AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He let go of her arm, pulling her body tightly against his, smoothing his hand over her back. “I never thought I’d be married, that’s all. Married with a kid.”
“Kids,” she said, gently pushing him away. “Hurry. Your father is meeting us in Babylon at ten.”
“My commute will be a little closer.” The sporting events were held in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at the Meadowlands and in various other places around the boroughs.
“Thinking positive! That’s what I like.”
It was her turn to stand at the mirror, applying lipstick, pulling her shiny blond hair into a ponytail.
“I’m going to call Sandra and see if they are available for a visit. I miss Bella,” she said. “Our children will be her cousins.”
“This is the thing I love about you. I don’t have to do anything but tag along.”
“You do more than that,” she said, turning around to fix his collar. “I love you. And you love me. After I met you, I realized I didn’t need to look any farther.”
“Well, isn’t that nice?” he said, chuckling. Then his expression changed. “All the men down there are lady-killers. That’s going to be a problem for me. I don’t have a lot of confidence to begin with.”
“What are you talking about? The men I’ve seen are all ordinary. The guy living with your dad’s old girlfriend looks like a gang member, with his tatts. Her daughter’s boyfriend wears nothing but sweatpants and looks homeless most of the time. And the doc reminds me of Grizzly Adams. That leaves Andy, and no one is more handsome than Andy.”
Grinning, Tony nodded . “It’s true. Saying my brother is handsome is an understatement. How do I look?”
“You look like Tony,” she said. “You definitely have your own style. Hawaiian shirts in the middle of October, khakis and Docksiders. Perfect. Honestly, though, lose the beard, Tony.”
“Really? I thought a nice white beard would be perfect for the beach.”
“It’s not white, though. It’s salt and pepper. You look like a guy who’s been laid up in the hospital and no one would shave him.”
“Okay, I can take a blatant insult.”
“Ha. Hurry,” she replied, laughing. “I’ll fix coffee to go. We don’t have time to sit around and drink it.”
“Are you driving?” he asked.
“Of course,” Kassandra replied, pushing him along.
Out in the spacious kitchen of Tony’s condo on the golf course, Kassandra made their beverages to go, looking out over the view. She’d trade that view, with the sea in the distance, for being on the beach in Babylon. Igor’s house was over the top, but she could afford it, and she was ready to settle down in a family setting. She loved Andy, his wife Sandra. and their two children and looked forward to developing loving relationships with them.
The rest of their entourage was questionable. Unemployed, the women congregated on the beach with bottles of wine, picnic baskets of snacks, and their many children. But wasn’t that exactly what she wanted?
“We’ll fit in there perfectly,” she said, looking out the window.
“I’m ready,” Tony said, entering the kitchen. “Just in case, I brought an overnight bag.”
“Wow, that’s a great idea. You mean in case we decide to spend the weekend? Yes! I’m all for it. I’ll throw some things into a bag.”
It would be easy for her. She had a ready overnight bag for times she’d get called in for emergencies. The bag had a change of underwear, toiletries, a toothbrush, and makeup. All she needed was something to sleep in and clean clothes for the next day.
“I love it when you’re spontaneous!” she said. “Now I really can’t wait to go.”
“I’ll grab the coffee.”
They went through the mudroom into the garage. As they got into the car, Tony frowned, looking confused.
“Why is my father meeting us? Doesn’t he live there?”
“He’s already rented an apartment up here, Tony. Are you okay?”
“I guess I just forgot. He really must hate it down there to have left the house so fast.”
