Renzo (The Ciprianos of Kellington)

by Bergman, Jamallah

  No, he wasn’t about to give up on this one.

  Looking at his watch, he only had two hours before the lamp would be delivered to his place. He had hoped that maybe she would be the one to bring it, and maybe they could actually talk. But for now, he had to go to the restaurant and make sure things would be fine before he headed back home.

  Unfortunately when he did get there, his brother Gianni was flirting with Linda at the podium up front. Renzo gave him a quick smack to the back of his head.

  “Vieni su, Renzo.”

  “I need your help in the back. Stop flirting with Linda, she’s taken.” This was the reason Jaslyn wanted nothing to do with him. When he got to his office, he plopped down in his chair with a heavy sigh. Never had he been so frustrated before in his life and over a woman of all things.

  “What is wrong with you? I know Linda is taken. I just like messing with her. You didn’t have to smack me upside the head.”

  Renzo muttered something under his breath while shaking his head at him. “Mom needs some things from the back. Here is the list. Just pick out what’s needed and take them to her.” Gianni snatched it from his hand.

  “What happened?”

  “I swear I don’t even know why I bother with women.”

  “You found a woman you’re interested in?” Gianni smiled leaning up against his desk. “What does she look like, is she hot?”

  “Oh no, dear brother, I don’t plan on letting this one out of the bag for you guys to be spying and trying to take hold of her. In any case, she’s not interested in any Cipriano brother whatsoever.”

  “Well damn, that’s a bummer. Listen, I just want to get a look at her. I know you want her. I’m not like the others. It’s been a long time since you’ve been interested in any woman. I’m happy for ya because you need someone in your life right now. So who is she?”

  “Her name is Jaslyn. She owns the antique shop where we got Mom’s statue from. God, Gianni, she’s a sight to be seen, absolutely gorgeous with nice shapely legs and hips and eyes like honey.” He remembered how beautiful her eyes were and he caught himself smiling a bit.

  “Brother, you are smitten. Now I really have to meet this girl, if she’s all that you say she is. And I can use something for my office at home. What’s the name of the place?”

  “Timeless Treasures but, brother, before you go, you must know that she’s a bit of a spitfire so beware.”

  Gianni took the list and laughed. “Brother, you know spitfires are my specialty.” With a wink he was gone, leaving Renzo to deal with the papers on his desk.

  * * * *

  Delia had made some tea and they decided since it was slow, they would sit and chat. She enjoyed times like this, when no one came into the shop and they could relax for a moment. Delia surprised her with some of her favorite cookies from the bakery down the street. She needed a bit of a break after what transpired earlier between her and Renzo. Dipping her cookie into the tea, she quickly took a bite before it melted into her cup, tasting the buttery flavor of the cookie mixed with the vanilla of the tea.

  “I swear I’ll have to do ten minutes on the treadmill after eating these cookies,” Delia said.

  Jaslyn snickered. “I could eat about a dozen or more of these God-forsaken things. They are too good. We are supposed to be having another shipment of three desks along with a beautiful antique rug and some paintings coming in next week. I can’t seem to keep stuff in ever since Mrs. Cipriano came in here. Most of her friends have called or come by ordering things from us. Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be good. What are your plans?”

  “I haven’t a clue. Thanksgiving is a month or so away. I’ll probably spend it with Andrew and his wife unless I have found other plans. What about you?”

  “Same here, but I’ll be spending Christmas alone this year. Mom is going to Henry’s. I don’t get along with his wife, so it’s best for me not to go.”

  “Oh my God, do you still hate on each other?” Delia snickered.

  Jaslyn rolled her eyes. “I love my brother and my two nieces, but that doesn’t mean I have to love his wife. She gave me so much grief while I was in recovery. I think she’s part of the reason why I wanted to hurry up and be able to walk straight.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because every time I would start walking, I would see her at the end of the bars and I would slowly but surely get to the end thinking about wringing her scrawny little neck.” Both ladies died laughing. Jaslyn took another sip of tea when she recovered. “The doctors were all amazed at how quickly I started walking again. If they only knew what my motivation was.”

  Delia snorted causing Jaslyn to cackle even more. They both couldn’t stop laughing even when the bell over the door rang. Jaslyn finally regained her composure and took note of the man wearing nothing more than a crisp, white, long sleeved shirt that was unbuttoned a bit in the front. His dark blue jeans fit him perfectly. He was the spitting image of Renzo with hair a bit longer and pulled back in a ponytail. When Jaslyn saw his smile, there was no denying, he was a Cipriano.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude on your conversation,” he said apologetically coming closer to them. “Or disturb your tea.”

  “Oh that’s alright, Gianni, what brings you here?” Delia said with a smile.

  He looked at her puzzled for a moment. She stood up in front of him. “It’s me, Delia, Andrew’s little sister.”

  “Oh my God, Delia. That can’t be you.” Giving her a hug and laugh, he looked back at her again. “I didn’t recognize you. How’s Andrew doing?”

  “Doing well, actually I’m doing really good. I’ll tell him I saw you when I talk with him. What brings you here?”

  “Well I need a desk for my office. The one I have now is starting to break along the sides. So I’m looking for something a bit different and nicer than what I already have. So that must mean you are Jaslyn.”

  “Yes, I am.” She smiled. “Did you need a big or small desk?”

  “A nice, big, mahogany desk, something nice and sturdy like my old one. I’m sorry I should have brought the measurements for the desk. I can visualize what I want if I saw what you have here. If it’s what I want, then I will buy it from you,” he said as they headed to the middle of the shop.

  “Did Renzo tell you to come and see me?” she asked.

  “No, not really, but he did tell me about your shop when I told him I needed a desk.”

  “I have two desks, but both are cherry. We are supposed to get a shipment in, but not for another two weeks. I can see if I can get you a mahogany desk from a good friend of mine in New York who also deals with antiques if you like?”

  “Yeah, I want mahogany. The one I have now is mahogany and I’ve had it for over fifteen years.” Going into his pocket, he pulled out a silver business card holder. Once he took one out, he handed it to her with a smile. “Please get in touch with me when you do, Ms. Jaslyn. It was nice meeting you and I love your shop. I can see you have some very unique pieces here.”

  “Thank you. I’ll give you a call when I find out about that desk.” She smiled.

  They walked to the front and he said goodbye to Delia then went out the door.

  “I didn’t know that you knew the Ciprianos personally.”

  “Yeah, Andrew is good friends with all of them. He would go over to their house and play or they would come over to our house. As they got older, they got more handsome and into a lot of trouble with girls. Hell, you only saw Renzo and Gianni. You haven’t even met the other two. I had the biggest crush on Simone growing up. My brother ended up telling him I had a crush and he thought it was the sweetest thing. He took me out on my very first date and even took me to homecoming. But things happened between us and we moved on with our lives, but still remained friends plus I’m too into Rodger and things have been going pretty good,” Delia said with a wink.

  Jaslyn smiled. “Well, I better get started on looking for his desk and you need to pack tha
t lamp for Renzo.”

  * * * *

  Renzo was talking with one of the waiters when Gianni walked in. He was wondering what he had thought about Jaslyn. Once he was through with the waiter, Renzo pulled his brother toward his office in the back and closed the door. “Well, what did you think of her?”

  Gianni laughed while he grabbed his brother and vigorously shook him. “Yeah, my brother you are going to have a time with her for sure, she’s a beauty but very smart. She kind of figured I was there to check her out for you even though I told her I needed a desk. But she didn’t pull any punches with me, she was very direct and to the point with me at all times. But all in all brother, I think she’s a perfect match for you.”

  Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Renzo patted his brother’s shoulder. “Thanks, now I just have to figure out what I need to do. I tried to get her to go out to dinner with me…she turned me down big time. Told me she’d heard about our escapades. Now she doesn’t want a thing to do with me because she thinks she’ll be another notch on my belt of women.”

  Gianni gave a deep sigh and patted his back. “The words of gossiping hens are always the downfall of men. Go back after she has cooled down. Ask her out again in about a week. I’ll see you at Mom’s.” Gianni left him alone again.

  “I’ll give her one week,” he said to himself as he left the office, closing the door behind him. Just one week and maybe then she would listen to him. Maybe she would deliver the lamp he bought from her today. He could only hope so, he thought while walking through the dining room of the restaurant, saying goodbye to Linda as he headed out the door. He made his way toward his car in the parking lot and headed home. He couldn’t get Jaslyn and her beautiful smile off his mind.

  When he got home, Renzo took a shower to freshen up. He wanted to look his best when she came to bring him the lamp. After going through his closet, he finally decided upon a navy blue polo shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. As he was combing out his hair, he heard the doorbell ring and his heart jumped in his chest. Making his way down the steps, he took a deep breath before he opened the door. His heart sank when he saw Delia. “Hi, Delia, let me get that for you.” Grabbing the box from her arms, he said once more, “Thanks for bringing me the lamp.”

  “You’re welcome. I hope it looks nice in your office.” She smiled.

  He returned a halfhearted one. “It will make a lovely addition.”

  “Can I talk with you for a moment?” she asked.

  He motioned her toward the dining room table, where he put down the box. Pulling out the chair for her, she sat down while he grabbed a chair himself and sat across from her. “I know that you and Jaslyn had words before I came into the shop. She told me that you tried to ask her out and she turned you down.”

  “Told me she heard about the rumors. I tried to tell her what she heard and who I really am are two different things. She didn’t want to hear it. I hate that she believes all that.”

  “Let me tell you something about Jaslyn that might help you understand why she is the way she is. Before I got her to move here, she was in a relationship with a very abusive man. He made her life a living hell to the point that he broke her down—literally. He ended up beating her so badly, she was in the hospital for a month in a body cast. Therapy lasted even longer. The guy who beat the shit out of her however ended up dead. She asked her brother not to do anything to him, but one of his friends who thought of her as a sister decided to do the job. She was wracked with guilt. After she got herself back together, I suggested coming here and making a new start. She agreed and brought her antiques with her since she had a shop before. Of course, being the new girl in town, a lot of guys tried dating her. She went out on dates, but none were what she wanted. She’s never been able to have a long term relationship with a man, Ren, so don’t think it’s you. I think you two would make a great couple. It’s just that she’s so damn stubborn at times and the rumors are no help. You have to prove to her that you are not what the rumors say you are.”

  Renzo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Now he knew why she acted the way she did. The poor girl, he thought, she had been hurt so badly. No wonder she didn’t want to be with someone like him. “Damn, I didn’t know this happened to her.”

  “No one in this town knows of this, only you and I. I told her that she should call you tomorrow and ask you to lunch at the shop. If you get her in her comfort zone then I think you will be all right. That way you both can talk in a place where she is more comfortable. I just want to see her happy and I know you will make her very happy.”

  Taking her by the hand he smiled and said, “I do want her to be happy and I plan on doing so. Let me ask you this, what is her favorite meal from the restaurant?”

  “I think it’s the rigatoni with marinara sauce. She’s in love with the sauce. I know the last time we were there she nearly cleaned the plate with the bread.”

  Renzo smiled. “I’ll wait for her to call me and if she asks me to lunch, I’ll bring the food over to the shop. I just want her to feel that she can at least trust me. Delia, I’m starting to like her and I would love to know more about her. I’ll just have to prove to her that I am not what she thinks.”

  After his talk with Delia, Renzo headed over to his mother’s with a sense of relief from the realization of where Jaslyn was coming from. Now he knew he had to have Jaslyn as his own. She needed to be loved and he had plenty of love to give. He just couldn’t believe she had been through so much, yet came out strong. When he finally pulled into his mother’s driveway, he could see his brothers’ cars already there. Even though they would call or text often, they only saw one another from time to time when they weren’t so busy with their jobs, and there still was nothing better than coming to their mom’s for a home cooked Sunday meal.

  When he walked inside he was greeted by his brother Simone. “Hey, brother.” He gave his brother a hearty hug and smile. His mother was shouting in Italian at Gianni and Federico to get the plates from the kitchen. “Is that Renzo at the door?” his mother asked.

  “Yes, Mom, it’s me!” They made their way outside onto the patio. His other two brothers helped her carry big platters of food. When he went to take the one platter from her hand he heard her say, “Oh, now all of my handsome men are home with me.”

  The men sat down to a feast like no other. Their mother had made their favorite meal. When he saw the Pasta alla Norma, a delicious dish made with tomatoes, fried eggplant, grated ricotta salata cheese and basil topped on rigatoni pasta, his mouth watered. No one could make this dish better than his mother. He knew by the time he left later he would be too full to move. As dinner progressed Simone asked Renzo, “So, Ren, how’s the restaurant business been going?”

  “It’s been going great. Both places have been doing pretty good lately. How’s the law office been?”

  “Well your brother, the lawyer, was single handedly able to get a client off. It was mainly an issue of mistaken identity.” He put another forkful of pasta into his mouth grabbing a hunk of bread to sop up the sauce.

  “That’s great news, bro. I know your client was happy about you for sure. Hell, if I had you as my lawyer, I’d be real happy. What about you, Federico?”

  “I have two clients who I am working with right now…really beautiful plans for restoration of their backyards. One wants a grotto with a pool, something resembling the Playboy mansion pool. Cost, obviously isn’t a problem so got to get working on that,” Federico told his brothers with a chuckle as he took a sip of red wine.

  “It seems like everybody is doing well. What about your love lives?” asked Filomena. The whole table grew silent and she laughed. “I know I don’t ask for much, but I want my boys to be happy. I would like to have some grandchildren running around here before I get too old to remember them being around.” She heard a couple of coughs and murmurs along with glasses being drank, which only made her smile even more while eating Tunnacchiu 'Nfurnatu, baked tuna.

  Dinner went on
without a hitch as talk quickly went to other things besides the love life of the Cipriano men. After they had helped with putting food away as well as clean up, Filomena told her boys, “Come, boys, I want you to see the statue. Renzo, you didn’t get the chance to see where I decided to put it.” They all walked toward her flower garden, something that Federico designed and planted for her years ago. She kept up with some of the upkeep of the garden, but had help as well. She had put the statue in the center of her flower garden, where the paths met. It looked beautiful indeed as her sons marveled at it while they walked around it.

  “So, Mom, this is the statue?” asked Gianni.

  “Yes, it is. I can’t believe I was able to find it at long last. I know your father would have been so proud I found it. It still looks just as good as it did when I last saw it.”

  “Where did you find it?” asked Simone.

  “At Timeless Treasures, it’s an antique store that Renzo and I found in town. I’ve been giving the young lady plenty of business. I told everybody I knew about her and her lovely pieces.”

  “A young lady? What’s her name?” asked Federico.

  Renzo knew as soon as his brother hears about a woman, he would seek and find her and make her his own. This was something he could not let happen. It would only make matters worse and fuel the fire she built from all the gossip.

  “Her name is none of your business,” he said in a stern manner. Everyone got quiet, for none of them had ever heard him speak out like he did just now.

  “Well, it looks like Renzo is interested in someone. So that means hands off,” Simone said with a chuckle.

  “You better believe it, brother, and that goes double for you, Federico.” Both Simone and Federico pretended to be scared, but it was Gianni who stood up for his brother.

  “Stop that you, guys. She’s a very lovely girl. I got to meet her today.”

  “The verdict?” asked Simone

  “Now, boys, I will not have you bickering over this girl. If Renzo has his eyes on her then the rest of you stay away. I’m happy for you, son, she’s a very lovely girl. Have you asked her out yet?”