The Past Belongs In The Past
Chapter Twenty Three- Damaged Goods
“Maddie honey, be good for Marty okay?” I called as I ran through the house when the doorbell rang. “and don’t pull Susie’s hair again.”
“So you let me be a gentleman this time.” Adam commented with a grin as I swung open the front door.
“Well I thought I’d best give you some chance.” I smiled. “Marty is taking Madison to her place to have a sleep over with her niece, shall we go?”
“Marty, I--” I yelled over my shoulder but was interrupted by Marty’s close range voice.
“I’m right here.” She said from directly behind me. “Marty Moriarty, best friend.” She said to Adam, holding out her hand for him to shake.
He took it with a strong ease. “Adam Lazzara, gentleman caller.”
Marty’s face then fell into a stern glare. “I wish to inquire as to your intentions for this semi-respectable young lady.”
“Marty!” I exclaimed.
But Adam didn’t skip a beat. “I wish to wisk her away to a stupidly expensive restaurant, where I shall shower her with extravagant gifts until the moment comes that she is completely mad about me and by that time we will be eating McDonalds in a Wal-Mart parking lot.”
Marty nodded seriously. “At least he’s honest. You are free to go. Have her back by breakfast.”
“Bye.” I yelled running down the steps, dragging a helpless Adam behind me.
“You kids have fun!” Marty called to the car as we sped away.
“So where to Casanova?” I asked.
“Well my sister-in-law recommended this place ‘Satin’ so I made reservations there, bloody hard to get a table by the way. I may have sold my soul to a man with a foreign accent in the process.”
“Oh, what a pity.”
We pulled up outside a very swanky looking restaurant complete with constantly lit columns of fire.
My face fell at sight of the restaurant’s sub-title. “Oh.”
Adam looked concerned. “What? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Thai…”
“Yea…”
“I’m really allergic to coconut…”
“I’m sure we can find something with no coconut in it.” He said but looked doubtful.
“…and the smell of coconut.”
“Oh.” Adam looked crestfallen.
I felt really badly. “I’m so sorry, Adam. I should have told you, I just didn’t think--”
“No no! I should have asked.” He shook off the grim look and grinned at me. “Never mind, we’ll find somewhere else around here.”
Rain began to bucket down as we pulled away from the coconut death trap. Even the weather was trying to ruin my night.
We drove around for over a quarter of an hour, with no luck at finding anywhere better, before he pulled up in front of a very familiar restaurant.
“How do you feel about Italian?” He asked coyly.
I smiled “I hear they make a good pizza here.”
****
“A special pizza for the beautiful woman.” The waiter from our last visit gave me a heartbreaker smile and placed a delicious smelling dessert pizza in front of me, being sure to lean across the table and block my view of Adam.
I blushed involuntarily and then quickly looked around the small restaurant. His wife was sitting in a booth in the corner of the room. She glared at me before returning to what looked like a trashy magazine. I shrugged at Adam who looked like he was trying not to laugh.
“So what--” I began.
And then it hit me. My head spun around so fast I swear it clicked. The cover of the wife’s magazine horrified me. My white dress, Gerard’s white suit and Madison’s ecstatic face were easily visible across the room.
Murphy’s Law, a gradual look of comprehension was dawning on the woman’s face. An evil grin distorted her beautiful Italian features; she looked up at me and smirked.
I hastily turned back around “Adam, I’m actually really tired and I think I maybe coming down with something, do you mind if we cut this short?” I lied quickly, placing my hand on my head as if it was causing me pain.
He looked worried “Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?” he said anxiously.
I forced a diluted smile and reached across the table for his hand, completely forgetting my urgency. He’s so sweet, he doesn’t deserve all the baggage I come with.
Damaged goods.
The restaurant lit up with the lightning from the storm raging outside.
“Jamie hates storms, he once hid in the cupboard under the stairs for three hours before I could convince him he was safe to come out.” Adam said casually, laughing to himself. You could easily tell how much that little boy meant to him. He is his everything, just like Madison is mine.
A smaller flash jostled Adam from his memories. “Okay, lets go.” He said jumping to his feet and coming over to push my chair in for me.
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“So you let me be a gentleman this time.” Adam commented with a grin as I swung open the front door.
“Well I thought I’d best give you some chance.” I smiled. “Marty is taking Madison to her place to have a sleep over with her niece, shall we go?”
“Marty, I--” I yelled over my shoulder but was interrupted by Marty’s close range voice.
“I’m right here.” She said from directly behind me. “Marty Moriarty, best friend.” She said to Adam, holding out her hand for him to shake.
He took it with a strong ease. “Adam Lazzara, gentleman caller.”
Marty’s face then fell into a stern glare. “I wish to inquire as to your intentions for this semi-respectable young lady.”
“Marty!” I exclaimed.
But Adam didn’t skip a beat. “I wish to wisk her away to a stupidly expensive restaurant, where I shall shower her with extravagant gifts until the moment comes that she is completely mad about me and by that time we will be eating McDonalds in a Wal-Mart parking lot.”
Marty nodded seriously. “At least he’s honest. You are free to go. Have her back by breakfast.”
“Bye.” I yelled running down the steps, dragging a helpless Adam behind me.
“You kids have fun!” Marty called to the car as we sped away.
“So where to Casanova?” I asked.
“Well my sister-in-law recommended this place ‘Satin’ so I made reservations there, bloody hard to get a table by the way. I may have sold my soul to a man with a foreign accent in the process.”
“Oh, what a pity.”
We pulled up outside a very swanky looking restaurant complete with constantly lit columns of fire.
My face fell at sight of the restaurant’s sub-title. “Oh.”
Adam looked concerned. “What? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Thai…”
“Yea…”
“I’m really allergic to coconut…”
“I’m sure we can find something with no coconut in it.” He said but looked doubtful.
“…and the smell of coconut.”
“Oh.” Adam looked crestfallen.
I felt really badly. “I’m so sorry, Adam. I should have told you, I just didn’t think--”
“No no! I should have asked.” He shook off the grim look and grinned at me. “Never mind, we’ll find somewhere else around here.”
Rain began to bucket down as we pulled away from the coconut death trap. Even the weather was trying to ruin my night.
We drove around for over a quarter of an hour, with no luck at finding anywhere better, before he pulled up in front of a very familiar restaurant.
“How do you feel about Italian?” He asked coyly.
I smiled “I hear they make a good pizza here.”
****
“A special pizza for the beautiful woman.” The waiter from our last visit gave me a heartbreaker smile and placed a delicious smelling dessert pizza in front of me, being sure to lean across the table and block my view of Adam.
I blushed involuntarily and then quickly looked around the small restaurant. His wife was sitting in a booth in the corner of the room. She glared at me before returning to what looked like a trashy magazine. I shrugged at Adam who looked like he was trying not to laugh.
“So what--” I began.
And then it hit me. My head spun around so fast I swear it clicked. The cover of the wife’s magazine horrified me. My white dress, Gerard’s white suit and Madison’s ecstatic face were easily visible across the room.
Murphy’s Law, a gradual look of comprehension was dawning on the woman’s face. An evil grin distorted her beautiful Italian features; she looked up at me and smirked.
I hastily turned back around “Adam, I’m actually really tired and I think I maybe coming down with something, do you mind if we cut this short?” I lied quickly, placing my hand on my head as if it was causing me pain.
He looked worried “Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?” he said anxiously.
I forced a diluted smile and reached across the table for his hand, completely forgetting my urgency. He’s so sweet, he doesn’t deserve all the baggage I come with.
Damaged goods.
The restaurant lit up with the lightning from the storm raging outside.
“Jamie hates storms, he once hid in the cupboard under the stairs for three hours before I could convince him he was safe to come out.” Adam said casually, laughing to himself. You could easily tell how much that little boy meant to him. He is his everything, just like Madison is mine.
A smaller flash jostled Adam from his memories. “Okay, lets go.” He said jumping to his feet and coming over to push my chair in for me.
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