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That night, Ryan slept at Diana’s, but Diana couldn’t sleep. She remained wide awake, staring through the darkness, listening to Ryan’s soothing breath. She wondered how many more nights she and Ryan would sleep next to one another like this. Twenty? One hundred? When would he realize she wasn’t good enough for him?
After Ryan left the following morning, she walked to the nearest internet café to check her email. Here, she read a message from the internship coordinator, apologizing for the “horrible situation with Arturo” and asking Diana if she was all right.
“We never imagined in our wildest dreams that Arturo was involved in something so sinister,” the coordinator said. “We never would have put you in harm’s way on purpose.”
It hadn’t occurred to Diana to be angry with the coordinators. She wrote back that she was all right and would figure out what to do next.
Beneath that email was another from an NYC news broadcast. They wanted to interview Diana about the restaurant’s supposed connection to the Mafia. Had she seen anything of note? What could she tell them about Arturo? They wanted her to give them a call. They promised to make it worth her while. That meant money. And if Diana needed one thing right now, at the age of twenty-three and fresh out of culinary school, it was cash.
Diana’s thoughts raced. That night, after Ryan got off work, she told him about the email, and he looked surprised and excited.
“You should do it,” Ryan urged. “There’s no such thing as bad press. And maybe you can help Arturo somehow, you know? You could tell them what a great guy he is.”
Even now, it sounded naive to Diana. But she had to admit, she was curious, too. She and Ryan went to a pay phone right away and called the broadcaster, who set them up with a local correspondent in Rome. The correspondent asked them to come by tomorrow afternoon. Ryan decided to call in sick from work to join her. “They can slice their own tomatoes for once,” he joked.
Diana and Ryan dressed up the following morning in their very best clothing—Diana in a black designer dress she’d gotten secondhand at a market in Trastevere and Ryan in a pair of jeans, a suit jacket, and a button-down. They walked through the humid streets hand in hand, too nervous to speak. On their way, they grabbed espresso, standing in front of the barista as they slung it back. When Diana’s stomach began to eat itself from lack of food and too much caffeine, Ryan bought them two croissants filled with cream and chocolate Slowly, Diana returned to the real world again.
The news correspondent was a Boston-born forty-something with salt and pepper hair and a thoughtful, clever smile. He shook Diana’s and Ryan’s hands, sizing them up, then said, “I have to get a train in two hours, so we need to make this quick. Can I get you to sign these contracts?”
“I didn’t actually work in Arturo’s kitchen,” Ryan said.
“But I’d really prefer him to go on air with me,” Diana said in a small voice. “I’m crazy nervous. I’d like the support.”
“You look great together,” the correspondent said. “Follow me.”
Diana and Ryan were led to a green screen, where they stood nervously as the correspondent messed around with a video camera on a tripod.
“I used to have a cameraman who came with me everywhere,” he said, “but he got fired a few months ago. We haven’t found anyone to replace him. That’s fine by me, to be honest with you. We never got along.”
The correspondent pressed play and hurried back to the green screen with a microphone in hand.
“I’m here in Rome with two employees of Arturo Bellini,” he began, “They’re Americans who worked as interns in Bellini’s iconic Roman restaurant. Ryan and Diana, how are you handling this dramatic change?”
Diana sputtered softly as Ryan took the lead.
“It’s been quite a shock,” Ryan explained, offering a smile of incredulity to the camera. “Diana and I came abroad to work under the iconic capital's most excellent chefs. We never imagined we’d get wrapped up in something like this.”
Diana’s breathing calmed. It was no surprise that Ryan was a natural in front of the camera. As the interview continued, Ryan took over most of the questions, easily weaving the stories Diana had told him about Arturo into his narrative. Sometimes, Ryan would gesture to Diana, who would add a specific detail to the story, something to make it sparkle.
Diana felt the correspondent’s joy at the course of the interview. They were doing well.
When it was over, the correspondent turned off the television and clapped. “That was fantastic, you guys. Wow. Really spectacular work. Have you ever been in front of the camera before?” He looked directly at Ryan.
“I did some theater work,” Ryan said.
Diana smiled softly. She hadn’t known that.
“You’ve really added something to this story,” the correspondent said. He searched his wallet and removed two business cards, which he passed to Ryan and Diana. “Do you have cards?”
Diana laughed, then forced herself to stop when the correspondent gave her a funny look. People carried business cards, she reminded herself. If she had been more serious about her career, she might have already made some up.
To add insult to injury, Ryan pulled his business card from his back pocket and passed it over. Diana watched in awe. She hadn’t known he was so prepared for the rest of his life.
“This’ll be on today’s six o’clock news, Eastern Standard Time,” the correspondent said. “Call your parents and have them record it so you can watch it when you’re back home. And maybe we’ll be in touch for an additional interview? Who knows how this case will go.”
“You mean, you think Arturo will turn up?” Diana asked hopefully.
The correspondent stifled a laugh. “If your old boss is really in hiding, he isn’t coming out. Not for a long time.”
