"Nero it is," he says lightly, and falls into step with her -- making his way carefully through the crowds toward the café. He digs out his wallet as he nears the counter, orders himself a flat white and gestures for her to order whatever she likes. Grabbing a panettone he adds it to the tray last minute, taps his card to pay and helps arrange things carefully on a tray before trying to find a quiet corner -- tilting his head toward the stairwell before carrying the drinks up it and beginning to unpack them into a corner table. He cuts the sweet bread into pieces so she can grab a piece if she wants, gets rid of the tray and begins stirring his coffee as he settles.

"I don't want to put you at a disadvantage," he begins softly, "forgive -- I suppose I already have in some ways, so I should say more so</em. You can start, if you like, even the playing field. Since you said you wanted to get to know me."