by C. M. Carpi
“Aunt Sue?” — I asked curious.
“Her mother.” — He embraced me harder, kissing my neck. — “Please, Elena, don’t think I was excluding you. I just needed to be with them for a while and…” — I put my finger on his lips and made him stop.
“I’ll say it again.” — I kissed his mouth. — “I’ll always be here.” — He opened his mouth but I kissed it again and he smiled. He looked more relaxed, but it wasn’t the smile I loved, not yet. — “I love you, Daniel. I trust you very much and if you don’t want to tell me what you talked about I’ll understand. What you two had is up to you, but you need to know I’ll always be here no matter what.” —He caressed my hair gently as his eyes shone. — “Never forget it.”
He assented.
“I won’t.” — He pulled me and embraced me again. I wanted to stay like this forever.
“I never thought I’d love someone this much.” — Now it was his turn to kiss me, and it wasn’t a gentle kiss. It was full of passion as he bit my lips in a way that made my whole body reacts. — “I love you.” — He whispered before lying over me on the floor.
* * *
He didn’t sleep that night. He had nightmares every time he’d fall asleep and got up several times to look at the window. I saw him when he sat in the armchair and watched me. He held me with strength and I felt like he needed it, just to make sure I was there. When I reacted to his touch, I noticed he relaxed his body.
The next day I woke up with his embrace. One of his arms was over my belly and his mouth very close to my neck. It was Monday, but he was so tired that I wasn’t sure if I should wake him up. I got up and prepared to leave the room when the telephone rang on the bedside table. I looked at Daniel, but he didn’t even move. I hesitated a little before answering.
“Daniel.” — Owen said as soon as I took it. He didn’t even say hello.
“Owen, it’s me, Elena.”
“Elena, hi.” — He looked anxious. — “I’ve been trying his cell phone, but he doesn’t answer.”
“Is there any problem?”
“No.”— He stopped for seconds. — “Actually… yes, there is.” “We have a meeting in half an hour and he didn’t get here yet. Is he ok?” — He hesitated before continuing and I heard him taking a deep breath. — “Is he there or not?”
“Yes, he is.” — I answered and smiled of the way he said it, but I understood his concerning. — “He’s sleeping, I’ll wake him…”
“Know what… never mind.” — He interrupted me. — “We can deal with everything here. I know Daniel and I can imagine he had a terrible night.” — I loved the friendship between them.
“Yes, he did.” — I assented while looking at Daniel, who was deeply sleeping.
“Tell him to take the day off.”
“Thanks, Owen.”
“No. Thank you, Elena.” — He was the only one who hadn’t connected Daniel’s behavior to me yet. I was getting used to it after these last months, though I didn’t agree.
I took the telephone with me in case it rang again. I didn’t want to wake Daniel up.
“Good morning, Elena.”
“Oh God! You scared me!” — I put both hands on my chest. Susanne was in the kitchen storing the food she bought. I was so distracted I didn’t realize there was someone else in here.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.” — She smiled as elegantly as usual. — “I thought there was nobody home.”
“No, I woke up early today. Daniel is still sleeping.
“Is he sick?” — She said, looking a little concerned.
“No.” — I smiled at her question, but I was curious at the same time. —“Why?”
“Well, I know Daniel since he was a baby and he never slept after 7 a.m.” — She rolled her eyes as she remembered something funny. — “He was every nanny’s nightmare. He always woke up early and didn’t sleep again. I tried everything, but he wouldn’t close his eyes not even for a second.” — She laughed. Then I realized that I never woke up before him, except for that morning in Florence and today.
“I’d like to take his breakfast on bed, will you help me? The only thing I can prepare is pancakes.” — I was embarrassed.
“Of course.”
I only made the pancakes so I wouldn’t ruin anything. Susanne prepared everything else: orange juice, coffee, bacon with scrambled eggs, and fruits salad. I was leaving and holding the tray with both hands when she called me back.
“Here” — She put the yogurt on the tray. — “He really likes this yogurt.”
“Thanks, Susanne.”
She just smiled and went back to the kitchen.
He was still sleeping when I entered the room. I put the tray on the dresser in front of the bed and went under the blanket to be over him.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” — I kissed his mouth slowly. He mumbled something and opened his eyes reluctantly.
“Good morning, love.” — His voice was hoarse. He embraced me and kissed me, pulling my body closer to his.
“Did you sleep well?” — He assented and stretched closing his eyes again.
“What time is it?”
“Ten.”
“What?” — He opened his eyes wide and got up fast. He started dressing his black trousers and the suit on the armchair. — “Shit! Why didn’t you wake me up?” — He opened the wardrobe to get a shirt, but he just left it and went in the bathroom.
“Daniel.” — I called, but he didn’t answer.
He left the bathroom with the toothbrush inside his mouth and saying something I couldn’t understand because of the toothpaste.
“I had a meeting at 8:30 a.m.” — He opened the wardrobe again and stared at the shirts I organized last night.
“Did you do this?” — He asked frowning, but I didn’t understand him. He got a shirt and went back in the bathroom. I smiled.
“Daniel!” — I shouted. He left the bathroom and didn’t look at me. He went to the wardrobe and got a light blue shirt.
“Owen will kill me.” — He started buttoning up.
“Daniel, stop!” — I couldn’t stop laughing.
“Why are you laughing?” — He looked at me before putting the shirt inside his pants.
“Owen called earlier and he said you didn’t need to work today.” — He frowned as he looked at me.
“Did you talk to him?”
“Hum-hum. He said you’d better take the day off and I agreed.” — I archly smiled at him while unbuttoning my pajamas. He smiled back, and I loved that half-smile! He took off his shirt and threw it on the floor. He always undressed very quickly. — “Now take off your pants and let’s go back to bed. I got you breakfast.” — I pointed at the tray.
“Did you do all this?”
“No, Susanne helped me.”
“Is she here?” — He kneeled beside the bed and caressed my face.
“Yes, she’s in the kitchen.” — I could feel his touch all over my body.
“Then we’d better lock the door, because I’m not going to work today and we’re not leaving the room.” — He pulled my legs and lay over me.
“That’s an excellent idea.” — I said before he touched my mouth with his.
* * *
The broker that John indicated me was very helpful and he understood exactly what I needed. We found the perfect place for my business in Tribeca, about twenty minutes away from my house or Daniel’s. That made things easier.
It was an old industrial storehouse, which was deactivated five years ago. It was perfect, although it needed some reforms. We had 700m and many ideas to work on. I drew the project and we started the works in the end of September. “The Hangar” was ready in the beginning of November.
Jess moved t
o New York last month and started working with me. She gave cooking classes and was the one responsible for the bistro that ran inside the Hangar. She specialized in healthy recipes, but I obligated her to make Nutella croissants.
Callie, my newest friend and one of the most trustful ones, gave contemporary dancing classes and she was the photographer responsible for the events specially weddings. She had a special gift to do it and she helped me during the classes.
We had piano and violin teachers. We also hired painting and drama teachers.
Every Friday the Hangar opened its doors with free classes for children and teenagers who couldn’t afford it.
My office was on the second floor and there was a special room for expositions in the back.
After three weeks, the Hangar was already a huge success and there was a wait list for all classes. I had two projects going on: the reformation of a loft in the SoHo and two apartments on Daniel’s building. When one of the neighbors asked who the architect responsible for the reformation and decoration of his apartment was and I said it was me.
I adopted New York as my home and I already knew every place there. When I wasn’t working I would explore the city using the subways or my car, which I brought from North Carolina. I really liked to ride my bike as well, and that was terrible for Daniel.
An old building with red bricks became my favorite place. It was at the corner of 55 and the Third Avenue. PJ Clark’s became one of my favorite places in the city. We had dinner there at least once a week and Daniel would eat a hamburger sometimes.
I couldn’t be happier.
Daniel
“Elena?”— The door wasn’t locked and as soon as I went inside I could see the white candles Elena left all over the house, from the coffee table to the stairway. The room had a light scent of vanilla and I could hear “Wish you were here” playing on the background. Yes, she learned to apreciate Pink Floyd and the songs I liked. Thank God.
“Hi.” — She appeared on the kitchen door and I felt my mouth drying. Her hair was going down her shoulders and she wore a black and short dress. While I looked down at her beautifully shaped legs, I noticed she didn’t wear shoes and her nails were painted in red. I don’t know when it started but it was sort of a fetish and she knew it. That’s why her nails were always beautiful.
She held two glasses of red wine and smiled as she walked in my direction. I couldn’t control myself when she smiled like that and her lips invited me for a long kiss.
“You’re late.” — She said handing me the glass.
“I came as soon as I could.” — I kissed her lips and she put her hand on my face making me warm. I put my arm around her waist and pulled her to me. I could feel her body while I opened my mouth and she did the same, but she just smiled and moved away.
“What’s all this?” — I followed her to the dining room. There were candles all over the table as well.
“I wanted to make a surprise.” — She was on the other side of the table and her body glowed with the candles lights. Her green eyes were brighter than usual. She was gorgeous.
“Did you cook?” — She negated while drinking more of her wine and she put the glass on the table. — “You’re the cooker here. I ordered at Nomad.” — I nodded and went closer to her.
“Come here.” — I put my glass on the table and pulled her closer. It had been a week since I saw her and I didn’t spend so much time away since we’ve met.
“You’re not allowed of traveling alone again, did you understand?” — I didn’t answer, Ijust kissed her mouth gently. She kissed me with more intensity than I did, touching my body and pulling my hair. — “I hate to be away from you, Daniel.” — She said while kissing my neck and taking off my tie and my suit. — “I hate it.”
“Elena…” — She smiled. — “If I knew you’d be like this I’d travel more often.” — She put her hand inside my pants. — “Ah!”
“We’re going upstairs and you will make love to me.” — Her voice was whimsical and her hands explored every centimeter of my body. — “Once, twice, all night.” — She spoke among kisses. Seeing her like that was too breathtaking.
We never reached the bedroom. We made love on the stairs before getting in the bathtub to do it again.
“Is your grandmother coming for Thanksgiving?” — She nodded while chewing her salad. It was past midnight and we were eating on the floor in the living room. She ordered the food I liked most and we weren’t drinking wine. She preferred beer.
“I talked to her today and she said she is coming to Florida with some friends.” — She laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
“My grandma doesn’t have friends who go to Florida. They would go to some congress about awkward plants in a town no one has ever heard of, not Florida.”
“Do you think she met someone?”
“Someone?” — She asked pausing.
“Yes, someone.”
“I don’t know. But now you mentioned it, she’s acting weird.”
“How weird?”
“Since I arrived she didn’t visit me or made me go there. She didn’t even want to meet you and…” — She covered her mouth and opened her eyes wide. — “Oh God! What if she has a boyfriend?”
“What’s the problem?”
“The problem is she is my grandma. Grandmas don’t date.”
I opened my mouth to say grandmas could date, but she raised her pointing finger and interrupted me while changing the subject.
“So, how did things go in Canada?”
“Just meetings and more meetings. What did you do in my absence?” — She raised her eyebrows and smiled.
“I’d better not tell you.”
“You know I always make you talk, and I can start by tickling you.” — I threatened to hold her waist and she moved back laughing.
“We had dinner here, only women. I went shopping with Jess, Caroline and Sophie.”
“I thought you didn’t like shopping.” — I teased her.
“I don’t, but you know how difficult it is to say no to your sister. And with Jess and Caroline…” — She snorted and threw her hands up.
I nodded and smiled. I knew exactly what she was talking about.
“What about your exposition? Did you book it?”
“After January 15th. Do you want to see the pictures?”
“Of course.” — She got up and went to the second floor hopping before coming back with an envelope full of pictures of the sunset.
“This will be promotional.” — It was a picture from the sunset at Piazza Michelangelo in Florence. She prepared the camera and took a picture of our backs. Her head was over my shoulder.
“This is one of my favorite pictures.” — I said putting the picture on the coffee table and getting the pictures from her hand.
“I prefer this.” — It was the sunset at Mont Lee. I was looking away with a complete orange sky above me illuminating the Hollywood sign. I didn’t remember this picture.
“The model makes a difference.” — She rolled her eyes and went closer to me, caressing my face with the back of her hands.
“Will people like it?”
“Of course they will.” — She was looking down.
“It’s the first time I’ll show my work to someone besides you. And you know how…”
I put her hair behind her ear and kissed her gently before whispering.
“Elena, you have no limitations. I’m not talking about the pictures. What you did with the Hangar” — I held her chin and made her look at me. – “The way you changed that old building in what it is today. This house and the other projects you showed me. You did an amazing job. Of course they will like it.”
“Thanks, Daniel.” — She passed her arms around my neck and touched my nos
e with hers. — “Thanks for believing in me.” — I kissed her mouth slowly and moved back. I saw her eyes fixed on mine. They were like deep and big emeralds. — “I love you.” — She whispered near my mouth.
“I love you, Elena.”
Elena
“ I don’t know why Scott insisted in celebrating my birthday in this place.
“Don’t you like it?”
“I do, but I think it is… I don’t know. It’s not my style. ”
“And what’s your style? ” — I asked curious. He shrugged and didn’t answer, but he seemed anxious. Was he worried? — Are you okay, Daniel?
“Yes, why?”
“Because you seem upset since we got in the car to get here.”
“I’m not.” — He kissed my hand. — “I’m ok.” — But his looks didn’t say the same.
We stood before a twenty store mirrored building. Many cars were stopping by all the time while valets opened the doors and offered a warm reception to the passengers.
There was a big line in front of it. When we stepped by the entrance a big security guard opened the door without checking our names in the guest list.
“Mr. Marshall.”
“Dylan.” — He made a gesture and went in holding my hand.
We got in the elevator with three other people laughing and talking. As soon as the doors opened, I could see two security guards crossing arms beside the big black door. Beside them, there was a tall blonde woman with big blue eyes wearing a tight black dress and high heels. She held a clipboard, but she didn’t check our names too.
She smiled at Daniel and just looked at him, as she knew him really well. I looked at him and he smiled back, but I had the impression he was uncomfortable. Maybe she knew him. He must have been here before.
Of course he did, Elena! He called the security by his name.
“Your family is waiting in their usual cabin.”
Usual cabin?
The narrow hallway leading to the nightclub dimly lit and near empty, but as soon as we arrived at the beautiful place illuminated by white lights, a woman with black hair pulled up smiled at Daniel and greeted him with a kiss on his cheek and a hug. Too close for my taste. He didn’t hug her back and didn’t let go of my hand.