“Meno male,” Julien mumbled under his breath. “It’s ok, it’s ok, I know this man.” Julien looked to Pops, asking silent permission to open the door. Pops gave a short nod, but didn’t move from his position by the door.
Julien met the mystery man on the porch, closing the door half way. I could hear their muffled greeting to each other. They spoke in a pidgin language that sounded like a combination of French, Italian and was that Farsi? I had no idea. Regardless, an argument sounds much the same in any language. Julien sounded exasperated. I took courage from that, because if he were in serious danger I doubted he would take the time to throw a tantrum.
The sound of their footsteps heading back towards the car brought me to the window. Mystery Man was opening his trunk. He didn’t look goonish or scary. Quite the opposite, in fact. He looked to be somewhere in his late forties to early fifties. He was wearing a well-tailored black suit, and carried himself with certain elegance. “There’s a man,” said Alex. He had a knack for reporting the obvious.
“Yes, baby. There’s a man.”
Nan joined me at the window. Together we watched as Mystery Man fished around in his trunk, eventually producing a small gadget that he handed to Julien. Julien looked it over carefully. He was not pleased. He handed the device back to Mystery Man, and put his foot up on the bumper of the car, raising his pant leg and exposing a well-formed calf muscle. Nan hummed in appreciation, forcing me to hide my amused smile. You think the calf is nice - you should see the rest of him.
Mystery Man then attached the device to Julien’s ankle, and the two men made their way back to the house.
Pops opened the door fully as they ascended the two steps to the porch. He was still holding his shotgun. “Signore Divoll, may I present my associate, Signore Donald Martin.”
Pops fixed Martin with a steely glare. “What might your business be on my property, Mr. Martin?”
Martin didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Pops. “I came in the best interest of our mutual friend, here.” Martin nodded toward Julien, offering his hand to Pops. “I also wanted to assuage any concerns you folks may have had about the incident at your grandson’s child care facility.” He was American. After hearing his pidgin debate with Julien I had expected him to speak with an accent of some sort.
Pops took the proffered hand and gave it a curt shake. “Our... mutual friend tells me he has gotten into some kind of trouble with some disreputable characters. Would you happen to know anything about that, Mr. Martin?”
Martin flashed Julien a quick look before answering. “Well, sir, I don’t know that I’d call it trouble per se. It’s just that Julien has entered into a gentleman’s agreement of sorts. The other party just wants to make sure Julien doesn’t decide to sell his product to a higher bidder before they work out some kinks on their end.”
“So they do so by threatening my grandson? This all seems a little below the table if you don’t mind my saying so.”
Martin raised his hands in a blameless gesture. “I can see how that might be upsetting, Mr. Divoll, and I assure you, at no time did they intend to harm your grandson. Rather they were attempting to send Julien a message. Do I agree with their tactics? Absolutely not. However I have met with the men in question, and we have managed to come to an agreement.”
I was still as a statue, and amazingly, so was Alex. He must have been picking up on the tension in the room, because he just sat quietly in my arms, seemingly enthralled by the goings on around him.
Pops turned to Julien. “Just what exactly is it that you are selling, young man?”
Julien seemed unsettled by Pops’ menacing tone. He was quick to answer. “Nothing nefarious sir! An algorithm and a bit of code. That is all.”
What? Since when was the Lothario of the Mediterranean involved in writing code?
Pops looked skeptical. “You mean to tell me that strange men are threatening my family over ‘an algorithm and a bit of code’?”
Julien glanced at Martin before answering. “With all due respect, Signore Divoll, I’m really not at liberty to say more, but I promise you, on my honor, that is all these men are interested in obtaining.”
Nan felt the need to point out to me in a whisper, “Oh, he knows the computers. You have to be pretty smart to do the formula stuff on the computers.” I hoped my answering look adequately conveyed to her that I thought now to be a less than stellar time to point out Julien’s qualities. She just shrugged as if to say, “What?”
Mr. Martin and Julien ended up staying for dinner. A more awkward, tension filled, forced meal I have never known. What little conversation there was was neutral and bland. Topics ranged from the local weather to the price of gas. All of the really pressing topics were staunchly avoided until dessert.
I kept trying to catch Julien’s eye across the table, but he was dividing his attention between warily watching Martin and Pops, and staring at Alex in awe. I don’t think either of us managed to eat more than a few bites.
Nan served Martin a large slice of her famous apple pie, and then asked if he’d like cream in his coffee. He declined the cream and took a hefty bite of pie, thoroughly enjoying himself, before dabbing his lips with a napkin and proclaiming, “Madam, this has to be the best apple pie I have ever had the pleasure to encounter.”
With Nan, flattery will get you everywhere. She smiled shyly and took the compliment with a, “Why, thank you, Mr. Martin...”
Martin then turned to Pops, and there was something about his posture that made it clear to me that it was time to get down to business. “Mr. Divoll. Thank you for your hospitality this evening. I’m sorry we had to meet under such... unconventional circumstances.”
Pops acknowledged Martin with a nod.
“Unfortunately, I’m afraid I have to impose on you once more.” Martin looked to Julien for confirmation before turning back to Pops.
Pops didn’t bother to ask what Martin meant. Instead he just continued to stare him down, knowing the other man would eventually elaborate without any prompting.
“Would you good people be opposed to hosting our mutual friend for a few days?”
Pops was ominously still. Julien seemed to come back to the present, and cleared his throat before speaking. “Signore Divoll, I completely understand any misgivings you might have in regards to my character. The truth is, I never knew about Alex.” He glanced at the toddler in question before continuing. “My business dealings require that I be stationary for the next few days, and in light of my recent discovery, I was hoping I could spend those days here, getting to know him...”
Pops looked from Julien to Alex. Alex was smearing apple pie goo across his napkin in an effort to clean his little hands. “I sticky, Mama,” he said, holding his messy palms up for inspection.
“I can pay you for the inconvenience, sir. Name your price.”
Pops shook his head like a surly bear. “Keep your damned money, young man. I’ll not be renting out my grandson’s time. A man has a right to know his son, and a son has a right to know his father. You are welcome to stay here, so long as I have your word that there will be no more questionable behavior from your business associates.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Oh my God. Julien would be staying here, in my house, for the next few days. And nights. I looked down at my lap, praying fervently that no one was paying me enough attention to notice my scalding hot cheeks.
“Grazie, mille grazie! I assure you, sir, as long as I stay put, they will do the same. Thank you.”
And it was settled, just like that. Julien Diotallevi, the very man that had haunted my dreams and sent alternate pangs of yearning and hatred through my heart for the past three and a half years, had not only arrived on my door step out of the blue, but would be staying in my home for the immediate foreseeable future.
I could feel Alex nod off, his solid little body turning into a dead weight. His petal soft lips went slack, releasing my nipple. His round, cherubic cheek melded
to the side of my breast, damp with sweat. I stared down at him a moment, in no hurry to surrender him to his bed.
The hall light threw a rectangle of light across the floor, and Julien’s body cast a shadow as he approached the door. He stood there quietly, letting his vision adjust to the darkness of the room. Our eyes locked. I stayed still as a statue. Julien was the first to break eye contact. I continued to watch his eyes as he let them wander down, traveling over my lips, past my neck, across my exposed breast and settling on our sleeping child. I remained still, sharing this moment with him. His expression was hard to read. His eyes met mine again, and I could see a sudden shift in them. They turned from introspective to predatory. A shiver ran down my spine, and I could feel goosebumps break out across my chest, my bare nipple hardening to attention. Julien’s lips parted the slightest bit and I could hear him draw in a breath.
Alex stirred in his sleep, breaking the spell. I gently shuffled him over into his bed and tucked his covers around him. Standing, I buttoned my blouse and turned toward the door. It was empty. Julien had gone.
I found him in the solarium. It was the one room Nan had insisted upon when Pops designed the house. It was a favorite of mine. I loved the feel of the smooth terra cotta tiles on my bare feet. At night, they retained a touch of warmth harvested from the sun throughout the day.
The myriad plants gave the room a bit of a jungle like feel. There was a giant fireplace built into the inner wall of the house, and three worn couches sat in a U shape around a threadbare oriental rug. I had spent many summer nights on those couches, reading by the light cast from the tall Tiffany lamps, or with the lights off, staring up at the starry night sky.
It was on one of these couches that Julien now sat.
I set a neatly folded stack of sheets and his mug of tea on the side table and sat facing him, tucking my legs under my body. We sat there in silence for a while. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but I could feel the hum of so many things unsaid between us, waiting just outside the circle of light cast by the multi-colored lamps. His voice was barely above a whisper when he finally spoke.
“You are still nursing?”
It wasn’t what I was expecting him to say. There were a million and one things I would not have been surprised to hear from him, but the topic of my nursing habits was not one of them.
“Uh, Yes. Only just before bed now.” I smiled a half smile and smoothed an imaginary crease in the thin material of my pajama pants. “It’s more for me than for him. I think he knows how much I’ll miss it. The connection.”
He nodded in understanding, but didn’t comment further.
Suddenly I was very tired. All of the events and revelations of the past seven hours were quickly catching up with me. I couldn’t believe he was here in front of me. How many times had I dreamed that? How many times had I sat in the very spot he was sitting now, and cried myself blind with wishing he would show up on my doorstep?
I put my elbow on the back of the couch and rested my head in my hand. He shifted his position to more fully face me. He looked contemplative. Wistful.
“There are so many thoughts warring for dominance in my mind, Chérie. I feel as if I have stepped out of reality and have entered into a parallel universe.”
Tears sprang unbidden to my eyes. “Aptly put, sir,” I managed.
“Yet even with all this chaos, I can’t stop thinking about what you told me.” He was watching me closely, gauging my reaction. “How I was your first. Ton premier amant.”
What? He’s just found out he has a son, there are disgruntled men keeping watch over his every move, and there are several unknowns yet to be plugged into our puzzle, and he is revisiting my virginity? Typical Julien. This man was made for sex, and I don’t remember ever complaining about that.
I sat up straighter and tried to look as sophisticated as my worn pj’s would allow. “My only.”
He shook his head in denial and replied earnestly, “I had no idea, Lara. My God, I think back to that night. The way I... the alley...” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “That was quite an introduction to the act of love, no?”
I smiled to show him I bore him no ill will. “It was what I wanted at the time.”
He shook his head again, this time with conviction. “How could you have known what you wanted? No. You deserved better.” He fell back against the back of the couch, running both hands through his hair, clearly agitated. “And the rest of the night - you must have been tender, but you never gave me any indication that you wanted me to stop...”
I cocked a brow at him and answered bluntly, “I didn’t want you to stop.”
That gave him pause. I could see him tense the slightest bit. He ran his hands from his hair down his face and sandwiched them between his thighs, shrugging the tension from his shoulders. “No, I guess you didn’t.” And just like that it was three and a half years ago. His smile was a time machine, and I was but a helpless traveller.
His eyes twinkled with a familiar glint. He was lost in time as well. “You must think all men to be insatiable beasts.”
I snorted a giggle in exasperation. “Don’t flatter yourself.” He chuckled lightly too. We were both quiet again for a moment, each no doubt thinking about the night in question. I wanted to ease his... his what? Guilt? Ego? I wasn’t sure. He was a very skilled lover, and surely he knew that without a shadow of a doubt. How could he not? I wanted him to know I had no regrets about our physical relationship; only that it ended too soon. I sobered and fixed him with a look of sincerity.
“Though I will admit to being surprised by how overpowering it can be...”
He turned in toward me again. The glint was gone, his tone serious. “It’s not always like that, Lara. Between lovers.”
I just smiled sadly. “I suspected as much.”
He moved his hand as if to touch me, but stopped himself. “There’s something between us, you and I. Something innegabile; undeniable. You can feel it too. I know you do.”
I forgot to breathe. I just sat there staring into his deep green eyes and willing him to kiss me. I could see him make up his mind. His pupils dilated and he slowly began to lean in.
“Lara,” came Pops’s deep voice from the doorway. We both jumped like a couple of teenagers caught making out in the basement. We looked up at Pops, matching blushes of shame staining our cheeks. “If you’ve seen to our guest’s comforts, I’d like a word with you before you turn in.”
We listened to Pops’s footsteps fade down the hall, the magic of the moment broken. I cleared my throat. “Uh, so, this is the couch that pulls out into a bed. It’s incredibly uncomfortable, and you’d probably sleep better on the floor, but it’s up to you. Extra blankets are in this chest.” I dropped my hand behind the couch and thumped the large steamer trunk that was nestled up against it. “There should be a few pillows in there as well.” I stood to go. He stood too.
“Lara, don’t.”
I took a step back before he could reach for me. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t run away from me.”
I tried unsuccessfully to look nonchalant. “I’m not. I’m just tired. We’ll talk tomorrow.” And with that I turned on my heel and high tailed it out of there before I let myself remember the incomparable allure of his embrace.
Pops was in his study. I stood meekly in the doorway, waiting for him to notice me. He yawned loudly and looked me over carefully before saying, “It’s been quite a day, hasn’t it?”
I nodded mutely, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He didn’t keep me waiting long.
He sighed wearily and took his reading glasses off, massaging the indentations they left on the bridge of his nose. “I’m not the smartest man on the planet, Missy, but I know enough to understand there’s nothing I can say or do right now that’s going to stop your little heart from racing when that boy looks at you that way.”
I did not like the direction Pops was heading. I decided to play stupid. “What way would that be, Pops?”
/>
He glared at me from under his brows. “Like he wants to eat you. Don’t play coy with me young lady. He’s been here all of eight hours and already I catch you playing mouse to his cat.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he silenced me with another glare. “Don’t waste your breath and my time trying to deny it. Even a blind man would know it by choking on the pheromones flying around the room. Like I said, I’m not fool enough to think I can change any of that. It’s simple biology. I’ve yet to hear of any mortal that could outsmart Mother Nature at what she does best.”
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “Then doesn’t that make what you’re about to say a moot point?”
Pops narrowed his eyes... Oh shit. Never poke a tiger with a stick.
“Don’t sass me, Missy. And don’t presume to know what it is I am about to say.”
I lowered my eyes, chastened. “Yes, sir.”
“I’m not going to tell you to stay away from him. God knows that seems to be the surest way to guarantee the opposite will happen. If I live to be a hundred and ten I don’t think I’ll ever understand the inner workings of the female mind.” He cleared his throat and continued. “That being said, I’d like to point out that you are a grown woman now. A mother, even, with grown woman, mother responsibilities. And I am respectfully asking you to remember that fact when you start feeling all mooney-eyed. You need to protect yourself, if not for you, then for your son.”
Oh God please don’t let this be what it sounds like. Please do not tell me my grandfather is lecturing me on safe sex.
Pops took notice of my nuclear blush and shook his head in exasperation. “ Your heart, Lara. I want you to protect your heart. Need I remind you of the sorry state you were in the last time? Moping around the house for months, crying enough tears to end the drought...” He couldn’t hide his amusement at my look of relief. He waved me away in dismissal. “Go on, get to bed.” I gratefully turned to go up to my room, but not before Pops flinched and called out, “And protect your other parts too, for crying out loud. Have we learned nothing from past transgressions?”
Sudden Legacy Page 3