Alice laughed and they both turned their heads to the sound of the front door opening.
“Talking of which, let me introduce you to Sam.”
“Hi.”
Bobby put his poker face on and they shook hands.
“Hi. Pleased to meet you. I‘ll be back in a moment.”
Sam kept the shopping bags in her hand and scooted off to the bedroom. Bobby‘s head followed her as she departed the living room. Once she‘d gone, he allowed a smirk to take over his expression.
“What?”
“Sam?”
“Yes. That‘s Sam.”
“Samantha.”
“That‘s what I‘m telling you. For a smart man, you can be quite dense sometimes.”
“And you can be quite misleading. You never mentioned Sam was...”
“... someone I really care about? Oh yes I did.”
“Don‘t be coy. We didn‘t you tell us about your... lifestyle?”
“Because I didn‘t want to have this conversation. And it‘s not a lifestyle choice: it‘s who I am.”
Sam was as good as her word and came back into the living room.
“Shall I open a bottle of wine or do you have more business to discuss?”
“Business? I‘m family.”
“A family business.”
She wandered off into the kitchen to grab something red and Alice joined her to help with glasses. Upon their return, Bobby had moved himself from the breakfast table onto a couch.
“To the two of you.”
Raised glasses all round, a clink and finally a sip of a Californian grape.
“What line of work are you in?”
“Marketing. I‘m at a large agency in Boston. We handle lots of the household brands.”
“And you do...?”
“I‘m an account director.”
“Not being funny but I have no idea what that means.”
Sam spent ten minutes explaining the difference between sales and marketing. Then another five describing the structure of agencies.
All the while, Alice looked on, enjoying the view as her favorite people talked to each other, nodding and laughing along the way. Sam sat next to Alice on a two-seater opposite Bobby. As their chatting continued, Bobby noticed the tension in Alice‘s shoulders subside and by the time the corporate lecture was over, Alice had placed a palm on Sam‘s lap. Sweet.
“Enough about me. Alice runs the family show. What do you do?”
“Does she?”
Beat.
“I just help if I‘m needed.”
“Oh gosh. I never said I was in charge, Sam.”
She squeezed Alice‘s hand.
“No honey, but you must be fairly important to spend so much time on it.”
“Alice is being modest: she‘s up there. We don‘t know what we‘d do without her.”
“Yeah? Did Mama say that?”
“Sure did.”
Alice glowed and Sam gave her a showy kiss on the lips.
“My businesswoman of the year.”
“You two hungry because I‘m starved. Choose somewhere nice to eat round here. My treat.”
That night in bed, Alice pondered over Bobby‘s reaction to Sam. He was probably out of his comfort zone hanging with a couple of lesbians, but he‘d handled himself well and appeared happy that she was happy. Bobby was a cool dude.
“I'VE HEARD OF this guy in Silicon Valley.”
“Great. Why don‘t we invite him over for dinner?”
Mary Lou and Bobby lay by the pool next to the summerhouse. He‘d been back from Malibu about a week but had decided not to voice his concerns about Coby. Alice was right. They both had a good nose for trouble and he had confessed. Let that be an end to it. Wrapped up in his own thoughts as he had been these past seven days, Bobby forgot to tell Mary Lou about Sam. She knew Alice had met someone - but was unaware of the precise details.
He had known his wife over twenty years but, even if he‘d had a clear head, Bobby wouldn‘t have an idea how to explain her daughter was a dyke. He wasn‘t especially prejudiced himself but Mary Lou came from the deep South and they have different rules down there. Like hanging blacks and burning crosses.
Mary Lou sighed, dragging Bobby‘s attention back to reality.
“This is serious. I‘ve got an idea to make some serious money.”
“Does it involve narcotics?”
“Not at all.”
“Talk to me, babe.”
Mary Lou outlined the scheme she had in mind. The guy she‘d been introduced to, while Bobby was lying by the beach, had access to high-tech equipment - computers, circuit boards and so on. They had contracts to make precision instruments for the Pentagon. This is when the dude should have kept his mouth shut but Mary Lou used her powers of persuasion to keep him blabbing away.
Two options opened up to them. One: they could invest in the stock and use their insider knowledge to know when to sell - or buy a bigger stake. Two: they supply the instruments under George‘s supervision and get a direct line into the US government.
Bobby loved the vision and making a dollar out of insider trading sounded fun, but he knew from her tone that Mary Lou was interested in fighter jet instrumentation. He was far from convinced. The idea a company controlled by a Lagotti would win and keep a defense contract. Absurd, crazy even.
“Give me his details and Naldo and I can have a sniff around. See if he‘s legit.”
“Feels right.”
“Yeah, but to be honest I‘m not too sure. Doesn‘t sit right in my gut.”
“It‘s the future, Bobby.”
GEORGE LIM APPEARED to be a stand up fella. A house out in the valley and recently married to a local girl. He was a natural born American and his parents had emigrated from Taiwan before he was even a twinkle in his father‘s eye.
Neither Bobby nor Naldo could unearth any vices to slow the dude down. Didn‘t gamble. Didn‘t smoke. Didn‘t drink. And didn‘t fool around with other women. From what they could tell, he lived to work and was one hundred per cent dedicated to the business. The company specialized in jet fighter kit. Details of what the place did went way over their heads, but George had told Mary Lou the truth.
“If he‘s got such a straight back, why is he prepared to play such a curve ball?”
“Dunno boss. At least, not yet.”
They expanded their search to find his angle but there was nothing on him. Naldo focused on the wife while Bobby worked on the rest of the family. Then everything became crystal clear. Mrs. Lim was a bookkeeper and beyond reproach. She serviced several local small firms and that was all. And she wasn‘t pregnant even though they were trying.
Papa Lim told a different story - he was the cause of George‘s desire to walk on the wild side. The man was ill. His pancreas was failing him. Kidneys too. With no intervention, he‘d be dead in three months, six if he was lucky. He came from the old country and hadn‘t invested in medical insurance and was up shit creek without a paddle - to coin a surgical phrase. So George wanted cash - and fast.
The scale of the medical intervention was way beyond anything a personal loan might deliver. He was smart enough to realize he needed access to dirty money. At heart, the guy was square which was why Bobby didn‘t trust him.
“Once his dad is all fixed up, he‘ll have no use for us and no need to keep playing our game.”
“Perhaps, but when he’s swum with the sharks long enough, he’ll need to meet any obligations he has to us.”
“You‘re relying on his good nature to ensure he stays on the wrong side of the tracks.”
“These kinds of opportunity come along once in a lifetime.”
“Not sure about that. This gift horse relies on a straight fella. I don‘t think we should hang our colors to this mast.”
“I disagree. There‘s a ton of money for very little effort. What‘s not to like?”
“Do me a favor. If you have to see this thing through, do everything through intermediaries.
Never meet him. Never let him hear your name. I‘ve got a bad vibe - really do.”
“Promise.”
“For real?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
THE FIRST OCCASION internal compliance checked on George, he folded faster than someone holding a pair of twos. Mary Lou hadn‘t even had time to release any funds to him. So there was no crime to confess apart from conspiracy and the guilt was too much for his carcass to bear. Word reached Bobby that George was discussing their plans to the local cops but because the Pentagon was indirectly involved, the whole operation was about to go sky high.
A single call to Naldo nullified their risk and George met with an auto accident that night. The boys in blue had sent him home and arranged another interview the following day when the Feds would swing by. He never made it - nor did his dad who died two months later, around the same time Mrs. Lim found out she was pregnant.
16
“WELL, IT‘S A pleasure to meet you.”
“And for me too. Alice has told me so much about you.”
Mary Lou and Sam shook hands and everyone moved into the living room to sit down, leaving overnight bags in the hall. Drinks were offered and dispensed. Then that small awkward pause when no-one quite knows which topic of conversation to kick off.
“This looks a lovely place you guys have got here.”
“Thank you. Bobby: why don‘t you give Samantha a tour?”
He stood up, grabbed his whiskey and the two headed to the conservatory and then the pool. Alice and Mary Lou stayed where they sat. In silence.
“What have I done wrong?”
“You‘ve disappointed me, darling. Why didn‘t you mention Sam was...”
“... a woman?”
“Yes, was it so hard for you to tell me you‘re gay?”
“I was scared of what you might think of me.”
Mary Lou laughed. She was a child before the Sixties. Why would she be that prejudiced?
“Provided you‘re happy, that‘s all I care about.”
“So how have I disappointed?”
“You should have just said. Passive aggressive doesn‘t suit you and it‘s not how I brought you up to be.”
A tear rolled down Alice‘s cheek which she quickly smeared away. How could she have misjudged Mama so badly? And now she hurt inside and had the childish impulse to run over to get a hug, so everything would be okay. Only it wasn‘t.
“I didn‘t know how you‘d react. It‘s not something we‘ve ever talked about. I‘m sorry but I could not conceive of the right words. Showing you seemed the only way.”
“It must have been difficult living that lie - I get it but I‘m your mama and you can always rely on me. You don’t hold onto my apron strings but you can still receive help from me. It‘s not a sign of weakness.”
Bobby and Sam sauntered through the living room and into the kitchen before heading upstairs.
“I just want to stand on my own two feet and be the best person I can be.”
“You are a Californian, I‘ll give you that. Your mother is always here for you in rain or shine. You shoulda said, is all.”
“I‘m sorry. Forgive me?”
“Of course darling. I love you.”
Sam sat back next to Alice, who kept her hands to herself and looked as though she wanted to curl into a tiny ball. Sam dangled an arm on Alice‘s leg as she leaned forward to grab her drink. Bobby watched Mary Lou as she saw the hand rest on her daughter‘s body. He noticed his wife‘s spine stiffen momentarily and he wondered what had been said between them to make Alice‘s eyes red. Sam must have spotted this too because she maintained her hand on the thigh after she‘d returned with her vodka tonic.
THE TENSION IN the room dissipated once everybody sat down to eat. Irma had cooked up a storm and by the time she‘d served coffees, everyone was full. Alice and Sam cleared the plates after each course as dutiful children do.
“How do you find Boston? My son, Frank spends a lot of his time out there.”
“It‘s a lovely chilled town. The people are friendly unlike New York, but they‘ve still got some drive to them.”
“And it‘s not a retirement village like Palm Springs.”
“Mama, there are folk my age living here only they don‘t mix in your circles.”
“The only real downside is there are far too many students.”
Alice laughed.
“It wasn‘t so long ago that we were at college.”
“Yes, but we‘re not there now, thank goodness.”
All four chuckled at that and conversation continued for another hour. Then Mary Lou saw the clock on the mantelpiece and shuffled forward on the couch, play-slapping Bobby on the knee.
“It‘s way past our bedtime, but you stay up as long as you want.”
“Thanks Mama.”
Goodnight kisses ensued and once all permutations had been covered, Mary Lou and Bobby headed upstairs.
“WHAT DO YOU make of Sam?”
“She seems a nice girl.”
“Nice enough for Alice?”
“No-one will ever be good enough for Alice. Not in my eyes at least.”
“It‘s a mother-daughter thing. I get that. But ignoring the inevitable impossibility of her meeting your high expectations... what do you think of her?”
“She makes Alice happy. Did you see the glow in her cheeks each time Sam touched her?”
“I did. They’re a good couple. But you didn‘t answer my question.”
“Ask me again in the morning. There‘s something I can‘t quite put my finger on. Let me sleep on it.”
DOWNSTAIRS ALICE AND Sam had moved onto the patio as it was such a beautiful night. The moon shone brightly and the air was calm. They shared a sun lounger and cuddled in the darkness.
“Your folks are good people. I like them.”
“Yeah? I‘ve known Bobby all my life so I don‘t know any different and my mother is my mother, if you see what I mean.”
“Sure do.”
They both were mesmerized by the moonlight on the ripples in the pool and drifted into silence. Alice stroked Sam‘s thigh in response to Sam‘s squeezing of a breast.
“You‘re very forward for a girl from Boston...”
They kissed and then Alice stood up, stripped down to her underwear and removed Sam‘s clothing. Then she walked to the edge of the pool and jumped in, swiftly followed by her girlfriend. The two splashed about for a while until they wound up in the shallow end and Alice took off Sam‘s bra and then her own. More kissing and hands meandering over each other‘s bodies.
“Shouldn‘t we go upstairs? Your parents are the other side of that balcony, aren‘t they?”
Alice slipped her hand inside Sam‘s panties.
“A bit more time here won‘t hurt if you‘re not too loud. Then you can take me to our room and fuck me there as well.”
MARY LOU AWOKE late next morning. Her ability to get to sleep was hampered by the sounds of her daughter frolicking in the pool with Sam. She preferred not to imagine quite what frolics occurred and kept her mind focused on the euphemism. Like every mother, Mary Lou was protective of her daughter‘s groin and its sexual activity - gay, straight or bi.
Now she was conscious, she had another chance to replay her thoughts about that woman. Sam had said the only downside of Boston were student numbers. That didn‘t sound right. Surely, the biggest issue was that she was thousands of miles from Alice. Perhaps she didn‘t want to state her undying love for her daughter - either because she wouldn‘t have meant it or it would have been too embarrassing. But she had the opportunity to make some polite statement about wanting to be together.
This made Mary Lou want to find out why Sam was holding back. Even if Alice was living in the moment and enjoying the best ride of her young life, Mary Lou needed more. Sam was hiding something from them.
Alice hadn‘t been forthcoming with her about her sexuality, but she‘d assured her mama that she and Sam were able to talk
openly together. For instance, Alice wanted Sam to relocate to California but Sam was tied to her job. At the same time, Alice knew they were far too early in the relationship for her to make that kind of demand on Sam.
By the same token, Sam didn‘t like the time Alice spent working in the family business. She didn‘t know precisely what any of it was - Alice made sure of that - but she could tell it wasn‘t all on the level. A casino manager doesn‘t pick up sticks and leave to live above a bordello just because her Mama asked.
And if the emotions at the heart of the relationship were sound then what was Sam thinking but not saying? What was her secret? Alice was convinced Sam had genuine feelings for her, so what could she be hiding? Something about herself or what she got up to in Boston. By Alice‘s own account, they‘d met in the most random of circumstances and it had taken Sam ages to talk about where she came from.
Perhaps, she had trust issues or her background was so shady she refused to tell a woman she was prepared to travel across country to be with - and who might be involved in criminal operations. That limited the gene pool of possibility to a handful of ideas. If Sam was a criminal then Alice‘s family situation would not be an issue. But if she was at the other end of the honesty spectrum then that‘d make perfect sense.
With all the problems Mary Lou‘d had with people squealing, she hadn‘t looked closer to home. And once this idea arrived inside her head, she couldn‘t shake it: Sam was a stool pigeon and had finagled her way into Alice‘s heart to be a mole for the Feds.
MARY LOU NUDGED Bobby awake. He grunted and tried to roll back to sleep, but she shook his arm until he got the message it was time to talk. She explained what had been running through her head and waited for a response. Bobby plumped up pillows and busied himself to gain more valuable minutes to consider her words and wake up more before speaking.
“I don‘t see it. They‘re a lovely couple: the way they preen each other is adorable. When Alice speaks, Sam is captivated by her voice. It might not be love - who are we to say - but it‘s a mighty strong lust for sure. She can’t fake that.”
The Lagotti Family Series Page 74
