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“And is the lady’s satisfactory as well?” Anthony asked Julia.
“Yes thank you Anthony,” she replied. “Very good.”
“Well okay then. I’ll leave you two alone. Enjoy! Buon appetito!”
“Thanks cousin!”
Julia and I both dug into our fabulous food with gusto and she started to relax a little.
“You sure you don’t want any wine Julia? It’s superb!”
“I’m sure Edward. Thank you though.”
“So what do you have planned for the rest of the afternoon?”
“I’m going down to Fisherman’s Wharf around four. My brother Michael is playing a gig at a new little jazz supper club down there. I told him I’d help him and the other guys set up.”
“A new supper club on the wharf? Is it Louie’s Pier 55 by any chance?”
“Yeah how d’ya know that?”
“Lucky guess. It just happens to be across the street from that huge gourmet food grocer that moved into the brick Cannery Building last week. The Greco Grocer is a very large new account of ours. Chef Armani gourmet products and Armani Napa wines will be featured throughout the store.”
“Greco Grocer……I think I remember seeing that name recently on a portfolio in your office.”
“They’re a giant global company. Coincidentally they started out in Palermo, which is where my grandfather opened his first restaurant. Isn’t it amazing that they both ended up expanding and eventually uniting here in the states so many years later?”
“That is pretty amazing. Speaking of amazing, you should come down and check out my brother’s band. Michael is the drummer.”
“I love listening to live jazz. Maybe I’ll….”
At that moment my phone played my grandfather’s ringtone: “ Moon River” was his favorite song. It was the hospital calling.
“Excuse me Julia, I have to take this.”
It was my grandfather’s private nurse. She informed me that he had passed away within the past hour while napping. I thanked her and hung up. I felt numb inside.
“Is everything okay Edward? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“My grandfather’s gone. He just passed away in his sleep a little bit ago.”
Julia reached across the table and sympathetically took my hand in hers. Her expression was one of true sadness and I could tell she sincerely ached for me.
“Edward I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do? Anything at all?”
“I appreciate that Julia. I honestly don’t know what I would do without you. Since you mentioned it, there is something you could do for me actually. Cancel that deal with the photographer. He’s not getting a penny now. The photos don’t matter anymore…….”
Julia looked at me in complete disbelief with her mouth open for at least a solid minute before speaking:
“On second thought Edward, I think I changed my mind about that wine. I could definitely use some after all. Anthony! We need another bottle of Merlot over here please!”
