Fallen Angel, Part II

by Tracie Podger

  “How do yours and other families view Robert? Patricia tells me Joe broke the mould when he moved to Washington.”

  “That he did,” she laughed. “It was a scandal, many of the older generation forget what decade we are really in.”

  “Things are so different now. Guiseppi was friends with Carmine, Luca’s great uncle, from Naples and then in Chicago. I would imagine an opportunity arose for Guiseppi in Washington and they separated. However, he would have needed to have people around him and there was not the large Italian community in Washington that there was elsewhere, so he chose people of other nationalities. Remember years ago most had come here without knowing any English, they settled together, formed communities and they trusted no-one outside that community. So yes, when Joe handed over to Robert, it was a surprise.”

  I told her what Patricia had taught me.

  “I know of Patricia, I’ve not met her but she is correct in what she has told you, although whether that hierarchy is relevant today, in America, is another matter. Most certainly in Italy, still today that stands. I understand when Patricia met Jonathan, she refused to marry him unless he told her everything. A gutsy girl, but believe me, Brooke, from one wife to another, you will never know everything and it is best not to.”

  “I’ve had that lecture from Robert many times,” I smiled. “I guess, I just find it all so fascinating, quite romantic really. My only experience of this life is through movies.”

  “I can imagine which ones as well, they are fairly accurate.”

  We continued our lunch, having sat for a good half an hour uninterrupted while Lucia spoke. I loved to listen to her accent and she was a fascinating woman.

  “How did you and Robert meet?” she asked.

  I told her about visiting Sam, how he had silently walked into that kitchen behind me, how intense and scary I thought he was. She laughed at the dinner invitation.

  “He has been a source of gossip for many years, Sofia is over the moon that he has found you and is finally settling down. When do you think you will marry?”

  “Well, he hasn’t asked me, does everyone assume we will marry?”

  “Of course, you’re the first person he has introduced, you don’t get it do you? The fact that he has brought you into his life, shared these things and us with you, he means to keep you. I mean, he’s not Italian but has been brought up as one, you have a lot to learn about Italian men,” she laughed.

  “Not that it is likely, but what would happen if I left him, refused to marry him?”

  “If this was thirty years ago, you would have been sent home to your momma in shame,” she laughed, not answering the question.

  We left the restaurant and I was dropped back to the hotel. I had enjoyed spending the time with her and I hoped that I would see her again. I sent a quick text to Robert, letting him know how I got on and that I was going to spend an hour or so in the spa.

  “Nice thought, you naked, covered in oil,” was his reply.

  He and Travis arrived back later than expected, the meeting with the construction team and Luca had left him agitated, his body tense and his eyes dark. He paced the room.

  “I’m not happy about this Trav, I do not want those fuckers involved. Something’s going on, find out what you can.”

  “Do you trust Luca?” Travis asked.

  “No, and I get the feeling he owes them. Let me know what you find out and soon.”

  “Do you want to tell me about it?” I asked, once Travis had left.

  “Luca has got himself involved with some Albanians, I don’t like working with them but he wants to use them for the build. Might put us back a couple of months which I don’t want.”

  “It’s your project, can’t you choose who you have?”

  “It’s already been agreed that Luca would provide the workforce in return for some of the apartments. I think he’s got himself in too deep with those guys, maybe they put a bit of pressure on him, I don’t know. Now I have to find a compromise. I’m worried for him, it’s unlike him to have got involved with them.”

  “Are they no good at their job?” I asked.

  “It’s not that, I don’t agree with how they run their business, what they do and I want no part of them. Anyway, let me relax, tell me about your day,” he said changing out of his suit.

  He was pretty wound up and trying his hardest not to let me see but his body gave him away. His muscles were rigid with tension and I could see a pulse beating hard in his neck. I knew better than to press the subject so I showed him the jeans and shirt I had bought for Sam, told him about my lunch with Lucia and the massage I’d had earlier. This thing with Luca was really troubling him. He sat on the edge of the bed in just his jeans and I knelt behind him.

  While I talked, I started to massage the tension from his shoulders, the back of his neck, helping him to wind down. I knew what he needed and I moved to stand in front of him, taking his head in my hands and looking into his eyes. I kissed his mouth, his face and his neck, my hands caressing his arms and his chest. He pulled down my jeans, burying his face in my stomach, his tongue trailing and his teeth nipping. I pushed him back on the bed, unzipped his jeans and let them slide over his hips to the floor. I sat astride him, his hands holding my hips and I lowered onto him.

  He either boxed or fucked, the only two ways he knew how to relieve his tension and right now there was neither Travis nor a ring to hand. This was just for him. He rolled me over onto my back, his arms supporting himself above me and he fucked me just as I liked it, hard and fast. Spent, he lay on top of me. I wrapped my arms around him and caressed his back.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  He understood that I had given myself to him solely for him to use my body as a release and I loved him enough to do that and not be offended by it. He would make it up to me later, I had no doubt.

  We decided to stay in, had dinner brought to our room and after, I read while he chatted with Travis, their voices low. I moved to the bedroom to give them some privacy, this was obviously not something Robert wanted me to be involved in and I understood that.

  ****

  The following morning Robert wanted to show me the site for the new complex. It was huge, whatever properties had been there were already demolished. A security guard opened the gates and he walked me through where everything was going to be.

  After, we headed off for a lunch with Gianfranco and Sofia before returning home that evening. We pulled up outside a wonderful house, not far from the development and were met at the door by Sofia.

  “Good day, Brooke,” she said, in broken English.

  “She’s been practicing all morning,” Franco said taking my shoulders and kissing both cheeks.

  “That’s lovely, I promise, Sofia, when we return, I will have learnt some Italian,” I said, Robert translating for me.

  The interior of the house was how I imagined their home in Italy to be. Lots of religious pictures around the rooms, a huge dining table set for the five of us, rustic, dark wood furniture and so many photographs of family, some very old. I wandered to look at the pictures with Sofia trying to explain who was who. I understood some, she showed me a picture of a stunning woman sitting on the steps of a church, laughing, her eyes shielded against the sun by her hand.

  “Mama?” I asked.

  She beamed at my attempt and nodded enthusiastically.

  “She’s beautiful,” I said and she understood.

  She took me through each photo, saying just one word which I repeated. She then took my hand and I followed her to the kitchen. The smells were divine and we stood side by side. I helped chop tomatoes, watched while she showed me to make bruschetta and she encouraged me to taste everything.

  We sat for lunch, eating the bruschetta I had made, followed by pasta, then veal. By the time desert came, I was absolutely stuffed. Sofia would pat my stomach and encourage me to eat more.

  “She thinks you are too skinny,” Franco told me, laughing.

  “F
ranco, I need to talk to you about Luca,” Robert said after the meal was finished. The boys retired to the lounge while I helped clear away the plates. Still Sofia talked and still I did not understand one word.

  It was time to leave and I felt a little sad, they were such a lovely couple, I only hoped I would have the opportunity to meet them again. Sofia hugged me tightly and I waved to her as we pulled away from her home. Robert was quiet but I took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as we made our way to the airport, leaving behind the noise and the hustle and bustle of New York. I really did hope I would have an opportunity to return and I would be able to converse with Sofia.

  It was good to finally arrive home and we were met by Evelyn. I told her all about the trip, I wanted to send a thank you note to Sofia and asked for her help in writing it in Italian.

  “I’ve met her many times, she’s a remarkable woman,” Evelyn told me.

  “I helped her cook but every time I got something wrong, she did tut at me,” I laughed.

  “Italian women of her generation spend their whole lives in the kitchen. For them, that’s where all women should be, learning to cook your mother’s recipes, feeding your man, bringing up your children and cleaning your home.”

  “The things you cook, did you learn from your mother?”

  “Some of course, although to be honest, my mother was a real rebel. She wanted a job, independence. I think she drove my father nuts for a while.”

  I told her not to cook for us, what we had eaten at lunch would certainly do me until breakfast and if Robert was hungry I could make him a snack. She headed off to her apartment. Robert and Travis had headed straight into his office, I could hear them talking but not make out the words. Something was very wrong with this development, enough for Robert to need to confide in Franco. I only hoped it would not cause him too many problems.

  I made my way downstairs to unpack our bags and returning with our laundry, I saw Robert standing by the window, looking out. He had poured us both a glass of wine and I watched him pensively twirling his glass in his hands. I stood beside him, my hand on his shoulder.

  “I think Luca is in serious trouble,” he said, not taking his eyes from the view, “Franco agrees.”

  “What will you do?” I asked.

  “There’s nothing I can do, Brooke. I’m not in that life anymore, whatever it is, he’ll have to sort it. I just need to protect my project,” he said.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  He smiled at me, “Just being here with me is enough.”

  “I told Kerry that I would meet her at the gym tomorrow, will you be there?”

  “Sure, I could do with smacking someone for a few rounds.”

  “Will you tell me about your boxing?” I had thought about what Ted had said, him not necessarily wanting to remember that time. I wanted to gauge his reaction, to decide if I included that photo in his memory wall or not.

  We sat and he talked. “To be honest I never enjoyed it as such, it was a way of earning large amounts of money. Bought a car out of my first winnings.”

  “Ted said you could have been a professional.”

  “Did he? I guess so. I never lost a fight which is why I gave up, no-one bet on me anymore,” he said with a laugh.

  “What does it feel like, to fight another person?”

  “It was just a game. At first I took it too personally, it was my way of getting back at all those who had hurt me. I would hit someone and somewhere in my memory I would remember being hit myself, so I punched harder to counteract that feeling. It’s a strange thing really, these people get in that ring to deliberately hurt one another and I guess I fought like I should have fought back all those years ago.”

  “Would that have helped though, to have that anger?”

  “No, anger makes you careless, it clouds your judgement. I learnt control though and to watch. I always thought it dumb that my opponent would get in the ring, dance around throwing punches in the air to warm up. All they were doing was showing me what they had. Ted used to get pissed though,” he laughed. “People came to watch a fight, blood shed but for the first round or so, I would just watch and learn.”

  “What about Travis?”

  “He was something else, lost his first fight, although don’t let him know I told you that. Went in like bloody Rocky, got put on his ass and was not happy about it. Mind you, if I remember his opposite corner had roughed up the gloves, hurts more that way. He was so pissed his face got messed up,” he smiled at the memory.

  “So was it like normal boxing, referee and all that?”

  “Yes, a referee the only difference was the gambling aspect of it, it was all illegal, no taxes paid. It’s not like we fought to the death, although fights didn’t get stopped because someone was bleeding, like they do now.”

  “Do you miss those days?”

  “God no, don’t get me wrong, at the time I was having a ball but life moves on and I grew up and out of it really. Like I’ve said before, I like my life now, I work hard, I earn my money, I pay my taxes, well most of it anyway, that was something that was necessary then.”

  “Could the police ever charge you for something from your past?” I asked.

  “If that was going to happen, I imagine it would have by now, so I doubt it. I’ve been questioned many times but I always had a good lawyer,” he laughed.

  “Anyway, let’s change the subject. Your new bank account is open now, you need to come into the office and pick up your card.”

  “I’m still not comfortable with all of this,” I said.

  “I know and that makes me feel better, you’re not after my money,” he smiled.

  “I’m not, Robert. I want to earn my own money. I want to buy you things and not feel terrible because you’ve paid for it. It’s enough to know I have to work for you, Jonathan explained how I was unemployable in this city.”

  “That wasn’t fair of him, but it’s true. I mean you would get a job, maybe a small company or Starbucks, making coffee,” he joked. “I want you with me, you might actually enjoy it.”

  “I don’t get what Jonathan has offered though, anyone in that department could do that job. He wants me to head a small team looking after any new business you buy, upping its profile before bringing them into the group. It feels like he has created a job specifically for me.”

  “What do you want to do then?”

  “You know what I really think, I would like to do what you did, move around all the sections, learn about the whole thing.”

  “If that’s what you want, then that’s fine. Be prepared for a hard time though, not from the guys but most certainly from the staff.”

  “I get that, I know it won’t be easy, that little time I had squatting in marketing no-one spoke to me. If I can prove myself and not just be the boss’s girlfriend, I might earn a little respect. It’s not easy being with you, no-one likes me, other than the guys of course, well I hope they do anyway.”

  “They love you, Brooke, because you love me and who gives a shit what anyone else thinks.”

  “Can I start to do that? Before my papers are sorted. I’m getting restless just sitting around here, shopping, lunching, more shopping, more lunching,” I laughed.

  “People would kill for the life I’ve now got but it just isn’t me. I want to use my brain, to be creative, I love to learn new things and I am only thirty one. I have a lifetime ahead of me and I want to do something with that.”

  “Okay, I’ll sort it. You understand though, I’m the boss,” he said, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

  “Yes, Mr Stone, I do,” I replied.

  “Well, get that skinny ass, as Sofia would call it, downstairs, you can show me how creative you can be.”

  As I stood I said, “Is there such a thing as sexual harassment in America.”

  “If there is, then I will willingly get arrested for it,” he replied, slapping me hard across my backside.

  ****

  I
woke the following morning, sore and bruised, little bite marks over my back and shoulders. I was really going to have to tackle this marking thing, again.

  It felt great to dress for work, I sent a text to Sam arranging to meet for lunch. He wanted to know all about my New York trip, the people I had met, what I’d done. This was going to be so awkward because I knew there was a lot I couldn’t tell him, something that still tore me apart. Oh to think of what he would say if I told him I had dined with the Mafia.

  Travis arrived at 7.30am to take us into work, Gary riding shotgun. Robert had liked to be at his desk by 7am but made concessions for me. I was not a morning person. Everyone else started at 9am but he liked to have a head start, that hour gave him peace to deal with his things before the rush of meetings he normally had.

  “Where do you want to start?” he asked when we arrived.

  “I don’t know, where do you think is best?”

  “Well, property is our largest section so why not with Richard?” he offered.

  “Will he be okay with me tagging along?”

  “They’ll be okay with whatever I tell them to be okay with,” he replied and I was reminded of his power within this organisation.

  It was a testament to his ability really, he was thirty seven, the guys a good twenty years older, if not more, yet they respected and deferred to him.

  Richard arrived and immediately met with Robert, he wanted to know how things went in New York as he would be the one marketing the properties. They chatted for half an hour before Robert told him I was interested in learning about the business and that he thought it a good idea I started with him.

  “Great idea, Brooke,” Richard said. “Why don’t you shadow me for a month or so and let’s see how you get on?”

  I followed him back to his floor and I must admit, I felt a little nervous. I hadn’t met anyone other than Jonathan’s team, so was not sure of the reception I would get. Richard introduced me to his PA and informed her that I would be working in the department for a while. He then introduced me to Pete, his second in command. Richard thought it good for Pete to explain what they did and to spend time with him. He was a really nice guy, he didn’t view me with any suspicion and I knew we could work well together.