An Apartment in Venice (23 page)

Marc did know someone in real-estate law, and late Monday afternoon Giulia started the lease-breaking process. All parties knew she was moving out, but the lawyer urged her to maintain a semblance of possession until papers were legally filed. She’d grown to hate everything about the place and didn’t want to stay another day. Earlier she’d been determined to stick out the six-month lease to give Chuck time. But in spite of her tantrum when the rain blew in, he’d made it clear he wanted her with him. The truth? She was the one who felt conflicted. Did he truly accept her in spite of her past?

Then Aletta called and asked Giulia for a huge favor.” The new custom-made mattress would be delivered from Milan on Wednesday, the fourteenth of May, but she couldn’t be there. Could Giulia do that for her? Giulia agreed without much grace, but Aletta didn’t seem to notice.

On Tuesday she called again announcing in her cheery voice that the mattress had arrived in Venice, but with heavy rains and a high tide, boats were having trouble getting under low bridges. She still expected delivery on Wednesday. “Thursday for sure,” she sang out and hung up.

Giulia had been noticing water sloshing onto the fondamenta when boats went by although most pilots moved cautiously during high-water times. Wednesday morning, Aletta called saying, “Maybe late in the afternoon, when the tide and wind go down. Even though you’re moving out,” she trilled, “at least you’ll have a few decent nights in the apartment.”

It didn’t matter a fig to Giulia anymore, but it did sadden her to think of the fate of Venice. The old Venetians didn’t expect high water to come so often and certainly never in the middle of May. In the old days,
acqua alta
came only in November.

At 4:42 p.m., the doorbell rang. The mattress had arrived. She responded over the intercom but leaned out anyway to see the mattress man below. He looked up, waved and smiled. She liked him right away. His smile reminded her of Brian Dennehey, the stocky actor she’d always respected. And better yet, the man’s daughter came with him.

Together they carried the mattress to her door. She was pleased to see a father/daughter company in Italy. They set to work speaking quietly to each other. They’d been instructed to put the disgusting, floppy abomination up in the loft with all the other useless items stored there. So much for the “bonus space” advertised on the internet.

They installed a new frame made of handsome pieces of blond, polished wood. He demonstrated how Giulia might move leather straps on the slats to give them more or less support. Had Chuck ever seen a mechanism like this? She wanted to show it to him before she moved out. Should she make the bed? They might try it out before she vacated her “dream” apartment. But there was no time to make the bed, because, after the delivery people left, Chuck was at her door, maneuvering a borrowed handcart out of the freight elevator.

“What a clever idea,” she said and gave him a hug. “Are you still sure you want me moving in with you lock, stock and barrel?”

“I’m sure,” he said, holding her.

“It will be awhile before I get my apartment-hunting energy up again.”

“Maybe you won’t need to go hunting.”

“So you’re willing to take a risk with me, considering my past?”

Chuck’s eyes flashed and he dropped the handle of the cart on the floor. When it struck the tile, the sound rang out as angrily as the look on his face.

“Why the hell can’t you trust that I believe your explanation?” He held her away from him and looked straight into her eyes. “Methinks you protest too much. Which is it, Giulia?”

“So you
do
doubt me!”

“Not until sixty-seconds ago. What’s going on?”

“Well, you did have doubts about whether Tom was telling the truth.”

“Don’t even go there,” he snarled. “Tom and I have—we’re solid.”

“I thought you thought he had said what you wanted to hear.”

“You think too much.”

“I’d never heard you speak of this wonderful trustworthy friend until you insisted I go to the airport to meet him.”

“You weren’t reluctant about going until you saw who he was. Then the cat was out of the bag and you had to fess up.” Suddenly, Chuck heard his father’s voice arguing with his mother.

Giulia’s body seemed to crumple and turn in on herself. “I struggled a lot about when and how to tell you. It seemed best to do it right there at the airport.” She spoke so softly he could barely hear her.

“Yeah. Maybe so. But… hell, we’re veering off.” He didn’t want to be like his dad but couldn’t let it go. “I’m thinking you have the biggest trust issue here. Maybe the lumps in that bed are the perfect penance you’ve been looking for.” He turned, walked out and didn’t look back.

She stood stunned. What had she done? He’d been honest about how he felt. He’d shared his struggle over the whole thing. He’d given her every chance to explain. But she kept making him jump more and more hurdles. And he’d jumped them. Why had she goaded him… again? She’d gone too far.

She ran to the window overlooking the street below and leaned out. “Karlo, don’t go.”

He was walking away fast, but turned and jammed his hands in his pockets. He’d never felt so furious with her and knew his face was flushed. He was tempted to say for all the neighborhood, ‘Need one last fuck?’ But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead he said, “What do you need?”

“Please wait. I… I love you,” she yelled.

He stood speechless, and she gasped herself. But hearing those words shouted for all the world to know told her they were the truest words she’d ever uttered. A couple of people walking by stopped to look at Chuck then up at Giulia. They shook their heads, smiled and walked on.

In a quieter voice, she asked, “Can we talk? I’ll be down in a sec.”

When she came out the door onto the sidewalk beside the canal, his dark eyebrows formed straight lines over those pale, wolf-like eyes. “Is this a game with you?”

“No! No game. I need to explain even more,” she said putting her hands on his forearms. “Somewhere else?”

“A public place,” he said, not wanting cozy intimacy.

“Of course.”

* * *

Giulia wrapped both hands around the stem of a glass of chilled white wine, and Chuck sipped a beer. Made in Sicily, Birra Messina had less than five percent alcohol. He was pleased this little bar near Campo Santa Margherita had it on tap. It was the only thing that pleased him at the moment. He needed to focus one more time on this complex woman huddled across from him.

She reminded him of the relationship with Ricky that ended in abortion.

He nodded, but felt exasperated. He took a small sip of beer.

She had avoided men for a year until she met Jason. She told about him lying from the first and his estranged wife showing up pregnant.

“I knew he wanted children, but I hadn’t been ready while in grad school. After that, I swore off men and wanted revenge.”

Chuck started to interrupt but sensed she needed to tell it all before she lost her courage. He sat back, drained his glass and signaled for another. Giulia lifted her glass to take a sip, but her hand shook. She set it back down and looked scared. Tears formed in her eyes but she blinked a few times obviously determined not to break down.

“I feel embarrassed. It was stupid to think I could get revenge against Ricky and Jason by taking money from strange men. When I first got the idea, I’d planned to go all the way. What did I care? My life was over anyway. Whatever they wanted, I’d give. But—”

Chuck put his untouched second beer on the table and leaned forward. “Maybe you had more self respect than you realized?”

Shaking her head, she said, “I doubt it. My studies suffered. If it hadn’t been for the old Italian Professor Emeritus, who reminded me about all the work I was throwing away, I would have dropped out.” She sat up straighter and this time managed to hold her glass steady enough to take a sip.

* * *

The wine was no longer chilled, but the dry, tart taste felt good going down.
I can’t lose this man who’s good inside and out, but I must tell it all.”

“After several bad experiences, I finally understood how reckless I’d been. I wasn’t hurting Ricky or Jason. Heck, they had no idea what I was doing. And they weren’t bad, just two young guys not ready for real relationships.”

She was sure Chuck wanted as far away as possible. He leaned in to speak. She held her hand up palm out, asking for one more moment. His mouth tightened and his pale eyes radiated icy shards of silver.

This is my last chance.

“Chuck, I trust
you
until the sun expands. It’s me, not you. You said it. I’m the one with trust issues. For too long, I’ve expected betrayal by men, and my behavior came out in unpleasant ways. No, change that. It came out in crappy, selfish ways, and I’m sorry. So sorry.”

* * *

She looked limp and drained.

He was quiet.
She’s an enigma. She responds to me like a lioness but withdraws and becomes distant. She wants a place of her own yet wants to be in my bed. She has a lot to learn about herself. But damn, she’s working on it. And… that’s enough for me.

He set his beer down, leaned forward and took both of her hands.

“Giulia, do you think you’re the only one ever betrayed by a lover?”

She snatched her hands back, sat up and stiffened her back. If she’d been a cat, he would have sworn she was arching her back, with her fur standing on end, ready to hiss and scratch. Then her body deflated. And her lips curved into a small, sheepish smile.

“How self-centered I’ve been. So afraid to be hurt. There’s no guarantee is there? It’s part of life,” she said.

He moved around the table dragging the spindly little chair with him to sit beside her and hold her. “I had to say it.”

“I had to hear it.” She put her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers in his thick hair. “Oh Karlo. I love you so much.”

“Those are the only words I’ve heard all day. Nothing else matters.”

Chuck was spending longer hours at the base mostly working out at the gym. That gave Giulia time to adjust to being back in his apartment. At times, she thought he was over-protective. She struggled to get used to having him, or anyone, worry about her—except for her parents, who still fretted about her choice to live in Venice. But she was loving the quiet evenings with Chuck.

Saturday night Giulia poured them each a glass of red wine and sat at the kitchen table while he chopped garlic and tomatoes for what he called a simple pasta sauce. And for what she knew would be elegant in its simplicity.

Oliver Ogle’s trial continued to loom over their heads, but it was out of their hands. All they knew for sure was it would be held in Baltimore, maybe mid-September. Chances were that both Chuck and Colonel Ryland would need to appear—Giulia for sure—but either way, Chuck said he’d make the trip with her. And because the situation had developed on a military post, her travel costs would be taken care of. They had bothered her, but they were the least of her worries.

“Rafe Lyne told me Oliver’s out on bail,” she said to Chuck’s back.

“No doubt he’s trying to ruin as many lives as he can. What a piece of work,” Chuck said.

“Can he come back here, do you think?”

“Don’t know. That’s a good question to ask Lyne. As your attorney, he’ll know about the conditions of Ogle’s bail or can find out.”

“Yes.” She heaved a huge sigh. He turned his head to look at her. “The idea of testifying at Oliver’s trial is haunting me already. How will I ever say out loud what he said and did to me?”

“No use to start worrying now, Micina. As time draws near, Lyne will help you prepare for that. And I’ll be there with you all the way.”

“You will, won’t you. That means so much.” But she stared into the distance. “If only I hadn’t kicked him. I should have somehow twisted out of his grasp and run out the door that first time. You know he’ll make a huge to-do about that.
Assault
he’ll call it.”

This time Chuck turned abruptly from his chopping with the knife still in his hand. “Giulia, stop it! The operative word is ‘somehow.’
Somehow
you should have been able to twist out of his grasp. Marc was right, you reacted in self-defense.”

“But only I know that.”

“Wait until the search warrant for his villa is executed. And all those women’s intimate things and all their names will be found in his dirty little file. Wonder how many of
those
women kicked him?”

“Did you get a warrant signed?” Giulia asked, straightening up.

“Didn’t I tell you? Jeez, I’m sorry.” Chuck lay down his knife, turned the stove off and sat at the table across from her.

“I didn’t have to do anything about the warrant. When my superior officer saw the photos of all that lingerie, he was livid that it happened on his watch. After that, strings were pulled. The Italian judge wouldn’t allow a search of Ogle’s office because, legally, his office is the same as being in the States. The U.S. judge from Padova said no because of personnel records of U.S. citizens. Hell, they could have gotten around those objections by inserting someone from the university during the search. A shame because finding a pair of panties in his office desk would be one more nail in his coffin.”

“Probably doesn’t matter.” Giulia said. “I met Susan Riggs, the interim director of Human Resources yesterday afternoon. She’d found my folder in Ogle’s top drawer just where you said it was.”

Giulia related the meeting. After Ms. Riggs had read through Giulia’s material and Ogle’s notes about her teaching Italian to cadets, Riggs asked Giulia to come in to discuss also teaching Italian to military families’ children enrolled in American-style classrooms.

“It seems the powers-that-be had been pushing toward this. Of course Ogle acted as if it was all his idea after looking at my resume.”

“Micina, you may end up spending more time on that ‘dreary post,’ as I’ve heard you call it, instead of in Venice.” He stepped back to the counter.

“You’re right, it could be a problem. The thing is, I’d like to establish myself on the post as a teacher of Italian to English speakers and English to Italian speakers. That carpenter, Enrico Zava, asked about lessons, and lots of Italian workers on the base might want to learn. Eventually I hope to set up a business here in Venice with excellent referrals from there.”

“You’re a constant surprise,” Chuck said and stopped his food prepping again to swoop her into his arms. “That goes along with my thoughts about retiring. I can rely on you to take care of me.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself big man. But wait. You haven’t heard the most interesting news about what Susan found.”

“And?”

“She said there were indications in Ogle’s office, suggesting he might have serious mental or emotional problems. When I asked her what she meant, she said she’d been warned to say nothing. But she could tell me that the top sheet of my folder which showed my personal information had the address where I lived circled in blue pencil.”

Chuck nodded. He’d seen that.

“Ms. Riggs said, ‘Mr. Ogle seemed to prefer blue pencil to emphasize something important to him.’ That could be another nail in Ogle’s coffin. And we know what she found in his bottom desk drawer.”

“Yeah. I’m guessing that pair of black underwear was still there just as your folder was where I left it,” Chuck said. “So you’re right, it probably doesn’t matter that we didn’t get a warrant for his office.”

“So, when
will
the villa be searched?” she asked.

“Any day now. Unless Oliver carted his souvenirs away, the villa will be enough to indict him.”

“That’s such good news. What about your commander?”

“That’s what’s so incredible. I took a calculated chance showing him those pictures. I didn’t say I took them. Didn’t say I didn’t. Just that they were from Oliver’s home. He never asked me directly and didn’t want them in his possession. In fact, he hinted I keep them a secret. I’ve always had a good feeling about him. All along, he’s consistently advocated for pursuing and prosecuting sexual harassment on the post.”

“It sounds unusual for a man of his high rank to not stick strictly to the book,” Giulia said.

“Thank God a few like him are around. I hope Oliver didn’t destroy all his booty before they hauled him off to the States.”

With that reminder, Giulia crumpled in her chair and began to twist the stem of her wine glass round and round.

“Giulia?”

“I almost wish he had. I can see it now. In front of the whole courtroom, my attorney and his team will display the garments on a huge screen for all to see.” She spread her arms wide. “And then, with one of those laser pointers with a red light, he’ll identify mine.” She slashed her arm forward, narrowed her eyes to fix on the tip of her finger jabbing it at the imaginary display.

“Aw, sweetheart.” He came around the table and took her in his arms. “Maybe the pictures the search-warrant crew takes can be shown only to the judge and jury.” He waited a beat, tipped her chin up and said, “But yours were the prettiest.”

She couldn’t quite stifle a snicker. “You’re crazy. Sweet, too.”

“I know. Can’t help myself,” he said. “We’ll get through it, Giulia. When it’s over, we’ll come back and enjoy our life in Venice. Right?”

She nodded, burrowing into his chest, inhaling his warm, man smell.

He turned back to finish smashing herbs and garlic together in his mortar and pestle, and she gathered plates and cutlery for the table.

“Giulia? How would Ogle know the measurements of all those women?”

“By the label sizes, or maybe he studied size charts in a catalogue.”

“So, how’d he do on yours?”

“You’re incorrigible. Wait a minute.” She left the room, coming back in a moment to toss a pile of colorful lingerie on the table. “Here. Make your own estimates.”

He leaned back in a deep, rumbling guffaw which tickled her into laughter herself.

“Take ’em back. I’d rather handle the real thing.” He pushed her glass of wine toward her. “For now, drink up. Then, milady, if you have any strength left, I could use help with the salad.”

* * *

On Sunday, Chuck had gone to the post for a few hours. When he came in and plopped down on his recliner, he heaved a sigh and said, “I know I can’t compete with the young men under my command, but I’ve been lax on that front lately.” She laughed and punched his abs which felt as hard as ever to her small fist.

“Don’t laugh. It’s serious.”

“I won’t laugh. I’ve also been flexing muscles. Basic Italian-grammar muscles. Wednesday afternoon, I’ll start my first class of third-graders. I’ve never taught little ones and I’m nervous. Old Ollie would be upset if he knew I was getting my teaching objectives met.”

“I’m thinking of other objectives.” Chuck pulled her onto his lap.

“Mmm,” she said, and slid her hands under his shirt, scrabbling them up and down his chest. He moaned softly. She slipped her hands under his jeans waistband trying to grab his firm buttocks.

“Didn’t know you were an ass woman,” he said and grasped
her
rear.

“Mmm,” she answered.

“Me? I’m an all-body man.” He began untying the belt of her bathrobe while pulling her into a kiss. “You’re warm from your shower and smell delicious. Jasmine?”

He didn’t wait for an answer and pushed the robe from her shoulders to take her breasts in his large hands. He lifted one, plumping it up to meet his lips, kissed it as he ran his tongue around the nipple. She sucked in a breath.

“You like that?” he said. “How about this?” and he began suckling on one as he stood her up and walked her backwards down the hall. “Or this?” By then she was laughing as she fell onto the bed.

He crouched beside her while he undid his belt and slid his jeans down his long, muscled legs, kicking the pants free. When he pulled his briefs down, his cock jerked free and grew larger by the second. She reached for it, but he pushed her hands away.

“Later, Micina, later,” he whispered. “I want to pleasure you. It’s been too long since we’ve spent leisurely bed-time.”

“Yes,” she sighed.

God he loved her response. He wanted to taste her again—honey mixed with jasmine. His cock twitched at the thought. Could he hold off long enough to take her further than ever? He nibbled down her body, wanting to make sure she’d always wait for him. Her body trembled, then stiffened. She was coming already! When he made her come, he felt like a conquering hero. Her essence emptied into his mouth as she called out “Karlo!” He knew he’d never forget her taste. Never.

After she wound down, he began to take her slowly. But when he felt her clamping around him again, his own muscles spasmed into the deepest pleasure he’d ever known. It lasted and lasted. Before he collapsed, though, he rolled her sideways staying locked inside.

They both lay in each other’s arms panting. She whispered, “I’ve never felt anything like this. Never felt so loved before. So desirable.”

“More?” he whispered.

“Maybe when my heart stops hammering at my ribs.”

“Yeah. A minute or two might be good,” he said as he drifted off.