Gio (5th Street) (13 page)

Ampara opened the door with one hand and held a tray in the other. Breakfast with all the trimmings. There were even slices of banana on the side for his waffles and a couple of aspirins next to his juice. Gio smiled as Ampara placed the tray across his lap. “Oh, wow. This looks real good. Thank you, Amparo.”

Amparo smiled. “Is there anything else you’d like?”

He was still taking in everything on the tray when he spotted a folded piece of writing paper with his name on it tucked under his juice glass. Turning to Amparo suddenly anxious for her to leave, he smiled. “No, I’ve got everything I need. Thanks.”

As soon as she closed the door he reached for the note, his heart doing that same weird thing it kept doing off and on all day yesterday. He unfolded the paper and read:

I figured you wouldn’t be up to even walking to the kitchen so I had Amparo fix this to your liking. I hope I got it right. I left instructions for your lunch and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you’re feeling better by tonight. I hate these sorts of things but don’t tell Felix I said that! See you tonight hopefully. XO B.

Gio reread it two more times, each time fixating on the ‘keeping her fingers crossed” and the ‘don’t tell Felix’ parts. She wanted him there tonight. He felt oddly excited about that; which made no sense because Felix would be there, too. Still she was keeping her fingers crossed?

Did she not want him to mention the note to Felix either? For too long his eyes were glued to the XO. He knew it meant nothing but like one of those ridiculous teenage fans reading a response letter from their idol, he touched the X and the O with his fingers. Then feeling like a dumb ass he chuckled before sticking the note in his shirt pocket and dug in.

All morning as Bianca had worked her shift at the shop and answered all her mother’s and grandmother’s questions, shoving any thoughts of her dream aside. It was just a dream. She’d spent the entire day with Gio. Of course, it would make sense that he’d be around even in her subconscious thoughts. But it was
what
he was doing in there and the disappointment she’d felt when she woke and realized that it wasn’t Gio that gnawed at her more than anything.

Why in the world would she be disappointed? She was so excited that Felix was finally here with her. Sure, Gio was gorgeous and sweet but she loved Felix.

She was certain that the hour of online college coursework she’d put in that morning was wasted because the whole time her mind had wandered off to the dream. Bianca shook her head as she turned off her car. It was just a dream. She’d had plenty of bizarre and unexplained dreams before.
Stop overthinking this!

Toni smiled at her as Bianca walked into her once again empty beauty salon. To Bianca’s surprise Toni’s hair was still the same color as the last time she saw her but she did have it up in this geisha style, big elaborate hair-combs and all, though she’d passed on the white makeup. Bianca smiled gesturing at the ‘do. “Looks good. I seriously doubt now you’ll ever find a style that doesn’t fit you, Toni.”

Toni winked at her as she stood. “Keith, the guy I told you I met at that artsy fartsy film festival in Los Angeles a few months ago is coming up tonight. He’s bringing some Japanese documentary he and his friend worked on together about the history of the Geisha. I figured he’d get a kick out of my hair.”

Bianca took a seat at one of the styling chairs laughing softly. “I’m sure he will.”

Toni walked up behind her facing her in the mirror. “So, what’s it gonna be?”

Bianca had already filled her in on tonight’s party when she called to ask her if she was available to style her hair tonight. “Nothing too elaborate. I’m actually hoping to blend into the crowd. I get the feeling it’ll be overrun with paparazzi and stuff. I’d just as soon not go but he really wants me there.”

Toni looked away but Bianca caught how her expression changed. Ever since the big photo blow up and Bianca making her promise not to fill her in on any gossip with nothing concrete to confirm it, Toni had been real good about not sharing anything she’d read. Bianca knew this expression. She’d seen it before when Toni would tell her about something unpleasant she’d read in the tabloids or saw on TV about Felix.

Toni opened and shut drawers a little too fast and noisily and was avoiding eye contact. “I can do toned down elegance. I know just the thing.”

“Toni?”

Toni continued to rummage through the drawer without looking up. “Hmm?”

“You have something you wanna tell me?” Normally Bianca wouldn’t even ask if she suspected it had something to do with the many tabloid shows Toni watched but she was acting so strangely now.

Toni glanced at her for a second then went immediately back to searching the drawer. “Uh, no.”

“Spill it, Toni.” If the discomfort she was feeling wasn’t so overwhelming Bianca might actually laugh at how obvious Toni was. Her style and personality went hand in hand. There was nothing ambiguous about her. So she was terrible at trying conceal her feelings.

Toni stopped and looked in the mirror with a frown. “Honey, it’s nothing. It’s just that with this fight coming up, Felix has been the buzz lately on all the gossip shows. And you know me, anytime they start talking about his elusive Big Bear love interest I
have
to watch and see if by chance they’ll mention you or have any photos of you and all.”

She went back to rummaging through her drawer until she came up with a red comb and walked up behind Bianca. Bianca was almost afraid to ask but she had to. “Have they?”

Toni finally put on her ‘okay, getting to the point’ expression and shifted her weight to one side looking at Bianca straight in the eyes through the mirror. “It’s always someone else they think is you.” Bianca’s eyes opened wide at the comment and her stomach dropped. “
But,
” Toni added quickly, “I hadn’t said anything because there is never anything concrete about the girls in the short clips or photos they show of him. There’s never even any solid proof that the pictures are not all old.”

Bianca thought of the mariachis Felix had gone out of his way to get for her and how he sounded so genuine when he said he loved her. She wouldn’t panic but she also knew Toni wouldn’t even be talking about this if there wasn’t more to it than just old pictures and rumors with no real foundation. “What else have they said?”

Toni took a deep breath. “You said he was in Chicago last week, right?”

“Yes.” Bianca held her breath in worried anticipation.

“They had pictures of him with a girl there. It was nothing bad but one of them did show them walking into a hotel. They were supposedly taken the day he got stuck out there.”

Bianca stared at her not sure what to think. “Were they holding hands or anything?” Her own voice was already sounding strained to her own ears and she swallowed hard. Could it be possible that Felix was actually playing her?

“No, they weren’t.” Toni’s voice took on a reassuring tone. “All the pictures were very innocent. It could’ve been just an associate or something and if wasn’t for the fact that they walked into a hotel together and on the very day he was supposed to be flying out here to be with you I wouldn’t have even thought of bringing it up.” Toni walked around the chair and faced her. “You should just ask him. Like all the other times, I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation.”

Bianca nodded, surprised she wasn’t already a blubbering mess. But she
felt
Felix’s love for her in his kisses now. Saw it as clear as day in his eyes when he looked into hers. If it weren’t for that she just might be. If anything, she was angry. Just like she’d promised him she wouldn’t jump to any conclusions without asking him first, he’d promised her he’d tell her about anything he thought would get back to her that she might consider questionable. He had to understand things like this could easily, and for very good reason, upset her.

“I’ll ask him about it today.” Bianca smiled. “Thanks for bringing it up. I’m still not watching any of those shows or reading the tabloids so I would’ve never known.” She smiled even bigger remembering how, just like Toni said, all the other times there’d been perfectly acceptable explanations, there probably would be for this one too.

Once again, Toni did an awesome job of Bianca’s hair and makeup. These were the only times she used Toni’s services because until Felix came along Bianca rarely even wore makeup. And if she did it didn’t warrant having it professionally applied. But knowing she’d be in the limelight she wanted it to look as nice as possible.

The car Felix sent for her was already waiting when she arrived back at her grandmother’s house. Her mother and Nana oohed and aahed about her makeup and hair which should’ve made her feel better. However the knot in her stomach from the news Toni had dropped on her was still firmly in place.

The ride back to Felix’s cabin felt longer than normal. She knew there had to be an acceptable explanation. Toni had given her a few more details about the photos. Apparently, they’d gone to dinner alone. And this time there was no other boyfriend or his agent around. It was just the two of them who’d been seen leaving the restaurant together and arriving at his hotel. The more Bianca thought about it the more uncertain she got that this one was explainable.

Felix walked out of the cabin onto the porch as the car came up the drive. He was down the stairs and ready to open her door when the car stopped. As soon as she got out, he pulled her to him and kissed her softly but deeply. “I would’ve gone with him to pick you up but I just got here myself.” He kissed her again then added, “You look beautiful.”

Bianca’s heart sped up. The thought of this being all one big lie—that he did this with a different girl everywhere he went was too overwhelming. Before he could kiss her again she placed her hand on his chest. “Who were you with the day you got stuck in Chicago?”

His reaction was anything but what she was expecting. She’d let it out that way because she needed immediate reassurance that she had it all wrong again—see it in his loving eyes. Instead, his troubled, almost fearful expression did just the opposite. She pulled away from him.

Explain it?
Bianca didn’t need any long explanations. There was only one thing she needed to know as her now pounding heart felt near ready to explode. “Did you sleep with her?”

“No!”

“But you took her to your hotel?” He’d made love to her last night and just a few nights prior he had another girl in his hotel with him? She wanted to scream now.

“That’s what I wanna talk to you about,” he said calmly. “But it’s cold out here. Let’s go inside.”

“I’m not stepping foot in there until you tell me what’s going on.” Bianca was trying hard not to lose it but she felt so close.

“Baby, relax. I promise you it’s not what you’re thinking.” He exhaled. “Okay. I went out with her a few times in the past. I hadn’t seen her in weeks.”

“Weeks?” Bianca yelled out, certain now that she was going to lose it for sure. “You saw her a few weeks ago, too?”

“Yes. S
aw
her.” She saw the panic in his eyes one moment then just like that it was gone. “That was it. It wasn’t planned. I ran into her is all.” He tried again in vain to reach for her hand but Bianca snatched it back taking another step away from him. “I never formally ended things with her. I just sort of stopped calling her once I started seeing you and I wanted to give her the closure I thought she deserved. She lives in Chicago so since I was in town I took her to dinner and I let her know I’m in a relationship now.”

“And then you took her back to your hotel.”

“To have a drink at the lounge downstairs but I swear to you that’s all that happened. And I had every intention of telling you about his. You have to believe me.”

He took another step toward her so Bianca took another one back. With every step she’d taken away from him she’d been that much closer to the car and her back now touched it making it impossible to get any further away. He placed his hands on either side of her against the car enclosing her in his arms. “I love you, Bianca. I know this is tough. You hearing about shit like this before I get a chance to explain sucks, but I promise you I won’t ever hurt you.”

“What’s her name?” She demanded making him frown. “I wanna know.”

“Shelley. She’s an intern at the Chicago Sun-Times. She co-interviewed me earlier last year and we went out a few times. Anytime there’s a press conference in Chicago she’s there so that’s why and how I run into her sometimes but it’s over now.” His face leaned into Bianca’s and he brushed his lips gently against hers. As unsure of this as she still felt, she wanted so badly to believe him. “I love you,” he whispered against her mouth. “Please tell me you believe me when I say I won’t ever hurt you.”

“I want to.” Bianca willed the relief to slowly trickle back into her suspicious heart.

He brought his hands up off the car and held her face in them. “You can. I swear to you.” He kissed her again but unlike she had in the past, or maybe
just
like she had in the past, only she’d been so deep in denial she didn’t
feel
the sincerity. She heard it in his voice loud and clear but something deep in her gut told her otherwise. No one could be this good at lying, could they?

Finally allowing herself to breathe easy she kissed him back, waiting for that sudden liberation from her fears. The exhilaration she’d felt so often in the past when her doubts were wiped away by his words—his touch. Only this time it never came.

She gasped as his big arms picked her up by the waist and off her feet. Soft hopeful laughter escaped her as he cradled her in his arms and he carried her up the stairs toward the front door of the cabin.

Although she felt somewhat content and wanted to believe that he’d done nothing with
Shelley,
Bianca had to wonder if this would ever end. If she’d ever trust him completely. She hated to think this would forever be a part of their relationship and she hated how fast and easy it was for her to believe he could do something like that to her. The knot in the pit of her stomach was now gone but it was replaced with something else. Something that overshadowed what should’ve been an enormous relief. Instead, it was disconcerting and confusing.