Chapter 1

Nile was a student from Germany, traveling to Italy during his summer vacations. That’s all. He didn’t say too much about himself and Jane didn’t ask. That didn’t mean she’s not curious about him, however, Jane never masters the technique enquiring other. So, to avoid sounding like a police woman, she chose not to ask.

They stood by the side of the ice cream shop, eating, talking and smiling. Only after she finished her ice cream, Jane noticed Nile was seriously good-looking. Eventually God sent her somebody nice to look at to make up all the visual torture she had to surfer for so many years. It’s not like there’s no good-looking guy in computing field, it’s that people really don’t care about anything other than 1 0 binaries, including appearance. Jane had this research fellow, who only wore free Microsoft T-shirts, with consistently two huge yellow sweat stains around the armpits. The standard uniform in her research lab is shorts, thick socks, sandals, and whatever T-shirts one can get for free. People never bother to shave or get a haircut; everyone has a big saggy belly and some freakish little thing, like squeezing left eye every 3 second. Jane is the only girl in this group, or the only girl who actually looks like a girl.

“Thanks for the ice cream”, said Jane, “it’s very good.”
“You are very welcome.”

Then Nile stopped talking. His eyes were so wide and pure, like the ocean, or the cat Jane used to have when she’s a little girl. His nose is so straight and tall, like David’s. He has this dark brown thick curly hair, which makes him look like one of those sailor dolls. Realized it’s probably rude to stare at someone like that, Jane started to feel her face was burning…She must’ve turned red! Jane then paniced, maybe she’d got some ice cream on her nose or something, so she wiped her face quite hardly, but there’s nothing.

“A walk?” finally Nile said something.
“Sure.”

So both of them joined the tourist herd. Nile was so tall, all the Japanese tourists, and Jane only barely reached his shoulder.

Jane was quite confused. She wasn’t sure why Nile was like that. There’s a slim chance that he had fallen love with her at the first sight and would like to follow her around the world until she said yes, and then they would live happily ever after. However, Jane was brought up with strict logic reasoning rather than fairy tales, so this idea didn’t even bother to flash in her mind. Then what else? Why would this guy offer her an ice cream on the street and now be walking with her? She decided not to care. After all, it can’t hurt anyone to have a bit unusual in a trip.

Now they were in front of Trevi Fountain. Besides them, there were also another 3 million people packed in this tiny street junction. All Jane could see was millions of people’s heads and the head of Neptune.

“pfffftttt…” Jane sighed in her female computing scientist way.
“Let’s come back later. I bet nobody would be here at 3am”, said Nile.
“Really? 3am?”
“Yea, why not, that’ll help you with jet lag.”

Alright, that’s it. Jane couldn’t stand it any more. She has to find out.

“So what is it?” Failed to find a perfect way to start, she only managed to mumble out those four words.
“What what is it?” Nile’s eyes were so innocent.
“The ice cream, the walk and now the fountain at 3am, everything.”

Nile smiled a little, such a warm smile. Jane suddenly felt stupid. Why did she have to ask! Why couldn’t she just take whatever romance might happen?!

“Your laziness and aimlessness caught me. You didn’t look like a tourist but clearly you are one. You seemed a bit lost and I figured a bit ice cream might cheer you up. Since you enjoyed the ice cream, I also guessed maybe you would mind my company either. I’m traveling on my own and it is not as cool as it looked. That’s it.”

The second after Nile finished his words, Jane decided to believe him.

“Oh…alright then.” Jane stopped for a second.

Then both of them burst into laughs. Instantly, they’d felt like old friends for ever.