Status: Some aren't at all like they seem.

The Unforgettable

Lunch Break

It’s been a month since the day I decided I’d see what things with Carlo were like. A month of pretending that Chris and I will work things out some day. A month since I decided I didn’t need Chris to make me feel loved anymore.

“I want to see you,” The text sends as I stand in the bathroom stall at work.

Carlo and I have seen each other during my lunch breaks going to different eateries around town, or some Saturdays I make an “appointment” and we sit at his office talking while he does paperwork. It’s been great learning about each other, absorbing each other’s warmth, kissing, holding one another when it’s just us in his office. . . Not caring if Chris was or still is under another girl is refreshing and it’s relieving now that I have someone else to think about.

I flush the toilet, tuck my phone into my pocket and leave the stall to wash my hands. Before I leave the bathroom my phone dings, Carlo’s reply.

“Anytime.”

I smile, bite my lip and reply, “Lunch is in an hour.”

I return to my desk, place my phone on top and return to a spreadsheet I was working on. The phone vibrates slightly moving on the desk.

“I’ll see you in an hour :)”

I swiftly text back so I’m not caught using my phone sending him kissy face emojis. The hour could have not gone by any slower, but once it hits 1pm I fly out of my seat with my bag before anyone else has a chance to clock out and leave the building, I’m out. I look around, Carlo toots the horn and my eyes land on his black car. A smile spreads across my face and I hurry down the sidewalk to his car that’s parked between a dumpster and a mailman’s truck. I hop in and shut the door, he speedily pulls out merging with traffic stopped at a red light I take the opportunity to lay a kiss on his lips. It’s a sweet soft kiss that lingers, his hand goes to my cheek, tilts his head to kiss me more and scaring us both someone blares their horn and we both jump, pulling away seeing that the light’s green with no one in front of us. We both laugh as he drives down the road, my heart is thumping from the scare of the horn but mostly from butterflies Carlo gives me.

“Are you hungry?” Carlo asks.

I shrug, I don’t really want to go anywhere in fear of bumping into anyone from work. We had a close call the last time we met for lunch.

My eyebrows knit together as I focus my hearing, listening to the woman a few people ahead of us in line waiting to be seated.

“Christie is really getting of control,” she says. “I can’t say one thing to her without getting back talk,” the woman sounds exasperated.

I know that voice. . .

“Barb,” a voice replies. “It’s going to be tough, I raised two boys and a girl. Devin is the oldest, Frank is two years younger and Kendall is two years after Frank. I know it’s hard work but mine are all successfully in college miles away from me and I managed to prevent my house from being burned down in the process. In fact I’m having some renovations done.”

Now I definitely know that voice, the two women laugh together and I sneak a glance. Standing there is my blonde haired, tall, self-righteous, witch of a manager along with one of the gossip girl’s that sits two cubicles away from me. I hear her every morning sharing the most trivial information with the two other gossip girls, one sits next to Barbie. . . Yeah, her nickname’s Barb not short for Barbara, but for Barbie. . . Anyway, the other one sits in front of Barb and they all cluck like chickens for the first thirty minutes before work officially begins. There’s no way that I’ll stay under the radar with these two around, I don’t need rumors spread about me or suspicious busy minds wondering about what I’m doing. Most people at my job know I’m married, they know the face of Chris from company parties and events. So, if I’m seen out with a man that’s not my husband being flirtatious or something of the sort (because honestly, I just can’t help it) if I’m glanced at even once they’ll grow watchful eyes and I’d rather not be questioned.

I quickly look at Carlo with worried eyes, “we have to leave, now.”

He grows worried, “what’s wrong, what happened?” he sounds alarmed.

He’s so caring it almost gets in the way of some things, I shake my head and head to the door, Carlo looks around the room maybe trying to assess the scene, some people take glances at him. As I turn at the door holding it open, thinking he was already behind me Sam my manager and I make eye contact. I quickly break it and leave, I’m halfway down the sidewalk trying to get away from the windows on the building Carlo sees me and hurries after.

“Gianna, what happened?”

I continue walking looking over my shoulder at him, “two women I work with were in there.”

He steps into pace with me now right by my side, “oh.”

“Did you say my name in there?” I freeze in my spot.

He freezes in his spot a few steps further not anticipating my sudden stop.

His eyebrows knit together, “say your name?”

“When I left, you didn’t call after me or anything did you? They may have heard you if you did,” my heart is stuttering.

He takes a breath and walks to me, “no I did not.”

He’s watching my concerned face and wraps his arms around me in a nice hug, it’s very comforting. When we get back into the car he looks very bothered, almost sad.

“Carlo,” I place my hand on his that’s turning the key in the ignition. “What’s wrong?”

He looks at me smiling sadly, “Gianna, I like you more than I can explain. I think of you very often, I‘ve had dreams about you. My heart swells every time we talk whether it’s a message, a phone call but especially in person.”

I pull him into a hug, “I feel the same. Every moment with you is pure bliss.”

I feel him breathe, “but. . . Are you sure you want to continue doing this? Meeting secretly, dodging people-”

I pull back to look at him, “Carlo this was just a one-time incident, and we don’t meet in secret, I’ve gone up those damn metal steps to your office many times not hiding a thing.”

He smiles at me then shakes his head and looks serious again, “when I pick you up on your lunch breaks you are always the first one out of the building and I have to fly out of there because you’re afraid of someone seeing you with me.”

I look down at my lap and he caresses my cheek lifting my face, “sweetheart all I am trying to say is. . . I want to be able to say I am with you-”

“You can say that,” I object.

“And not hide it. I want to take you places, try new things with you, or just go to the park with you but while holding your hand, kissing you in front of whomever sees. Not solely walking side by side together, showing affection then having to quickly hide it if you feel someone sees us. I don’t want to kiss you when we’re only in the dark.”

I sigh, “I- I don’t know what you want me to do, I’m trying my best. What can I do?”

“Leave him.” Carlo says firmly. “He’s no good for you, he’s hurt you, disgusted me, probably stepped on a few heads to get into his, (he puts up air quotes) “glorious” position at his job, what good is he Gianna? Why are you suffering, what do you expect to happen? Do you expect him to change suddenly?” he has a pained expression.

“No, no I don’t. I know it’s stupid and I should’ve left long ago but. . .”

“But what? Do you still love him, am I just a way to get back at him because he cheated on you? Am I here because whenever things get bad between you two you have me to run to?”

My eyes fill with tears, “no, what? It’s not like that at all. Do you really think I’m that shallow? It’s just. . . I don’t know, I was with Chris for a long time, he was my first everything. . . I don’t know why I haven’t just filed for a divorce. . . I guess the things that prevent me from going through with it are things like telling my family that my marriage is over and that I’ve already started seeing another guy. . . My family would think I was the one who messed it all up, they would hate me and blame me for the failure of our marriage.”

“Gianna, he cheated on you, you tell them that.”

“They’ll say I cheated first, they’ll say that I wasn’t a good enough wife to him if I mentioned the cheating. They love Chris, he can do no wrong. . . I thought that once but I needed convincing. . . There is no convincing them.”

I wipe at my cheeks, “but please don’t make me deal with this right now. I know what and how I feel for you Carlo, I need you in my life because you are the sweetest and purest thing I know, you treat me in a way I’ve never been treated before.”

He sighs, “I just don’t know if I can handle getting this close to you and you come to realize that you want him. You would break my heart.”

“Carlo, I would never do that to you. I love you.” I sniffle, tears spill over and my heart swells with despair.

I need him right now, I need him always.

“You love me?” He looks at me with new eyes.

I simply nod, it’s the first time I’ve said it to him but how could he not know.

“I love you,” he says for the first time. He leans in and kisses me and now the topic is over. I don’t have to talk about Chris or when will I divorce him, if I’ll divorce him, it’s now time to focus on the love Carlo and I have for each other.


Carlo gives my thigh a squeeze zapping me out of my thoughts back into the car, “sweetie?”

Hungry, hungry, he asked if I was hungry. “Uh, can we just go through a drive-thru.”

He looks at me crinkling his nose, “I’d rather not.”

I laugh at his reaction, “what’s wrong with going to a drive-thru?”

“The food,” he says like it’s clearly obvious.

And I nod, because yeah it is obvious fast food is terrible for you, but the point is convenience. I don’t care if I eat or not, I just want to be close to him.
“I’m not really hungry actually, I had a decent size breakfast.”

He nods, “I’m not very hungry either.”

We’re driving down the road, the town is turning from buildings to trees.

“I’d offer to sit in my office but I’m not interested in returning right now I’ve been there all morning and I have to return in a couple hours for a session. But, my house isn’t far from here if you’d like to spend time there for a little while.”

I need to make sure that I’m not late for work. “How far away is it from here?”

“Six miles or so, not far at all.”

I agree to hang out at his house, he takes my hand in his and interlaces our fingers together. I don’t think I’ve been this happy in a long while, it’s a nice feeling. We ride in silence enjoying each other’s presence, I watch the trees fly by the green leaves blurring together. Ten minutes later we pull into a driveway in front of what looks like a tiny white mansion with a wraparound porch. I stare at the huge wooden house, while Carlo gets out. He walks to my side and opens the door for me with a hand out. I take his hand and step out of the car, he shuts the door and leads me up the stairs to the front door. It’s the only house around, there’s only grass, trees, the blue sky and the open road with hardly any traffic. I haven’t been in a part of Georgia like this in a long time just stuck in the city. It’s refreshing, I take a deep breath looking around while Carlo unlocks the door. There’s chairs and a hammock a ways down the porch, a food bowl and shoes kicked off by the mat in front of the door. Carlo pushes the heavy door open walks in and I follow him inside. The ceilings are high, the walls are white, the floors are wooden and it smells like cinnamon. There are pictures on the walls of different plants, I need to remember to ask why he has so many photos of plants because there are a few hanging in his office.

The first room by the front door looks like an office I see a mahogany desk, office chair and computer with piles of papers and books.

“Look around if you’d like, I’m going to the kitchen for coffee, would you like some, or tea?”

“I’ll take a cup of coffee,” I say looking up at the balcony that the stairs next to me leads to.

He smiles, and walks down the hall and rounding a corner disappearing. As I continue down the hallway there are more plant photographs, a few more closed doors to rooms and I finally get to the wide open living room. The room is bright with sunlight shining in through the glass in the high ceiling. There’s a fireplace with comfy looking blue suede chairs in front of it, bookcases decorate a whole wall, more plant photos hang on the wall and I notice a photo of a cat sitting on the mantle of the fireplace. He has a projector pointing at a blank wall and another sofa facing the wall.

Carlo speaks from the kitchen but he’s blocked by the brown cabinets, I follow his voice to the kitchen. There’s all stainless steel appliances, brown cabinets, marble counters.

“Is this whole place yours?”

He smiles, “no. I share it with Signore.”

A gray cat that resembles the one from the photo comes sauntering in from behind me and going to Carlo.

“Ciao Signore,” Carlo leans down and gives the kitty a pet on the head.

The cat rubs up against his pant leg, gives me a look and saunter over to me and rubs against my legs. Carlo washes his hands then goes over to an industrial level looking espresso machine.

“So, you never get lonely here?” I ask.

He nods then shrugs, “yeah sometimes. I suppose that’s why I get into moods where I bury myself in my work.”

“Oh. Why do you have such a large house if it’s just you.”

He looks at me looking a little embarrassed, “I’ve always wanted a large family. . . I hoped to someday have children running through the house. But, I may have to put that dream to rest.”

I smile, he starts grinding beans in the espresso machine, “ever think about having children?”

I burn red, he doesn’t look at me and I’m kind of glad he doesn’t. I’ve thought about it, always thought Chris and I would someday but it was never something I looked forward to if I walk by little babies or baby clothes.

“Maybe someday.”

I continue looking around, I notice a picture of a woman on the counter. The woman is short, long dark hair and the complexion of Carlo. I draw closer to the photo and see she’s standing in a forest next to a little house.

“That’s my mother,” Carlo says.

I lean in analyzing the photo more and notice they have the same shaped eyes and nose, I smile and straighten my posture.

“You look like her,” I say.

He smiles and nods watching the espresso drip into the cup. When it’s done he passes me the mug and puts what looks like a shot glass version of a mug and puts an espresso shot in. He drinks in in one swallow and I stare at him. He raises an eyebrow at me, I do the same to him and he laughs eye glancing at my cup.

“I’m sorry dear, I forgot to offer you milk or cream.”

He goes to the stainless steel refrigerator and pulls out a carton of milk, “I thought I had left over packets of cream from when I stopped at a coffee shop, they usually throw it in the bag but I
suppose they remembered the last time that I don’t need creamer.”

“You’re a mad man, you drink black coffee?”

He shrugs, “I like espresso shots, that’s how we drink it at home in Italy.”

I smile as I pour milk into my mug, “do you have any sugar?”

“Of course, you should know I like sugar.”

I blush as my mind flashes to the day we met, he passes me the sugar and I pour some in. We trade off sugar and a spoon so I can mix it up and take a sip.

“Hm, this is strong coffee,” it’s still bitter but I don’t add anything else.

“Yeah, you’ll probably only need one cup, you’ll definitely get through the rest of your work day,” he chuckles.

I laugh too, the time together goes by quickly before we have to drive back to my job. We share more than a few goodbye kisses, I tell him I’ll talk to him later and I’m back in my cell, I mean cubicle just to get off and play broken home with Chris.
♠ ♠ ♠
Gianna might be playing the fence. . . That's not cool.

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