“I have an idea,” said the concierge. He disappeared and returned a few minutes later with a bellman and a tablecloth. “We’ll hold this up in front of you so no one can see, and then once you get the dress off, your husband can work it free from the door.” The concierge and the bellman opened the tablecloth and held it up over the door.
“No peeking,” said Joe. Pointing his finger at the concierge and the bellman he added, “And I mean it.”
“Of course not, sir,” said the concierge.
A few minutes later, Lily cheered, and as the door moved, she left her dress in Joe’s hands and deposited herself into the folds of the tablecloth, pulling it around her like a robe.
As Joe and Lily emerged from the door, the reservations clerks clapped and cheered. Joe and Lily looked at each other, then faced the front desk and took a bow.
“Well, that’s one way to get a free night in fancy hotel,” said Joe, shutting the door of their room and locking it.
“I hope the cleaners can get the grease out of Nancy’s dress; she’s going to have a fit!” Lily sat on the bed, still wrapped up in the tablecloth. She let out a deep sigh. “I can’t believe it’s only been one day since I got up this morning. Feels like a hundred years.”
“I hope you’re not too tired,” said Joe, unclipping his bow tie and tossing it on the dresser. “Because the best is yet to come.”
“Well,” said Lily, “I certainly hope it won’t get any worse!”
Joe laughed. He clasped one hand on each of Lily’s shoulders and brought her to a standing position, facing him. “I know I can’t promise you much,” he said. “But I can promise you that life with me will never be boring. Now,” he said, unwrapping the tablecloth from around Lily’s shoulders, “Let’s see what’s for dinner.”
Lily stood, clad in her slip and bra as Joe surveyed her.
“You’re trembling,” he said, taking her into his arms. “Are you cold?”
“A little,” said Lily. It wasn’t exactly a lie. She didn’t want to tell him how nervous she was. As far as Lily was concerned, the one time they’d had sex, it didn’t count because she wasn’t prepared. It had often occurred to Lily that if Joe had just believed her when she said she was a virgin, then at least she would still be one tonight. But none of that mattered now. This was her wedding night, Joe would still be her first, her one and only, and there would never be another night like tonight. Now both the time and the place were right.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you too.”
Joe removed his cummerbund and tossed it on the bed.
“Take a look at this,” he said. He reached his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. “Don’t you just love the way that looks?” Joe placed the money on the night stand, and then took off his shirt and pants, then his socks and shoes, leaving them in a heap on the floor. Naked, he climbed into the bed.
“C’mere,” he said, pulling Lily down into the bed and sidling up alongside her. He hiked her slip up around her waist and removed her underwear.
It was all suddenly going too quickly and Lily didn’t feel ready, was still reeling from the stress and activity of the day, still worried about what she was supposed to do, and suddenly perplexed about why her mother had never told her what to expect tonight. Or Violet. Or even Lucy or Nancy. Of course she couldn’t have heard about it from Iris. She hardly heard anything from Iris anymore.
“Can we get under the covers?” said Lily. “And maybe turn off the lights?”
Joe obliged and then returned to bed. He kissed her, and fondled her breast without removing her bra.
A sense of unease came over Lily, snaking itself around her budding desire. Her instinct was to recoil, to push Joe away. But this wasn’t some uninvited lecher, preying on her innocence. This was Joe, her companion, her protector. Joe, with whom she’d exchanged vows this morning, danced and dined this afternoon, laughed just minutes ago. This was her husband. Relax, Lily, she told herself. It’s Joe.
He climbed on top of her, and used his foot to spread her legs apart, before lowering himself against her. Lily trained all of her self-control to keep from reacting by pushing him away.
She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, but was unable to extricate her desire from her belligerent mind. Arousal appeared and then disappeared again, like a mischievous child playing hide-and-go-seek. Once inside her, Joe moved his body to a quick rhythm. Lily opened her eyes just enough to take a peek at him. He had his own eyes closed and his face turned upward. The headboard rapped against the wall for about a minute, and then Joe collapsed with a groan.
Is that it? Lily thought. It’s over? What happened to the ecstasy, the revelations of womanhood that she had expected as a sweet reward for her best attempts at purity and virtue? Even if she couldn’t have fireworks, she’d hoped for more. What would she say to Joe when he expressed his disappointment?
“That was amazing,” Joe said. “Did you have fun?”
It wasn’t a question Lily expected him to ask at that moment, nor had she ever thought of “fun” as a word one would use to describe sex.
“Uh - yeah, sure,” said Lily. “It was great.” Maybe that’s all there was to it, after all.
Joe got up from the bed, took a shower, brushed his teeth and pulled on his boxer shorts.
“Guess we better get some sleep,” he said climbing back under the covers. “We have to return my tux before breakfast at my mother’s. Then, we’re off for Toronto!” He leaned over and kissed Lily. “Goodnight, Mrs. Joseph Diotallevi.”
Lily smiled. “Goodnight.” She was probably just too tired to enjoy sex tonight, and the skittishness she felt about it now was surely the result of a very long, very emotional day.
The next afternoon, they drove to Toronto, found their way to their hotel and settled in. Joe extracted the wad of wedding cash from his pocket and slid it in between the mattress and box springs.
“Now let’s see what it’s like to make love on top of all that money.” Joe grabbed Lily and pulled her down onto the bedspread. Their lovemaking followed a pattern similar to the night before, with Joe starting vigorously and finishing quickly, leaving him happily flushed, leaving Lily half-dressed, half-satisfied, and battling feelings of uneasiness. It’ll get better, she told herself. I have to give it some time.
“I just took a look at the city guide here,” Joe told her as they lounged in bed afterward. “It looks like Woodbine is running tonight and then they are dark the next two days - dammit!”
“Is there another track we can go to instead?”
“No - the tracks at home are closer than anything else. Shit.” He sat up in bed and turned to Lily. “Do you think it would be possible to go see that musical thing another night?”
“I could check,” said Lily. She was disappointed, but it was his honeymoon, too. They could see a musical almost anywhere. “Sure,” she added. “I’m sure we can find something.”
“You’re a peach.” Joe kissed her.
“Wow,” said Joe as they entered the racetrack. He slowly took a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree survey of the room with the delight of a child on Christmas morning. People scurried about, machines spat out tickets, the air was abuzz with the sounds of laughter and excited conversation, and the clanking of silverware spilling over from the lounge.
“Would you look at this place?” said Joe.
“Cool,” said Lily, though she didn’t see how it was much different from Batavia Downs, or Finger Lakes Race Track, or Hamburg, or Vernon Downs - or any of the tracks she’d been to over the past couple of years. She likely just didn’t know enough to be impressed the way Joe was. But it was enough that he was excited.
“Shit,” said Joe, looking up at the tote board. “I didn’t think it would take us that long to get here - I only have five minutes to play a daily double.”
“Why rush it?” said Lily. “Let’s go find a seat in the lounge, maybe order a cup of coffee. Don’t bet this ra
ce - you can take your time and bet on the second race.”
“The double is a huge opportunity to get us off to a good start. It sets up the whole day. I can still make it. If we hit this, I’ll buy you the biggest hamburger they’ve got, and then tomorrow we can spend the day spoiling you.” Joe brusquely placed a kiss on her lips. “You go into the lounge and find a seat - I’ll meet you in there in a few minutes.”
Lily poured a packet of sugar into her coffee as the first race played on the TV overhead. Joe hadn’t returned yet, so she didn’t even know which horse to root for. Shortly after the race, Joe sat down, beaming at her.
“I told you I had a good feeling about this track.”
“Did you win?”
“We’re halfway there,” he said. “I didn’t play that race straight, but if Morning’s Glory wins the second race, we’ll be in good shape. I put a nice bet on the double, too. Should be a great payout.”
Joe leaned over and kissed Lily, “I’m having so much fun. After this race, let’s order a nice lunch and enjoy the afternoon, OK?”
“I’m in!” said Lily.
“In fact,” said Joe. “Let’s buy ourselves a little insurance.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think Morning’s Glory is a sleeper in this race - his odds are really good. I’ll collect on the double, but I’m going to go play him to win, too.”
“But you already have money on him,” said Lily. “Why don’t you wait and see? Then if he loses, you’ll have more money for the next race.”
“What are you trying to do, Lil - jinx me?”
“No, I’m just saying that if Morning’s Glory loses - “
“There you go again - do you want to put a curse on me? Jesus...”
“Sorry,” said Lily. “I didn’t know it was bad luck.”
“Listen, just let me take care of the betting, OK? Your job is to sit here and squeeze for my horse to win. I’m going to go put a little extra on him.”
Joe disappeared and Lily watched on the TV as Morning’s Glory and Shenanigans crossed the finish line together. Joe came rushing into the lounge, flustered.
“Who won? Who won? What did it look like in here?”
“It looked like a tie,” said Lily.
“It’s called a dead heat,” he snapped. “Damn it! They’re calling for a print.”
“What’s a print?”
Joe remained silent, his eyes glued to the TV screen.
“What’s a print, Joe?” Lily repeated.
“Jesus, Lil - it’s when the race is so close they have to blow up the finish line photo. Just keep your eyes on that tote board, and pray that they put a three up there.”
They sat for what seemed like an hour, during which time the hustle and bustle around them deflated to a murmur. Finally the number seven flashed up on the board, accompanied by a wave of cheers and boos from the crowd.
“Fuck!” screamed Joe. He kicked the chair and sent it toppling over onto its side. “Fuck!”
Noticing that other people in the lounge were watching them, Lily bent over and set the chair upright. She reached out for Joe’s hand.
“Come sit,” she said.
Joe slapped her hand away, still staring at the print on the screen that depicted Shenanigans crossing the finish line first by half a nose.
“He lost by a bob of the head,” said Joe, slamming his form down on the table. “By a fucking bob of the head.”
Lily took a napkin from the dispenser and dabbed at her eyes.
“Oh, Jesus,” said Joe, sitting down and noticing the stares around them. “Jesus, Lily, I’m so sorry. Jesus.” He slid his chair next to hers and placed his arm around her shoulder. “I shouldn’t have yelled like that. You didn’t do nothin‘ wrong.”
“That’s OK,” said Lily. “You just scared me.”
“I know, I know.” Joe looked up at the print, and then back down at the stack of worthless tickets in his hand. “I thought we were really going to hit it big on that one.” After a moment, he added, “Shit!”
“Do you want to get something to eat now?” Lily asked.
“Better not,” said Joe. “I have some damage control to do first. I’ll be back in a little while.”
He disappeared for twenty minutes, returning to the lounge as the bugle sounded the Call to Post. “Squeeze for number six,” said Joe, placing a rushed kiss on Lily’s lips. “This is our race, baby - I can feel it!” He rushed off excitedly.
Number six came in third. It was ten minutes before Lily saw Joe again. He sat next to her at the table, quietly staring down at the pile of tickets in his hand.
“How about a nice sandwich?” Lily asked.
“No. Thanks.”
Lily’s stomach growled. “Do you know who you’re going to bet in the next race? I like number five.”
“Lily,” Joe said. “I don’t even know how to tell you this, but - Jesus,” Joe placed his elbows on the table and set his head in his hands.
“What is it?”
“We’re out of money.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we’re out of money. It’s gone.”
“You bet it all? All of it?”
“Yes, Lil,” he snapped. “I bet all of it.”
Fear and anger shot through Lily’s body. She couldn’t decide if she should scream or cry, settling on neither one as a helpful way to respond.
“At least we only brought three hundred dollars in with us,” said Lily. “I’m glad we had the good sense to leave the rest of it back in the hotel room.”
Joe looked at Lily, and then back up at the results board.
“You have ten minutes until post time,” said the announcer over the loudspeaker. “Ten minutes until post time.”
“You did leave the rest of the money back at the hotel, right?”
Joe looked down at the floor.
“I wish I had,” he said. “I wish to God I had.”
“Are you telling me that you lost all of our money? Everything we had?”
“Not everything,” said Joe.
Cool relief flushed through Lily’s body.
“I left a hundred bucks in the safe.”
“A hundred dollars?! That’s all we have left? We had six hundred dollars when we got here, Joe. It’s only the fourth race!”
Joe didn’t look up at her. “I know.”
“But Joe - one hundred dollars is hardly enough for gas and tolls and stuff for the way home.”
“I know. Let’s just get out of here.” He tossed his tickets up into the air and they fell like confetti around them.
After a brief stop at their hotel to gather their things and their last one hundred dollars, Lily and Joe silently crawled through traffic on the QEW as they headed home. When they hit I-90, Joe maintained a steady speed of eighty miles per hour. Lily wanted to tell him to slow down, but she had the sense if she did, he would only go faster. She fumed and fought off tears of rage until they pulled into the driveway. What good would it do to scream and cry? It would only make matters worse.
They opened the door to their apartment at LaMont Manor. Joe walked in, dropped his suitcase on the floor, and plopped himself down at the dinette table. Lily abandoned her fantasy of being carried over the threshold, leaving it in the hallway.
“I feel like such an idiot,” said Joe. “I ruined our honeymoon. You deserve better.”
“You didn’t ruin our honeymoon,” said Lily, sitting next to him and taking his hand. He had in fact ruined the honeymoon, but clearly he felt bad about it - and she would get over it. Why rub salt in his wounds? For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer. This was a chance to show him what a good wife she was going to be.
“I’m glad we’re back,” she said. “I can’t wait to get settled into our new home anyway. Who needs a fancy hotel?”
“You’re a good girl, Lily.” Joe kissed her hand. “They don’t make ‘em like you anymore.”
It was a painful lesson, but if i
t was one they had to have, then Lily was glad they got it out of the way early in their marriage. Now they could put it behind them.
“Let’s just make sure that never happens again, OK?”
“Absolutely,” said Joe. “You have my word. I am so freakin’ sorry.”
Joe sat slumped in the chair, looking down at his folded hands in his lap. Lily could see his remorse, could feel his need for her comfort and forgiveness. He seemed so broken, so forlorn. All she wanted to do was make him feel better, let him know that it was OK, that she could rise above this. She wanted him to know that nothing was more important to her than he was. It was just money, and she didn’t need money to be happy.
The physical desire that had so eluded Lily for the first two days of her marriage now swelled within her. She leaned forward and kissed him. She stood up and unbuttoned her blouse, letting it fall to the floor. She unzipped her jeans and peeled them from her legs, as her body awakened with arousal. Joe stood and led her to their bedroom, and they began making love for the first time in their new apartment on their new bed, as husband and wife.
Lily was thrilled at the way her own body was directing her as her fingers adeptly moved from being entangled in Joe’s hair, then traveled down the muscular line of his spine, resting on his buttocks. She clenched his body against hers, her desire growing more autonomous with each beat of his rhythm. She wanted him more now than she ever had, and he seemed different, too, sharper somehow. He was as enthusiastic as he had been the past couple days, but there was an edge to the way he moved. She couldn’t identify the quality exactly, except to say that he seemed rougher, more distant, and that when she peeked at him, she found a grimace on his face. No matter, whatever they were doing, it was working, and Lily felt fully engaged in their lovemaking for the first time. Her breath quickened as she prepared to surrender herself completely to the haze under which she was growing increasingly powerless. As her body dangled on the precipice of climax, Joe cried out, and then collapsed.
They lay side by side, panting, sweating. She waited for him to catch his breath, to turn to her, to touch her, to satisfy the craving that had been awakened by his remorse, and fueled by his need for her absolution.
The Complete Series Page 63
