I loved you in kindergarten, even when I teased you about having cooties; I loved you in fifth grade, when you went through your awkward puberty phase; I loved you every time you announced my name at all of my games; I loved you when we were with other people, even though it killed me; and I loved you throughout our big blowout fight last month at the hospital.
This is why I got on your case about Miguel and every other guy you have gotten twisted up over; I may not be perfect, but those guys are far from it. I’m tired of watching both of us float through life as lost souls, especially since I feel that our souls should be journeying through life as one.
As for the W-S-P-S job, I took it to be closer to you. I also wanted to prove that I was serious about providing a future for you. I know I almost messed it up, but I was so drunk the night you had to come rescue me because you seemed to be slipping further and further away from me, and that wasn’t my intention.
Please take the time to think this over. Even if you don’t return my feelings for you, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive all of the hurtful things I said, and that we can resume being the best of friends again.
Love,
Dante
A large lump formed in my throat. The waterworks threatened to open up for Round 2.
Dante was in love with me? How? He knew every nuance of my personality, every story, all my secrets…and there was nothing attractive about most of that. Meanwhile, he was gorgeous, talented, and all-around amazing. He could have any girl he wanted; what possessed him to want me?
As I settled with this groundbreaking news, visions of what could be danced around my head—getting lost in his eyes for hours, holding hands, his lips over mine, melting bodies, making love...all with someone I could unequivocally trust with my life.
I gasped at the vividness of these fantasies. I needed them all to happen, now.
I cleaned up my face and shot out of my car. I had to talk to him.
■ ■ ■
“Excuse me!” I shouted over the crowd as I frantically started to look for Dante.
I bumped into Andrea, who was proudly wearing her black senior prom dress, and Xander on the dance floor. “There you are!” Andrea exclaimed. “Katie said you were here. I hope you didn’t bump into—”
“Where is Dante?” I demanded.
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Did you know that he is in love with me?”
Andrea gasped. “He finally told you?”
“YOU KNEW!?” I shrieked.
“It was the worst-kept secret for years. We all knew,” Andrea replied. “Why do you think we kept pressing you to make up with him? The past six months have been killing the poor guy.”
I shook my head and continued towards the stage, ignoring Andrea’s calls to me. I pushed my way closer to the stage and spotted him helping his band mates pack up their equipment.
I made a beeline to him.
“We need to talk,” I ordered sternly.
“We do?” he replied, his blue eyes looking down at the ground.
“You love me?” I spit out.
He jumped back, looking startled. He grabbed my arm and walked me to a quiet corner. “Who told you that?”
“You did!” I exclaimed, shoving the letter in his face.
“You just read this now?”
“YES!”
“You are the most impatient person I know. How did you wait six months before opening it?”
“Does it really matter?” I asked. “I need to know what the hell is going on.”
“The letter said it all for me, Carla. It’s up to you to talk.”
“You’ve been nothing but an asshole to me lately,” I started.
“You haven’t been so nice yourself,” Dante retorted.
“Touché,” I agreed. “How could you keep this a secret from me for all this time?”
“I don’t know…” Dante trailed off. “I was too scared to settle down and I didn’t want to hurt you by jumping the gun. But the older I got, I realized it wouldn’t be settling.”
“What would it be?”
“It would be exactly how the first 28 years of our lives were, except we’d hang out more, and there’d be a lot more sex,” Dante reasoned with a laugh. “That’s definitely not scary.”
I felt a chill travel down my spine as I met his eyes. “I like that,” I smiled, but then it quickly faded when I had another thought. “But what about my mother? You know when you date me, you date her, right?”
“I can handle Nancy,” Dante laughed.
I was going to launch into all the reasons why God himself couldn’t handle “Nancy,” but I had a more urgent question. “What about the show?”
“If we’re together, and we really try to make it work, I’ll stay.”
My heart leaped out of my chest, for more reasons than one. “You will?”
“As long as we keep work and life separate. I still want to go to war with you on the air.”
“Well, your opinions are wrong 95% of the time, so that won’t be an issue,” I joked.
Dante gently put his hands around my shoulders. “I want to make you happy, Carla. Whatever it takes.”
“Wow,” I started shaking. This was all too much for me to process.
“Are we really going to do this?” he asked hopefully.
“I…I…” I had no idea what to say, but the flurry of butterflies (the good kind) told me all I needed to know.
Thankfully, the DJ’s booming voice interrupted me saying something stupid. “Okay, Class of 2007, your ten year reunion is coming to a close. Grab your significant other and bring him or her out here for one last moment like this.” A familiar guitar melody started playing behind his words—“A Moment Like This” by Kelly Clarkson.
I laughed at the DJ’s play on words. “I liked what he did there.”
“You would, you cornball,” Dante laughed “Do you want to dance?”
“I would love to.”
He grabbed my hand, led me out to the dance floor, and found an open hole between Andrea and Xander, and Katie and Teddy. He held me very close, and the electrical current flowing between us almost made me hit the ground. I caught Andrea and Katie’s expressions, and they both stared with ear-to-ear grins.
“So Carla,” Dante said, pulling away slightly to lock eyes with me. “You still haven’t given me an answer.”
“What was the question again?” I answered playfully.
He smirked.
“Instead of answering, I think I’d rather show you.” And with that, I leaned in and kissed him squarely on the lips. He was shocked by my move at first, but quickly responded (very incredibly, may I add).
As we kissed, I couldn’t help but think there were so many things off about this scene. For starters, I was making out with my best friend. The physical act itself wasn’t weird, but the emotions it gave me were—I had never felt this warm sensation that was currently engulfing my body with anybody else. Another thing that I found surreal was that, for the first time, I knew I was kissing someone who cared for me as much as I cared for him. Usually, the scales were tipped to just my side. To top it all off, it was to a sappy Kelly Clarkson song. Kelly songs are there for me in times of suffering and pain, not in beautiful, pure, unconditional love…
Speaking of pain—think of the misery I could have avoided if this scenario played out years earlier! However, if I had a husband, 2.5 kids, and a dog surrounded by a white picket fence like everyone else here, I would have been pissed at all I would have missed out on. Myself.
“Get a room, you guys,” Andrea joked.
We broke apart and laughed, and extended our arms to include her and Xander.
“What about me?” Katie mock protested, and she and Teddy joined our little circle, as we all closed out the song, together.
“Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this!” We sang along as the song faded out. Dante leaned in to kiss me again, and it shot me to the moon. I don’t think
I’ll ever be coming down.
“That just about wraps it up here,” the DJ announced. We all started enthusiastically clapping.
“Goodnight, Honey Crest High School. We’ll see you in ten years!”
Dedicated to my angels in heaven
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I need to start off by saying that I still cannot believe I wrote and published a freakin’ BOOK! This definitely isn’t the first time I’ve taken a chance in my professional life, but nothing prior can compete with how scary yet exhilarating this all is!
I want to thank my editor, Linda Chasdan, for legitimizing my writing and believing in this story. Noelle Alix and Angela Martin, thank you for the introduction! Mickey Andreko, you are a proofreading all-star. Your eagle eyes are much appreciated!
I want to give a shout out to the folks at CreateSpace for giving authors a platform to be heard. Your guidance throughout the whole publishing process was stellar.
To the creative geniuses at Damonza.com, thank you for designing the prettiest, most iconic book cover I have ever seen. Eva Lesko Natiello, thank you for the referral!
Although most of my inner circle didn’t even know “Ten Years Later” was in the works, it never would have gotten done without some truly remarkable people by my side. I have the best family, friends and staff in the world, and I am so appreciative of their unconditional love and support in everything I do.
The biggest thanks has to go out to YOU, the reader of this book. I am deeply humbled that you took the time to visit this little world I created. I hope we meet again!
Lisa Marie Latino is CEO and executive producer of Long Shot Productions, a full-service media production company based in Fairfield, New Jersey.
Latino’s career has produced numerous commercial, corporate, and entertainment programs that have taken her throughout the United States as well as Europe. In 2014, Latino co-launched Hip New Jersey (HipNewJersey.com), a lifestyle program featuring the latest trends around the Garden State.
Latino has appeared on a wide variety of local television, network cable, and radio shows, including TLC’s “Cake Boss” and works in-season for the New York Giants Radio Network. She has also served as an adjunct broadcasting professor at Seton Hall University. Latino graduated from Montclair State University in 2006 with a degree in broadcasting and speech communication.
She currently lives in New Jersey.
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