Revive Page 11

  It had been a while since I had a first date, and I couldn’t even remember the last time I spent an evening with a woman that got my temperature rising. I was ready for this date, and I just prayed she was too.

  “Nicholas Bartelli has a date! I thought my ears were bleeding when I found out who with. Karen freaking Lombardi, I can’t believe your luck,” Tony said as he sauntered into my office.

  I grimaced at Tony, as I finished tying my tie and putting on my jacket. I tried not to feel defensive with his remarks, but I wanted to know what he meant.

  “And why am I lucky?”

  “Is that a serious question? It’s Karen Lombardi. She’s beautiful and has been into you forever. Damn my bad luck if I ever had a shot with her. I guess you don’t need me telling you that you better treat her right.”

  “Of course I will, but now it’s my turn to ask you something.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Why are you putting me to the paces when it comes to Karen? Are you into her or something? Because if you are, then this conversation is over, because Tony, you lost your shot.”

  “Yeah, I know that’s right, but just because I did, that doesn’t mean I can’t still set you straight. Come on, Nick, she’s been through a lot of bullshit over the last few years. I can’t just stand by and see her hurt again. So please don’t hurt her. You are my boss and my best friend. I would hate to lose my job by kicking your ass.”

  “I’ll take that under advisement, and Tony, keep dreaming if you think you can successfully kick my ass. You may hurt me a little, but not defeat me.”

  “Ha! Have a great time tonight. I mean that, man.”

  “Thank you, and we will.”

  Thank you, Tony, for delaying me, I said as I made my way up Karen’s walkway. I didn’t have a chance to knock yet when the door flew open and two small sets of judging eyes were on me.

  “You’re late! Mommy says it’s rude to not be on time,” says Princess #1 with eyes that matched Karen’s, along with her tough stance.

  “At least you brought flowers for mommy. She likes Lilies but Roses work too!” said Princess #2, slightly taller than her younger sister, and wow, she was shooting daggers at me.

  Wow, they were so much nicer at the luncheon and giving me pile-driver hugs! I didn’t dare move on account I was afraid one of them would drop kick me in the nuts or my shins, so I waited for Karen to help.

  A moment later, she did.

  “Hi, sorry about that. It’s not often they see me going out, and with a man. Come in and have a seat while I put these in water. Thank you, Nick. They are beautiful.”

  I wanted to say “Not as beautiful as you,” but the girls were still glaring at me and I didn’t want to push my luck. She did look fantastic.

  “Girls, please be nice and introduce yourself to my friend, Nick. You remember the Chief, right? He’s wearing different clothes from the luncheon the other day, so maybe you don’t recognize him,” Karen asked with hopefulness in her tone.

  She waited patiently for their manners to kick in and then cleared her throat, giving her eldest daughter a clear message that she wasn’t going to ask again.

  She looked over to her mother and then back to me. “Hi, Chief Bartelli, I’m Gianna, but I like to be called Gigi. And this is Trinity, but you can call her T.”

  The way she enunciated T felt like a punch to my gut. Was she aware of her mother’s animosity toward Thea? Or was this young lady just plain old hostile? The girls always seemed so sweet when I saw them at the neighborhood cookouts.

  “Hello, girls. It is nice to see you both again. How’s school for you? Do you like your teachers?” I asked, hoping to break the ice with them.

  “I like my teacher a lot!” Trinity answered happily. “Mrs. Parker is really nice and gives out classroom bucks for prizes.”

  “Well, Trinity, when I was in school, they didn’t have teachers like Mrs. Parker, so I think you have a good one,” I told her.

  “Big deal, T. It’s not like the prizes are even the good kind. She probably buys her junk in bulk from a dollar store,” Gigi said as she crossed her arms in defiance and shot more glares at me.

  Trinity responded, “I don’t care. She’s nice, and all my friends agree with me, so be quiet.”

  Pretty spunky for a first grader. I liked this kid.

  Karen said, “Gigi that is enough out of you. Now, I am going to take Trinity upstairs and get her ready for bed, while you wait for grandma to arrive. Be nice.”

  She mouthed “I’m sorry” to me and took Trinity by the hand and walked her upstairs.

  I sat there quietly and waited for Gigi to make the next move. This girl was definitely angry about something. She moved closer to where I was sitting on the couch and looked me straight in the eye.

  “Look, you seem like a nice guy, and everyone around here sure likes you a lot, but don’t get any ideas with my mom. She’s taken. My dad is coming back, and when he does, he’s not going to be happy with you in the picture. Do us all a favor and leave my mom alone after tonight, okay?”

  I told her, “No, Gigi, it’s not okay. First of all, I have to see your mom because she works for me, and secondly, she’s my friend.”

  “Well, fire her and unfriend her, seems easy enough to do.”

  “Well, I’m sorry, Gigi, but I am not going to do that. Friends don’t treat each other like that, and I would never purposely hurt your mom. What’s going on with you? We used to be friends, and now you are acting like you hate me.”

  “I do hate you! I can’t believe after all this time with my mom liking you, now you pick the time to be nice to her. She doesn’t need you to break her heart again, Chief, so do us all a favor and just leave. My dad is coming back, you know, and I hope he kicks your butt.”

  Karen jumped in, “That’s enough, Gigi. Apologize to Chief Bartelli right now.”

  “No, I would rather eat Brussel Sprouts for a week.”

  “Gigi, go upstairs to your room and get ready for bed.”

  “It’s only seven o’clock. I’m not a baby.”

  “At this moment, that’s exactly what you are. I am so disappointed with how you behaved tonight. We will talk about this, but not right now. I’m too upset with you to say what I want to say, so you have ten seconds to get your behind up those stairs and into bed before I ban you to your room for a month. And let me remind you that if you are banned to your room, then you cannot play soccer.”

  With tears in her eyes, Gigi ran upstairs and didn’t look back at me. My heart just about sunk.

  I looked over to Karen, who was about to say something, and then the doorbell rang. It was her mom arriving to babysit. They exchanged pleasantries at the door, and then Mrs. Lombardi made her way over to me.

  “Hello, Nick, how have you been?”

  “I’m well, Mrs. Lombardi. Thanks for asking.”

  “Well, you two have fun tonight. As you can see here, I have a bag full of yarn, and I plan on finishing the girl’s sweaters. Go have fun, and make my daughter smile. She needs to, Nick. I guess you got the warm welcome from my grandchildren?”

  “Well, at least one of them.”

  “Nick, don’t make any judgments until Karen has a chance to explain. The girls are usually very sweet, but today wasn’t the best day for Gigi, and she has taken out her bad mood on you.”

  “It’s already forgotten, but thank you for telling me that.”

  Karen came back down with her coat and purse. She looked like she touched up her make-up, no doubt after crying. This was not the night I was envisioning for us, but I was not going to pretend to understand fully. I wasn’t a parent, not even a single parent like Karen.

  “I won’t be too late, mom, maybe even earlier than I first told you.”

  “Actually, Mrs. Lombardi, were you planning on staying over tonight?” I asked.

  “I was.”

  “Good, we will be home much later. Good night.”

  Before Karen could refute what I just said,
I grabbed her hand and whisked her outside to my truck.

  “Nick, I am so sorry. What a disaster this night turned out to be already. I will understand if you want to just forget about the whole thing.”

  “Shut up, Karen,” I said and then kissed her to show her that backing out of our date was the last thing I wished to do.

  “What was that for?” she asked breathlessly.

  “I wanted to do that since I saw you tonight. You look beautiful.”

  She blushed under my compliments.

  I said, “And now with that blush, you look even more spectacular than I first thought. It takes so little to make you happy. Why is that?”

  “Nick, you really want the answer to that?”

  “Yeah, maybe I do.”

  “Alex called today and told Gigi that he’s living out in Oregon somewhere, and he’s met someone. Our divorce has been final for a while, and it wasn’t like he really tried to stop it. He got what he wanted from me, which was my life’s savings, and now he’s probably spending it with his new girlfriend.”

  “Date’s over, I’m going to JFK and flying out to Oregon to beat the hell out of him.”

  “I would love that, but what would it really prove? I’m over it and him. It’s just harder for the kids. He is still their dad, and they love him. You should see when they receive a postcard, their faces light up. I didn’t know where he was for so long, and then when we received a letter from New Mexico, I sent him the divorce papers to sign before he took off again.”

  “He’s quite the nomad, isn’t he?”

  “Not anymore. Apparently, he loves Oregon, and he’s working construction out there and loving it, according to Gigi. He didn’t say much to me when I got on the phone. All he said was he was back on his feet, and I should expect some money soon.”

  “How fucking nice of him, considering the fact that he stole yours.”

  “Again, I’m over it. Can we just begin our date?” she asked.

  “That, we can do. Let’s go.”

  I opened the door for Karen, and she stepped in, showing me her gorgeous legs.

  I told her, “By the way, your hair looks very pretty. I don’t believe I have ever seen you with straight hair before.”

  “Well, that’s probably because you never have. I dumped a big portion of a paycheck once into this expensive hair straightener, and I tried it out for the first time tonight. You really like it?”

  “I do, and Karen, if you didn’t know it already, you look very beautiful tonight.”

  She had no words. Just that blush again.

  We dined at Mario’s and then walked through Little Italy to get dessert over at Holy Cannoli’s. It was a new place around here, but the pastries were awesome and Karen seemed to love her chocolate-filled gooey eclair. I settled for a cannoli, and we both had espresso.

  “Thank you, Nick. I had a really good time tonight, despite how it started.”

  “Karen, they are your kids, and their happiness should always come first. It really hurt my heart to see Gigi so upset. Does Alex call often?”

  “No, he doesn’t. This was the first time in over six months, and now she’s going to expect it. I was so foolish to marry him, but I will never regret my girls for all the gold in the world. They are my life.”

  “I know, and I don’t want to do anything that comes between what you have with your girls, but I would like to see you again if that’s what you want.”

  “I want that very much.”

  “Good, it’s settled then. And before you go crazy and imagine all the scenarios in your head right now, let’s go with: I had a really good time tonight with my friend. She makes me laugh and looks amazing in heels. I also hope we will have more dates to get to know one another better as adults and not the stupid kids we used to be, okay?”

  “Okay, I would like that.”

  I rolled over to find Carter leaning up on his elbow and with the biggest smile across his face.

  “Good morning, beautiful. You look lovely while you are sleeping.”

  “Oh yeah? And how do I look when I am awake?”

  “Absolutely, positively, out of this world, breathtakingly beautiful.”

  “That’s a lot of adjectives for one morning.”

  “Well, you haven’t heard anything yet, baby, but I will start with I love you. You made me so very happy last night. You literally brought me back to life with your agreement to marry me. So, in keeping with the tradition, I believe I owe you a ring.”

  “Oh, Carter, there’s time for that.”

  “I know, but I just so happen to already have one here in my pocket, and it belongs on your finger. Hold out your hand, please.”

  “Why do I feel like it’s Christmas?”

  I sat up on my knees to where I was eye to eye with Carter.

  “Because it is, darling, and as happy as you made me last night, I plan on doing that for you ten times over each and every day you are in my life and as my wife, and hopefully soon, as mother to my children. I want all those things with you, Thea. I hope you know that.”

  “I do know that, and I love you for wanting those things with me. I probably do not deserve you, but that doesn’t make me any less grateful to have you. I love you with all of my heart, and you have my promise that I will be the very best partner for you.”

  He held the black velvet box in the palm of his hand and slowly opened it up for me to see.

  He said, “This belonged to my grandmother. It is the very ring my grandfather gave to her when they married. And now, it belongs to you.”

  “It’s beautiful, Carter. Are you sure you want me to have something so special? A ring that means so much to your family?”

  “I do with no doubt in my mind. I was very close to my grandmother Ruth. She was amazing and very smart, with years of wisdom under her belt. She was refined but tough at the same time and never let anyone push her around. She would have been ninety-one this year, but as you know, we lost her last summer, shortly after her 90th birthday. Do you remember what she said to you when I brought you home to meet her?”

  “I do, and I will never forget it. She said, ‘So, you are the woman who has captured my Carter’s heart.’”

  “Yeah, that was great. You looked as if you were going to throw up.”

  “Only because she said it in front of a crowded room. I swear I thought all the air had been sucked out because everyone went silent, and you had the biggest grin across your face. Your father was expressionless, all the while you looked so happy. If you didn’t look so damn happy in that moment, I would have smacked you, and I wouldn’t have been gentle.”

  “I know, but you changed your mind when I took you to bed that night. You are quite wild when you want to be,” he said.

  “I guess you bring out my animalistic side. Besides, I didn’t hear you complaining.”

  “Hell no, I would always welcome your adventurous side. You made me feel wanted and secure in knowing that you were finally comfortable enough to show me all parts of you, including what you hide from the rest of the world.”

  “Carter, I know I am not easy, and I promise to do better.”

  “You already have, baby. I love you. Now, please accept this ring and then feed me, because I am starving.”

  I extended my hand out to him, and he slowly slid the gorgeous red ruby and diamond ring onto my finger while kissing his way up to my lips.

  He said, “Now, we are officially engaged.”

  “Yes, we are. Cover up your nakedness because breakfast is ready,” I told him.

  “Really? Now, I’m really in awe of your mad skills. How did you manage to pull off another surprise?”

  “I have many skills in certain areas of my life, but in this area, I leave it to the queen. Her name is Rosalyn Davenport Baker, an event planner that probably owns Los Angeles with her impressive client list, and we are on that list, so let’s go downstairs and eat.”

  Carter and I made our way downstairs to find my expansive kitchen
and dining room buzzing with activity. Rosalyn hired an army to pull off what I hoped would be our engagement breakfast, and because he said yes, it was.

  She greeted me, “Good morning, darling. I take it congratulations are in order?”

  “Good morning, Rosalyn, and they are! I would like to introduce my fiancé…”

  “Carter Newbanks, yes, I know. It is a pleasure to meet you. I feel as if I know you already on account that I watch you on ABC news.”

  “Well, thank you, Rosalyn, that is quite a compliment. Thank you for doing all of this. Everything looks lovely.”

  “My pleasure, just doing my job. Enjoy your morning. Thea, we will talk soon, yes?”

  “Absolutely.”

  I watched Carter look all around the room and then his eyes found the banner: “HE SAID YES!” When Rosalyn suggested it, I knew Carter would love it. Judging by the way his beautiful eyes sparkled, she was right. Note to self: Add bonus in her final payment.

  “Thea, this is really beautiful. All my favorite foods are here, and the banner is a nice touch. Confident much?”

  “I was hopeful. I should have said ‘yes’ a long time ago. Thank you for not giving up on me. I love you.”

  “I love you more,” he said, picking up and tossing me over his shoulder like the caveman he was with a stinging slap to my ass.

  “Ouch! What was that for?”

  “Because I can. Now feed me, woman, before this delicious food gets cold.”

  “Have you had enough, Carter?” I asked him a few minutes later as he stuffed the last bite of Belgium waffle into his mouth.

  “Yes, I am stuffed. So, it’s Saturday, we both have off, and we’re a newly engaged couple. Let’s get out and enjoy the day. How about we take the bike out? Or change it up and take the boat out?”

  “I have a better idea, which I hope you will like,” I said.

  “Of course I will. Go on.”

  I asked, “How would you like to meet my mom?”

  “I would love that! You know I want to, but is she here in town?”

  “No, more like back in New York.”