“I‘ve never had anything as pretty as this in my life. Thank you.”
“De nada.”
“And no-one has ever bought me anything as lovely as this either.”
She planted another kiss on him, only this time fully on the mouth. He tasted warm and she melted as his hand ran down her spine, finishing with a squeeze of her ass. Her silver boutique bag in one hand and her man in the other, Mary Lou headed back to their small hotel and into their room to change into the new purchase.
They had fresh white linen on the bed - the maid had got in early - and the headboard was pastel blue to match the nautical theme of the rest of the furniture. Frank pulled out his swimming trunks from a drawer and Mary Lou unwrapped her bikini from its tissue paper and placed both items gingerly on the bed covers.
Without saying a word, but in perfect synchrony, they both chucked their clothes on the floor and stood, soaking in the sight of the other‘s body. Mary Lou walked round to give Frank a kiss while he wrapped his arms around her torso, one hand massaging her right breast. Tingles flashed along her spine and she leaned into him to feel his hairs against her skin. Then she knelt down and licked his dick.
“I MEANT HIS father”
“Huh?”
Mary Lou was confused. She looked around and saw Bobby but only a minute ago she‘d been with Frank, the man who‘d given her the twins. She clung to her chair and hoped the world would right itself soon. Bobby sensed her distress as she dug her nails into his hand and decided to just remain calm and let her ride out the storm in her mind. She knew she was in Miami and she closed her eyes for a second...
Frank made Mary Lou stand up and she felt his dick pressing against her rose tattoo. A tingle sprung from her crotch as his fingers investigated her groin. She cupped his balls in her hand and savored the moment. Despite the problems with the First Bank of Baltimore, they were in a wonderful place together. Like they were inseparable and perfectly attuned to each other. Bound by more than the sweat caused by the intensity of their sex and the heat of the night.
On the second day of their trip, they hung out the ‘Do Not Disturb‘ sign on their room door and occupied the morning naked, in bed and happy. Perhaps for the first time in Mary Lou‘s life. Then they hit the beach before lunch and spent the early afternoon people watching in a cafe. When they packed, Mary Lou put her new bikini back in its wrapping and into its silver store bag before depositing it into her luggage. On the plane, she nestled on Frank‘s shoulder and fell asleep, content from the forty-eight hour sojourn.
MARY LOU OPENED her eyes with a jolt and saw Bobby sat next to her on the Jackson patio. More disorientation. A sip of coffee helped to give her focus and she recalled the reason for being in Miami.
“I‘m glad you talked me into this.”
“Tough few months, huh?”
“Sure have been. At least the boy is starting to get a grip on himself. And Alice is doing fine - a real treasure.”
“One smart cookie, that girl.”
“Always was. She‘d let Frank run and wade through the swamp and then glide around the dirt to avoid the shit.”
“Self-reliant too. Very mature head on those shoulders.“
“Knows what she wants and ruthless when she needs to be.”
“Have you come to terms about her... lifestyle?”
”I‘ve never had a problem with Alice being gay - I just don‘t like passive-aggressive bullshit. That‘s a totally different ball game and I won‘t stand for it. Never have and I‘m not gonna start now.”
Bobby stroked her hand with his thumb. Mary Lou was a fabulous woman and he was a lucky man to exist in her orbit. He turned to soak in her beauty with the sunset in the background and realized he‘d forgotten how much he was physically attracted to her.
“Shall we go back to the room?”
“I‘m good here enjoying the view.”
“What if we go up and fuck until it‘s time to eat?”
Mary Lou released his hand and stood up.
“Should have said. Come on then.”
DESPITE BOBBY‘S CLAIM that all Mama needed was a week‘s R&R, Alice was not satisfied. So much so, she took a plane to visit her brother in AC. This was her first trip to the Lucky Nugget and she tried her best not to be disappointed - or at least not show it.
Before the end of their teenage years, the twins learned not to spend too much time alone together because arguments always followed. There was something in their chemistry that caused explosions. As adults, their lives had separated and their different paths enabled each to avoid the other at almost every turn.
The appearance of his sister at the casino was a genuine surprise for Frank. Since Leonida‘s untimely departure, he had not yet hired a replacement. There had been several excellent candidates, but Bobby had gained trust issues and couldn‘t bring himself to let anyone inside his circle.
The impact of his indecision was simple: Frank was working harder than he‘d ever done before in his life - and he was stressed. Then Alice appeared at reception seeking an appointment with Mr. Lagotti.
“Hello stranger.”
“Hi, Frank.”
“What brings you to this side of the country? I hope you‘re not here to offer me advice because I really don‘t have time to listen to your anecdotes about management acumen.”
“Hadn‘t crossed my mind. You got problems? I‘m here about Mama, not the family business.”
“Yeah I got local difficulties. Hasn‘t Mama mentioned the trouble I had with Leonida?”
“Who?”
“Leonida Acerbi, my casino manager. We had to... let him go after we found his fingers were getting too sticky for his own good.”
“And your problem is...?”
“I can‘t find anyone to replace him and it will send me to an early grave.”
Alice chuckled at the thought of Frank pulling his finger out and grafting instead of fucking his way through life. Any sympathy in her bones for his situation ebbed away, but she tried not to show it as she was here to seek his help - for the first time since she was sixteen.
IN THE CONFINES of his office, Alice felt better able to talk to Frank without the constant desire to bait him. He might be snowed under by the responsibilities of leadership, but she saw a glint in his eyes - almost a glow - that made her think he was evolving as a human being before her eyes. Maybe he enjoyed bossing people around.
“What‘s the matter, sis‘?”
“Something‘s not right with Mama, but I can‘t put my finger on it.”
“And does Bobby share your view?”
“No. He reckons she‘s tired and nothing more. That‘s why they‘ve gone off to Florida this week. What about you?”
“Me? Nothing. She seemed okay last time I saw her. In fact, she seemed more than fine under the circumstances.”
“Your personnel issues.”
“Uh-huh.”
Alice wondered how reliable Frank‘s opinion was to her. In the past he‘d shown himself to be one of the most inept and useless people she‘d ever had the misfortune of knowing. Yet Mama had set him up to run a casino just like Alice. The woman had a deeper insight than Alice, for sure. Perhaps it was all in her head and she was worrying over nothing. To shut down the Queen of Sheba wasn‘t fantasy - it nearly became a reality.
“The thing is that some of Mama‘s decisions have been...”
She could not bring herself to say what was lingering at the back of her mind. Dare not utter those negative thoughts out loud.
“... ill-advised.”
Frank tilted his head to one side, not sure of what to make of Alice and her concerns. He figured she must be serious otherwise she‘d never have wasted her valuable time on him, but she had nothing specific to offer. Women‘s intuition didn‘t cut it with Frank.
“How so?”
“She wanted to shut down the Queen of Sheba because she hadn‘t been able to gouge any of the Chicago unions.”
“And you‘d have been
left running the bathtub without any baby.”
“This isn‘t about me: it‘s Mama we should focus on.”
FRANK COULDN‘T HELP himself and he let out a guffaw. Alice‘s concerns for Mama just boiled down to fear of appearing to fail. Like everything in Alice‘s life. He had almost believed her but luckily he caught himself in time.
“Alice, listen to yourself. It‘s not Mama that needs help: it‘s you. Can‘t you see Mama‘s doing what‘s best for the family? If a casino has to be abandoned then so be it. Same for me here. She and Bobby have big plans for us and we have to accept they aren‘t showing us the entire picture. Not right now, anyway.”
“Bobby agreed with me on this. He thought she was wrong too - only he let things blow over and Mama changed her mind. But that didn‘t stop us losing a million dollar a month profit from the riverboat operation. Just because she was snubbed.”
Frank couldn‘t conceive of his Mama not making the right decision first time. So Alice and Bobby must have misunderstood. Or something. The grim possibility that Mama was wrong would not get a firm purchase in his head. There was no way he could survive without his Mama being there for him. This was not the time for him to lose her.
“Mama‘s fine and you are losing your mind. I might have done too many lines of coke in my life but you‘re the one who‘s paranoid. You should listen to yourself. Mama says something you don‘t like the sound of because it hits your operation in the belly, next you‘re traveling round the country announcing our Mama is a psycho.”
“That‘s not what I said.”
“The only time you had a problem was when she threatened the Queen of Sheba. Admit it, sis‘. You‘re afraid Mama‘s gonna take your favorite ball off you and lock it in the summerhouse cupboard.”
“Fuck you.”
“And the horse you rode in on.”
Alice stood up and stormed out of the office, out of the Lucky Nugget and straight to the airport. Having calmed down, Alice thought about hopping over to Sam as Boston was so close. She wanted to spend the night in her lover‘s arms but when she rang, there was no reply and Alice didn‘t have the stomach for more disappointment today: she wasn‘t in the mood. On the flight back, she shut her eyes and dreamed of Sam‘s body and all its crevices.
24
MARY LOU AND Bobby lay in their Jackson Hotel bed and watched the evening transform into night. Tired and a little sticky around the thighs, Mary Lou‘s head rested on Bobby‘s chest as they both watched stars appear and twinkle in the sky. Her hand stroked his kneecap while several of his fingers supported one of her breasts.
“First San Francisco and then Chicago. It‘s not easy anymore.”
“It‘ll all be fine. Some you win, some you lose.”
“Seems like we‘re losing a few in a row.”
“You worry too much, Bobby. Next year we’ll take San Francisco. The Russians have bought themselves a small amount of time to make hay. And as for Chicago, I never thought we‘d wrap up that parcel. It was worth a trip and a few days in a hotel but we both knew we weren‘t serious otherwise we‘d have gone over there with a large crew and spilled enough blood until everyone saw sense.”
“Maybe so... I spoke with Milton. The Palace didn‘t make money last month. First time ever. He reckoned the Hollywood johns aren‘t coming to the parties. There‘s fresh competition from gangs offering cheaper pills and underage thrills.”
“That man has been blaming someone else for his own failure to run his business for twenty-five years to my certain knowledge.”
“You may well be right but that doesn‘t mean there aren‘t fellas nipping at our ankles. They are real and we need to deal.”
DEAL. MARY LOU‘S mind flitted back to the moment she and Frank Lagotti were escaping cross-country from Baltimore and made some money in Vegas. She had no clue how to play poker but he knew it all. He held the cards in his palm like a pro and threw them down so they rotated a full circle before landing perfectly for the dealer to read them.
She admired the skills he‘d built up to do it, learned in the joint during his interminable incarcerations. As they fled to California, Frank never missed a step no matter what problem they had to face. His mind always raced to get past the hurdle before him. Never over - always around.
Once they got a hundred bucks together in clean bills, they hightailed it out the casino. Seconds away from being caught by the mob, the cops and the Feds. Mary Lou felt so alive: never knowing if that breath would be her last.
Like the day when she and Frank argued on the way back from a gang meet before the heist. This was at a time before they knew they could trust each other. He accused her of sleeping with the bank rat, Carter and she accused Frank of fucking men in jail. The hate and pain in his eyes as the words left her lips. One drop of his spittle landed on her cheek and she thought he would kill her with his bare hands as soon as the jalopy screeched to a halt. They were alive in that casino though. And in love by then. What was its name?
Doesn‘t matter. When they walked around town and thought they were being followed by a mob guy. Frank had the brains to get them to hide in a lingerie store and the fella was too embarrassed to follow them in. She grabbed a beautiful bra-and-panties set to pretend to try on but Frank wouldn‘t let her keep it as they ran out the rear entrance.
“We‘re bank robbers, not thieves.”
“Aw, but I like it, Frank.”
“AW, DON‘T STOP. I like it, Frank.”
“Huh?”
Bobby‘s hand stopped cupping her breast and was now massaging and tweaking her nipple. This was in direct response to Mary Lou‘s hand moving up from his knee and somehow reached his groin, which she had been stroking absentmindedly for the last five minutes.
“Don‘t stop, Frank.”
He could see Mary Lou‘s eyes were shut as his hand moved toward her rose, but he couldn‘t quite reach without moving them both. Bobby considered his options and then placed a hand under her head and replaced his body with three pillows. That freed him up to lick her torso and make his way down to her belly button, the rose and then to her bush. All the while, her eyes remained shut and she opened her legs a few inches more.
“Don‘t stop...”
Still Mary Lou‘s eyes remained closed and Bobby hoped and imagined the pleasure she was experiencing. The odd judder of her thighs gave him a positive vibe. As her breathing intensified, Bobby noticed the perspiration on her stomach. Then, as he looked up her body and watched her torso heaving with the need to gather oxygen, for a moment one eye opened and cast about until it locked onto the sight of his head.
A scream and Bobby stopped in an instant, not knowing how he‘d hurt her. Mary Lou kicked him in the face as she scurried to the other side of the bed, rolled off and grabbed a pistol resting in her clutch bag lying on the floor. A second later, the safety was off and Mary Lou aimed her piece directly at Bobby‘s heart.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“I‘m Bobby.”
“Frank?”
“Bobby.”
Calm voice. No motion to his body. Both hands visible. Staring straight into her eyes. Into her soul.
“Where‘s my Frank?”
“He‘s dead. Do you remember? He died before you met me. I‘m Bobby Trevisan.”
Mary Lou slumped onto the floor, sobbing. Bobby walked round and removed her finger from the trigger. Then he sat next to her, holding and comforting the woman he loved until the tears subsided.
BOBBY HADN‘T SPOKEN again about the incident in Miami and Mary Lou hardly noticed it had occurred by the time she‘d got herself back together. The rest of the vacation passed with nothing happening of any significance. Cocktails, sun, sex and lying by the rooftop pool of the Jackson. These were the tropes of their Florida experience - and retail therapy.
When they returned, Bobby suggested he should hustle a little more and let her hang in the summerhouse and enjoy the weather. Mary Lou admitted to herself she didn‘t have the energy she once had
and was happy to take advantage of Bobby‘s generosity - if only for a few weeks.
She spent the mornings in the conservatory and Irma made sure she ate a healthy lunch with a dose of coffee. Then a sun lounger in the afternoon. When Bobby appeared in the evening, Mary Lou had invested in a nap.
Three weeks into this new relaxed lifestyle, Mary Lou lay on a lounger around two and thought how she missed Bobby and wanted to see him. But he was out of reach. She yearned for Bobby the same way she yearned for Frank each time he was in jail.
THE LAST STRETCH when he was in the Baltimore Penitentiary was the worst. Frank‘s Shylock step uncle kept Mary Lou in clover but that didn‘t help her fill up the days. Endless hours strolling around shitty areas of Baltimore waiting for the next visit. The green was enough to get by on, but not to afford any luxuries. She‘d scrimp and save just to smuggle in extra smokes for Frank.
He was the only one in the gang to do any time for the previous robbery. Kid stuff: a supermarket heist gone wrong. Word on the street was that Frank‘s buddy, Louis had squealed to the cops who were lying in wait when the fellas exited the store. As soon as Frank was out on bail, Louis took an express descent down the outside of a building and Frank never spoke of him again.
Mary Lou never liked Louis anyway: the first night they met at one of the many parties in the neighborhood, Frank introduced her to him. Thirty minutes later, the guy had his hand on a place not even Frank‘s fingers ventured until many years later. From that moment on, she never allowed herself to be on her own with Louis. She loved Frank dearly by the end, but his friends and family sucked elephant cocks.
Those three years Frank was away stretched to eternity. Mary Lou was young and had needs of her own. She wasn‘t ready to be a gangster‘s moll and yearned to do more than sit at home and wait for her man‘s return. She dated occasionally but never someone from the neighborhood. If word got back to the Shylock that she was fucking around then she‘d have been on a one-way trip to oblivion.
The Lagotti Family Series Page 79
