by Mj Fields
“You are a foolish man, Dominic. I can’t even talk to you. Goodbye.”
I start closing the door, when she yells, “Wait up!”
I take in a deep breath and stand back as she walks in to the elevator.
“Are you going to call him?” she asks, putting her hand on her hip, as she looks me up and down.
“No,” I all but whisper.
“Tell me why. He’s very handsome, strong, hardworking, I assume he treated you right in private situations.”
I close my eyes and lean back as the elevator stops.
She opens the elevator door, quickly walks out and stands at my door, waiting for me.
“Valentina, I appreciate that you are trying to--” I stop talking when my phone rings. I pull it out of my bag and look at the number. I feel nauseous and dizzy and--
“It’s him, isn’t it?” she smiles. I push ignore. “Why did you do that?”
I unlock the door and walk in; she follows me.
“Look, I’m not interested. He’s not interested.”
“He’s not interested?” she gasped. “He’s more than interested.” She waves her hands around in the air, “Look around, he did this for you. He--”
“I never asked for this. I am actively looking for another place--”
“Because he owns the building?”
“That, and because he didn’t cash the check for the rent. I’m not,” I stop and take a deep breath. “I’m not going to be someone’s plaything. I’m independent. I’m working so that I can make it on my own. I’m--”
“He’ll buy the next building, too.”
“That’s unfair. That’s so unfair.” The knowing burn crept up my throat. “I am so damn sick of crying! I’m sick of all this. I just want to be left alone.” I turn my back to her, hoping she’d get the point and leave. When she doesn’t, I continue, “He’s with Jules! I am trying to take this whole thing, as just a thing, you know? And if I don’t feel bad enough about myself for sleeping with someone, and thinking I felt something for someone who, who—is with Jules. He certainly reminds me of what a whore I seem to be, buying my apartment building,” I can’t stop and keep blubbering away like a fool. “I--” I stop when my phone rings, again. I slam it on the counter and go to grab a tissue.
“What do you want?” I hear her snap. “You’re with Jules DeLuca?” I whip around and see her on my phone. “Well, you know, I’m with Laney on this one, brother.” Then, she hangs up on him, too. She looks surprised that she has, and then looks at me with her eyes wide as saucers, “I can’t believe I just did that.”
We both stand looking at each other, without saying a word, when the phone rings again. This time it is the landline that I was told was put in as part of the security system.
I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Don’t hang up, just answer a couple questions, I don’t have time for games.” He is short and direct. “Are you pregnant?”
“Oh, my God, no!”
“You were sick, why?”
“Hot dogs. I ate two hot dogs.”
“Jesus, Laney, don’t say things like that to me. I am picturing your mouth wrapped --”
“Okay, look, I’m not going to do this with you, Dominic, on the phone or otherwise. You have Jules--”
Valentina laughs out loud. She must know he said something inappropriate.
“I certainly do not!”
“Oh, okay, so the pictures of you and the child on Jules Instagram, was I imagining them?” I stop and immediately start again. “You know what. It doesn’t matter--”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Nothing matters as much.”
“Dominic what do you want?” I concede.
“You asked for space. I told you I wouldn’t contact you, unless you needed me. From what my sister has told me, you need me. Tell me what I can do for you, Laney.”
Then, I hear a woman laugh, “Dominic, she’s smiling at you.” It is Jules.
“Goodbye, Dominic.”
I hang up and walk away.
I go in my room. Valentina follows.
“I hate her you know. I knew she was trouble.”
“We can’t help who we love,” I say, as I kick my shoes off and climb into bed.
I am surprised, and not sure why, when she follows and climbs in.
We both look up at the ceiling. “You love him?”
“Valentina, I have no idea what love is. I only know that the feelings I have for him are strong and not always pleasant.”
“He’s in love with you.”
I snap my head away from the ceiling and look at her. She rolls to her side and rests her head in her hand. “No, he hasn’t said the word but he does, Laney. I know he does.”
I allow myself to get high on that thought for a moment, before shaking my head, ridding myself of the idea. “Doesn’t matter, it would never work.”
“Because he’s in Italy and you are here?”
“That and I don’t trust him. Trust is important.”
“Has he given you reason to mistrust him?”
“That’s it. He has said all the right things and I believed him at that moment but then, then--”
“Jules DeLuca is a self-serving bitch. Her husband is worse,” she whispers.
I look over at her as she lies back and looks up at the ceiling again.
“I won’t pretend to know everything about my brother’s personal life. I won’t even try to figure it out. But I know who he is inside. I know he loves deeply and feels even deeper. And I know he is loyal. If not for him, I wouldn’t be here today.” She looks over with sadness in her eyes and then giggles as she pats the bed. “Literally, I wouldn’t be right here.”
Valentina talks about the dark days, as she calls them. She lost her parents, then her grandfather. After her grandfather’s death, she found her grandmother crying and heard her say over and over again, ‘I gave it all up for you. My children, my heart, my everything.’
“She sounded so angry as she talked to Grandfather’s picture. Dominic found me and scurried me back to our wing of the house. He took the time to listen, and tried to help me understand that she had not given her children away, and that it was her way of expressing a feeling. He was always explaining my feelings to me. He protected me, loved me, and raised me, until he couldn’t anymore. I was angry when he let them send me away to a private school. He said someday I would understand. I still don’t, but I know if he felt it was in my best interest; then it was. He’s a good man and a great brother. I wish you could see that.”
“I do. I see all the wonderful things about him in vivid colors. But the other things, the clouds that loom over him, and the wall I have built for self-preservation make it impossible. I want your brother to be happy.”
“Then, make him happy,” she interrupts. “At least call him. He’s going through so much right now. He needs someone. He doesn’t tell me anything because he thinks I’m weak.”
“You weak?” I nudge her. “I have only spoken to you twice and I know better.”
“Then, help me make him see that.”
Our eyes lock, neither of us looks away.
***
Valentina orders delivery from a little Italian place she had found in Little Italy. She says she will be back with a bottle of wine, mumbling under her breath about ‘shitty American wine.’
Dominic has mentioned that, as well. I can’t tell the difference between a five-dollar bottle and a five hundred dollar bottle. But then again, I wasn’t raised with a taste for the finer things.
“Thanks, Franco.” I hear Valentina say as she walks into my apartment. She sits the food on the counter and looks up at me. “We will start with Caprese salad. Something light for your belly.” She smiles as she looks at my stomach.
“I’m not pregnant for God’s sake, I have my period.”
“Me, too! We are cycling together, already. It’s a sign.”
I can’t help but laugh.
“I never had a siste
r, and my grandmother hit menopause long before I started menstruating and…” She stops and laughs. “Simple things bring me great joy. Okay, first wine. This is Greco di Tufo, made from Greco grapes that are grown on our family’s vineyard and bottled at the facility in Livorno. Dominic’s domain.”
She hands me the bottle. “Alesstina?”
“Alessia, our mother, and Valentina. It’s his private label. Not sold to the public, yet. It is the best Greco di Tufo, anywhere. After you’ve tasted it, you’ll know why.”
I watch her open the bottle and pour the white wine into the glasses she pulls off of the wine glass rack. She hands me one, and I watch as she smells and sips with her eyes closed.
She opens her eyes and holds up her glass, “Salute, amore, orgasm.”
I was pretty sure I knew what that meant. When she smiles and taps her glass to mine, I know I am right.
We drink, eat, and talk about how much she adores her brother. I love hearing her talk about him. Her Dominic, as she calls him, is the man I had met: strong, confident, full of life, and loyal. The man I allowed myself to feel so deeply for, so quickly.
“He will make someone very happy, someday.”
“He will make you very happy. He adores you. If he didn’t I wouldn’t be here.”
“He’s playing the ultra-cool, beautiful sister card, is he?”
“Ah, yes, the Valentina card.”
“You say that like it’s been done before.”
“Never. I’m like the card inside the box that says ‘open in emergency only.’”
“Is that so?”
“You doubt too much. I can assure you, he’s not holed up in an Italian villa, poking the Sicilian bush of the woman who will be making marinara sauce for him twenty-four hours a day.”
***
I lay in bed that night, knowing I had way too much to drink to even be considering making a phone call. But wine and a great evening, all things considered; make me a little less able to control myself.
Alesstina Greco di Tufo… Laney
Salute, amore,…Dominic
Salute, amore, orgasmo…Laney
My phone rings, immediately, and I hit ignore.
You dare drink my wine, enjoy the company of my sister, wish me health, love, and orgasms, yet you deny me the sound of your voice?...Dominic
I’m drunk…Laney
Answer your phone…Please…Dominic
“Hello?” her voice is deep and sexy as sin.
“Laney,” I say, trying to soften the need in my own voice.
“Hi,” her whisper holds a smile, and fuck, I want to see that smile.
“Did you enjoy my wine?”
“Mmm, very much.”
I take in a long deep breath, trying to not go straight into a sexual conversation that she is making damn near impossible to avoid. My absence of words makes her speak again.
“I understand the face, now.”
“The face?”
“The one you made every time you drank wine, while you were here.”
“Oh, I see. Yes, I enjoy fine wine.”
“Do you stomp the grapes yourself?”
I am thoroughly amused by her question, and wish I could see the curiosity in her eyes.
“I’m joking. I’m sure you have people for that.”
“Well, I actually have presses for that, but I can assure you, I would very much enjoy watching the maceration process with you in a vat.”
“Oh wow, I have no idea how we went from wine to a bath, so quickly.”
“I’m not sure either.” I really wasn’t, but the little slur in her words makes me very curious. “Tell me what I just said to you.”
“I’m not into dirty talk on the phone,” she whispers, as if someone could hear her.
I hold back a laugh. “Please, I want to hear you say it.”
“Okay. Masturbation in a bath.”
I laugh out loud and the line goes dead.
I immediately called back and she answers, “It’s not funny, I was… I was going along with your sick little game and you…”
“Laney, I think you’ve had a lot of wine tonight. Someday, I really wish to continue that conversation because I would no doubt enjoy--”
“What do you want, Dominic?” She sighs.
“You, always you. I have thought about you, just as much as you have me, since the last night we were together.”
“Dominic--” I hear her voice crack, and then her breath quake.
“I’m glad you contacted me. I need to point out that you asked me to not contact you, unless you need me. You need me or you wouldn’t have messaged me. I know you need me because of your tears. You need me to make them go away. Yet, you deny me access.”
“You’re in Italy, Dominic, you may as well be on another planet.”
I stand on the boat looking out over the water, trying to summon an answer. She’s drunk, and it’s nighttime in New York. I need to tailor this to her. “I’m looking up at the stars, the same damn ones you see from your apartment window. It seems far away when I look out over the horizon, but our horizons meet, Laney. I will seek comfort in that, until you let me in further; where I want to be, where I need to be. When you can open your heart, just a tiny bit, open your eyes and look up to all of the stars in the sky and let them guide you. I know where they will take you. I will be here waiting.”
She doesn’t respond.
“Sleep well, Ladybug.”
I hang up the phone and go back to my colleagues, waiting in the back of the boat.
***
I spend the next day on the phone with the Steel brothers and the lawyers. Benito is going to be arraigned next week, and I am going to be there.
I lean back in my chair and look out over the city from Benito’s glass tower. I hate this fucking place. I hate that son-of-a-bitch. I can’t wait to see him lose everything he never should have had.
Tomorrow I will sit in front of my cousins, with my sister at my side, and tell them exactly what I want to do with our family’s company. I will not waiver. I have everything in order, to do exactly as I want.
***
I walk in the front entrance of 57th Street at eight thirty in the morning. I am jet lagged and exhausted.
“Mr. Segretti?” Franco jumped up from his chair.
“Have a seat, Franco, and last I checked I’m still Dominic, the same guy you used to hang out with in the vineyards when we were kids.”
“It’s been years.”
“You talk to your father in the past few days?” I asked.
“No, I’ve been kind of busy dealing with Miss Segretti.”
“Is that so, has Valentina been a pain in the ass?”
Franco chuckles, “She has been keeping pretty busy.”
“Shopping?”
“Packages from Italy every day.”
“I thought she’d love shopping here in the city that doesn’t sleep.”
“She found a dollar store sir--”
“Dominic.”
“I apologize.”
“Go on, this dollar store?”
“Right. She was not fond of it. Does she know you’re here?”
“No. I’d like to keep it that way. I need some sleep.”
“The second floor isn’t ready, yet.”
“I’m going to be on the third.”
“Should I inform--”
“No. Not one word. When does she arrive home from work?”
“It’s Thursday. Normally she’s back by five.”
“Perfect. I’ll rest until she arrives. No interruptions, I flew all damn night.”
I walk into her apartment and am pleasantly surprised by how it all looks. It reminds me a lot of home. Valentina has done well.
I walk into the bathroom and come very close to taking a bath, considering what Laney said about the bath when we were on the phone, but opt for a shower and a nap.
After my shower I dry off, grab my pants and pull my phone out of my pocket. I search for
the closest florist and order flowers to be delivered to Laney at work. I set the alarm for four o’clock. I will sleep, then get up, get dressed, and make one very special woman feel real damn good tonight.
I wake and it is dark, I look at my phone and it is eight o’clock at night. I sit up, as the aroma of garlic and sauce hits me. I stand up, grab my bag and throw on a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt. I should feel a little anxious about this but I don’t. I am only concerned that by walking out there I am gonna scare the hell out of her.
I walk out and see Laney and Valentina sitting at the island, whispering.
“Ladies,” I say, as I walk toward them. Neither seems at all surprised to see me awake already.
“Did you sleep well?” Valentina asks, as she jumps up, walks to me, and gives me a hug.
“I slept like a baby. Not sure why the alarm didn’t wake me. I had planned dinner for the two most beautiful women in the world.”
Valentina hugs me tight and then steps away. “And he cooks. Total package.”
“I’ve missed my fan club.” I wink at Valentina and look at Laney.
Her head is hanging down, and she is looking up at me through her long thick lashes, not saying a word.
It takes me a moment to speak, “I had this entire speech prepared for you. I have no idea where all the words went. You’ve rendered me speechless.”
Her face turns the prettiest shade of pink. She fights to not scowl.
“Oh, my God that was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” Valentina sighs, “If a man said that to me, I would be on my back telling him to take--”
“Valentina, I strongly suggest you not finish that sentence, unless you want me to go online to some medieval shopping channel and order a goddamned chastity belt.”
Laney gives a silent laugh and her features soften.
“Mio fratello, my brother, thinks I’m still a virgin.” Valentina laughs as she looks at Laney.
“I also think you still enjoy pony rides and--” I begin.
“I graduated to stallions,” she goads.
“Valentina, non sfidare la sorte,” I warn.
She looks at Laney. “Don’t tempt fate. He tells me don’t tempt fate, as if I should remain twelve for the rest of my life.”
