“Everything okay?”
“I…” She leaned down, got her purse, took out some money, and handed it to Michael. “I have to go. Yes, I need to leave.”
He got up and followed her. “Gini, what’s wrong?”
She forced a smile. “Nothing, really. Nothing. Enjoy your dinner. I’m sorry, I just have to go.”
The next morning, Jimmy helped Ric put his bags in the back of the car at the airport. His trip to the Bahamas had been long and busy. He was ready to be with Gini, just the two of them. The last he had talked to her was just before she went to dinner with Michael and Brenda. She wasn’t sure when she was going to DC. Hopefully, they could have one day together. He had left several messages but hadn’t heard back from her. He asked Jimmy to please take him to his house.
Michael arrived at Gini’s building. He was concerned and wanted to make sure she was all right.
Howard called up to the condo and then led him to the elevator.
“Have a nice day, Mr. Fredrick.”
Michael was shocked when Franco opened the door after he knocked.
“Michael Fredrick, as you live and breathe.” They fist-bumped.
“I didn’t know you were in town.” Michael looked around. “Is Gini here?”
“I came in last night to surprise her, and take her to our place in New York City. She told me she was on her way home, but never showed. I didn’t think to ask her where she was. I’m a bit worried about her.”
“She was with me last night. You must have been the call she received. She left abruptly.”
Franco put his hand on his mouth. “Do you think we need to call the police? She isn’t answering any of my messages.”
“Mine either. Let me see if I can’t find her. Give me your phone number.” Michael knew she was with Ric.
“Why are you here? And what was Gini doing with you last night?”
Michael didn’t want Franco to get the wrong impression and had to think quickly to come up with something. “Ah, we had a meeting this morning for my new job, same as last night. I’ll find her.”
“Let me know when you do.”
Franco knew the visit in San Francisco hadn’t turned out well, but was Gini so angry with him she didn’t want to see him? After all this time, didn’t she want to be with her husband?
When he went back into the living room, the cloisonné box on the fireplace caught his eye. He wondered where she had gotten it; he didn’t remember giving it to her. He opened it and saw the ring, took it out, and put it on his little finger, just fitting to his first knuckle. He smiled, remembering the story about the ring.
As Ric settled in the backseat, he got a call from Michael.
“Ric, do you know where Gini is?”
“No, haven’t talked to her today. Why?”
“I was just trying to get hold of her. I’ll keep trying.”
Michael hoped Ric knew not to go to Gini’s. Should he tell him? No, that was none of his business.
Ric could see Gini sitting on his porch steps when they turned down his street.
“Just put my stuff on the sidewalk.” He ran up to her. “Gins, what are you doing here?”
She looked up at him with dull eyes.
“Have you eaten?”
She slowly shook her head. He reached down to pick her up; she pushed his hands away.
“Okay,” he said half exasperated and half concerned. “Please, stand up so we can go inside.”
As they went in, Jimmy followed, putting Ric’s things just inside the door.
Ric quickly handed her a glass of apple juice, took off her coat, and started fixing her breakfast.
“Michael called and was looking for you.”
“Franco.” She looked at him; her face seemed almost lifeless.
“No, sweets, it was Michael. How long have you been sitting outside, and why? You have a key.”
“Franco’s at the condo. I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to see him.”
“Gini, you didn’t go home last night?”
“No, I don’t want to be with him.” She was vague, like a zombie.
“Okay.” He sat her on the stool by the kitchen counter. “Let’s get some food in you so I can make some sense of all of this.”
“He can’t just let himself into my place without asking.”
“Gini, that’s his home too.”
“I pay for it; I live there.”
“Sweets, here, eat. We’ll talk when you feel better.”
“I don’t want to be with him.” She looked Ric in the eyes. The food and juice were working; her shakes were almost gone.
“Tell him I was with Michael. No, I was with Catherine.”
He rubbed up and down her back.
“He can’t know about us. Tell him I’m not here, I’m in DC.”
Her phone rang in her pocket. He pulled it out, the caller ID, Franco.
“It’s him.”
“I don’t want to talk to him.”
“Gini, he has to know you’re okay. I’ll tell him.”
She grabbed the phone. “No!” She looked down. “I’ll talk to him. Hello.”
“Thank God, babe, are you okay? Where are you? I’ve been worried.”
“I’m coming home.”
“For sure this time?”
“Yes, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
As they were talking, Ric got a call from Michael. “Ric, I don’t know where she is. I’m going to call the police. She could have been in an accident.”
“She’s here with me. She’s okay.”
“Oh, good, that’s so good to hear.”
“I’m just back from a business trip. She was at my house when I arrived.”
“Franco’s home and looking for her.”
“I know. She’s talking to him now. I think she’s going through some rough times.”
“I’m glad she’s okay.”
Michael almost felt sorry for Ric. Franco was a nice enough guy, but Michael wouldn’t like to see him angry. He could tell Franco still had some street in him.
Ric was glad he had decided to go to his place from the airport. It would have been more than awkward if he had let himself into her place with all his bags.
She put on her coat. “I have to tell him.”
He grabbed his and followed her. “I’ll go with you.”
“No, you will not. I don’t need you, and I don’t need him. He needs to understand that.”
“I’m not letting you walk in this cold. I’m going with you, and that’s that.”
“No, Ric! This is between him and me. He’ll see you drop me off if you take me.”
“I’ll let you out a couple of blocks away.”
Neither spoke while they drove. He pulled the car over to the curb, reached over, and wrapped his hand around her head and kissed her. They pressed their foreheads together.
“Gini, I love you more than anyone or anything I have ever loved.” When he started to shake, he let go and sat back. “Please, let me know you’re okay. No more staying out all night.” He couldn’t look at her.
“I’ll text.” She opened the door. “I stayed at the bed-and-breakfast down from the State House last night.”
She got out, and he sat and watched her walk around the corner out of sight, her stride resolute, her dark curls vivid against her pale jacket. He hoped to God she wasn’t walking out of his life.
“Ms. Anderson,” Howard greeted her when she walked in the door. “Mr. Legotti—”
“I know, Franco’s here.” She walked, looking straight ahead, not at Howard.
She stormed in the door and set her bag on the breakfast bar. “You should have let me know you were coming.”
“Gini,” he said with a soft tone. “We need to get through this. We need to sit down and have a good talk.”
His suitcase was sitting by the door, his coat rested on top, and his business bag leaned next to it. She walked past into the living room and sat down.
&
nbsp; “How can you be out of my life for weeks, and then suddenly you write or call or show up?”
“I know.” He couldn’t tell her what was happening in China; he just could not bring himself to tell her. In some way, the whole scenario screamed failure. He had failed miserably.
“Okay, so let’s talk.” She sat with her arms crossed tightly across her chest.
“I have an apartment for us in New York. It’s small, but we can find a bigger one to buy.”
She closed her eyes; anger had tightened her throat.
He pulled out two train tickets from his pocket. “We have tickets for the one forty-five train.”
“Franco, please leave.” She turned her head away.
He walked over and stood over her. “Gini, please, come with me. I only have a few days. There was a problem in China; I have to go back one more time, and then I’m done. They are too hard to deal with. I’m closing the office there. We are looking into Central and South America. They need lots of water wells and treatments, and hopefully, they have friendlier governments. An office in New York City is well placed for both of us.”
She finally opened her eyes and looked at him. Her arms were still tight across her body. “I live here. I work in Boston.”
He didn’t know what to do. She looked so distant—and so beautiful, and he wanted her. He reached out his hand. “Come, let’s go to the bedroom.”
“Franco!” she shouted. “Hot sex is not the answer to everything.”
He knelt in front of her. “I love you.”
She turned her head away again. “Please, leave.”
“How are we going to resolve this if you won’t talk to me?”
“I don’t think it can be resolved.”
He sat down on the couch and rubbed his hand across his eyes and on his forehead. There was silence for a long time. “Is there anything in there but anger? I used to think so. Come on, Gini, we’re married. I love you, and you love me. I know me being gone for so long has caused you problems. I realize it’s much worse than I thought… I wasn’t paying enough attention. I promise you it wasn’t my intent to be gone so long, but the Chinese are hard to deal with and… I just have to fix one more thing, and then I’m done over there.”
She still wasn’t looking at him.
He stood. “Okay. I’m going to go, but when I get back from China, I’m coming here, and we’re going to live together and start our family.”
“Live here?”
“We’ll see. We’ll talk about it when you are more willing to talk. The one thing I know is, I love you. And I believe you love me. So we are going to make this work.”
He laid her ticket on the breakfast bar next to her purse. “I wrote the address for the apartment on the sleeve. I’ll be there until Sunday. Please come and give it a chance.”
He walked over to the fireplace, opened the box, and took out the ring. Then he went to her, kissed her on the top of her head, laid the ring on the table next to her, and left.
She pulled her knees up tight to her crossed arms and stared at the ring. The knotted kiss stuck out prominently from the shiny stone. Her body started to jump as the deep crying took her over.
“It was nice to see you again, Mr. Legotti,” Howard said when Franco passed through the lobby.
“Howard. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
Ric waited patiently to hear from her. At midnight, he went to bed, hearing nothing.
The next morning Gini went to the train station and headed to Washington, DC. She told Catherine she needed to get out of town. She needed space to think.
Ric finally broke down and texted her. She didn’t answer. Then he called her; still no answer. Was she with Franco? Had they repaired their marriage? Was she wrapped up in his arms making love? It was too much to think about. He could only bury himself in his work. He needed to let her figure it out.
Two days later she texted him:
I’m with Catherine. Franco went back to China. Ric, I’m so messed up in my head. Sorry, just messed up.
I’m going to Val’s tomorrow. Come with me. I’ll stay in the house, and you can have the guesthouse if that’s what you want. Just come. You know how relaxing it is there.
After a good night’s sleep and a lot of coaxing from Catherine, she decided she would go to Florida. She needed to talk to Ric. There didn’t seem to be anything right in her life. It was probably best if they just remained friends.
When he picked her up at the airport, she told him she wanted to be alone in the guesthouse.
“Okay, sweets.” He gently brushed down her hair as he took his arm away from around her.
She leaned forward and put her head in her hands. “All I need right now is a friend.”
“Gins, no matter what, we are always going to be friends. Come on, relax. You’re in paradise.”
That night they sat outside on the guesthouse patio and talked for hours. She told him about Franco wanting to go to New York, the apartment he had for them, and his promise that when he came back, they would live together and start a family.
“Is that what you want?”
“I don’t know. My gut feel, he won’t come back for good. Before long, he’ll be gone again. Maybe I’m wrong; he seemed sincere, but I just don’t feel like I can trust him anymore. And I don’t want to live in New York City. My home is Boston. My life works so well from there.” She let out a long breath. “He wants a family. Ric, I’m never going to be able to have a baby. I don’t think he gets that. I’m tired, just tired of trying to figure this out.”
He reached over and took her hand. He could see her struggle; there was nothing he could do or say to help her.
The next two days Ric and Val worked from dawn to dusk. Gini slept alone with only her thoughts for company. They were dark and confused thoughts. There she was again with Ric. Wasn’t she ready to be rid of all men? Why did she keep running back to him? And Franco, she had told him to leave—just get out of her life. Did she mean it? Did she want to give up on their marriage? She felt like two or three different people, and which one was the real Gini? What if they all were? Was this what life was—never knowing if you’re making a mistake, and with every choice losing something? Too many questions, and she had no answers.
When she did go out to the pool, she could feel Kat’s eyes constantly on her.
The third afternoon Gini was sitting in a chaise lounge, reading. Kat came and sat in the chair on the other side of the small table. “You don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?” Gini asked.
“Only fools walk away from a good thing. Ricky is crazy in love with you, and yet you hold him off. Don’t make a big mistake and let him go.”
Gini looked back at her book. “You don’t know.”
“I know two things. One, he is in love with you, and second, you are in love with him. What else is there to know?” She got up and went back with her friends.
That night, the four of them, Diane, Val, Ric, and Gini, had dinner on the yacht while cruising the canal. After dinner, Gini walked to the rail. Ric joined her.
“It’s so beautiful here.” She looked at him. “I can’t believe all the wonderful homes. Who has all this money?”
Diane joined them. She told Gini she should take the water taxi. It was a true taxi, and the driver gave a tour with details about the area and who owned the houses. She suggested she have Eduardo take her to the Hilton Hotel and catch the boat there.
At the end of the canal, they made a wide turn and returned to the mansion. Gini and Ric stayed on the dock, sitting in the lounge chairs, and watched the boats pass for a while longer. When they left, they went arm in arm to the guesthouse. I know this man so well, she thought. It’s so easy with him…
The next days were relaxing and lazy. Gini had no problem falling into the slow pace. She did take the taxi tour and found the information interesting. After the cruise, she asked Eduardo to take her to a shopping area where she could buy more summer clothes. She wa
lked along the streets of the small shops for several hours.
On Friday, Ric and Val got back to the mansion at lunchtime. Their workday was done. They enjoyed the afternoon by the pool. Diane and Val emerged about five o’clock, and Val said they would take his boat, Dichoso, down through the Keys on Saturday.
Gini was up and ready early to see the beautiful islands. The ride through the canal during the day was just as magnificent as it was at night. When they got out over the open water the wind blew up on her face, the vessel rocking gently from side to side with a slight chop. Suddenly, her stomach was in her throat. She jumped from her chair, leaned over the side of the boat, and heaved.
Ric took her to one of the bedrooms, and she lay down, but it didn’t help. Val said they would dock at one of the islands to let her stomach settle. The gagging stopped, but once they were back at sea, her stomach emptied again. They turned around and went back to the house.
“Ric, I’m so sorry.” She was lying on the bed at the guesthouse. “I wanted to see Key West so badly.”
He wrapped his arm around her. “We’ll fly down sometime. I just want you to be okay.”
“I am.”
He could tell she wasn’t. She was still very pale.
Sunday, she felt better, but not completely well. They took it slow all day. On Monday, she returned to Boston.
The next week, some days she felt okay; others not so much. Maybe it was a stomach bug.
She returned to DC the following week after seeing Ric over the weekend. She and Catherine had a full schedule. They were going to a big committee meeting on Wednesday to present the report they had been working on for several weeks. Tuesday night they went to bed late. Gini was exhausted and still not feeling a hundred percent.
At 7:30 a.m., she leaped out of bed and ran to the bathroom and vomited. Then again at eight o’clock and eight-fifteen. Catherine heard her the last time.
“Gini, are you okay?”
“I will be, just give me a few. This damn stomach bug just won’t go away.”
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