Northern Moonlight

by Anisa Claire West

  On Tuesday morning, she awoke feeling angry and beat her pillow several times to relieve tension as Softy watched with bulging eyes and cocked ears. Deciding to wait a while until she telephoned Gio again, Sabrina grabbed her purse and drove to her favorite shopping center in Burlington. The center housed numerous boutiques and just one major department store. Hoping for a bargain on an evening gown for the gala, Sabrina combed through the aisles of the department store, not really sure what style of dress she was looking for.

  Most of the evening gowns on the rack were the ubiquitous formal shade of black, but Sabrina sought a more riveting color. Finally, after shooing away an aggressive sales attendant, she selected three gowns to take to the dressing room as “finalists.” The first was a saucy, above-the-knee cocktail dress made of daring red lace and flaunting a scalloped neckline. The second candidate was a more conservative full-length gown in white crepe material. Sabrina’s third dress was an elegant compromise between the first two: a festive, silver-sequined curve hugger of moderate length and neckline. As soon as she saw her reflection shining back at her from the dressing room mirror, Sabrina knew that the silver one would be the dress. Yes, she concluded, the red dress would cause a scandal and garner too much attention while the white dress conspicuously resembled a wedding gown.

  Pleased with herself as she noted the discount price on the tag, Sabrina traipsed over to the register, mentally selecting which pair of shoes she would wear. Sabrina did not own many shoes or purses and could not understand the fetish that so many women had for these frivolous objects. She only owned four pairs of high heels, and the most suitable pair would be her black sling-backs that she had worn on her first date with Gio. Sabrina left the department store, glancing at her watch, tossing the shopping bag in the backseat of her car and hurrying over to the office for a scheduled staff meeting.

  *****

  Another day passed and still Sabrina could not track Gio down by telephone. With the slightest bit of trepidation, she decided that she would land on his doorstep uninvited just as he had done with her. On Wednesday night, after clearing away her dinner dishes, Sabrina drove to Gio’s loft for the first time. As she tried to wrestle her sedan into a parallel parking spot on the crowded street, Sabrina looked up at the three-story building noting that a light was illuminated on the top floor.

  Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell for Gio’s apartment. Nerve-wracking moments passed until she could discern the familiar thud of his footsteps coming down the stairs. The door swung open and his eyes widened curiously at the sight of her.

  “Sabrina, are you trying to beat me at my own game?” He asked slyly.

  “Game? What?” Sabrina mumbled, suddenly very unsure of herself.

  “The uninvited but very welcome guest. Isn’t that the game we’ve been playing lately?”

  “I don’t know about you, but I sure haven’t been playing any games. That’s not my modus operandi.” Sabrina said, flushed.

  “There you go again with that intellectual language. To what do I owe the honor of your presence?”

  Ignoring his question, Sabrina countered, “Aren’t you going to invite me inside?”

  “Of course, come on upstairs.”

  With that, he turned his back to her and compelled her to follow him up the winding staircase. Sabrina surveyed the barren space of Gio’s loft and immediately decided it could benefit from the warmth of a woman’s presence. The walls were bare and, much like Gio’s aging truck, in dire need of painting. There were no framed photographs or other decorations to break up the monotony. The loft’s color scheme was a study in muddy neutrals, with ceilings an odd hue of celery and the walls shaded in beige. Gio’s furniture was equally nondescript with several unmatched pieces in muted earth tones and a leather sofa with a gaping hole in the side.

  In juxtaposition to the living room, the kitchen boasted a full set of stainless steel cookware fit for an epicurean. The man even had a spice rack filled with about a dozen varieties of herbs. Tiny glass bottles of oregano, tarragon, and thyme were lined up tidily inside the rack. On the kitchen floor, Pal was reclining next to a half-gnawed milk bone. Two windows sat directly above the kitchen sink, allowing ample light to enter.

  “You have a very cheerful kitchen.” Sabrina commented.

  “Yeah, it’s my favorite room since it’s where I do all my eating.” Gio joked as she gave an appreciative smile, eager to lift the crackling tension between them.

  “Why don’t I show you my second favorite room?” He suggested, and Sabrina immediately knew that he meant the bedroom.

  She let him guide her there as she surveyed the neat but similarly barren space. His bedspread was a chocolate-toned patchwork that draped what appeared to be a king-size bed. A bland taupe area rug sat in the center of the room and, as Sabrina glanced to the right, she noted a bookcase stacked high with reading materials.

  “Why do you keep your bookcase in your bedroom instead of in the living room?” Sabrina questioned, edging closer to the bookcase and finding there a vast array of literary genres. There were mostly books on history, culinary arts, and baseball. On the bottom shelf, a few volumes about architecture were stacked towards the shelf’s rim, giving Sabrina the impression that he did not read them very often.

  “Because I like to read before I sleep. It calms me.” He replied, eyeing her closely, hoping that she wouldn’t leave too soon---the way he had foolishly done on Sunday.

  Uncomfortable with the expression in his eyes, Sabrina began to tell him of the tickets she had obtained. “You’ll be glad to know that I was able to get four tickets to the gala. I brought two of them with me today for you and Max. Cara will be arriving on Friday morning and she and I will meet you there.” Sabrina handed him the tickets as he looked at her warily, disappointed by the business-like demeanor she had assumed.

  “Thank you, Sabrina. This is great. But don’t you want us to pick you ladies up?”

  Sabrina shook her head vigorously. “No. Cara has never met Max before and it could feel awkward for both of them. This is not a double date. It’s four professionals joining together as a team…and maybe enjoying a little wine.” She tacked on the last bit in hopes of lightening the atmosphere. Gio smiled at her mention of wine and nodded in understanding to her logic concerning Cara and Max.

  Sabrina continued, “I would have told you this over the phone, but you’ve been unreachable for the past few days.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been putting in extra hours at the firehouse.”

  “You must be exhausted. And I actually have to get going myself since I’m going to try to finally take my sunrise photographs tomorrow morning. The weather forecast predicts clearer skies than we’ve had in weeks. So I had better get going.”

  She walked towards the door, hoping that Gio would escort her down the stairs and out of his apartment building. But instead he blocked the doorway, placing his hands on either side of the wall so that she could not pass through.

  “You can pretend all you want that nothing happened the other night. But that can’t undo what’s been done. You can play hard to get all you want, but it will happen between us again. What are you afraid of?” Gio asked roughly.

  Sabrina wanted to ask him the same question. Here he was again in open pursuit, but once she succumbed, would he disappear so suddenly and leave her feeling used again? She did not want to find out the answer.

  With as much coolness as she could muster, Sabrina said, “I really do need to wake up early tomorrow, so please let me go.” Gio’s face twisted menacingly and he pulled her forcefully into his arms, fusing their bodies so closely that she could scarcely breathe.

  She thought that he was about to kiss her, but instead he muttered, “Go get your beauty rest, Primrose. But that doesn’t mean I’m letting you go. I’ll see you Friday.”

  As he spoke, his grip tightened on her arms. When he released her, it was with such force that she stumbled backwards and fought to keep her balance. Glaring at
him, Sabrina breezed past the doorway and didn’t wait for him to follow her out.

  *****

  On Friday night, Sabrina careened into the gallery’s parking lot with Cara grumbling in the passenger seat. Trying to drown out the din of her sister’s complaining, Sabrina reflected on what had transpired since she had stormed out of Gio’s apartment on Wednesday. If Gio had tried to phone her, she had not been home to receive the call, and she certainly had made no effort to contact him. It incensed her that he thought of their next physical interlude as inevitable, as though she had no say in the matter. Although she still desired him, she refused to be his doormat or, worse, to be his porcelain doll, available to play with when bored and then set back onto a shelf to collect dust.

  Tonight, in her sparkling silver party dress, Sabrina was feeling empowered and very self-confident about her beauty. Despite her depression, Cara also looked radiant. Dressed in a lemon-yellow gown that accentuated her slender silhouette and highlighted her crystalline eyes, Cara would no doubt attract bountiful male attention.

  The two sisters stepped out of the sedan, as the elder Montrouge peered around the parking lot for Gio. Sabrina and Gio recognized each other in the same moment, and he strode over to her with a shorter man alongside him. In his sleek black tuxedo and crisp white dinner shirt, Gio looked almost like royalty, a very different image from his usual rugged jeans-and-boots attire. Max was also dapper in his tuxedo but did not possess the same presence or magnetism that Gio did.

  “So that’s Gio?” Cara whispered to her sister. “He’s gorgeous. So tall and handsome. His friend looks like a troll next to him.”

  “Hush Cara! They’re coming over here.” Sabrina reprimanded in a harsh breath.

  Gio’s eyes were penetrating and perusing as he beheld Sabrina in her stunning silver dress.

  “Good evening, ladies. Sabrina, you look beautiful.” Gio said with a slight bow of his head.

  “Thank you, Gio. This is my sister, Cara.” Sabrina began the introductions as the foursome shook hands with one another. Sabrina thought she saw a captivated twinkle in Max’s emerald eyes when he shook Cara’s hand with deliberate gentleness.

  Max addressed the group. “Before we go inside, I just want to brief you about what we need to focus on. To begin the evening, we should blend in seamlessly---just drinking, eating, and admiring the exhibition. Even if Gio spots Cooper as soon as we walk in the door, it could blow our cover to immediately approach him. The longer the evening goes, the more relaxed people will be, and the easier a covert interrogation will be. So let’s wait until I give a signal before anyone swoops in to talk to Cooper, OK?” Max looked at Gio for affirmation.

  Gio nodded thoughtfully and added, “My main objective is to gauge what Cooper’s reaction is. I don’t have a specific line of questioning planned. I just want to see if he’s as uncomfortable with the subject of the fire as Stefano and Helena were. On the other hand, he may not even remember; in that case, this evening is a dead end.”

  “That’s not true, Gio. Each step you take in investigating the fire brings you closer to exacting justice.” Sabrina asserted.

  “She’s right, man.” Max concurred, not looking directly at his friend but rather admiring Cara in her slinky yellow dress. Cara noticed his appraisal and looked back at him through indifferent eyes and a disapproving pout.

  “You’re right, Sabrina. You always make me understand things better.” Gio spoke sincerely, as Sabrina spontaneously gave him a hug, trying to transfer to him the courage he would need to make it through this night.

  The foursome proceeded through the doors of the gallery and into the lavishly decorated reception area. Poster-size photographs were artfully arranged on standing easels, and several tables of buffet food on silver platters lined the room.

  “I was hoping for an open bar.” Max chuckled in Gio’s direction, as he saw impeccably uniformed sommeliers circling the room.

  “Don’t be a boor, Max. You know this is a first class event.” Gio said laughing.

  “Sabrina, let’s go get something to eat, alright? You gentlemen don’t mind if I steal my sister for a while do you?” Cara asked abruptly as Sabrina gave her a reproachful look.

  Max smirked at Cara, while Gio frowned slightly, saying, “You can borrow her, but you can’t steal her. I want her back soon.”

  Cara nodded and practically dragged her sister by the hand over to a table heaped with hors d’oeuvres.

  “That was so rude, Cara! What is wrong with you?” Sabrina hissed.

  “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stand to be around that Max fool for another second.”

  “You just met the man! We haven’t spent more than five minutes in his presence.” Sabrina argued.

  “Well that’s five minutes too long for me. I didn’t like the way he was leering…and that comment he made about an open bar! Gio pegged him right when he told him not to be a boor. Ugh. I wish Bruce were here.” Cara’s shoulders slumped as soon as she uttered her ex-lover’s name.

  Sabrina put her arm around Cara and said soothingly, “I know you miss Bruce. It’s OK that you miss him. But at least try to have a good time tonight. You came all the way from New York for this. Look, let’s get some of those yummy looking cheese puffs.” She pointed to a platter of flaky pastries.

  “Is everything at this party going to be made of cheese?” Cara whined.

  “Now who’s being a boor?” Sabrina asked rhetorically. “Vermont cheese comes directly from local creameries. It’s unlike any you’ve ever tasted before, trust me. But if the cheese displeases you so much, there’s plenty of other food. Look at those stuffed mushrooms and that crudités platter over there.” Sabrina took Cara by the hand like a little girl and planted her in front of the non-dairy hors d’oeuvres.

  “That’s enough, Sabrina. You’re making me feel silly now.” Cara complained, snatching up some carrot sticks and cauliflower.

  “You should feel silly. Try to conduct yourself more discreetly, for my sake.” Sabrina requested.

  “I will.” Cara decided firmly. “Mmm…look at that quiche over there. I want some of that.”

  “It has cheese in it.” Sabrina warned, grinning.

  “I know, but I’m eating it anyway!” Cara exclaimed, returning her grin. “Tell me, Sabrina, how are things going between you and Gio?”

  Sabrina’s expression darkened. “I don’t know how things are going. The man hasn’t been very consistent.”

  “Consistency is not always an indicator that a man will stick around. Bruce was the most predictable person for the whole time we were together and then out of the blue, he packs his life up to move to Africa!”

  Sabrina indulged Cara, realizing that she could not go very long before dragging Bruce back into the conversation. “You’re right, Cara. Anyone can change at any time. It’s just that Gio seems to have a hard time expressing his emotions.”

  “Are you serious? Every man has trouble with that! Give him a chance. You’ve only been seeing him a short while. If you expect too much from men, you might stay single.”

  Sabrina was jolted by the truth of Cara’s words and knew that she could not run away from a relationship with Gio, even if running would be the safer route to take. She gave Cara a grateful squeeze and began to take a series of photographs that Darlene would expect on her desk. Sabrina made the rounds, snapping pictures of gala attendees fawning over the exhibits as well as capturing the elegant atmosphere of the gallery.

  Across the room, Gio and Max were sampling two glasses of Pinot Noir from New York State’s Finger Lakes district. “It’s nice how they keep up with the local sprit of things and offer domestic wines.” Gio commented off-handedly, inhaling the summery raspberry aroma.