happened. — It started in childhood. My godfather loves extreme sports, and once he took me with him to jump off a pier into the river. I hesitated for a long time, but couldn’t go through with it, and then he helped. I was angry at him for a long time, — my parents tried to figure out what had happened to me, but I didn’t confess because I didn’t want to seem cowardly, and eventually, they resigned themselves.
— Now it’s clear why I thought you were a meanie, — De Vil scoffed.
— Hey, — I nudged Leo in the stomach with my elbow. He caught my hand:
— But now my impression of you has changed, — he smiled widely at me with his signature smile, and I didn’t waste time grabbing my elbow back, huffing at him and rolling my eyes. He was sweet yet annoying, and I didn’t quite understand how that could be, so I tried to pay as little attention to him as possible.
With each round, our topics became more and more open, and we gradually lost our sobriety.
— I have never sung in the shower, — Leo declared at some point. And once again, everyone drinks.
— Well, that has become a tradition for me, — Damiano emphasized, waving his arms. I wasn’t sure he could still form logical sentences, but he held up better than I did.
— Dude, seriously, not even to Sade? — Nicolas chimed in, shaking his shoulders to an imaginary rhythm.
— You could play classical music; I just can’t, — Leo waved him off.
— Pff, for us, it's become a habit. You can even dance to the beat, — Ellie clearly shouldn’t have said that.
Mia caught this and quickly moved on:
— I have never run away from my problems.
Silence fell in the room.
I finished what was probably already my eighth glass and then looked around. Leo had just set down his empty glass. I was even curious how someone like him could run away from problems. What could his problem be?
— My parents were against studying abroad, — I began, because I had to explain anyway. — We were very close, so the idea of living and studying in Milan worried them. They found decent universities for me in US, but I couldn't just say goodbye to my childhood dream. Milan is the city of fashion, of talented people. Unfortunately, I could never convince my parents, so I went against their will and desire. After that, my relationship with them was never the same. Since they didn’t support me at all, and I wasn’t exactly a very obedient daughter, we stopped communicating, as if we became strangers — I hardly ever spoke about this topic before: it was too personal; it hurt me to talk about it. Maybe I had really overdone it if I dared to share this…
— My parents also weren’t always happy with my choices, — Leo completely changed, raising his eyebrows and lowering his eyes, his voice sounding uncertain, even quiet. — When I turned twenty, my parents began insisting on marriage. My father wanted me to inherit all the property and companies, but on the condition that I would be married to a woman whose wealth and influence could strengthen our position in the market. I refused them time and again. My brothers' wives, though they come from wealthy backgrounds, chose them out of love, not for money or benefit. I was betrothed without my knowledge when I was sixteen. She didn’t mind; on the contrary, she pursued me, telling everyone that we were engaged. I got tired of being seen as a person without opinion, like it was still the 18th century. So, I ran away. Here, to the city of freedom. I started a company and never spoke to my father again. My mother still calls me sometimes. I love her and… — he didn’t finish. He didn’t need to; we all understood what he was trying to say.
For a second, I felt sorry for him. I remembered his superiority and self-confidence. The sympathy faded. I realized it was time to go home, so I stood up, handed Leo his jacket, thanked everyone for the evening spent together, wished everyone a good night, and left for home. No one stopped me. No one could have.