Freeing Alex (20 page)

“I thought I might share with you,” he says as he walks into
the shower.

He positions himself directly under the showerhead until he
is drenched and then without warning grabs me around the waist, we kiss, his
lips are soft and firm, his tongue forges its way into my mouth and I open for
him, his kiss is hot and deep.  He moves his hands up over my waist and across
my hips my, his touch is feather light, teasing every inch of me as he makes
his way to my breasts, he cups me gently and squeezes my nipple hard, I moan. 
He moves his mouth to my neck, he’s nipping and sucking my neck and collar bone

He releases me and I look into his eyes. His pupils are
large. I focus, breathing deeply, and he moves one hand under my backside and
pulls me up against the wall. “Wrap your legs around me, baby,” he whispers.

I pull my legs up and wrap them around his hips, all the
time looking into those dark eyes. We make the most beautiful, sensual love
imaginable, slow and erotic, tender and gentle.

He lowers me to the floor and I remove my legs from around
him. He holds me gently. “I can’t get enough of you,” he whispers. “You
complete me, totally.”

“Hmmm,” I whisper in his ear. I can’t find any words right
now. The last few weeks, since James and I were first intimate together, have
been epic. There
are
no words to describe it. I think for the first time
in my adult life I too have felt complete.

James pulls the Audi to a stop
outside the little bistro. It is small but looks very busy. A double-fronted
place, the door in the middle of two large bay windows, it’s a pretty little
place with the woodwork painted white. The signage simply says “Amici”.

“What does Amici mean?” I ask.

He smiles. “Friends, it just means friends.”

He holds the door open for me and as we walk in I’m
immediately aware that the place is much bigger than it looks from outside,
there must be twenty tables. It’s rustic, the scrubbed wooden tables and plain
ladder-back chairs with green large gingham check pads. There’s a wooden
staircase, which I guess leads to an upstairs seating area.

As we wait to be seated, a tall older gentleman walks towards
us. “James… James, my boy, it’s so good to see you again.” He smiles as he
walks towards us both.

I observe the outstretched arms of the man, whom I assume to
be Roberto, striding towards us. He hugs James briefly and then looks at me.
He’s grey haired and olive skinned, I guess he must be late sixties or early
seventies, although he has a fine figure for an older gentleman and he looks
very slim underneath his crisp white shirt and black trousers. Andrea Bocelli
is singing
Vivo Per Lei
in the background, the place is buzzing.

“Your friend, Alex?” he says. There is a little accent, not
heavy, but definitely there.

“Roberto, this is Alexandra Drake. Alex, Roberto.” He places
his arms on my shoulders.

“It’s good to meet you, Alexandra. You must be Maggie’s…
niece
?”
The older man smiles as he extends his hand. I take it and he holds it
firmly, no shake.

“Yes, I am. James has told me such a lot about you.” I
smile.

“Oh, I hope it’s all good.” He laughs. “Come, I have a table
for you.”

We follow him through the back of the bistro, which is
almost full, to a little table right by the kitchen. It’s open plan – I can see
several chefs working on various dishes, there is a traditional brick pizza
oven in one area and what looks like a large hob, and all of the chefs are
busy.

We sit and Roberto gives us both a menu. “I’ll fetch some
wine. Red?” he asks.

“Great, thanks.” James looks up at the man he tells me he
adopted. He smiles, there’s obviously a close a bond that I guess must have
been forged when James decided to allow his father to pass. There must have
been so many pieces to pick up, pieces that were put back together by this
couple, of whom James is very clearly fond.

I study the menu, a typical Italian menu full of
wonderful-sounding dishes. “What’s good?” I ask.

“It’s all
very
good. Shall I order for us both?” he
asks.

“No!” I look up at him from behind my menu, “I choose the
starter, you choose the main, and I choose the Insalata Esotica.” I smile. He
laughs at me, “I would have chosen that anyway!”

I place my menu to the side and look at my lover, the man
who has, over these past few weeks, shown me that I am still worthy of a
loving, sexual relationship. A man who has shown me that despite how Lewis made
me feel, worthless and ugly, I am still attractive. That sex can be
mind-blowingly powerful.

He has reignited the passion I felt as a young woman, before
I had Anna, and shown me things that I have never before experienced, things
that Lewis, in the days when he still made love to me, if he ever did, never
allowed me to experience. Sex with Lewis was always very much one sided,
Victorian. It wasn’t about the feelings that I might have experienced, it was
just about him, and once Anna came along, well, he just found his pleasure
elsewhere, with women who were happy for a one-sided relationship, all that
Lewis seems capable of. As I sit here I feel very, very special.

I am swiftly brought back from deep within my thoughts by
the arrival of Roberto, a bottle of red wine and two large glasses.

“I chose this one for you.” He shows James a bottle of
Chianti. “This comes from San Leonino. Would you like to try, James?” he asks.

“No, if you chose it I have no doubt it will be excellent.”
He chuckles.

Roberto shrugs his shoulders modestly and fills our glasses
half full with the sweetly spiced wine. I take a sip first.

“Oh, this is wonderful.”

“I told you, Roberto knows his wines.” James raises his
glass to Roberto. “
Saluti!
”

Roberto nods at us both and leaves the bottle in the middle
of the table. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your order.” He turns and
busies himself with clearing tables.

Soon, every table is occupied and the people going up and
down the stairs confirm my thoughts that there must also be seating up there.
It’s a little on the noisy side and I find I have to listen very carefully to
James.

“A busy little place,” I say casually.

“Yeah, he’s a very good reputation, always has. You won’t
find good Italian food anywhere else in the area as good as this – well, for
the price anyway.” James checks the menu once again and places it down.

“You know what you’re ordering for us?” I ask.

“Sure, menu hasn’t changed much in the last fifteen years or
so. It’s exactly the same as when my dad was here, his favourite’s still on the
menu!” He looks down at the cover of the printed sheet, a little sad, maybe?

“It must be difficult for you, you know, coming back here,”
I say.

“No, not really. I’ve so many good memories of the place.
The bad ones are at the hospital, the day he was taken in after that thug
mugged him and the day I… the day I had to tell the doctor…” He stops talking
for a moment and sighs. “It’s not like we lived here, Gia and Roberto and me
and my dad had our own homes, this was just a workplace.”

“So where did you and your dad live?” I ask.

“Not too far away. I sold the house when Dad died. I used
some of the money for travelling and invested the rest. It’s still sat there,
I’ve never touched my Dad’s money. I suppose I should have bought property
really, wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in now if I had, but then I was only
eighteen and didn’t know any better.”

I sit and watch him closely as he talks about himself,
opening up just a little more. Everything with James has been in little chunks.
He knows pretty much all there is to know about me, but I know surprisingly
little about my lover.

I’m pondering on if I should ask more when Roberto arrives
to take our order.

“James, are you ready to order, son?” 

“Yes, we’ll have Insalata Esotica to start, for both of us,
then we’ll have the Tagliatelle Siciliana. Can you also bring some olives and
ciabatta?”

Roberto looks at James. He smiles. “Your father’s favourite…
Of course, is that all?”

“Yeah, thank you, Roberto.”

The older gentleman walks away from our table with his
chitty, which I note he puts on top of the pile of orders, a perk maybe of
knowing the owner. Scrub that – of being the sort of adopted son of the owner.

“What have you ordered for us, James?” I ask, because I have
no idea and which of those dishes was his Dad’s favourite.

He says as he takes a deep drink of his wine, “Wait and
see!” 

I grab my handbag. “Shit,” I hiss as I delve into the depths
of the all-consuming bag.

“What’s wrong?”

“I forgot to call Anna. Do you mind if I slip out and give
her a quick ring?” I hold my phone out.

“No, not at all. The loos are through there if you want to
go somewhere quieter.” He points to a white door with a stick lady affixed at
eye level.

I leave my bag, taking my phone into the ladies. Flicking
through my recent call list, I quickly locate Anna’s number and tap the screen.
The call connects but goes straight to her voicemail, so I leave a message for
her.

 “Hi Anna, I meant to call you earlier but got
distracted
.
Just wanted to let you know that I’m eating out tonight and will be staying at
home, hope you got my text? Hope you and Katie are okay. Did you get that
massage? Have whatever you want at the hotel, everyone should know you. If not,
ask them to talk to Roger, he knows who you are. If you want me, call my
mobile. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.” I cut the call, and use the loo while
I’m here. When I wash my hands I notice that my bruised cheek is barely visible
under my heavy makeup. He must be losing his touch, a Lewis bruise used to last
at least a week!

When I get back to James our starters have been brought to
our table. James has waited for me.

I look at the untouched plate in front of him. “You should
have started.” 

“No, I waited for my guest.” He waits for me to sit.

I look at him and frown. “I would like to think I’m a little
more than a guest.”

“Sorry, I wanted to wait for my girlfriend.” He smiles.

Well, I didn’t expect that. “
Girlfriend
, aren’t I a
bit old to be a girlfriend?”

“I don’t think so. How old do you feel?” He smiles.

“Oh, I don’t know… Now, at this very minute, maybe thirty.”

“Well then, we’re more or less the same age, aren’t we…? So
no
,
I don’t think you are too old. And by the way, you’ve never, ever
felt
older
than me!” he says with a cheeky grin.

I don’t know how to answer that, so I don’t!

The salad is delicious – smoked chicken with avocado, tomato
and pesto, though there is plenty of it and I wonder how I’ll be able to manage
a main course as well. James has polished his off in no time at all and sits
back nursing his Chianti.

“You look lovely, I like the dress.” His random comment
takes me off guard a little.

“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself!” I smile.

He nods towards my dress. “Is that one of your new ones?”

“Hmmm… One I bought when I went shopping with Anna when we
first moved here.” I look down at the terracotta silk, it is lovely. Despite
the fortune I’m still careful, the habit of a lifetime, and yes, I am buying
expensive clothes but only when I need them. I’m not buying for buying’s sake.

I finish my starter and our plates are quickly cleared. I guess
that our mains are ready and waiting for us as they soon arrive.

Roberto places the pasta bowls in front of us. “Tagliatelle
Siciliana. Would you like Parmesan?”

A young girl dressed in black trousers and a black polo
shirt approaches us with a block of cheese and a small grater.

“Just a little.” The cheese is finely grated onto my pasta,
James asks for a little more.

“
Buon appetito
,” Roberto says as he disappears to the
back of the bistro.

The pasta again is exceptional, although I’m unable to
finish my meal, I’m just too full.

I watch James eat his food. It’s obvious that he’s really
enjoying his time here, he looks comfortable, at home, but then I suppose it
was, sort of, at one time in his life.

“Tell me a little more about you, James?” I ask.

“Like what?” He looks up and wipes his beautiful mouth with
a soft napkin.

“Well, you swept me off my feet, so I take it there are no
other
girls
in your life?” I ask, conscious that I’ve already asked this
but feeling the need to have him clarify this again.

He smiles. “No, just you.”

“Has there ever been anyone else?” I ask.

He laughs, cocking his head to one side slightly. “Umm, one
or two, but no-one like you.”

I bet!
I think to myself. No-one ever older than you!

“Oh…” I’m stunned. “I’m sorry, James, but I’m a little lost
for words. You’re gorgeous, such a catch, I don’t believe that you’ve not been
bagged by some young, slender
it
girl, you know, someone more your age.”

“Will you stop banging on about age, Alex, it doesn’t
matter!” he says sharply.

I don’t say anything else until he’s finished his food. I
glance at my watch. It’s past nine and the diners are starting to thin.

Roberto appears and clears our plates. “Did you enjoy?”

“It was beautiful, Roberto, thank you.” I look up at the
charming Italian gentleman.

“Great, but then I didn’t expect any different, and Dad’s
dish tastes exactly the same as it always did,” James adds.

Roberto places his hand on James’s shoulder and smiles. It’s
a knowing smile and a shared moment between the two of them. He takes our
plates to the kitchen and returns, pulling a chair up. He’s another bottle of
Chianti with him, which he places on the table.

“Will you join me in a little drink?” he asks us both as he
pours more wine into our glasses and his own. He holds his own glass up, we
both follow his lead.

“So, James, I haven’t seen you for a few months. What’s been
happening, son?” Roberto asks James. They look so comfortable in each other’s
company, just like they really are father and son.

James takes a long drink of his wine, he looks so relaxed.
“Busy at work. I told Gia when I spoke to her a little while ago, about Maggie.
I can’t believe it’s been nearly six months since I last saw you!”

“Yes, time flies, but we know you’re busy. We were both so
sorry to hear about Maggie, she was a special lady. Gia and I thought the world
of her, you know that, don’t you? We always promised we’d look out for…” He
stops talking abruptly. My mind races back to what he’s just said – who was he
talking about?

“Well,” James continues, “my new boss here is keeping me
very busy.”

Roberto looks at me. “You’re a lucky lady. You look at lot
like her, you know,” he says. “You’re going to keep the hotel?”

 “I’m keeping everything, for the time being. I’ve moved
into what was Maggie’s home, with my daughter, and I plan to keep everything,
at least in the short term. I don’t think I’ll ever sell Reid’s, but the other
businesses she was involved in, well – for the time being I’m holding on to
them. It’s not like she had anything to do with them, so I’ll just sit tight, I
think,” I explain.