Bruce leaves his girlfriend behind in Paris for an arts fellowship that will allow him to live and work in Rome. Staying at a villa that once belonged to the Medici and being allowed to write full time seems like a dream until he meets Matteo, a native of Rome who works at the villa. Daily exposure to renaissance art and ancient Roman statuary and the looks of desire that he thinks he recognizes in Matteo's eyes leads Bruce to question his own sexual orientation. Why does Matteo seem to enjoy falling asleep in Bruce's bed so often? And why is Matteo so attentive one minute and so distant the next? If Matteo is interested, why does he also seem so interested in Irene, the American girl? And if Bruce is straight why does he care so much?