“Want to try your hand, mate?” he asked looking at her watching him.
She shook her head quickly—looked like hard work to her.
Franco leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, got up, took the gloves from Mario and helped him hoist the second sail. Gini could see his arm muscles harden under his long-sleeved shirt each time he pulled down on the rope.
When they were farther into the bay, the wind popped at the sails. Mario pulled at the mainsheet to maneuver the large mast; once it was in place, he went to the ship’s wheel to operate the sailing vessel.
There was a soft, whirring sound as they glided over the water. It was so peaceful. A fine mist floated across their faces occasionally. Franco was right. It was like heaven. They ate while taking in all the beauty of the bay. They went out and around Alcatraz Island. The seagulls were flying all around. The tour went up to Sausalito and then toward the Golden Gate Bridge.
“Gini, just look at that bridge. Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”
The ride underneath was utterly amazing. She had heard of its beauty, and now she had witnessed it herself. They went a little past the bridge and then turned to go back.
“When we go under this time, lie down on the bench. The underside is an engineering marvel.” Franco was excited to show her the creation.
She lay faceup. He was on the deck next to her, watching her face and expressions. He loved his wife and was so happy to be with her again. When they went under, he leaned back on his elbows and looked up.
They made their way back to the marina as they ate a delicious creamy dessert.
Back in the room, they went into the bedroom. Franco put her suitcase on the luggage rack by the door. Gini undressed to take a shower. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her and started kissing her on the shoulder. She turned around, wanting to push him away, but she couldn’t. She loved him. They soon ended up in the bed making love.
Afterward, they took a shower. They both walked toward the bed with their hair wrapped in towels. She quickly got under the covers. He got in from the other side. His strong, naked body pulled close to hers. Draped around his neck was a shiny gold chain. She had noticed the new ink on his neck earlier at the restaurant, a Chinese red-and-black dragon that started behind his ear and went down his neck onto his chest. It was sexy the way it moved with his muscles, the tail partially hidden in his long wavy chest hair. When he reached for her again, she knew he knew every inch of her body, every sensitive spot that would take her deeper into oblivion. His hands searching and then finding her breasts, so sensitive, the touch that sent her over the hill—you know, the feeling of going up a hill, then suddenly down, that crazy swoopy feeling in your stomach. There was no denying she loved him, and she wanted him deep inside her. Her emotions started bubbling up again. She closed her eyes and let him take her.
An hour later, Franco got up. He gathered the two wet towels that had been tossed around on the bed in their fury. Gini was sound asleep. Her curls flowed freely in all directions around her head on the pillow, like a beautiful goddess. He had so missed his gorgeous wife, but now it was as if they had never been apart.
He went into the bathroom. His wavy locks were also messy and unmanageable. He stuck his head under the sink faucet and got his hair wet. Then he took a wide-toothed comb through the strands, combing them all to the back. He used his hands to pull it all tight to his scalp and wrapped a band around, holding the hair in a thin ponytail that reached off his head about halfway between the crown and his neck. After pulling to make it perfect, he braided it, grabbed the end, and wound the tail into a neat, small bun. He wiped his hands on the short whiskers all the way down on his neck.
Gini slept for about another hour. When she woke, she felt weak. “Franco,” she called out.
“Yes, babe.” He walked into the bedroom.
“Is there any juice in the room refrigerator? I need some sugar.”
He quickly went and found the juice and took it to her. It was worrisome to him she had this condition. He wished she had told him when she was diagnosed. He would have come home immediately.
“I have a reservation for seven-thirty at my favorite restaurant.”
She drank the juice and looked at the bedside clock. It was six-fifteen.
He could see she was feeling better soon after she started drinking. “Babe, I’m worried about you. You should have told me. Hypoglycemia could be serious. And your illness last week. I hope you’re taking care of yourself.” He was crouched by the side of the bed with his hand on top of her thigh.
“I’m fine. Dr. Nelson said I can control it with diet, and I have. Don’t worry. Nothing has changed in my life.” She was offended by his comment. “I’m still very busy. I’ve taken care of myself for a while now. And I can handle all of it just fine. The antibiotics cleared out the infection. I only have a couple more days of pills.”
He reached up and brushed her hair back. “That wasn’t fair of me. I know you can take care of yourself. You look healthy. And those clear blue eyes. I had forgotten how beautiful they are. I swear, sometimes I feel like they can see right through me.”
“Maybe they can. Have any secrets?”
“Nope, not a one. I’m pretty transparent.”
“Been with other women?” Why did I ask him that? Do I really want to know?
He laughed a gentle laugh. “No, I promised myself to you a long time ago. I don’t even look. Don’t want to look, don’t need to look.” She could hear his phone vibrating on the table in the other room.
She sat up and put her hands up to push the curls back. “Oh, brother, my hair feels like a crazy pile of leafy branches. I need to take another shower.”
He didn’t seem to hear his phone. “Leave them. Just pull the curls back. I love your curly hair.” He went to his knees and pulled up closer to her face. He leaned forward and kissed her.
“Once we move here, we’ll implant the embryos and get our family started.”
“Dr. Nelson said we need a surrogate. I’m not able to have children. Not now, not ever.” She was annoyed he mentioned moving there again.
The phone had stopped.
“Then we’ll get a surrogate.”
The vibrating sound started again. He gave her another quick kiss and got up to get his phone.
Gini went into the bathroom, looked at her hair in the mirror, and laughed at herself. She looked like a scarecrow. She popped back in the shower. When she got out, she started getting ready for dinner. She peeked out the door before she went to put on her makeup. He was busy typing into his phone with his thumbs; he didn’t see her. Just looking at him bare-chested in his underwear made her feel flushed, warmth running through her body. Their lovemaking had always been so special, leaving her with no doubt about how he felt about her. They should be together; they were husband and wife, and she now knew she still loved him, deeply loved him. She let out a breath and continued getting ready.
They walked the four blocks to the restaurant. He seemed to be deep in thought. They walked in silence; he held her hand. He took out his phone and looked at it, then put it back in his pocket. “You look beautiful, Gini.” He smiled. “Here we are.”
When they got inside, the maitre d’ greeted them. “Mr. Legotti, I have your favorite table ready.” He guided them to the table. Once again Gini’s suspicions were aroused.
They walked down several tiered steps to a lower part of the restaurant. The whole wall was windows looking out over the city and the bay. It almost took her breath away, it was such a magnificent view. They were led to a semicircular booth facing the windows.
“Nice, huh?” He put his arm around her.
“Beautiful!”
He looked at the label on the wine bottle the waiter handed him. “Yes, that’s it. Thank you for finding it for me.” The waiter put a small amount into his glass, and Franco approved. After pouring some for her, he handed them each a menu.
“You shoul
d try the fish special,” he suggested. “The fish is out of this world here.”
Franco looked at his vibrating phone several times during the ordering process.
“Are you sure this is your first time in San Francisco? Why do the maitre d’ and waiter know you so well?”
“This is the first place I came to eat, Mario’s recommendation. I’ve come here every night. The food is especially good, and they have such variety. I’ve had something different every time. I’ve been here a little less than a week. And no, this isn’t my first time here. Don’t you remember Ric and I came for a few days after high school graduation?”
Her body did an impulsive, small jump when he said Ric’s name. “Yeah, I guess I remember that. How could you afford to come here?” She squirmed a little.
“His aunt gave us some money and said go have fun. I think she must have been loaded.”
“Ric’s mom.”
“What?”
“Ric’s mom was loaded, and so was he from a trust fund his dad left him.”
“Who told you that?”
There was silence. What had she said? How would she explain herself?
“I recall him telling the story later in Boston.” She looked down.
“Guess that makes sense. I mean he did have that killer truck. He told me his dad’s company had delivered it to him. We both were clueless why they would give him a truck.”
Such innocent and carefree days those were. They sat without talking, and Franco’s thoughts went back to his school days.
He remembered the perky girl he couldn’t be without.
“I’m going to be the first woman president,” Gini announced in the hamburger joint the three of them always went to after school.
“Hahaha,” Franco laughed.
“Why are you laughing? You don’t think I’d make a good president?”
“Babe, do you know how much work it takes to run this country? You couldn’t do it.”
“Why not? I’ve studied politics. I’d make sure we govern by what the Constitution says. Equal rights for everyone. I’d take care of the underprivileged children, and the sick and disabled ones too. I’d be a good president.”
“Talking about the children, that’s Mama Elizabeth talking.”
“Franco, stop bullying her. She can probably be whatever she wants. She certainly has the brains.”
Gini was impressed that Ric stood up for her. He had just gotten the braces off his teeth. After his statement, he flashed a beautiful, white, straight-toothed smile.
“You think I’m a bully?” Franco looked at Ric and put his forearms on the table.
“Sometimes.” Ric grinned.
“You want to take me on? Come on, big boy, let’s get it going.”
Ric sat farther back in his chair. “I only come in peace.”
Gini threw her arms around Franco’s neck. “You’ll see. Someday I’ll be a famous person in politics.”
“Well, all I can say is you are going to need to grow up.” She gave him a big kiss as he said his last word.
Ric put up his fisted hands. Franco looked out of the corner of his eye and laughed, his mouth still in the pucker for the kiss. Ric laughed too.
“So did you stay in a big fancy hotel then?” Gini suddenly asked.
He turned to look at her. She had an almost angry look on her face.
“No, we stayed at a hostel. We had a ball, though, toured on a boat in the bay. Going under that bridge, such an amazing bridge. And those crazy seals. Boy, did they stink.”
“Seals, what seals?”
“Trust me, you wouldn’t like the smell. I can’t tell you how many times we rode that trolley. One day we ran the hills and then rode the trolley back and ran them again.” He sighed. “Oh, man, those were the days. Brothers. We’re brothers rather than friends. I miss him.”
There was quiet again.
“You said you ran into him. We’ll have to get together with them when I get home.” He smiled at the thought. “He’s the only real friend I’ve ever had, except you, of course.” He put his arm around her and squeezed. “But you’re much more than a friend. I wonder if he and Margarita have any kids.”
Gini opened her mouth to answer and then thought better of it. She couldn’t tip her hand. She couldn’t let him know how much she knew about Ric, that they were friends now—that might lead to questions that she couldn’t anticipate.
She should’ve gone back to Boston alone. She didn’t need either one of them. Tears were forming in her eyes.
“Hey!” Franco reached his hand over to her and put it on her leg. “What’s wrong? Listen, Gini, we are going to have kids someday. Don’t be sad. We’re going to have a family.”
She choked up but didn’t cry.
They had just finished their salads when his phone rang quietly in his pocket. He took it out. “I have to take this call.” He quickly got up, tossed his napkin on the seat, and swiftly climbed the elongated steps.
The waiter put their meals down on the table. After about ten minutes, Gini started to eat. Franco hadn’t returned. She kept huffing out her breaths. Although the fish was tasty, she just pushed it around her plate. Nothing had changed. Ever since they started their jobs, his priority was his work. Having hot sex did not a marriage make. She could feel the anger pushing pressure from her chest up into her face and head. She pulled a small bite of redfish with white wine and mushroom sauce to the middle of the plate and started to put it in her mouth, but stopped. She looked at her watch; it had been a good half hour. The waiter had long ago taken Franco’s plate so his entree could be fixed fresh when he returned to the table.
She slapped her napkin on the seat next to her, grabbed her purse, and slid out of the booth. She took about four steps and came face-to-face with Franco.
“Where are you going?”
“To the hotel.” She pushed past him.
“Wait!”
She was almost running up the steps.
“Everything okay, Mr. Legotti?” the waiter asked. “I’ll bring you a fresh plate.”
Franco took a few bills out of his wallet and handed them to the waiter. “I’ll settle up later.” He ran after her.
“Gini,” he called when he got outside to see her a few feet ahead of him. “Come on, Gini, please, wait for me.”
He caught up with her. “I had to take the call. It was very important.”
“More important than me? More important than our marriage?” She stopped and looked at him and then huffed off up the small slope.
“Of course not.” He kept up with her.
“Franco, our marriage is over. Actually, it never really started. You’re married to your work. I’m just a bed partner.”
“That’s not true. Gini, please, let me make it up to you.”
They walked into the hotel lobby. Neither spoke, not in the elevator either. When they got inside the room, his phone rang again. “I’ll have to call you back… I know… I’ll call you back.”
He put his phone in his pocket and grabbed her to keep her from going in the bedroom. “I love you. Oh my gosh, I love you so much. I can see I have done this all wrong. You have to give me a chance, babe. I thought we both were happy with our jobs. I had no idea you felt we had no marriage. Please, let’s work on this. I’ll work on it… I’ll fix it. Just give me a chance.” His phone continued to ring and indicate a message left as he talked to her.
She took her arm from his hand and turned toward the bedroom. “Make your call.” The door slammed slightly behind her.
He put both hands behind his head and slowly shook it back and forth, then released his hair from the bun and elastic band. It fell down around his ears. He flopped down on the couch, took his phone out of his pocket, and returned the call.
Gini quickly undressed and put on her gown then packed all her things in the bag and laid out her clothes for the next day. She was so upset; she was having a hard time breathing. She needed to settle down. So much had happened the la
st couple of weeks. She just needed to go home and get back into her old routine.
She climbed into bed, lying on one side and then the other. Her mind raced a hundred miles an hour. First, she thought about running to Ric; he’d make her feel better. He cared about her feelings, unlike Franco.
Then her thoughts went to Franco next to the bed, talking to her in his kind voice, concerned about her health, and soon her memory went to his hands roaming her body.
“AHHH!” she cried into her pillow.
She didn’t need any man. Her life was so much easier without one. No one to account for but herself. She rolled to her right side. How can I be in love with two men? How did that happen? We are all such good friends. Why couldn’t it be that way again? Friends, just friends.
The last time she had looked at the time, it was nearly two o’clock. Franco had been talking on the phone all those hours.
At three-thirty Franco laid his phone on the coffee table. He ruffled his hair with his fingers. Still wearing his suit—only his tie had been loosened—he took off the tie and jacket. Hopefully, things would settle down so that he could be with his wife, the love of his life.
While the two of them were on the sailboat, a contract worker on his project in China had fallen into one of the wells. The harness strap broke, plunging him twenty feet down. The team quickly got him out, his only injury a broken arm, but the worker was scared and angry. His older brother was a foreman on the job and had worked for Franco for several years. Franco hoped his foreman could settle his brother down and keep him from going to the Chinese government. If the government officials got involved, heavy fines could be charged, and Franco himself could be imprisoned. As long as they stayed on the good side of the government, everything was fine. But it wasn’t a fair and just regime like the United States. Franco had been so careful to follow all the rules. This was just an accident and, hopefully, it would only be considered that. They had offered the worker a generous compensation for his injury and pay for time off. He prayed that would be enough.
Green Stone Ring Page 24