Love by the Slice

by Heather Young-Nichols

  “When I was ten,” he started as soon as I walked out. I wasn’t closing, the sun hadn’t even started to set, yet he still met me there. “Sal and I thought we could fly. So we put on capes and jumped from the landing at the top of the stairs. A broken leg for him and an arm for me was enough of a lesson to make me only fly in a plane.”

  Gio kept me laughing the entire way home. I’m not stupid. I knew what he was trying to accomplish. To make me forget about all the bullshit and fall in love with him again. The joke’s on him because I never fell out of love with him even when I wasn’t sure I could be with him again, but it could be nice to be on friendly terms. To not have to hide, even from myself, that I still cared for him. The one thought nagging at me had to do with Gramps. What would he think about Gio hanging around or me not telling him to fuck off? Then another thought hit me.

  “Hey, how do you always know my schedule?” His lips formed a tight line meaning he wasn’t going to tell. But I can put two and two together. “I’m going to kill Gramps.”

  “Is it that bad spending fifteen minutes with me?” he asked quietly, I knew he was afraid of the answer.

  “It’s not that. He needs to mind his own business.”

  Thursday night I closed again. Part of what kept us profitable in the winter months was the small college about forty minutes away. We were still the closest pizza place for those guys and they could eat a ton.

  Our customer flow remained steady that night, but not slammed which was a nice change. My four top of college guys kept me running but their jokes and banter made it easy. And Gio sat at the table beside them keeping a watchful eye. He tried not to let me see but every time I went to the table his eyes and ears were there with me.

  “Is there anything else I can get for ya?” I asked the four top.

  “Um, your number would be great,” the brunette on the left said with a sexy grin.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Gio tense and sit straighter in his chair as if he worried I’d give this guy my number while he sat right there or that another guy had wanted the same thing in the same place with a lot more vigor when Gio first started working here. Even if I wanted to give the kid my number, I’m not even that cruel.

  “Sorry, I can’t do that at work.”

  “Really?”

  I nodded.

  “You really won’t because you’re at work?”

  I nodded again.

  “Are you a lesbian?”

  That’s funny. “Shoot, that’s it. You found me out. I love vagina hardcore.” The corner of my mouth twitched up. Gio, on the other hand, had taken a drink of water and started choking on it. “Thanks for coming in,” I said before walking away.

  “So you’re a lesbian now?” Gio asked playfully when I came outside at the end of the night.

  “Yup. You ruined me for other men so I had to turn to women.”

  “You know, I don’t hate that idea.” I slapped his arm. He rubbed it like it actually hurt. “What? I don’t want to see you with another guy.”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  “In more ways than one. Trust me, I know.”

  Coming around the corner, Bailey sat on the curb leaning back onto her hands looking up at the stars. Since she usually bounced a mile a minute, I would’ve expected her to be searching for me. I knew seeing Gio would be a shock for her. I hadn’t told her he was back in town or that I’d been talking to him. Which made me a bad best friend but I didn’t want to talk about it or jinx it in some way. No idea where the jinxing thing came from.

  “Bailey,” I called running toward her. Skidding to a stop right in front of her I asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I—” Gio came up behind me. Bailey’s eyes went from him to me three times before she spoke. “What the hell, Bianca? Are you with him?”

  “No. I—”

  She wasn’t listening to me at all. She was already moving toward Gio. I figured she’d give him a piece of her mind because that’s what she usually did. Instead, she balled up her fist, pulled back and punched him in the nuts. Hard. Gio fell forward bracing himself on his knees. His face turned bright red and he wasn’t breathing.

  “Bailey!” I couldn’t believe she did that. She’d threatened it a hundred times but to actually punch a guy in the nuts? I should’ve known she would the next time she saw him. With him bent over, they were almost the same height then she got right up in his face.

  “Listen, douchebag. I can’t tell you how many nights I spent listening to that girl cry over you. If she takes you back you’re an extremely lucky son of a bitch and you and I will be good. But you fucking deserved that.” Bailey started to walk away.

  “Wait. Did you need something?”

  “Nah,” she called over her shoulder, “it’ll keep ‘til tomorrow.”

  Gio still stood hunched over but had started breathing again. Poor guy looked on the verge of throwing up. I won’t lie and say it didn’t give me a small sense of satisfaction, though. I didn’t want to see him in pain but after all the crap his arrival had brought me it was kind of karma.

  “Come on,” I took his arm pulling him into my apartment. Grabbing a bag of frozen peas, I tossed it to him then plopped onto the couch. He followed, dropping the bag onto his crotch with a groan. He hadn’t said anything. I didn’t know if he couldn’t or if he had nothing to say in response to being hit in the nuts.

  “I deserved that. She’s right,” he finally said.

  “Yeah, she kind of hates you.”

  “Is she the only one? Do you want a shot at my junk?” He didn’t sound like he was kidding. Like he would gladly stand there and let me injure him further if it’d make me feel better.

  I’d be lying if I said my ovaries hadn’t been jumping like a basketball since he’d been back. Only now I let my head do the thinking. “I’m good. Thanks for the offer, though.” I guessed it was time for grown-up talk. “I don’t hate you. I tried to, but it never took. I’d steer clear of my dad, though.”

  “You told them…everything. Everything?”

  I nodded.

  He squeezed his eyes shut as if he’d been punched again. “Then I deserve for him to kick my ass, too.”

  He didn’t deserve it. Over the weeks and the further I got from the initial pain, the more I understood. That’s not to say I forgave him or didn’t blame him but I got it. He was used as a pawn as much as I had been. Plus the more I read about Trinity the more I knew exactly how ruthless his parents could be. I told him as much.

  Excusing myself, I put some pajamas on because my clothes smelled like flour and were clinging to my body. When I came out, he still sat in the same spot with the peas clutched to his man bits.

  “Fuck, Bailey punches hard,” he laughed. “I might not be able to have kids.”

  “Aw, that’s too bad. I want tons of kids.” Which wasn’t exactly true. A kid maybe, but I liked hearing the deep rumble of his laugh. Sitting back on the far end of the couch reminded me of when we used to hang out there all the times we’d been naked in that spot. Only this time I curled my knees to my chest for distance.

  “Well, I’m injured but I’ll make it work if you want to try right now.” This was the old Gio I knew.

  “You wish,” I kicked his leg softly. His head dropped down to his hand as if another ripple of pain tore through him.

  “Yes, I do.” He tried to keep it light-hearted but I knew him too well and could hear the seriousness and longing behind his words. The air grew thick and uncomfortable as I tried to think of a comeback. Instead, Gio broke through. “Bianca, would you please go out with me?” My eyes shot to his. He was totally serious. Like forgot to pay my taxes in five years serious.

  “Uh … ” Like that’ll buy me some time. Jeeze. “I don’t know.” At least I gave an honest answer. Because I’d love to spend more time with him, love to have his hands roam my body like it was their job. But my heart didn’t want to be shattered again. I couldn’t go through it again.

&
nbsp; “But that’s not a no…”

  “It’s not a no. I’ll … I’ll have to think about it.”

  “Good enough for me.” He stood and so I did, following his lead to the door. When he got there, he tried to hand me the used-to-be frozen peas.

  “I don’t want those back.” Laughing me off, he crossed the room to drop the bag into the trash and came back quickly.

  “Ok, I’ll see ya tomorrow.” His hand cupped my cheek then he planted a kiss on my forehead.

  I froze. Not even like a deer caught in headlights but more like the Neanderthal man they found in an ice burg frozen solid for a thousand years. His lips touched my forehead and I was freaking out on the inside. He’d seen me naked, licked and kissed spots that never saw the sun and yet a simple brushing of his lips against my skin had me in overdrive.

  “Fuck!” He quickly removed his hand. “I’m…I’m so sorry. I didn’t…it’s just we were here hanging out like before. I—”

  “Gio. It’s ok.” His face said he didn’t believe me. Like he thought he’d blown his only chance. “Honestly. It’s fine.” A quick nod and he went out the door.

  I wasn’t sure it actually was ok. I’d resigned myself to being without him. Told myself I needed to get over it. Over him. I never once allowed myself to consider we might have a chance for a future. But there he was, back in town, back in my life.

  Lying in bed thinking about us all night made for a late morning. I couldn’t get motivated at all. Still, I schlepped my butt into work. Late was better than not all.

  “Eight and two, Bianca,” Gramps smiled as soon as I came through the door.

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  Gio sat across from him leaning back in the chair with his hands clasped behind his head which brought me to a screeching halt. Obviously, this is how he always knew where I was. Daily meetings with Gramps to track Bianca. Grrr …

  Wait. The underside of his right bicep had been one of only a few spots unmarked before he left town. And now it wasn’t bare. I knew his body as well as my own so it stuck out. A beacon calling my attention.

  “New tattoo?” I asked pointing at his arm not caring about interrupting whatever he and Gramps were talking about.

  “Ah.” He glanced at his arm. “Yeah.” He fucking smirked at me.

  Gio brought his arms down quickly. “I got a couple of new ones.”

  “A couple?” He nodded. “I wanted to know where the others were but wasn’t about to ask him.

  Instead, he pulled his sleeve up just enough for me to see the whole thing.

  “I had some time on my hands,” he said.

  It was then I realized I’d taken several steps putting us closer to each other.

  The curvy script, small and neat, read “You gave your Heart” and I knew right away it was about me. Gio glanced at Gramps who made no attempt to move. He continued to sit right there and witness our entire exchange.

  “I needed something …” He sighed. “Bianca, I was being honest when I said I’d never told anyone else that I loved them. I got this one the week after I left because I was going crazy thinking about you. Or remembering the night we broke up. It killed me to hear you. Killed me.” He stood and took the two steps toward me. We were as close as we could be without touching.

  “And I promise, Bianca, fucking promise that if I get another chance, you will never feel those things again.”

  I could only stand there. Speechless.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Gio tattooed something on his body to remind him of me. After I thought about it, I remembered he said he got a couple of new ones since we broke up and now I wanted to see them all. Then I realized I was standing there with my mouth hanging open in front of him and my grandfather. I hadn’t gotten my brain back up and working before the next words fell out of my mouth.

  “I’ll go out with you.” I knew I’d give him another chance this morning when I rolled out of bed but hadn’t planned to tell him with an audience.

  “What?”

  “I’ll go out with you?” He looked like a kid about to pee his pants and didn’t bother mentioning that it came out as a question.

  “Thank you.” His breath burst like he’d been holding it. He said he’d pick me up at seven then moved.

  Gramps still sat in the same chair, arms folded across his chest with an unreadable expression on his face. He’d witnessed the whole exchange. Crap. I hadn’t thought about his opinion on this subject, it didn’t matter in the long run but I wanted to know his thoughts. This whole thing had affected him, too.

  Moving away from Gio, I didn’t stop until I got to the table where Gramps still sat.

  “What do you think about all this?” I asked quietly even though Gio could absolutely still hear me. Gramps shrugged. “Come on. It’s your business at the heart of all this. You’ve got to have an opinion.”

  “We were meeting to talk about him having his job back.”

  “What?” My head spun toward Gio who had a sly grin on his face then back to Gramps who had just raised his eyebrows.

  “I gave Gio his job back. We need help in the kitchen.” Gramps couldn’t have given a bigger stamp of approval. In some of the dark moments right after everything went to hell, Gramps let it slip about how he felt somewhat responsible for my heartbreak since it was his restaurant that drew Trinity’s attention. But if it hadn’t been for him I wouldn’t have met Gio and been used by his parents the way I was. I smiled in return and said, “Yeah, I wouldn’t have met Gio.” Because no matter the pain that came after I could never wish I’d never met him.

  Spinning around to face Gio, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  “Why? Why would you want your job back? You don’t need it.” He, in fact, had more money than anyone I’d ever met personally if the reports of their profits were true.

  “Whether we’re together or not, Bianca, this is where I want to be.” He took a deep breath. “Chicago—that other life—that wasn’t me. When I was here, I was me. I want to be with you, but either way, this is the only place I’ve ever been happy.”

  I wish I had something witty and sarcastic on hand to cover the slack-jawed, gaping lunatic look that I’m pretty sure smeared across my face in that moment. He wanted this life, the life I wanted, with or without me. He’d felt at home in Harbor Point.

  “I have to get to work.” I could’ve been smoother, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

  As I walked away he called out, “pick you up at seven.”

  That night, like the first time I’d gone out with Gio, I got ready early and waited for him to show up. Since the night had promised to be crisp, I went with a pair of jeans Bailey swore made my butt look great and boots that went almost to my knees with a decent heel. The long sleeve V-neck in a shade of blue almost matching my eyes added a nice touch. I didn’t think a jacket would be necessary as the weather hadn’t turned quite enough yet. Long golden waves cascaded over my shoulders a couple of inches longer than before he’d left. I looked good.

  I’d lost myself in the idea of Gio showing up any minute. When he did, the knock at the door startled me. Not wanting to seem eager, I waited for a second knock before answering. When I did, Gio actually looked nervous but good enough to lick from stem to stern. Whoa … where’d that come from? Since he’d been back my mind had become far too preoccupied with sex. Sure I hadn’t had it in over two months but it’s not like that’s a record.

  Those jeans were made for his body making a girl want to imagine what he packed underneath. I didn’t need an imagination because I’d seen it all before. I decided then that my libido couldn’t be in charge of this decision. I needed to be able to trust Gio with my heart before I could give him my body or take his I wanted to touch it to see if it was as soft as it looked. Maybe later.

  “Wow.” He smiled. “You look great.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled back, grabbed my little cross-over purse and shut the door behind me.

  We rode to the
restaurant in an uncomfortable silence. How could things be this awkward? We’d talked before on the walks home but all of a sudden, in close quarters, where I couldn’t smell anything but him and whatever soap he used, I didn’t know what to say. Apparently, he didn’t either but someone had to break the proverbial ice.

  “So, where are you staying? Ms. Wardin’s? She making you “work off” your keep?”

  Gio snorted. “Definitely not.” Glancing quickly from the road to me then back he said, “I bought a house.”

  “You bought a house?” He nodded. “Where?”

  “Um, Broad Street.”

  What? “You mean two blocks down from me?” He nodded again. “Don’t you think that makes you, I don’t know, a stalker?”

  A sharp bark escaped his mouth accompanied by a smile I hadn’t seen since he’d been back. It was a good smile. The one he sometimes had when he didn’t seem to have a care in the world and was happy to be right there with me. “Possibly. Want a restraining order?”

  “Nah. I’ll call Bailey to punch you in the wiener.” The big innocent grin I gave him brought even more laughter from him.

  “I’ll move before it comes to that.” The way he grimaced made me think the memory of the last time Bailey made contact wasn’t yet forgotten.

  The awkward trend continued after we were seated at our table. The place was only half full since tourists left with the end of the season leaving only us locals behind. We had a wide berth around us, yet neither of us said anything. Even when I tried, he gave one-word responses and made little attempt to start a conversation on his own.

  That needed to change.

  “Ok,” I tossed the linen napkin on the table beside an almost full plate, “what’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You. You’re quiet tonight. What’s up?”

  Gio sighed a long breath, then leaned back folding his arms across his chest. “I don’t mean to be.”

  “Well, you are.”

  “I’m worried, Bianca.”

  I raised an eyebrow demanding an explanation.