by Julia Amante
“This was beyond delicious. Thank you.”
“Oh, I loved having you all. With my girls gone, and Victor busy with his business, I eat alone a lot. It was nice to have company.”
He put a teaspoon of sugar in his cup and nodded, as if he understood.
“Call the kids in, will you? I’ll cut them a piece of flan each.”
Hugo took a drink of his coffee. “Mmm. In a minute. I want to enjoy the silence for just a few more seconds.”
She laughed. “I’d forgotten how nice it is to have a few moments of peace.”
“It never ends. After working all day, you have to go home to noise and more work. Then they wake up at night with bloody noses and bad dreams.” He shook his head. “It’s damned exhausting.”
“It was.” She remembered. Victor never helped with any of those things. She hadn’t wanted to bother him, because he worked hard. But he never once thought that she’d also worked hard all day.
He laughed. “Hell, I’m whining like a chick.”
“Sometimes you need a little girl talk.”
“Yeah,” he blushed. “My guy friends can’t relate. And women… well, I don’t want to… you know.”
“Show any weakness?”
“Right. I want them to think I’ve got it together. But I don’t.”
“You can call me up and whine any time you want, dear. And in fact, drop the kids off every once in a while. I’ll watch them if you need a break.”
“I couldn’t impose.”
“It wouldn’t be an imposition. I’d really like it.”
He drew a breath, then released it. “Thanks. My mom is in her seventies and my sister is busy with her own kids. They’re both great, but… thanks.”
She patted his hand. “You’re welcome.”
He went to call his children who were out-of-their-minds thrilled with the flan. They ate two huge pieces. Then they moaned when they had to leave.
“I’ll bring you back sometime,” he promised. Then he hugged Jaqueline. “Thanks again.”
“It was dinner and a little chat. Nothing to thank me for.”
As she watched them leave, she was glad she’d invited them. And also glad, for some strange reason, that she was watching from a distance. Child rearing was the most exhausting, pleasurable endeavor a person could undertake.
She returned to her kitchen to clean up in the silence of the empty house. Only the sounds of the refrigerator, the clock ticking above the stove, and the water running into the sink filled the kitchen. Jaqueline smiled. This was nice. Quiet was nice. A reward, she thought. And she enjoyed every second of it.
Antonio parked his car in the driveway of Victor and Jaqueline’s place Sunday after spending the afternoon at the Argentine Club. Jaqueline and Lucia went inside to purchase their cruise tickets online, excited like little girls. He smiled as he watched them, glad he hadn’t been selfish and told her she couldn’t go. She probably would have gone anyway—the woman was so damned independent, and then they would have been angry with each other. Who needed that?
“I’m going to check on Victor,” he said, as they headed into the house. Victor hadn’t been back to the club since he and Jaqueline had that fight.
He looked in the garage, where Victor had a nice setup with one recliner chair, a TV, and clothes hanging all around. “Che, loco,” he said.
Victor looked over his shoulder. “What are you doing here?” He looked sort of pleased to see him.
“Just brought the women back from the club.”
“Mmm,” he grunted.
“I lost fifty bucks at poker today.”
“So what else is new? You can’t play.”
“I can play,” Antonio said defensively.
“Right. That’s why you always lose.”
Antonio sat on a box. “So how long do you plan to live out here?”
He shrugged. “I’m not home much these days, anyway. The restaurants are going up and I have to spend so much time away that I stay in hotels.”
“Yeah, it’s so far for you drive back and forth from Santa Monica, right?”
Victor shot a cold glance his way. “And Newport Beach.”
“Look, I’m with you. I think our wives and our kids are a little nuts.”
“Why are the kids nuts?”
“In my opinion, moving in together is a little nuts. I’m surprised you let Victoria do it, actually. Don’t get me wrong, Eric’s a good man, but… he’s a man.” He raised an eyebrow. “You know?”
Victor sat up straighter. “Victoria moved in with Eric?”
“Yeah. You didn’t know?”
“No,” he barked. “I didn’t know. No one tells me a damn thing.”
“Sorry.”
“Shit, what’s wrong with that girl lately?” He ran a hand up and down his stubbled face. “It’s my own fault. I told her to move out, figuring she wouldn’t. She called my bluff.”
“Well… they’re adults.”
Victor snorted. “That makes me feel better. Thanks,” he said sarcastically.
“Listen, Lucia can get back home by herself. Why don’t we go out? Have a drink? Get out of this garage.”
Victor stared into the empty space opposite the TV and slowly nodded. “Let’s go.”
Antonio stopped by the house and told Lucia he was going out with Victor and would meet her at home. He handed her the car keys. Distractedly, she kissed him good-bye and told him to have fun.
But Antonio and Victor drove around town, unsure what to do for fun. They hadn’t been single since they were kids. Every event they attended was either at the Argentine Club or with their families. Work seemed to be their only solo activity.
“In Argentina, I used to go to the field to play soccer almost every day. And spend the evenings strolling el centro, looking at the chicas,” Antonio said.
Victor smiled. “I can’t remember what I did before I fell in love with Jaqueline. I think she was the only girl I’ve ever loved.”
Antonio gazed at him. He wanted to ask how he could let his marriage fall apart, but it was none of his business.
“And I spent hours learning English,” Victor said, as if he suddenly remembered what he used to do. Then he shrugged. “I knew I wanted to come to America and that I wanted to marry Jaqui. That’s all I ever cared about.”
“Ever think you’re too focused?”
“Yeah,” he said. And pulled off the freeway in Newport Beach. He followed the busy streets to the beach. “Want to see where the restaurant is going up?”
“See, too focused.”
Victor shrugged again. But Antonio couldn’t help being impressed with the location. This restaurant would have the most amazing view of the Pacific Ocean. And not only that, but it was located in an area that catered to affluent vacationers and wealthy residents in multi-million-dollar homes. Victor parked the car, and they got out to admire the shell of the new building.
“The entire west side will be windows, and these seats here will be reserved months in advance.”
Antonio nodded, his hands in his pockets. The late August heat hung in the air, but here by the beach the breeze tempered the oppressive summer. Victor would easily get away with serving a heavy steak even at the peak of the summer heat. “You going to remember your buddies when you’re a millionaire?”
Victor grinned and placed a hand on Antonio’s back. “You know millions would be great, but right now, I just want it to work. I want Jaqui to see I was right to want this.”
Antonio was certain it would. Some people managed to make magic happen whenever they tried. Others, like him, couldn’t get a break. But to be fair, Victor had spent years preparing for this move. Working his one restaurant, day and night. Saving. Establishing himself. All the while, Antonio had been impatient, risking the little he had, hoping to make a fast buck. Taking frequent vacations with Lucia whenever they had a spare dollar. Victor and Jaqueline never went anywhere.
If Victor succeeded, it was because he deserve
d it. “I hope it all works out for you, loco.”
“Me too,” he said, with just a tinge of concern.
In some ways, Antonio was starting to realize that even with all his mistakes and his failures, maybe he was wealthy in ways Victor wasn’t. Lucia never made him feel he had to prove anything. Although he wanted to give her more, he knew she loved him even if he didn’t. “Let’s go.”
They found a noisy, touristy bar, where they ate some sandwiches and ordered beers. “I’m not very thrilled with Lucia and Jaqueline going on this cruise.”
“What cruise?”
“You really don’t know anything about what’s going on with your family, do you?”
“She’s going on a cruise?”
Antonio took a bite of his burger and nodded. “With Lucia.”
“You were okay with that?”
“No, but… she wants to go help your wife deal with the fact that you’re a bastard.”
“Thanks.”
Antonio sipped his beer and nodded, sending him a wordless You’re welcome. “You know, Victor, I’ve decided I’m nothing like my father. Back in his day, women did what men said.”
“And children, too,” Victor said, drinking his second beer.
“You can say that again. Children respected their parents’ wishes.”
“Women didn’t move in with men. They married them.”
Antonio nodded. “So what did we do wrong?”
After a prolonged silence, Victor said, “We didn’t listen to our own parents and moved to America.”
“Yeah. I guess we weren’t exactly perfect kids, either, were we?”
They finished their beers in silence. Finally, Victor said, “Let’s switch to coffee. I have to drive back.”
Antonio agreed. “Moving to America may not have been the best idea in the world, but I love my American son and my independent wife.”
Victor didn’t say anything, but Antonio knew he also loved his wife and daughters. But right now, he didn’t know how to show it. Antonio hoped he figured out how to open up to them before it was too late.
Chapter Fifteen
Eric put on a tie and looked at himself in the mirror. Damn, he looked good. He fingered his lapels. Expensive suit, crisp white shirt, fresh haircut, clean shave. He smiled a lady-killer smile. Yep, he was blessed. But he wanted female confirmation. In particular, he wanted to see the look of appreciation of one female. “Victoria,” he called.
“Yeah?” she answered from her own room.
“I need your opinion.” He didn’t actually want to go to this high school reunion. He’d reconnected with the people he’d wanted to see again on the dinner cruise. But he was sort of excited about going out with Vicki. She’d moved in almost a month ago, and seeing her every day was nice. Who was he kidding—it was great. A beautiful woman to share breakfast with in the morning, read newspaper articles with on Sundays, laugh at silly things that happened during the remodel, and unwind with at the end of the day. The daily grind was growing more and more special each day. But he liked the idea of dressing up and going out, too. He felt like they’d skipped a few important steps. Not if they were going to remain just friends and business partners; in that case, things were as they should be, but that was not what he wanted at all. He wanted the dates, the romance, the—
She walked into his room looking like… wow, like a magazine model. No, better than a magazine model, dressed in a form-fitting, smoky-colored dress with a scoop neckline that displayed a respectable but enticing amount of cleavage. She’d lost a lot of weight since she started her diet. He didn’t want to ask her how much, but if he had to guess, he’d say probably about twenty pounds. Not that it mattered to him. She looked beautiful regardless. And maybe it wasn’t the weight loss at all that made her shine but her new confidence and endless excitement about everything.
“What?” she asked.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks. So do you.”
Turning to look at himself in the mirror, he remembered why he’d called her. “Do I?”
She walked farther into his room. “Very handsome.”
He turned to face her, fingering his gray and blue tie. “I’m not sure this is the right tie.”
She gazed into his closet and pulled out a more colorful satin bow tie. “This one.”
“No,” he said. “I’m not going to an awards show.”
“Then no tie at all. This one makes you look like you’re going to work on Wall Street.”
He pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his top button. “Better?”
“Much.”
He wanted to touch her. “Are you ready to go?”
“Not that I want to go, but yes.”
“Why don’t you want to go?”
“I don’t know. I’m nervous.” She angled her head. “Should we forget it and not go at all?”
He placed a hand on the small of her back. Hell no. “I’d be nervous if I were you, too. Guys are going to be jumping out of their skin to get their hands on you tonight. But don’t worry—I’ll protect you.”
“Eric,” she laughed. “You’re crazy.”
“And their wives are going to be pissed big-time. You’re going to make some enemies.” He guided her to the front door.
She wrapped an arm around his waist. “I’m so glad you’re going with me.”
“I’ll be right beside you all night. Let’s go.”
He knew they weren’t a couple. She hadn’t shown much interest in anything romantic. And since that day at the club when Victor and Jaqueline had their fight—the day she reminded him that she wasn’t just a girl he could fool around with and move on, he was reluctant to start anything he couldn’t make permanent. But tonight he didn’t give a damn. Victoria would have to make a verbal and maybe even a physical objection if she wanted him to keep his hands to himself.
On the drive, she chatted easily about this and that. Nothing in particular. A neighboring dog that kept jumping the fence into their backyard—that would be fixed as soon as they put up the new fence in a week or so. A TV show she watched in her bedroom the night before. A new recipe she wanted to try in the kitchen next week. Eric enjoyed listening. Most of the time he had nothing to listen to but his own thoughts or the radio. No wonder his father always looked so content when his mother was in the same room.
He rested his arm behind her seat. “I feel a little guilty that I haven’t called my parents in a week. I’m surprised my mother hasn’t called to tell me what a terrible son I am.”
“She’s busy planning a cruise vacation with my mom.”
“A what?”
“They’re going on a cruise together.”
He kept his eyes on the road, but wished he could look at Victoria instead. “That’s a shocker. My mom is going somewhere without my dad?”
“My mom said they’re going to enjoy a relaxing ladies-only vacation.”
“Why would they want to do that?”
“Because it’s fun to hang out with your girlfriends.”
This time he glanced at her quickly. “Sure, before you’re married. After you’re married, you go places with your husband.”
Victoria laughed. “Oh, really?”
“Don’t you think so?”
“I don’t see anything wrong with spending time with your friends every once in a while.”
“Hmm.” He contemplated that as he drove. He bet his dad wasn’t thrilled about his mother going away without him.
Once they got to the Marriott in Burbank, Eric valet-parked the car and took her arm. She hesitated for a second, and he thought she was going to ask him not to touch her as they walked in, but she didn’t.
They were greeted at the door and offered name tags.
“Want a drink?” Eric asked, as soon as they walked in.
“No.” She glanced around the room. “Oh, God, there’s Susana. Let’s avoid her if possible. She will definitely make me feel like I’m bac
k in high school. I get my fill of her at the club.”
Mrs. Apolonia’s daughter had never been the nicest person in the world, but Eric sort of felt for her. How else could she have turned out, when her mother was such a busybody? “Fine by me. How about that drink? It’ll help you relax.”
“I’m relaxed.”
“Liar.” He ran a hand up and down her back.
“Okay, maybe I am still a little nervous about how I look.”
He dipped his head closer to her neck and whispered, “You look hot in that dress.”
She smiled and angled her head. “Really? Hot?”
“Totally?” Her lips were so close he wanted to swoop down and taste them.
“Thanks.” She reached across and squeezed his hand. “I appreciate that.”
He smiled.
“Hey,” a voice interrupted. “Eric Ortelli?”
Reluctantly Eric turned away from Victoria and found himself facing an old friend he had lost touch with. They started chatting and catching up on their lives since high school. The next three hours were filled with more of the same. A friend. An acquaintance. The varsity football player everyone knew, who now worked at SportMart. Shaking hands with one person, then another. The evening was interesting, but mostly he wanted to go back home with Victoria. He wasn’t sure how she felt, but she seemed to be in a great mood and not in a hurry to leave. She received lots of compliments on her looks and that made tonight worth it.
For a while he lost sight of her when he found a couple of friends he used to hang with, and they started discussing those carefree high school days when all they really cared about were girls.
“Things haven’t changed all that much,” his friend said.
“Not really,” Eric agreed. “In fact, I better find Victoria.” He held out his hand. “Good to see you again.”
“Call me, Eric,” he said, and handed Eric a card.
“I will.” Eric strolled the hall, searching for Victoria, and found her standing with a couple.
“You remember Giselle,” Victoria said. “She’s now married and has two children.”
He didn’t remember her. “Hi,” he said.