take my lips with his again. This time, I gave as deep as he did, I taste his tongue in my mouth. When he finally steps away, he reaches up with his fingers and brushes the hair out of my eyes.
“That was nice. I’ll see you tomorrow? Early, on the beach?” he whispers, as out of breath as I am.
“A.aa..a yeah, okay,” I stutter.
He takes a slight step back and grabs my chin with his thumb and index finger and raises my face a bit to look into my eyes. He smiles and lets out a little chuckle. “Sleep good tonight, Princess.”
* * *
Over at Antonio’s, Sal came back up the deck and saw that his father was awake. They stared at each other for a long minute.
“Son, you walk-a Gracie home?”
“Yeah, Pop, she’s home.”
“Did you kiss her.”
Sal looked away from his dad. “Pop, let’s get you to bed.” Sal started over to his wheelchair.
Antonio put up his hands and pushed at Sal. “I don’t need-a-help. I asked you a question!” he spoke louder.
“Yeah. Yes!” Sal snapped. “Yes, I kissed her.”
Antonio nodded his head, looked up at his son and waved for him to come closer. Sal leaned down a little. “What, Pop?”
Antonio reached up and smacked him across the face.
Sal stood holding the side of his face. “Shit that stings! Pop what the hell was that for?”
Antonio pointed a shaky finger at his son, his face furious. “You watch it with her, she is-a-good gal. She has had lots of heartbreak and my son is not-a-gonna come and add to her sadness. What now, you here for good? Or you go away again and-a-don’t come back? Then she cry to me over you, you , he nearly shouted.
“No, Sal, if you feel for Gracie, do the right thing, and no games with her. I don’t know how much more she can take!”
Sal rubbed at his face and hair. “I know, Pop, I know…”
Antonio cut him off. “You tell-a-her your life and intentions and let her see if she wants to continue…she is not a fling!”
“I know, Pop,” Sal said. “I wouldn’t do that, I..I.. I don’t know, I really like her, something about her, she’s calming to me, and I want to just help her, be near her. Protect her.” He shook his head as though trying to clear it. “It’s a strong feeling too, she’s familiar somehow.”
Antonio knitted his eyebrows together with a look of concern. “I have never seen you have a serious relationship–you feel-a-that strongly about her in this short time?”
“I never had time to really settle down. You know that, Pop! I’ ve been out saving the world as you say. Dessert Storm, then Iraq, then everywhere that no one knows about. How could I possibly get close to anyone? I’m Secret Service. Sometimes I couldn’t trust the very people I was working with for Christ sake! Look, I’m done. They gave me a nice pension for life and job well done for the country. They told me I was done.”
“Do you want to be done? Son, you have made that your life’s career, its in-a-your blood. “It would be nice if I can believe you.” Antonio’s face softened. “You are forty-one years old and I would love-a-to see you settle down, and-a- Gracie, she would make you happy, but you gonna have-a-to want it. Are you done? Are you out for good?”
Sal reached out to his dad’s wheelchair and started pushing him into the house. “Come on lets get to bed,” he said. “And yeah Pop, they told me I was done…”
“Ahh, that’s-a-not what I asked you, Sal. I don’t care what they say, I want to know what you say. Would you still be there if-a-they didn’t tell you to leave? Is it a break or are you out?”
“Pop, I’m tired, I don’t want to talk about it. Can’t I just take one day at a time–clear my head and re-group?”
“Yeah, sure son,” Antonio said, “but you involved someone special into your world now, do the right thing.”
* * *
“No! No! When will you be home? Don’t leave me!!”
I was out of
“That was nice. I’ll see you tomorrow? Early, on the beach?” he whispers, as out of breath as I am.
“A.aa..a yeah, okay,” I stutter.
He takes a slight step back and grabs my chin with his thumb and index finger and raises my face a bit to look into my eyes. He smiles and lets out a little chuckle. “Sleep good tonight, Princess.”
* * *
Over at Antonio’s, Sal came back up the deck and saw that his father was awake. They stared at each other for a long minute.
“Son, you walk-a Gracie home?”
“Yeah, Pop, she’s home.”
“Did you kiss her.”
Sal looked away from his dad. “Pop, let’s get you to bed.” Sal started over to his wheelchair.
Antonio put up his hands and pushed at Sal. “I don’t need-a-help. I asked you a question!” he spoke louder.
“Yeah. Yes!” Sal snapped. “Yes, I kissed her.”
Antonio nodded his head, looked up at his son and waved for him to come closer. Sal leaned down a little. “What, Pop?”
Antonio reached up and smacked him across the face.
Sal stood holding the side of his face. “Shit that stings! Pop what the hell was that for?”
Antonio pointed a shaky finger at his son, his face furious. “You watch it with her, she is-a-good gal. She has had lots of heartbreak and my son is not-a-gonna come and add to her sadness. What now, you here for good? Or you go away again and-a-don’t come back? Then she cry to me over you, you , he nearly shouted.
“No, Sal, if you feel for Gracie, do the right thing, and no games with her. I don’t know how much more she can take!”
Sal rubbed at his face and hair. “I know, Pop, I know…”
Antonio cut him off. “You tell-a-her your life and intentions and let her see if she wants to continue…she is not a fling!”
“I know, Pop,” Sal said. “I wouldn’t do that, I..I.. I don’t know, I really like her, something about her, she’s calming to me, and I want to just help her, be near her. Protect her.” He shook his head as though trying to clear it. “It’s a strong feeling too, she’s familiar somehow.”
Antonio knitted his eyebrows together with a look of concern. “I have never seen you have a serious relationship–you feel-a-that strongly about her in this short time?”
“I never had time to really settle down. You know that, Pop! I’ ve been out saving the world as you say. Dessert Storm, then Iraq, then everywhere that no one knows about. How could I possibly get close to anyone? I’m Secret Service. Sometimes I couldn’t trust the very people I was working with for Christ sake! Look, I’m done. They gave me a nice pension for life and job well done for the country. They told me I was done.”
“Do you want to be done? Son, you have made that your life’s career, its in-a-your blood. “It would be nice if I can believe you.” Antonio’s face softened. “You are forty-one years old and I would love-a-to see you settle down, and-a- Gracie, she would make you happy, but you gonna have-a-to want it. Are you done? Are you out for good?”
Sal reached out to his dad’s wheelchair and started pushing him into the house. “Come on lets get to bed,” he said. “And yeah Pop, they told me I was done…”
“Ahh, that’s-a-not what I asked you, Sal. I don’t care what they say, I want to know what you say. Would you still be there if-a-they didn’t tell you to leave? Is it a break or are you out?”
“Pop, I’m tired, I don’t want to talk about it. Can’t I just take one day at a time–clear my head and re-group?”
“Yeah, sure son,” Antonio said, “but you involved someone special into your world now, do the right thing.”
* * *
“No! No! When will you be home? Don’t leave me!!”
I was out of
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