In love and War

CHAPTER FOUR: Charm and Connection

Her face creased with worry, “Mr. Alberto! Mr. Alberto!!” Amanda called out breathless, hurrying to catch up with my husband and me as I walked him to the car.

Nathaniel and I exchanged a glance, but before either of us could speak, “Good morning, Mr. Alberto.” She greeted and then faced me briefly, “Morning, Gabriella.”

She had no time for pleasantries. “Mr. Alberto, it’s Leo.” She began, “he didn’t come home last night and ignored my calls. I don’t know what to do. Have you spoken with him?”

Nathaniel’s expression unfazed, “No, but I’m sure everything is alright. You know Leo.” he responded with a reassuring tone.

Her thick brows knitted into a frown, “I bet he spent the night with another woman!” The words escaped her lips before she could caution herself.

Guilt called my name with a loud horn. How could I respond?

I looked heavenwards as though seeking an escape from the rattling feeling deep in my core, and faced down, hitting my fingers in an irregular rhythm on the bonnet of the Porsche. This wasn’t a conversation I would like to join. I turned my face away from Nathaniel and Amanda. No matter how hard I tried, my demeanor could not be expressionless but no one had to notice.

“No. No.” A discreet defensiveness crept into Nathaniel’s voice. “I spoke with Leo the last time and he promised me there will be no other woman. Not after everything that happened at Georgia. Not anymore.” Nathaniel brought back to our minds the death threats Amanda was getting from Leo’s mistresses after their marriage.

When it had escalated beyond control, when the threats became more real, they had no choice but to leave everything behind. Fleeing the chaos Leo started among the women of Atlanta, they moved in with us in pursuit of safety.

“Be patient, Amanda. I am sure he’ll be home soon with apologies and an explanation.” A warm, comforting smile spread across his face.

Amanda let out a noisy exhale, “I hope so.”

“Alright. I am late for work.” He opened the car door.

Her voice flat, “have a nice day sir.” Amanda excused us.

I walked over to Nathaniel, “Have a nice day, honey.” I pecked him on the cheek and stayed until his vehicle was out of sight before returning to the house.

I dialed Leo the moment I stepped into the bedroom. “Where are you?” I skipped hello.

“Missing me already, Belle?” He teased.

“Yes. No. Yes.” I heard him laughing at the other end at how easy it was to manipulate my brain cells with the resonance of his voice. “No, that’s not why I called. Where are you, Leonardo?” I asked again and gave him the full download of Amanda’s conversation with my husband; I emphasized on her suspicion, “I think she knows.”

“She knows what?” He didn’t let me answer. “Calm down.”

Like I could! I covered my eyes with one hand, pacing around the room and wondering how he could be composed about this.

“Leonardo, she knows,” I repeated, my voice was sharper now.

“Nothing.” He added to my already completed statement and then, “I’ll be home in a couple of hours.”

“Hours? The ranch house is just a forty-five-minute drive.” It brought me back to my first question, “where are you?”

He could be with another woman. The thought cut through me like a brand-new knife. Sour-faced and angry, the envy of a wife took me over. The image of him touching another woman, laughing with another woman, tightened my stomach. My hand balled into a fist, my body tense and rigid, struggling to calm the storm growing within me.

“No, I am not with a woman.” He answered the voice in my head.

“I never said…”

He butted in, “You didn’t have to. I know what’s cooking in that gorgeous head of yours.” There was a pause and I could almost hear the smirk in his voice. “Be home in an hour or two. Okay?”

“Okay.” I hung up.

Leo pulled into the driveway two hours later. Looking through my window, I saw his vehicle speeding in. He parked, got out, and my eyes immediately caught the subtle change in his appearance. A new haircut, nothing dramatic, but it was evident he had some trimming and shaping done. He walked into the house. Navy blue V-neck and khaki shorts never looked hotter.

Leave the door open.

His text came in. What was he up to this time? I ran in front of the mirror to re-evaluate how I looked in my sheer blouse and faded-blue jeans. Not bad at all. After running a quick brush through my platinum-blonde bob, I proceeded to the door. Shouldn’t he be heading to his wife who, last time I saw, was boiling with fury and curiosity?

The door flung open. Leo moved inside, and fastened the lock behind him.

“What are you doing here?” Worry and fear took a rollercoaster ride in my head.

“The reason I couldn’t be home earlier,” he pulled out a charm bracelet from his pocket, “I had to get you this. I ordered it online, but the delivery came late.” He gave me an explanation I felt was unwarranted.

It should have been Amanda’s; both the gift and the details about his movements. I stared at the bracelet with wide eyes, happy and sad at the same time. This symbol of affection belonged to Amanda. She was his wife. I imagined her, Amanda, dialing his number again and again, trembling with concern and desperate to know he was okay. She was the one who deserved to know why he was home late. He was supposed to be with her, not sneaking around. The unfairness of it all troubled my mind.

“Leo… thanks but I can’t accept this.” I crushed his enthusiasm with one sentence.

I answered the boldly written question on his face, “Leo, this can get us into trouble. What if Nat sees and asks? What would I say?”

He took my wrist and decorated it. “Read what it says,” his eyes pleading.

“Forever yours,” I said the engraving aloud. It was classy. It was beautiful. And I loved it but, “no one goes to the market and buys a ‘forever yours’ bracelet for herself. I can’t wear it. No one can find out about us and this is going to do just that.”

“I don’t care. I don’t care. Let’s fight… let’s fight for us. I’ll fight for us… Not after last night... I —” he went berserk.

“Not here.” I interrupted with a whisper.

“You’re insane!” I added, pointing my index finger to my head.

Leo, the troublemaker version was on this morning and I wasn’t having it. Everything he said, I wanted to hear. I was tired of hiding as well and forever with him was all I desired but I could never hurt Nathaniel. Not like this. I took off his gift and handed it back to him.

“Gabby…” His voice was thick with frustration, “When I am awake, you are all I think about. When I am asleep, you’re all I dream about. Maybe we should come out about this. What’s the worst that could happen?” Leo’s heart had clearly oppressed his brain.

I would remind him, “Amanda—”

Two knocks on my door cut short my statement.

“Gabriella. It’s me, Mandy.” She introduced. “Can I come in?” Her voice was anxious.