Chapter 74
Next we went to a men’s shop. It was a strange little place, down a back alleyway and far from the glitzy shops of the Piazza della Signoria. A black awning hung over the entrance, and a brass plaque next to the door displayed the shop’s name: Guillardo’s.
When we went inside, the room smelled amazing – at least to me.
In design school, I spent my days around bolts of cloth. Before it’s first washed, the finest quality material has distinct scents: the slight tang of wool… the earthy smell of linen… the clean crispness of cotton.
The air in this shop was layered with beautiful smells, like a fresco painted on a breeze.
A short, older man with thinning hair and a bushy black mustache bowed slightly as soon as we entered.
“Signore,” he said, using the older term ‘master’ or ‘lord’ instead of Signor, which was ‘mister.’ Then he bowed to me. “Signorina.”
“Guillardo,” Adriano said. It was apparent they knew each other.
“What will you be needing?”
“A tuxedo.”
I looked at Adriano.
“What?” he said. “I can’t let you be the only one who’s well-dressed.”
“Your previous one displeases you?” the short man asked with a frown.
“Not at all. But I need a lot more… cloth in this one.”
“I see. Of the best material.”
“The absolute best.”
The conversation was weird –
Why would you need more cloth in your tuxedo?
But I forgot about it as they continued talking.
“The only thing is, I need it for this evening,” Adriano said.
“That will be triple the cost.”
“No problem.”
“I have your measurements on file. Nothing has changed?” he asked, patting his own little belly as though to ask, Have you gained any weight?
Having seen Adriano’s washboard abs, I could attest there wasn’t an ounce of extra fat around his middle at all.
“No,” Adriano replied.
“Then I’ll start right away.”
“Good. See you at 6 PM.”
“Ciao, Signore.” The tailor bowed again to me. “Signorina.”
We walked out of the shop into the alleyway.
A few minutes later, I had forgotten all about their conversation.
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