“Thank you!” she does a half turn showing off her body, “I do look good pregnant. Now get your butt in here. I have so much to tell you!”
We settle down in her living room, her large belly making it hard for her to squat down to sit. She huffs as she fluffs the pillows around her. “Rachel came to see me yesterday morning,” she says with very little emotion. “Apparently, you already know the secret she’s been keeping from me for many years.”
“Elena, I wanted so badly to tell you, but it wasn’t my secret to tell.” I hope that she will understand my reasons. “I learned of it by accident.”
“I know, Sam. I think you not telling me shows me how much integrity you have. It makes me proud to be your friend.”
I can’t help but smile, “I’m so glad to hear that. I was scared that you would hate me for keeping it from you. You are my BFF and I don’t want to lose you.”
“You couldn’t do anything to make me stop being your friend. You can tell me anything,” the tone of her voice makes me wonder if she knows more than she is saying.
“So, how are you handling the news? I can imagine that I would be a crying mess if I were in your shoes.”
“Robert happened to have the day off. It was a good thing because he was deceived, also. I think I might have handled it much differently if he hadn’t been there for me to lean on,” she admits. “I am very angry at the deception only because I wasted so much of my life living a lie and being someone I wasn’t. I was never meant to live the pious life. I have way too much spunk for that,” she laughs.
She continues, “The more I thought about it and talked it over with Robert, the more thankful I am to the two of them. If I had stayed in that life with my parents, I would be miserable. My parents weren’t very loving and the boy they wanted me to marry was a jerk. If I hadn’t left with Victoria and Rachel, I wouldn’t have Robert. And I certainly wouldn’t have two babies on the way.”
I snap my head up, “Two babies?”
“Yes!” she squeals, “We had the ultrasound yesterday and there’s two in there! Twins! Can you believe it?”
I jump up from the couch, run over to her, and careful to not hurt her babies, embrace her in a tight squeeze, “I’m so happy for you!” Leaning down, I talk to her belly, “Your Aunty Sam is going to spoil you both so much!” I look up at Elena, “These two little ones are the luckiest kids to have you and Robert as parents.”
She blushes, “That means so much to me.”
I decide that I don’t want to tell her my secrets. She’s had enough excitement. And really, I can’t think of any reason that I need to share the intimate details of my sex life or my job. Instead I fill her in on what happened with Rich and the suitcase of money.
∞∞∞
“Samantha, my bella,” Mario greets me, his contagious smile pulling me out of the dark mood I’ve been in all week.
“I think we’re in a little trouble with Tanya,” I smirk.
He waves his hand dismissively, “Miss Palermo is nothing to worry about. When she protested about another date with you, I reminded her how much business I send her way. She saw the error of her ways.”
I throw my head back and laugh, “Well, her email to me was a reminder to review the contract I signed.” Specifically, the part about no intimate contact with clients for up to a year after termination, but I don’t tell him that. I wouldn’t want to get into more trouble by breaking the NDA.
We have had several dates, not including the one he set up for Stuart. I think Tanya was worried that we were getting too close. I always look forward to my dates with Mario. He’s full of romance and has a love of life that always brightens my mood, not to mention that he’s extremely attractive. If it weren’t for my contract, I’d have jumped his bones a long time ago. Sam, you’ve had enough men in your bed. It’s bordering on slutty now.
After we finish our meal, Mario leads me out of the restaurant to a waiting limo. “I have a little surprise for you,” amusement in his voice. “But first, I need you to let me blindfold you.”
“Need I remind you of the no intimacy contract we both signed for Tanya, you kinky little devil?”
“As much as I would like to be intimate with you, this is for the surprise,” his seductive voice making me quiver. He leans close to my ear and whispers, “When we do get intimate, I want you to look me in the eyes.”
When. That is very presumptuous of him. My body betrays my thoughts, my panties instantly wet at the thought of him making love to me. Not wanting my voice to betray me as well, I silently turn around for him to tie the blindfold over my eyes.
He refuses to give me any hints on the drive to our destination. I try to use my womanly ways, but to no avail. Before too long, he is helping me out of the car, leading me to who knows where. My only clue is the clacking of my high heels on concrete and the smell of oil and gas. Maybe cars? We stop and he hands me a bag. “You’ll need to change into this. I believe they are all the correct size,” he says as he takes my blindfold off.
I look around and the question on the tip of my tongue dissolves. My eyes widen in terror as I take in the hanger we are standing in and the airplane in front of me. “Whoa there Italian Stallion. You are not getting me up in that thing!”
“Bella, I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.” I swear he always sounds like sex on a stick when he talks to me. “We’ll be using training equipment. You’ll be strapped against my body the whole time.”
I like the sound of being against his body. Just not off the ground. I shake my head no vehemently.
Placing his hand against the small of my back, he starts leading me to a room where I can change, “Take a chance with me.”
Those words speak to the part of me that is tired of playing it safe. Tired of being the good woman that was betrayed over and over again. It sparks the desire for me to take a chance on something new. It calls to my desire to feel the adrenaline that I know only danger can provide. I find myself saying yes.
The airplane is loud, and Mario has to shout for me to hear him. Now I understand why he had given me instruction before the pilot started up the airplane. He straps us together using some sort of a harness. I force myself to stand perfectly still as he buckles the leg straps precariously close to my core. I hold back a moan as his hands brush against my breasts while he buckles the top part of the harness. Down girl. Contract!
Again, I use every bit of restraint to not push my ass against his warm, hard body as he tethers us together, my back against his front. He feels so good, that I almost forget that I’m about to jump out of an airplane; until we step up to the open door and he shouts, “Don’t look down!”
Of course, I look down. My head spins and I probably would fall over if it weren’t for Mario holding me close. “We are going to jump on the count of five,” he shouts.
“I’m not ready! I can’t do this!” I shout back, gripping fear making me panic.
Ignoring me, he starts counting, “1…2…3…”
I screech as I feel my body plummeting to the earth. What the hell happened to four and five? My stomach is doing somersaults as I whoosh down, the ground coming closer. I should close my eyes, but I can’t. The only part of me that seems to be working is my mouth, which is screaming. My scream is cut off as my body is suddenly jerked up and our decent slows.
I start to giggle as the breathtaking feeling of floating, flying through the air like a bird, takes away my fear. It feels amazing! I dare to look down and see the city below, a little off to the east. It looks so beautiful from up here. I didn’t realize how many trees Atlanta has within the city limits. I could stay like this forever, floating above the city, with no noise except the rushing of the wind. I’m fucking Wonder Woman!
It only takes about five minutes from the time Mario leaps out of the plane, with me attached, to the time we land on the ground. Once we get the harness off, I rip off my helmet, “That was a-fucking-mazing!” In my excitement, I end up crashing into him w
rapping my arms around him in a tight hug.
“I knew you would love it bella,” he purrs, wrapping his arms around me, looking down at me with his normal flirty facial expression. His eyes dart to my lips and back up to my eyes. My heart races, but I don’t think it’s from the jump. He leans his forehead against mine and I close my eyes, savoring the moment.
I feel his lips on mine and at first, I’m so shocked that I don’t respond, but soon I’m kissing him back. He deepens the kiss and I’m lost in the moment until he pulls back to catch his breath. “That was more beautiful than I imagined my bella. Your lips are so soft.”
“I don’t think we should have done that,” guilt eats away at me, not just for breaking my contract, but for having these feelings for yet another man.
“It will stay between us,” he misreads my regret.
“I know it will. I trust you on that. It’s just that I have two other men in my life that I’m in love with. I can’t be with them anymore, but I still feel like it’s a betrayal to you all.”
“My sweet, sweet Samantha,” his voice soothing, “In my home country, women take many lovers. It’s not frowned upon like it is in America. We Italians know that the heart has an infinite capacity for amore, love.”
“That’s beautiful. I’ve struggled so much with my feelings and the guilt that I feel for loving more than one man. But I suppose it doesn’t matter. They betrayed me, and you and I can’t get around the contract we both signed.”
“I think Stuart can help us with that,” he suggests.
“If only he wasn’t one of the men that I don’t want to talk to,” I sigh.
“Why don’t we talk on the way home. I’ve heard Stuart’s side, but I want to know yours.”
“Stuart told you?” I’m shocked that he would share something that could get him disbarred. I didn’t realize Mario and Stuart were so close.
“We talked a lot about you. He knows me well enough to know that I never use the same escort twice. When he asked me for that favor,” he looks at me knowingly and I blush, “I told him how much time I spend with you and that he’s a smart man for wanting you.”
After getting back to the hanger and putting on our regular clothing back on, we get in the limo that will take me home. On the way, I tell him everything that I know and how much I have been struggling with what to do about it.
“Bella, I love the way you want to do the right thing. It’s one of the things I find endearing about you.” I feel a but coming on. “But sometimes life is not black and white.”
“The laws are very black and white, Mario.”
“There’s something they didn’t tell you. I was one of Jake’s investors,” he drops a bomb. “I’ve known where he is this whole time.”
I’m shocked. In all of our time together, Mario has never told me his company name. He’s been very vague on his career, simply stating that he’s in real estate and investments. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t you turn him in? Aren’t you on the list of creditors?”
His sexy smile lights up his face, “He was a young and inexperienced man back then. I saw the potential for greatness when he presented his proposal to me. I consider myself a good judge of character. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now without those good instincts.”
“I thought he was a good man, but if he were, he would have owned up to his mistakes.”
“Ah, but he did. Just not in the way you think,” he corrects me. “I don’t always make the right decisions. I accept that risk is part of my business. I choose to take those risks because more often than not, they pay off. I’m willing to accept the losses when they come.”
“When the housing market crashed, we all lost money. It was a terrible time for everyone. I was angry with Jake at first. But then I saw how hard he worked to try to find a new company to buy the building. I saw how hard it hit him when he failed.”
He has a twinkle in his eyes, “He wasn’t upset at his own personal failure. He was upset that he failed his investors and his workers. This industry is cutthroat and in all my years I have never met a businessman that cared more about other people’s success than his own. That is what makes him a good man.”
It sounds like the Jake I know. He’s spent years catering to a wife that used him. He has spent time comforting me, not because of the sex, but because he is a caring man. I start to soften towards him a little bit, but this new information makes my decision all that much more difficult. I voice this to Mario.
“There’s more,” he replies. “I was part of the group that bought the building from him. Several of the other investors he owed joined me in this. We made a mighty profit on that building; more than if Jake had been able to complete it. I am not on that creditor list because he made me look at the personal aspect of it. He made me a better man and I didn’t lose any money in the end.”
He shakes his head, irritation evident in his eyes, “The other investors, they didn’t care that they made millions more than originally planned. They felt that he owed them; a deal is a deal. I tried to convince them to drop it, but these men are without a heart. I couldn’t let them ruin a good man, so I kept his secret and helped him in the only way I could. I partnered with him.”
“What? Are you telling me that you are one of his partners now?” All these confessions are giving me whiplash.
“Yes, bella, that is what I’m telling you.” He lets out a low chuckle, “I can’t believe I’m talking up another beau when I should be taking advantage and keep you for myself.” He softly caresses my cheek, “It’s no secret that I care about you and I want to be with you, but I understand that your heart is with two others. I just hope that you can find room in your heart for me too.”
Chapter 29
The sunny day is in stark contrast to the cries all around me, the people all dressed in dark, depressing colors. Rich’s mom and dad stand next to me, holding my hand as tears stream down our faces. Rich never told them we got a divorce and I don’t have the heart to tell them. Now is not a good time. Now it doesn’t matter.
The attendants lower the coffin into the ground and hear the heartbreaking wails of his mother. I hold her hand to comfort her, though I know it is pointless. Nothing can comfort a mother who has lost her only child.
The priest finishes his sermon and waves me forward. I kiss the rose in my hand and whisper, “I love you, Rich.” I step up to the grave and drop the rose on his coffin, pausing for a moment before stepping back to let his parents do the same.
I stay until everyone has left. I need some time alone with him. I’m not sure if he can hear me, but I try to imagine he can. “Rich, I wish things had been different for us. You were my first love and you will always hold a place in my heart.” My voice hitches, “I wish you had never lied to me. I wish that I would have been more open to what you wanted. I’m sorry that it took so much time for me to find out that the heart has an infinite capacity for love. I’m sorry that I was too naïve to see that life is full of shades of grey.” I wipe the tears from my eyes, “I hope that you found happiness in the end. I found mine because of you and I will forever be grateful for that. I love you.”
I turn to leave, my eyes zeroing in on the three figures waiting for me. As soon as I approach, Stuart pulls me into his arms holding me tightly as I wet his shirt with my tears. Jake wraps his arms from behind and I turn to hold him. We stand like that for a few minutes before I feel Stuart step away. I feel warmth from behind and turn again, this time to the comfort of Mario.
“Let us take you home, bella,” Mario’s tender voice breaks the silence, “we will celebrate Rich’s life and thank him for giving you to us.”
∞∞∞
I have learned that some secrets should remain – secret. In the time before Rich’s death, so many secrets were revealed and so many kept. The pain of those secrets has changed me. The jury is still out on if that is a good thing or not. But I am happy, truly happy with how my life has turned out thus far. I don’t know what the future
holds, but I’m enjoying the present with the three men that have wormed their way into my heart.
It took the efforts of both Rachel and Jake, but in the end, Victoria was convinced that she could find true happiness with the person she loves the most. She agreed to a divorce and promised to leave Jake in peace. Stuart and Rachel also divorced, each finding themselves the happiness they deserve.
The two former couples negotiated the terms that would benefit all of them. Victoria moved into Rachel’s home, Jake staying where he was, a point that he would not back down from. Stuart moved in with Jake and they now live next door to me, taking full advantage of the gate between our homes.
Mario spends as much time as he can at my house, parking in my driveway because we don’t need to keep our relationship secret. I let Elena think that he is my boyfriend. He is, but I don’t tell her that he’s not the only one. He’s taken me skydiving quite a few times. He teases me about becoming addicted to the thrill of flying through the air. I give him that one and admit that he was right.
Elena’s identical twin girls, Annabelle and Elizabeth, are the stars of the neighborhood, being the only young children, all of the other kids now teenagers. Even though they are only toddlers, they are already big troublemakers. Elena and Robert certainly have their hands full, but are amazing parents, just as I knew they would be.
Jake and I are the godparents of Annabelle, Rachel and Victoria the godmothers of Elizabeth. I love being Aunty Sam and spoiling those girls. I keep a special stash of cookies that I sneak to them when their mother isn’t looking. I haven’t been caught yet. I want to buy them a pony, but Elena says no. It doesn’t stop me from trying to convince her.
Elena forgave her two friends and they have become friends again. Not as close as they were, but friends all the same. Though Victoria is still aloof with me, Rachel is a bit nicer. It’s better than I expected, so I can’t complain. I really don’t want to be besties with the ex-wives of the men I’m sleeping with, even though our relationship is a secret.
Secrets in Suburbia Page 16
