“What’ll it be folks?” She asked in a snappy tone, flipping open her order pad.
“Sabrina, order anything you want.” Gio deferred and tried to force a smile in her direction. Sabrina ordered a regular cheese pie with some colas, eager to get rid of the waitress. The teenage waitress snapped her gum deliberately, shot Gio a coquettish look, and sauntered away to the kitchen, leaving Sabrina scowling at her backside.
Turning back to Gio, Sabrina asked plainly, “What does all this mean, Gio?”
“It means that the truth always sees the light of day.” He said distantly, gazing out the window as the traffic sped by in a blur. “When we get back to Vermont, I’ll get in touch with Max and he’ll help me bring these rodents to justice if they are the perpetrators. The first matter at hand is to figure out how they might have orchestrated this, and then how to frame them. If they’re guilty, I want them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” He squeezed his hands into fists as he said this last bit.
“What about the whole Cooper connection? Do you still want to pursue that?”
“Absolutely. Max’s work will be crucial in that area as well. Sabrina, you must think my family is crazy, but I swear…”
Sabrina cut him off. “Gio, I don’t think your family is crazy. First of all, your real family was taken from you in 1966. The people we saw tonight do not deserve the title of family, whether they’re guilty or not. I don’t want to sound judgmental, but I got a very dark feeling from the moment I met them, especially Helena.”
Gio was pondering those words as the waitress glided over and placed a steaming hot pizza pie in the center of the table.
“I’ll be right back with your sodas…ya want some cracked pepper or grated cheese?” The waitress piped, as Gio waved a dismissive hand in her direction.
In an effort to lighten the mood, Gio told Sabrina, “I make pizza, you know.”
“Really?” Sabrina looked up from her slice, interested.
“Yeah. I’m no gourmet chef, but I do like to cook. People from Maine to Florida know that Giovanni Salvatore makes the meanest pizza the East Coast has ever seen.” Sabrina laughed between mouthfuls of pizza while Gio continued, “When Carlo and I were children, our mother taught us how to make tomato sauce from scratch. We used tomatoes that she grew in our own vegetable garden. I think she always secretly longed for a daughter, but she was stuck with us boys and managed to sneak in a few cooking lessons. My father wasn’t crazy about the idea. He was very old world, a little chauvinistic, truth be told.” Sabrina laughed inwardly, seeing now where Gio got some of his mulish personality from. “Anyway, my mom showed us which herbs to use, how long to simmer the sauce on the stovetop…how to get everything just right. Today, I just buy a little dough, sprinkle on some toppings, and put her lessons to use. You’ll have to taste my pizza some time. But I’m warning you that it’s very addictive.”
“I’m sure I could handle it.” Sabrina laughed, then softened her expression. “That was a beautiful story, Gio. I’d like to hear more about your family.”
“You will. The memories come in bits and pieces. It feels good to talk about them, though, I have to say.”
After sharing the pleasant memory about his mother, Gio’s appetite returned with a vengeance and he scarfed down the majority of the pizza, while Sabrina nibbled on a conservative two slices. Much to Sabrina’s chagrin, the waitress couldn’t resist a final hip sway and hair toss in Gio’s direction, but he seemed not to notice.
Inside the truck, they began the long voyage back to Vermont as Sabrina settled into her seat and asked, “Any other nice memories you’d like to talk about?”
“Like I said, they come in bits and pieces…but being in New York does give me a flashback of the only time in my life I’ve been to Rockefeller Center. I was about ten years old, and it was the middle of December. My mom was getting a little restless as the long winter fell over us. Having grown up in the center of Milan, she was used to the cosmopolitan lifestyle, although her family was not rich, just city dwellers. My father grew up in a small town in Sicily, so he craved the tranquility that rural life offered. To make my mother happy, though, he would take us to Boston or New York from time to time. That particular December, Carlo had it in his head that he wanted to see the tallest Christmas tree on earth! And where else would that be possible but at Rockefeller Center? So we all drove into the city one Saturday morning, flopped around hysterically on the ice skating rink, and joined the ranks of thousands of other idiots cramming themselves around a giant tree.”
“Sounds like you weren’t impressed.” Sabrina observed with a giggle.
“The sight of the tree was spectacular, but I kept thinking how the tree should still be in the earth. I mean, why uproot such a magnificent specimen of nature just so people could hang garland around it and stare?”
Sabrina commented, “That was an insightful perspective for a kid. I guess you’ve always cared about the environment.”
“Yes, I have.” Gio agreed. “But enough about me. I’ve hardly heard any of your childhood stories. Tell me one.”
“It’s funny because my family is city folk, so we wanted to do the opposite in our free time. We were always clamoring to get out of the mania of New York and into a more meditative place. Except for Cara, that is. My sister has the city in her blood and bones. She used to whine whenever we would take a daytrip away from Manhattan. Anyway, for my twelfth birthday, my parents got me a camera. It was an unusual gift because I hadn’t asked for one. I had asked for a Beatles album. So, I got this camera not knowing that it would change the course of my life. My birthday is in the summer…the fifth of July in case you’re wondering.” She paused to flash Gio a charismatic smile.
“Yes, I’ll have to keep that information stored in the vault.” He said, pointing humorously to his head.
With a laugh, Sabrina resumed, “Since it was Independence Day weekend and my birthday, we decided to take a trip. We really wanted to get away and not go to any New York beaches. So we braved the summer traffic for a trip to Cape May in New Jersey. With my new camera, I took so many pictures of the beach and boardwalk. I wouldn’t put the camera down all weekend. Photography became my passion that summer. That was also the year I discovered salt water taffy. If you think I’ve got a penchant for maple candy, you haven’t seen me with a box of taffy.” She winked.
Gio smiled, engaged by her story and amused to picture the beguiling woman as an innocent twelve year old, excitedly lugging a camera around the beach. “Do you have the pictures you took during that trip to Cape May?”
“Yes, I do. There’s one framed on my mantel at home. It’s of a pair of sea gulls flying over the Atlantic Ocean.”
“I think I noticed it one time. That’s a remarkable shot. I can’t believe you were just a child when you took it.”
“Thank you.” Sabrina said, lowering her eyelashes in genuine humbleness.
A gently pattering drizzle on the windshield gave way to a full-blown thunderstorm as they crossed the state border into Vermont. They had stopped just once before the rain to get some hot beverages from a roadside rest area. After that brief reprieve from the lengthy drive, Gio and Sabrina had agreed that they would not stop until they reached her house in Burlington. The roads were poorly lit, and Gio had to strain in order to see in front of him as the rain created a hazy sheath on the glass. Weary of driving, Gio began to pick up speed, eager to reach Sabrina’s home.
“Gio! You’re going too fast for this weather. Please slow down.”
“Sabrina, I know what I’m doing. I’m not a novice.” He grumbled, defiantly pressing harder on the gas pedal. Just then a piercing sound cut through the air, shoving the truck into an obedient slowness and leaving one side unsteady.
“What was that?!” Sabrina cried, clutching instinctively at her seatbelt.
He looked dumbly at her. “A flat tire! What do you think it was, woman?”
Sabrina had to bite her lip to prevent herself fr
om retorting. Again, this man had inexplicably and unpredictably slipped into a state of crankiness. Gio flicked on the hazards and jerked the truck over to the roadside, praying that the path was wide enough for oncoming traffic to safely pass.
Without a word, he leaped out of the vehicle and went to the trunk to fumble around for a spare tire. Sabrina sat inside, watching him from her side view mirror. He had only been out of the car for a few seconds, but already the rain had drenched him. The moon was the only light that surrounded them, and Sabrina thought that his shadow looked dangerous and imposing in the darkness. From the warmth and security of the truck, she admired the striking sight of him wrestling with the spare tire and bouncing it onto the road.
His face was covered with droplets of rain blended with sweat. She tried to envision what he would look like on the job, in his uniform with all that gear on his broad back. The thought sent tingles through her.
Gio grunted in frustration as the torrential rain impaired his vision and he struggled to see what he was doing. When he had finally secured the spare tire, he circled around to the driver’s seat and gave her a sad look that reminded her of a hound dog.
“How are you doing?” She asked, grinning.
“Look at me. I’m a human sponge.” He joked, starting up the engine with grease-covered hands. “I must say, you look very warm and cozy sitting there.” Gio said more seriously before leaning over to give her a kiss.
When their lips parted, Sabrina murmured, “Mmm, I didn’t know raindrops tasted so good.”
“Behave yourself, young lady. We still have a long drive back to Burlington, and it doesn’t take much from you to steal my attention from the road.”
The remainder of the ride home was smooth, and the rain began to dissipate the farther north they got. When Gio finally pulled into Sabrina’s driveway, he looked expectantly at her, and she could read his thoughts.
“Are we saying good night now, or may I walk you inside?” He queried with unconcealed anticipation.
“You may walk me inside.” She granted, waiting for him to come round and help her out of the truck.
He opened the door and grabbed her hand to offer support as she attempted to get out as gracefully as possible from the mammoth vehicle. The pavement was wet, and the moment her feet touched the ground, she slid into him. Grasping his shoulders for balance, she gazed up at his shadowy face and brushed her mouth feather-lightly against his, tantalizing him with sensation. Then, having regained her balance, Sabrina walked ahead of him towards the front door as he followed with heavy footsteps and ragged breathing.
Just loud enough for her to hear, he muttered, “You’ve teased me too much, Primrose.”
Chapter 9
Turning the key in the lock, Sabrina could hear Softy yowling and scratching from behind the door. She walked into the house as the hyperactive cat pounced on her, then lolled around on the floor, begging for affection. Sabrina looked sympathetically at the cat, knowing that Mrs. Benjamin was a poor substitute and that Softy had likely spent many nights waiting in vain by the front door.
“Poor Softy. Let me get you some treats,” Sabrina cajoled as Gio appeared in the doorway, carrying a clean flannel shirt.
“I don’t have a change of pants in the truck, but I’ve got this dry shirt.” Gio muttered, stomping his feet on the welcome mat, trying unsuccessfully not to drip too much water onto Sabrina’s hardwood floors.
“You better get into that shirt before you catch cold. The temperature has really dropped.” Sabrina advised, shaking a can of treats in front of Softy’s sniffing nose.
“I know. Do you mind if I just put the shirt on right here before I head home?”
“Of course not. Go ahead.” Sabrina dispersed a handful of treats to Softy who gobbled them up promptly.
Gio tossed his jacket onto the floor and yanked off his sopping wet shirt in a single motion. Sabrina was captivated by the display of him, bare-chested, a masculine coating of rich black hair on top of tight rippled muscles that glistened with raindrops. With a confident stride, Gio approached her, holding the flannel shirt in one hand. As though hypnotized, Sabrina continued to stare, then blushed furiously as he inched closer to her.
“Don’t look away.” Gio said hoarsely. “You can look at me all you want.”
Sabrina simply smirked and stood across from him, staring up at his face, seeing his mouth twitch slightly. Then she stole his breath by standing on tip-toe, cradling his face between her hands and kissing him lingeringly on the lips. She wrapped her arms around him, caressing the tense, corded muscles of his shoulders and back, pressing her soft body into his chest.
This time there would be no turning back, and she didn’t want to. The man was half-nude in her house, smelling of cool rain and natural sandalwood, and she desired him as brutally as he wanted her.
Gio instinctively sensed a yielding in Sabrina and did not restrain his urges, as he began to peel off her clothing, starting with her top, throwing it brazenly to the floor. Garment by garment, standing in the middle of her living room, he stripped them both until they were bare and entwined in a straining, rapidly escalating embrace. Mischievously, Sabrina tore herself away from Gio, pleased to witness his breathlessness as she glided up the stairs to her bedroom and he hunted her with heavy, determined footsteps.
Catching her in the bedroom, Gio tossed her effortlessly onto the bed and hovered over her, as their limbs interlaced, mouths fused, and spirits came alive with the mutual joy of lovemaking. Their eyes locked and shared secrets that their mouths would not yet utter. Her heart split open as his spectacular touch riveted her to the summit of erotic gratification.
Afterward they lay side by side on top of the bedspread, neither making a move to conceal their nudity. The urgency and exhilaration of their lovemaking had left them both speechless and heavy-lidded with pleasant exhaustion. Gio’s breathing was still shallow, a testament to the profound effect Sabrina harnessed over him.
After several minutes of lying together without speaking, the silence became deafening for Sabrina. She wished that Gio would say something. To rouse him to communication, she ran a soothing hand over his chest, twirling her fingers around the crisp hairs, and kissed him on the cheek.
He responded by putting an arm around her shoulders and letting her head rest on the spot where his heart beat. She lay there a few more moments, letting her eyes flutter closed as his powerfully beating heart vibrated through her ears, becoming a part of her.
Finally, Gio began to stir and opened his mouth to mutter. “Wow.”
“Hmmm?” Sabrina murmured sleepily.
“Wow. Thank you.” He said as she instantly lifted her head off his chest.
“Thank you?” Sabrina was wide awake now and flabbergasted by his statement.
“Yes, Sabrina, thank you for giving me…I mean giving us…exactly what we needed. That was…wow.”
The casualness of his words devastated her. Why had he suddenly turned into a bumbling idiot who could only speak in monosyllables like “wow?” For her, the lovemaking had been a transcendent experience that caused her core to quiver like a fallen leaf in the autumn breeze. For him, was this just what he “needed,” something to fulfill his animal urges?
“Gio, is that all you have to say?” She asked in a small, expectant voice, instantly feeling foolish. He had told her he wanted something real, but at this moment it all seemed a clever ploy to lure her into bed.
“I’m so exhausted right now, I can’t even think straight.” He yawned.
Now Sabrina was livid. Was he going to use that ridiculous excuse to avoid communicating? Just a few minutes ago, he had displayed boundless energy. Before Sabrina could fume at him, she heard a high-pitched beep, sounding as though it were coming from downstairs.
Gio glanced towards the stairs. “That’s my beeper. I must have left it in my pants downstairs. It’s a good thing the rain didn’t ruin it.” He mused, rising from the bed.
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