Free Finding the Thing Within by Coris/ciro Sceusa Page B

high-fidelity, recently debased and rendered less important with the sale of supermarket hi-fi's. I, as a professional sound technician, would hate to see the loss of the aims of high-fidelity and am pleased that there are people like yourself who still value the quality of the sound of the music. Perhaps we could meet to discuss such things.”
    ***
    “Hello. Hey Lorenzo! What are you doing?”
    “Studying. I’ve got exams in a few days and I’m behind with the revision.”
“Do you want to go for a walk in the city center later on?”
“Why not!” They agreed on a place to meet at four o’clock, and as usual Lorenzo made him wait, this time twenty minutes. He didn’t get annoyed though, since there was nothing else to be late for, they were just going for a walk. When he did turn up, Rosario was disappointed. He wasn’t wearing his glasses and he looked worse than ever, his eyes were slightly crossed and his freshly shaven face didn’t look very masculine.
“Why aren’t you wearing your glasses?”
“You said you didn’t like them. I put my contacts in.”
“Yes I did say that, but now I’m not sure you don’t look better with them on after all.”
“I’ve got them with me, if you want I’ll put them on…” After putting them on, Rosario thought he looked much better.
“I sent an email to Tullio.”
“What about?” he asked, suddenly worried.
“Don’t worry. I just said that I’m a high-fidelity expert and who would like to meet him and talk.”
“And if he asks you who gave you the email address?”
“Oh right. What should I say?”
“What you can do is, when Tullio finished his paper he published it on the internet so you can say you came across it, found his email address and decided to contact him.”
“Good idea, if he asks, that’s what I’ll tell him. Shall we go?”
“Where are we going?”
“Near here there’s a shop where my friend works and I want you to meet her, what do you think?”
Lorenzo agreed, so they went.
Giorgia sold things for newborn babies and the shop was doing well enough to allow her to travel twice a year. She lived with Federico De Giorgi, a nice guy three years younger than her and so the same age as Rosario. They got on well and had many likes in common except dancing. Giorgia loved dancing and before she met Federico she used to go dancing every weekend to burn off the stress of selling baby clothes to mothers. Since they had been together, there had been much less of that and she would let him know that she wasn’t happy about it. She accepted, though, that in every couple there must be some sacrifice to move closer together. She sacrificed dancing. Federico, for his part, accepted that she smoked and she smoked a lot.
They reached the door of the shop and stopped. They could see Giorgia serving a customer inside. Then she saw them:
“Rosario! My darling!” and she threw her arms around his neck, not thinking for a second what those in the shop might think.
“Ciao Giò, this is Lorenzo.”
“Hi Lorenzo! Wait for me in here I’ll just be two seconds with this client,” and she went off.
“What do you think?”
“She seems a unique and attractive woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
They sat for a moment and then Giorgia came back.
“So you’re Lorenzo. Rosario has spoken to me about you.”
“Yes he spoke about you too.”
“Call me Giorgia. Any friend of a friend is a friend of mine.”
“Fine by me,” he said as he stroked Rosario’s arm, who was happier than ever.
“What do you do Lorenzo?”
“I’m studying engineering and I play basketball.”
“Oh so you’re sporty! That explains the body.”
“Thanks,” said Lorenzo timidly.
“What do you think?” Rosario asked Giorgia.
“Well, ok if you want me to be honest, you know I don’t mince my words,” and she turned to Lorenzo. “From what Rosario told me I expected you to be wilder, I’m not saying that you’re not, just I was thinking of someone more...‘Rough’. You look all