“So what is Fofi actually doing to you, specifically?”

“I don’t know if it’s anything specific. It’s little things. The way he asks questions. He’s really demeaning. He always tells me not to let the espresso percolate too much and checks if I’m rinsing stuff before putting it in the washing machine. It’s hard to explain.”

And it’s at this moment, as you order two espressos from the waitress, that you understand what Fofi sees in this immature, mustached girl, this girl who won’t do what she’s supposed to while he tries to run the store and has no choice but to want to treat her badly. Because Ludovica looks like someone who was designed to be mistreated.

A middle-aged woman: “I’m looking for a book that’s like The Name of the Rose? Could you suggest something similar? It’s my favorite book!”

“Ma’am, if there were other books as good as The Name of the Rose, you’d know about them already, and their authors would be super famous and super popular.”