The Beautiful People (29 page)

            “I’ll be
right back hon!” She spun around and disappeared into the kitchen. I stood
there holding the plate in my only fee hand. There wasn’t anywhere to set it
down, so I just stood there awkwardly. Angela, Dominic’s mom, spotted me and
came over next. Angela moved in a very controlled manner, almost subdued, the
exact opposite of Gloria who buzzed around in fast forward. Angela took the
plate from my hand.  

            “My
sister…she’s been on a mission to feed the world since I can remember,” she
chuckled quietly. “It’s a good thing she married a chef.”  Angela regarded me
with her deep brown eyes. “Are you ready to go see my son?” she asked. I’d only
met Angela a few times and she always referred to Dom as ‘her son’ around me,
almost possessive in a way. She hadn’t warmed up to me the way her husband
had.  I nodded.

            “Follow
me.” I followed her into the kitchen, where she set the plate of food on the
counter. She went through a separate doorway and up the stairs. We walked into
Dominic’s childhood bedroom and I instantly looked to the bed. I was surprised
to find it empty. Confused, I surveyed the rest of the room and found Dominic
sitting in a chair by the only window.

The sun filtered in
through the window and accentuated the shadows under his eyes. Like me, he had
lost weight. His usual olive toned skin was pale. Dominic’s face lit up when he
saw me and I hoped my face mirrored his emotions. Truth was I was feeling
nervous and shy. What if he sensed I was pulling away? I forced the uncertainty
to the back of my mind as I crossed the room. He reached out for my hand. I
looked down into his eyes and saw that the same spark was there. He may look
pale and weak on the outside, but internally he was healing. Angela silently
left the room and shut the door behind her. We were alone.

            “Hey you.”

            “Hey.” I
squeezed his hand.

            “God I’ve missed
you. How are you doing?” he asked, glancing at my sling.

            “I’ve
missed you too and I’m getting better each day. It still hurts, but I wasn’t
hurt nearly as badly as you,” my voice started to crack. “I thought you were
going to die!” Tears spilled down my cheeks. Damn it, why did I have to care so
much? Leaving would be so much easier if my heart wasn’t invested.

            “Hey I’m
fine. I didn’t die. Don’t worry.” He pulled me onto his lap. I protested at
first, afraid of hurting him, but he hushed me. “Babe my neck and chest got shot,
my lap is fine.”

            “Are you
sure?” I held his gaze.

            “Positive.
In fact, having you on my lap might do me some good,” he winked at me. Yeah, he
was feeling better. I shot him a look and gently rested my head against his
chest, comforted by the sound of his strong heartbeat.

            “So, what
were you up to while I was unconscious?”

            “Nothing
really, Grant’s been checking on me. He actually helped give me a bath – it was
horrible!” Dominic started to laugh but cut it short. His face pinched up in
pain. “Are you okay?”

            “Yeah, it
just pulls when I laugh.” He touched the giant gauze pad that was taped to his
neck. “I’m sorry you had to be there – had to experience a shooting. I should
have been more careful.”

I looked down at my
lap, not quite sure what to say. Then Marco came barging into the room and our
moment together was disrupted.

            “How’s my
favorite nephew?” he boomed. Then he saw me. “Natalie, so glad you’re here.
Thank you for saving my boy,” he clamped his hand down on Dom’s shoulder and I
saw him flinch. He regarded my injuries briefly before turning back to his
nephew. I was forgotten as Marco dominated his attention and the entire
atmosphere. Dom looked past Marco’s shoulder and mouthed “sorry.”

            “It’s okay”
I mouthed back.

            “Love you,”
he said.

            “Love you
too.” I turned and left the room. The sadness formed a lump in my throat and
gallon sized tears started to pour down my face. I ran to the bathroom. Was it
wrong for me to leave him like this? I knew that had he been given the chance
to say goodbye, he would have used it to convince me to stay. I knew I wouldn’t
be strong enough to deny him. I was glad Marco arrived at the end. Seeing him
was a reminder of why I needed to leave.

I managed to get myself
under control. With a heavy heart and puffy eyelids, I made my way back
downstairs. The volume of so many conversations being held in one area was
deafening compared to the quiet of Dom’s room. Miranda saw me coming down the
stairs and met me at the bottom.

            “Ready to
go?” she asked. I nodded. More family had arrived and we squeezed our way
through the boisterous crowd. I followed her out the door and to her car, too
numb to pay any attention to where we were going. I probably would have
wandered around for hours trying to find the car, had I been left alone. “Why
do you look so devastated? Did you guys have a fight or something?” Miranda
asked as she pulled the car out into the street.

I flipped the visor down
and looked in the mirror. Yikes, I thought to myself, and attempted to wipe
away the rivers of mascara, but only succeeded in smearing them across my
cheeks. “No, we didn’t have a fight. It was very emotional seeing him again.” My
tone was harsher than I had intended and I felt bad, but Miranda kept to
herself for the rest of the car ride and I appreciated the silence.

My laundry was ready at
the concierge desk and one of the staff helped me up to the front door. Perfect
timing, I could pack the rest of my clothes. It was Saturday and I planned to
leave Monday, right after my morning follow up appointment with Dr. Russo. I
would be gone by the time Dominic arrived.  

Something rubbed my head.
I groaned and moved away. Next something was tickling my ear, I tried to swat
it away, but my arm was in a sling. The little bit of movement sent a shooting
pain down my arm. I woke with a jerk. Grant leaned over the back of the sofa
looking down at me and laughed.

“You’re
such a shithead!” I growled at him.

“I
called your name. Man, you were out cold.” I glared at him. I didn’t remember
falling asleep. I remembered sitting on the sofa to watch a movie and that was
it.

“What
time is it?”

“After
six, I’m on my way to work and thought I’d check on you. You didn’t answer your
phone.”

“Wow,
I really was out.” I stretched my legs out and yawned.

“Do
you need anything while I’m here?” Sleep still clung to my brain like a fog and
I had to think about it.

“I
think I’m all set. Thanks bro!” I gave him a goofy grin and he smiled back.

“You’re
such a dork,” he said and bipped me upside the head.

“Hey,
that’s not fair. I’m defenseless,” I gestured to my sling. He rolled his eyes
at me.

“I’m
going to head to work then.”

“Have
fun. Don’t worry about checking on me later. I’ll be fine and will probably be
asleep.”

He left and I went to
fix something to eat. The morning with Dominic weighed heavily on my mind and he
stayed in my thoughts while I gathered up more things to pack. My new cell
phone was charging on the dresser and the instructions to the Garmin were
strewn across the bed. I crawled into bed to read them, but wound up thinking
about everyone I was leaving behind. Sneaking around behind their backs and not
saying goodbye to their faces haunted me. I imagined my mother would feel
abandoned and betrayed. Grant would be angry and then extremely worried.
Miranda would probably react the same as Grant. And Dominic…I didn’t know how
he would react. Hurt? Betrayed? Sad? Or would he be angry for a little while
and then move on? It hurt to think about and I started to cry, which turned
into big, heaving sobs.

Once again I slept.
Violent images flitted across my REM cycle, disturbing and graphic, but not
lasting long enough for me to wake up screaming. My cell phone ringing woke me
up instead.

“Hello?”
I answered my voice rough with sleep.

“Hey
baby, it’s me,”

“Hey,”
I yawned. My eyes burned from the tears and slumber. I looked at the clock, it
wasn’t even midnight yet. My schedule had been completely thrown off since the
shooting.

“Sorry
about earlier. I wish Uncle Marco hadn’t interrupted.” His voice was soft and
soothing. I didn’t realize until I heard it, how much I had missed the sound of
his voice.

“I’m
sorry too.”

“Can
you come by again tomorrow?”

“I
don’t know. I’ll try.”

“What
do you mean you don’t know? Do you have other plans?” His tone was harsh,
almost full of contempt.

“Grant
or Miranda has to drive me around and I don’t know if they’re available,” I
explained.

“So
take a cab, I’ll pay for it…or I can come home early!” He sounded more excited
at that idea. I had to stall him.

“No,
I’ll come see you. I think your mom would like you home a little bit longer.
She was really worried about you.” This seemed to appease him and he lightened up.

“What
are you wearing?” he asked. So this was going to be one of
those
calls.
That would explain his impatience.

“Unbelievable,
Dom. Just two days ago you were practically in a coma and now you’re horny?”

“I’ve
had time to rest up. Ya know, recharge the old battery.” His voice was husky
now. I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “What are you laughing at?  Although I
can picture the way your skin flushes when you laugh and your breasts jiggle
just the slightest bit, making your nipples harden…” He started to breathe
heavy. I gave in. He was too irresistible and this was going to be our last
intimate time together. I could at least leave him satisfied.

I woke up Sunday
morning with the deadline looming. I was basically ready, except the letter to
Dominic had yet to be written. Dr. Russo said I could take the sling off
periodically and for longer periods each time. If I was going to drive to his
office, I needed to get my arm used to motion. Sunday mornings were a good time
to drive in Philadelphia. Traffic jams didn’t exist, unless the Phillies were
in the World Series. My car was waiting for me when I got downstairs. I put one
of my suitcases in the trunk then slid in behind the steering wheel.

It had only been about
a week since I had driven, but it felt like a year. The gear shift seemed
foreign to me when my weakened arm shifted it into drive. I drove around the
block then three blocks and on until driving was comfortable again. It might
take more breaks than usual, but I would make it California.

I pulled into Jiffy
Lube and got the oil changed. The last item on my list was the letter to
Dominic and I knew that had to be done tonight.  I promised Dom I’d visit and dreaded
having to look him in the face again. Still feeling confident behind the wheel,
I drove to Dom’s parents. I found a parking spot right out front.

Angela
answered the door.

“Hi.
Dom asked me to visit today.” She stepped aside to let me in. The house was so
quiet compared to the day before – and spotless.

“He’s
upstairs,” she said. Angela and her sister Gloria were exact opposites. Gloria
never hesitated to give a hug and Angela remained distant, more reserved. She wasn’t
mean to me, but she didn’t get too close. I had a feeling that she and my mom
would get along great. Sometimes I would catch her looking at me, regarding me
with what looked like sympathy on her face. She looked that way at me now. “Do
you remember where his room is or would like me to take you up?”

“I
remember. Thank you.” I walked up the stairs and past the family portraits that
lined the staircase wall. His door was closed so I knocked lightly before turning
the knob. Dom was sleeping. His heavy breathing could be heard across the room.
I crept over to the bed and curled up alongside him. He woke up then and smiled
when he saw it was me.

“You
made it.” I nuzzled closer, enjoying the smell of him. He had been gone so long
that his scent had faded from our sheets.

“I’m
here.” He squeezed me and kissed my forehead. We lay there in the silence for a
while, enjoying each other’s company.

“Hey
Dom, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Your
mom…I can’t figure her out. She looks at me weird – it’s hard to explain – but,
it’s like she’s sad for me or something.”

“She
probably is. My mom has never liked the mafia life, but it’s what she grew up
around and she loves her family,” he paused and looked down at me. “She
probably sees you struggling with this too.” He caressed my injured shoulder.

“You
haven’t thought about leaving again, have you? Especially with the shooting and
all?” My body tensed up. Why was he so damn perceptive?

“No.”

“Good.
I’m glad I got my first bullet wounds out of the way. Now I know what to
expect.”

“Your
first?”

“Yeah,
these won’t be the only ones. My dad, he was shot four times and Uncle Al‘s
been shot a couple times, but Uncle Marco has the luck. He’s been shot at seven
times and only hit once. He’s a legend…” Dom dozed off, midsentence, like a
drunk.  I lay there watching him sleep. My arm draped up over his head and I
played with his thick hair. I knew that my decision to leave was the right one.
I couldn’t deal if he got shot again, especially if the next time was fatal. I
slipped out from under Dom’s arm and managed to get off the bed without
disturbing him. Just as quietly as I had entered the room, I left. Before walking
out the door, I turned and blew a kiss.