In Italy, friendships between straight persons of the opposite sex pass through three distinct phases: 1) they appear to be friends, 2) isht gets weird: sexual and emotional ambiguity on the part of one or both parties rains on their parade, 3) the skies clear and they go on being good friends. Years later they and their spouses look back and laugh at phase 2.
This may or may not have to do with the fact that, in Italy, no one is conveniently moving away anytime soon, and so you just have to figure it out.