Sicilian Dreams

by J. P. Kennedy

  ‘So what’s going into this Caponata apart from eggplant,’ said Cassie a few minutes later as she finished dicing the eggplant.

  ‘Put those in the strainer and sprinkle them with salt and then I’ll explain the rest,’ said Liz, going into the small pantry and returning with tomatoes, onions, and celery.

  ‘Can you grab a jar of olives and the little one of capers on the shelf Cass?’ she asked.

  ‘We are going to blanch the celery and then sauté the onions and eggplant separately before we mix them together with a little vinegar. Where are my pine nuts?’ she said absently to herself, disappearing into the pantry again.

  ‘Yum’ said Cassie, ‘I just feel like something light for dinner this evening.’

  ‘You actually serve this dish cold’ said Liz. ‘So we’ll make it up now and then leave it in the fridge for an hour or so. Time for a swim and an appertivo' she said, happily. ‘Do you want to open a bottle of that wonderful white wine we had the other night?’

  Cassie picked out the bottle from the wine fridge and opened it at the bench, pouring them both a glass.

  ‘Salute chef’ she toasted Liz, before taking a sip and smacking her lips together in pleasure. ‘This is divine. It’s has quite a mineral taste but it is very refreshing.’

  After Liz finished preparing the Caponata, they took their drinks out onto the terrace and lay down on the loungers. Cassie put a small bowl of olives and one of roasted nuts on the drinks table between them.

  ‘Will this do?’ said Kat, stopping and posing at the open French doors like a model, before she paced dramatically onto the terrace in front of the girls.

  She had on a pair of Gucci palazzo pants, the pattern in soft greens, and a slinky halter neck top in emerald green, both items showing off her figure to perfection. Large, gold hoop earrings and flat gold sandals completed the look. Her hair hung in dark, shiny curls down her back and her make up was subtle and alluring.

  ‘Femme Fatal’ said Liz, admiringly. ‘You look stunning Kat. I love those palazzo pants, they are wild.’

  ‘You are a knock out,’ said Cassie. ‘Davide is not going to be able to concentrate on his driving with you sitting beside him. What perfume are you wearing? It’s divine.’ she sniffed the air again.

  ‘We aim to please,’ said Kat, striking another pose. ‘‘Jo Malone’ of course, her new summer fragrance.’

  ‘Grab yourself a glass of wine and come and sit down with us,’ said Liz. ‘What time is he coming to pick you up?’

  ‘At 8pm.’ said Kat, disappearing inside the house again.

  They were just finishing their drinks when they heard the sound of a loud engine approaching the villa. Liz got up and went to the window to see. She came back just as quickly. ‘He’s driving a big motorbike Kat,’ she hissed sotto voce.

  ‘You don’t need to whisper Liz,’ said Kat. ‘He’s not even in the door yet. Oh hell, not a bike. My hair will be blown to bits. Where is my French comb?’ she said worriedly, hurrying off into her bedroom. Liz grinned at Cassie.

  ‘Here he comes. Come and have a peek Cass.’ Cassie walked over to the window and peered out. Davide had parked the big bike in the middle of the courtyard and was now lifting off his helmet and climbing off the bike. Cassie put her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles. ‘Liz, look what he’s wearing.’ Both girls peeked out the window and then back away towards the terrace, trying to control their laughter.

  ‘Kat is going to have a fit,’ whispered Liz, as she and Cassie sat at the outside table and tried to look nonchalant. They heard a knock at the door and Kat say ‘I’ll get it’ before,

  ‘I’m coming,’ she said in her best hostess voice, sweeping open the front door in a gesture of welcome. There were a few seconds of silence before they heard her say, ‘Davide, Hi, look at you, I mean, Hi, come on in.’

  She preceded Davide onto the terrace, rolling her eyes at Liz and Kat, both of them looking back at her with innocent expressions on their faces.

  ‘Look girls, Davide is here,’ she said in a high, false voice.

  ‘Buona sera ladies’ said Davide striding onto the terrace.

  The captain had indeed morphed into something resembling an early 80’s lounge lizard with his tight, black, suspiciously shiny trousers with a hint of flair at the bottom which sat high on his waist, a loud shirt of indiscriminate fabric opened to his chest and black slip on shoes with pointy toes which turned up a little at the toes. No medallion, just a large black pinky ring and cologne so strong it threatened to knock them all out. He had slicked his formerly cute curls back with a stiffening product and they lay flat against his skull, slightly greasy looking.

  ‘Hi Davide’ squeaked Liz and Cassie, not daring to look at Kat.

  ‘Where are you going for dinner?’ risked Liz, ever vigilant when it came to food.

  ‘We go to my cousin’s restaurant in Castelbuono,’ said Davide, his kind eyes and ready smile charming them despite his outlandish outfit. Maybe his mother dressed him, thought Cassie distractedly. What had happened to Captain Fantastic.

  ‘It is a wonderful little hill town inland from here.’ he added smiling at Katrina. ‘You look beautiful Katrina. Shall we go? It will be a long, fun night.’ he added.

  Kat smiled weakly back at him and turned to the girls. ‘I will be back before midnight’ she said firmly eye balling them. ‘Remember, we have an early start tomorrow.’

  ‘No we don’t’ Cassie started to say, then saw the look Kat was giving her, her eyes drilling into her. ‘Yes, we do’ she said through clenched teeth. Liz snickered into her glass.

  ‘No, there is no way we will be back before then’ Davide added helpfully. ‘We have to go dancing afterwards.’

  ‘Oh right’ said Kat. ‘Of course. Dancing. Let me get my bag and we’ll go.’ She dashed off to the bedroom again, no doubt to scream to herself.

  ‘Have fun you two,’ said Liz wickedly, ‘Kat is quite a dancer Davide. She will go all night if you let her.’

  ‘That is fine for me’ said Davide. ‘I too like to dance. We can trip the light fantastic as you say.’ He smiled and said goodbye, following Kat into the house. As soon as they heard the front door close, Liz and Cassie leapt up from the table and went to peek out of the windows at them.

  Kat was trying to squash a helmet onto her head, her curls sticking out at all angles from under it.

  ‘It looks too small for her head’ said Liz, and they giggled hysterically as Davide climbed onto the bike, hitching up his tight trousers as he did so and exposing bright green socks.

  ‘Oh dear, I hope Kat doesn’t see those’ said Cassie, tears running down her face.

  He turned to Kat and waited while she sat astride the bike before firing it up and tearing off in a cloud of dust.

  ‘Well, I for one can’t wait until morning to get the skinny on this date’ said Liz. ‘Come on, lets eat, I’m starving.’

  They sat outside and ate the Caponata, which was refreshing and light on their palates, finishing with a tiny glass each of chilled Limoncello.

  ‘That’s it for me tonight’ said Liz, contentedly, leaning back in her chair. ‘I’m going to run a big bath with bubbles and soak in it for an hour. Bliss.’

  ‘I think I will pop down to the main house’ said Cassie nonchalantly. ‘I saw Marco before and he invited me to come over and have a look at his studio. His drawings,’ she added, seeing Liz’s look, her eyebrows rising and an‘oh yeah’ look on her face.

  ‘Studio, hmm, that’s a new one.

  ‘Stop it.’ said Cassie, laughing. It is his home office. He has another office in Palermo’ he shares with his cousin Luca.’

  ‘Sure’ said Liz. ‘Anyway, I’m just kidding. I’m going to call Doug and the girls later. I’m beginning to miss hearing the sound of his voice and I want to talk to my babies.’

  ‘You look so happy whenever you talk about them Liz.’ said Cassie wistfully. ‘It must be wonderful to be part of a real family, your own family.’
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br />   ‘Cass, you can have it all too if you want. You just have to have to have the confidence in yourself to take the plunge.’ said Liz gently. ‘Go on, go and get ready for lover boy, he’ll be expecting you.’

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Ten minutes later Cassie slipped out of the front door and starting walking briskly down the road towards the main house. She had showered quickly and pulled on a light cotton sundress with spaghetti straps and a shirred bodice in a pretty lemon color, which flattered her golden tan. She wore no make up, apart from a touch of lip-gloss, and her hair hung loose down her back. It was another beautiful evening, the moon high and the stars crowding the inky, black sky and her sandaled feet, made small, scrunching noises on the gravel. Cassie felt happy and relaxed striding along in the dark, her ears picking up the subtle night noises that she couldn’t see. A horse whinnied in the distance. Probably Diavolo, she thought absently, looking up as she heard other footsteps approaching.

  ‘Buona sera Cassandra. I was just coming to look for you,’ said Marco coming up to her and taking her hand, lifting it and kissing the inside of her palm softly.

  ‘Hi you’ said Cassie softly. He kept her hand in his and they continued walking towards the main house.

  ‘Did Davide come for Katrina,’ asked Marco.

  ‘Yes’ said Cassie, ‘he said they were going to his cousin’s restaurant in Castelbuono for dinner and then dancing.’

  ‘Oh yes, I know the trattoria.’ said Marco. ‘Davide is really a country boy’ he added.

  ‘He prefers the simple life. I’m sure Katrina will have fun, although I must say, they both seem like opposites to me.’

  ‘You know what they say about opposites attracting,’ said Cassie.

  ‘Yes, we must be complete opposites because I am very attracted to you Cassandra.’ She saw his white teeth in the moonlight as he grinned down at her.

  ‘So this serious conversation that you said we were going to have, can we do that now?’ asked Cassie.

  ‘Si Cassandra, but not yet. Have patience, I want to show you my work first.’

  The carriage house was set off to one side of the main building, just off the circular courtyard. Where once it must have housed a carriage or two, the large room had now been radically altered, dominated by a floating staircase in the center of the room. Beyond that sat a sleek, polished conference table and several leather chairs, a large fireplace and various 3 D models of buildings and what looked like shopping centers. Rows of spotlights illuminated the space and reflected off the large cathedral shaped windows. Davide took her hand again and, as they climbed the staircase, Cassie marveled at the feat of engineering, which gave the impression that you were mounting steps that were attached to thin air. Each step was lit and the whole effect was mesmerizing.

  ‘These stairs are amazing Marco. They look like they are floating in thin air.’

  ‘Thanks’ he said simply. ‘I designed them myself. These were the first prototype so I had them installed here in the carriage house while I am living here. We have since used them in a number of installations.’

  At the top of the stairs was a wrap around mezzanine level, furnished simply with two slanted architect tables, both sitting under huge windows, and a beautiful Louis V writing desk with a large screen and key board gracing it’s dark green leather surface. Cassie couldn’t help touching one of the golden lion heads, which adorned each corner of the desk. ‘This is beautiful,’ she said.

  ‘Si, it was my grandfather’s. It is very ornate but it suits this space, no?’

  ‘Yes, very much’ said Cassie, going over to look at a smaller scale model on another table. ‘Is this one of the houses you’ve designed for the development?’

  ‘Yes, this is one of the three bedroom models. The villas range from three bedrooms upwards which is of course reflected in the price. Each villa comes complete with landscaping and swimming pool.’

  ‘This is gorgeous,’ said Cassie, touching the delicate model with the tip of her finger. ‘It looks Moorish and I love the flat roof with the terrace on the roof.'

  ‘Si, Sicily has much Moorish history, and with our climate, this style of house is ideally suited to the conditions.’

  His finger gently traced a pattern over the back of her hand. Cassie immediately felt herself stirring and turned to gaze up into his green eyes. Seeing her searching look, Marco dipped his head and kissed her on the lips, his hands around her waist, his body moving closer to touch hers. Cassie responded ardently to his embrace and their kiss deepened as Marco pushed her gently back against the edge of the antique desk until the back of her thighs was resting on the curved edge.

  ‘You look very pretty this evening Cassandra.’ he whispered, dipping his head again to kiss her with passion, his tongue snaking into her mouth and setting off a million new endings in Cassie’s body. He slipped the spaghetti straps of her sundress off her shoulders and began to kiss her neck and throat, tickling his tongue over the delicate hollows and making Cassie shiver with pleasure. Her hands wound around his neck and she kissed the top of his head as he licked at the top of her breasts, pushing the bodice down so they popped out; nipples already hard as rocks; for his tongue. Her hands slid down his back and around to the front and began to undo his jeans, feeling his erection, hard and taut, through the denim. Freeing him, she encircled the base of his cock with her hand and began to rub his throbbing member up and down, and she felt a thrill of pleasure as she heard Marco gasp. Still with his mouth on her breasts, he pulled the front of her dress up and his fingers slid past her panties and inside her, groaning as he felt how wet she was. Cassie gasped herself, and Marco grabbed at her underwear, tearing the thin fabric and casting them aside, before pushing her legs apart and lifting her up onto the desk in one smooth motion. Taking her hands off him, he took them and held them behind her with one hand while parting her sex and thrusting himself inside her, groaning again as he did so. With his mouth still busy on her breasts, he drove into her and Cassie felt overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through her body, throwing her head back and panting with each thrust. In her state of arousal, all Cassie could do was let him possess her with an almost animal passion. Lifting his head to kiss her savagely, Cassie felt her insides instinctively clench and when he groaned against her mouth and came,

  Cassie felt her own surrender falling down upon her in waves and waves of pleasure.

  Slowly he let her hands go from behind her as she opened her eyes again and found his piercing green eyes staring into her own.

  ‘We have christened grandfather’s desk,’ he said, with a glint in his eyes, kissing her nose and laughing softly. ‘I couldn’t think of a better use for it.’

  He straightened her dress and tied the spaghetti straps on her shoulders with care.

  ‘I think he would be rolling in his grave if he knew what we had been doing on it.’ said Cassie, smiling at him, as he refastened his jeans and ran his fingers through his unruly, dark curls. She looked down at the floor and saw her ripped panties lying there. Another pair gone she thought then remembered the first pair, still dangling from the chandelier. Oh heck, I have got to ask Marco to get them down. She shimmied off the desk and reached down to grab them, scrunching them into a ball and tossing them in the bin under the desk.

  ‘Would you like anything to drink Cassandra? Maybe a digestivo, a little limoncello? He didn’t wait for her answer, striding down the stairs to the cabinet below, returning a moment later with the chilled bottle and two small crystal glasses.

  ‘Now we talk. Come and sit over here with me.’ He led her to a sumptuous day bed with massive cushions propped at its head. Lying down, he pulled her with him and she snuggled in beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. Sipping from his glass, he began to talk.

  ‘It is hard for me to discuss these things as I have shut my feelings away for so long. I want you to know you are the first person I have ever wanted to confide in.’ He kissed her forehead before continuing. ‘I had a hap
py, carefree childhood. My parents were very much in love and I do not remember missing having a sibling because my cousin Luca and his family were always nearby. We lived here then, at Boschieri Estate and my world seemed secure and loving. I suppose I could have been considered precocious, spoilt even, given all the attention, but my father also disciplined me when I misbehaved. His father had been strict with him, it was their way, and I think because I had no brothers and sisters he did not want me to become soft and pampered, especially by my mother and Marta, which was in danger of happening everyday in their presence.’ He smiled at the recollection of him no doubt being indulged of his every whim thought Cassie.

  ‘Maybe with a brother or a sister things would have been different, but they were not able to have more children and no explanation was ever given. Not that an explanation would have been given to a child. Marta was always there, and Guido, and the horses. By the time I became a teenager, I was used to the way things were and I’m sure I was more than a little arrogant and full of myself. I started to confront my father when he came down hard on me for what I considered, little things of no consequence. We began to disagree constantly and I know it upset my mother but I felt he was being unfair most of the time because I was the only son and heir and he wanted me to be more like him. The last person I wanted to emulate. This attitude combined with teenage defiance made conversation almost impossible between us and things became very strained at home.’ Cassie looked up at him and he kissed her lips. ‘I stopped telling them where I was going and I started to sneak out of the house at night and meet up with friends from school. Friends he didn’t approve of, which of course made them desirable to me. He was not happy with the way his son was going, hanging out with the wrong crowd at school, becoming disrespectful, stealing alcohol from the house. He tried to stop me seeing my friends, but I always managed to get away. His disapproval was like a weight around my neck and I began to wish I had a brother or a sister who could have lived up to his ideals. I realize now that I was trying to hurt him with my behavior and to that extent I succeeded.’ He stopped talking and stared pensively out at the dark night, their drinks forgotten, still sitting with the bottle on the floor.