Adam's Rib by Antonio Manzini Page A

shoes?”
    â€œNo, we sell only clothing for men, strictly Made in England .” Again with the accent.
    â€œElementary, I daresay. Thank you very much.”
    And he exited the shop.

    CATERINA WAS OUTSIDE, CHECKING HER WATCH. “YOU were inside forever.”
    â€œI know,” Rocco replied, resuming the forced march. “But you know that I have the bad habit of mixing business with pleasure.”
    â€œWhich was the business and which was the pleasure?”
    â€œThe business was doing my job and buying a gift for Nora.”
    â€œAnd the pleasure?”
    â€œDoing it with you.”
    Caterina blushed but Rocco didn’t notice because he was half a yard behind her.
    HE KNOCKED ON NORA’S DOOR, THE GIFT-WRAPPED shoe box with the ribbon on it under his right arm and two bottles of Blanc de Morgex purchased from Ugo cradled in his left arm. The wine had cost practically nothing; the shoes had cost a month’s salary. Nora opened the door. Beaming. “My love . . .” She planted a kiss on his lips. She tasted of cigarettes and sugar. “You came to my party . . .”
    â€œYou do have a certain spirit of observation.” He immediately put the gift into her hands. “For you. Many happy returns of the day.” He’d finally rid himself of that burden.
    Nora’s large eyes gleamed. It was a nice big box, and sheturned it over and shook it, trying to guess what it contained. “What is it? A dust buster?” she asked, laughing.
    â€œNo, it’s a steam iron.”
    â€œToo light.”
    â€œCarbon alloy construction. Very high tech. Can I come in or are we having the party here on the landing?”
    Nora stood aside but gave Rocco another kiss; at last the deputy police chief was able to enter the apartment. While she eagerly unwrapped the present, Rocco set down the bottles and took off his overcoat. “You know what, Rocco? There’s another person here you know. I thought you’d be happy to see him here tonight.”
    â€œWho’s that?”
    â€œThe chief of police.”
    Rocco’s eyes opened wide. “You invited Corsi?”
    â€œYes. I sold him his daughter’s wedding gown. It just seemed . . . oh Madonna ! Jimmy Choo?” she cried with a little scream. She sat right down on the chair by the front door and opened the box.
    Caterina had selected an elegant pair of plum-colored shoes with five-inch heels, insisting that these were the epitome of sexy footwear. “Oh my God, they’re beautiful!”
    Nora wasted no time. She took off the shoes she was wearing and immediately tried on the new ones. She looked at them, admired them in the mirror, and walked back and forth. “My love, they’re wonderful.”
    They really did look good on her. They slimmed down her legs, showing off her narrow ankles. And now that he looked closer, even her ass looked better in those shoes.
    â€œHow do they fit?”
    â€œExcellent, my exact size. You want to know something? I made a bet with a girlfriend of mine. And I won. Come on into the other room; everyone’s already here.”
    And striding across the parquet floor in her new shoes, she led Rocco into the living room.
    She’d prepared an aperitif, a pre-dinner cocktail party. Two ice buckets with champagne, bottles of Aperol and tonic water standing nearby, finger sandwiches with caviar and smoked salmon, and a Spanish pata negra ham to be sliced on a side table. There was a little lounge music in the air, which would have gone just as well in an elevator or a first-class airport waiting room. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Rocco.”
    Rocco looked around at the other guests. He immediately counted them. Three men, four women. Police Chief Corsi wasn’t among them. He shook hands all around, forgetting each name the minute he heard it; as he did, Nora walked over, showing off her new shoes to Anna, a very nicely put-together woman