From her big, brown, almond-shaped
eyes that had a tendency to flutter when she spoke, to her strong nose, full
lips, and high cheekbones, she came across, not only gorgeous, but as a woman
completely confident and self-aware. Before his marriage to Grace, it was women like her who turned him on
unlike any other woman could. And her
smile, so white and wide and the perfect contrast to her dark skin, shut it
down for him.
But
when Cassie urged her daughter to say hello to her father, and Rodney just
stood there like a stump on a log, Tommy stopped focusing on Chelsey’s friend,
and looked at Chelsey’s father, at the man he respected. What
the hell , he thought. The prodigal
daughter was home. She was undoubtedly
many days late and many dollars short, but she was home. What was wrong with Rodney?
Whatever
it was, Tommy realized, it was deep. Rodney stood there looking at his daughter as if he was looking at a
stranger. And when she said, “Hi, Dad,” , and she reached over and
hugged him, there was almost a disgust in Rodney’s eyes. He hugged her back, but even that was done
reluctantly. Something was wrong with this picture of family bliss. Tommy saw it clearly now.
Gemma
moved forward as if she saw the awkwardness too. Sal, who was super-protective of his wife
whenever they were on terrain he didn’t control, moved with her.
“Hey
Gem,” Chelsey said gaily.
“Long
time, no see,” Gemma said as she and her sister hugged. Even Gemma didn’t seem thrilled to see her
either. “How are you?”
“I’m
wonderful,” Chelsey said. “And you?”
“I’m . . . good,” Gemma replied.
“And
this must be Salvatore. The
husband.” Chelsey extended her small,
chubby hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice
to meet you too,” Sal said, shaking her hand. “Long time, no show,” he added. Gemma elbowed him.
“Well,
brother-in-law,” Chelsey said, pulling Liz forward, “I want you to meet Liz
Logan.”
“How
are you?” Sal asked as he shook her hand. “So Chelsey, is she your, what do you call it? Your wife?”
Liz,
Chelsey and Gemma laughed. “No, Sal,”
Chelsey said, “she’s just my boss and my best friend. Nothing deeper than that.”
Sal
felt embarrassed. But Gemma, as usual,
saved him from himself by pulling Tommy forward. “Chelse, I don’t think you’ve met Tommy
yet. Tommy Gabrini. He’s Sal’s brother.”
“Hello
Sal’s brother,” Chelsey said as they shook hands. “I’m Gemma’s sister.”
Tommy
smiled. “Hello, Chelsey.”
“And,
in case you missed it,” Chelsey said with a big, slapped-on, nervous smile,
“this is my boss and best friend Liz.”
Liz
almost mouthed the word wow when Chelse
introduced her. Not that good looking
men wowed her so easily. They were so
common in her profession that they almost never wowed her. But this
man , she thought. With his odd,
greenish-blue eyes; with his strong, chiseled face that had everything
perfectly proportioned; with his thick, gorgeous hair and big, muscular frame,
there was no other word for it. Wow, she
inwardly said again. “Nice to meet you,
Tommy,” she said as they shook.
As
attention returned back to Chelsey and her unexpected appearance, Tommy took
the opportunity to move next to Liz. He
wanted her attention. “So, Liz,” he
said, “are you a Rosemont native also?”
“Born
and raised,” Liz said. “At least until I was eighteen. Then I got the hell out
of here.”
Tommy
laughed. “Big city girl, are you?”
“Hell
yeah,” Liz is with that smile. “Chicago
is my home. People ask me where I’m
from, I say Rosemont, Indiana. People ask me where I want to be from, I say
Chicago.” Then Liz considered him. “What
about you? I know Gem once said her
husband was from Seattle. Is that your
stomping ground too?”
“It
is indeed.”
“What
do you do in good old
eyes that had a tendency to flutter when she spoke, to her strong nose, full
lips, and high cheekbones, she came across, not only gorgeous, but as a woman
completely confident and self-aware. Before his marriage to Grace, it was women like her who turned him on
unlike any other woman could. And her
smile, so white and wide and the perfect contrast to her dark skin, shut it
down for him.
But
when Cassie urged her daughter to say hello to her father, and Rodney just
stood there like a stump on a log, Tommy stopped focusing on Chelsey’s friend,
and looked at Chelsey’s father, at the man he respected. What
the hell , he thought. The prodigal
daughter was home. She was undoubtedly
many days late and many dollars short, but she was home. What was wrong with Rodney?
Whatever
it was, Tommy realized, it was deep. Rodney stood there looking at his daughter as if he was looking at a
stranger. And when she said, “Hi, Dad,” , and she reached over and
hugged him, there was almost a disgust in Rodney’s eyes. He hugged her back, but even that was done
reluctantly. Something was wrong with this picture of family bliss. Tommy saw it clearly now.
Gemma
moved forward as if she saw the awkwardness too. Sal, who was super-protective of his wife
whenever they were on terrain he didn’t control, moved with her.
“Hey
Gem,” Chelsey said gaily.
“Long
time, no see,” Gemma said as she and her sister hugged. Even Gemma didn’t seem thrilled to see her
either. “How are you?”
“I’m
wonderful,” Chelsey said. “And you?”
“I’m . . . good,” Gemma replied.
“And
this must be Salvatore. The
husband.” Chelsey extended her small,
chubby hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice
to meet you too,” Sal said, shaking her hand. “Long time, no show,” he added. Gemma elbowed him.
“Well,
brother-in-law,” Chelsey said, pulling Liz forward, “I want you to meet Liz
Logan.”
“How
are you?” Sal asked as he shook her hand. “So Chelsey, is she your, what do you call it? Your wife?”
Liz,
Chelsey and Gemma laughed. “No, Sal,”
Chelsey said, “she’s just my boss and my best friend. Nothing deeper than that.”
Sal
felt embarrassed. But Gemma, as usual,
saved him from himself by pulling Tommy forward. “Chelse, I don’t think you’ve met Tommy
yet. Tommy Gabrini. He’s Sal’s brother.”
“Hello
Sal’s brother,” Chelsey said as they shook hands. “I’m Gemma’s sister.”
Tommy
smiled. “Hello, Chelsey.”
“And,
in case you missed it,” Chelsey said with a big, slapped-on, nervous smile,
“this is my boss and best friend Liz.”
Liz
almost mouthed the word wow when Chelse
introduced her. Not that good looking
men wowed her so easily. They were so
common in her profession that they almost never wowed her. But this
man , she thought. With his odd,
greenish-blue eyes; with his strong, chiseled face that had everything
perfectly proportioned; with his thick, gorgeous hair and big, muscular frame,
there was no other word for it. Wow, she
inwardly said again. “Nice to meet you,
Tommy,” she said as they shook.
As
attention returned back to Chelsey and her unexpected appearance, Tommy took
the opportunity to move next to Liz. He
wanted her attention. “So, Liz,” he
said, “are you a Rosemont native also?”
“Born
and raised,” Liz said. “At least until I was eighteen. Then I got the hell out
of here.”
Tommy
laughed. “Big city girl, are you?”
“Hell
yeah,” Liz is with that smile. “Chicago
is my home. People ask me where I’m
from, I say Rosemont, Indiana. People ask me where I want to be from, I say
Chicago.” Then Liz considered him. “What
about you? I know Gem once said her
husband was from Seattle. Is that your
stomping ground too?”
“It
is indeed.”
“What
do you do in good old
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