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  “Sounds fine with me,” Sabrina said, inwardly scheming how she could avoid talking to Mrs. Benjamin in order to get her to cat-sit again.

  “Alright. Then it’s settled. Now,” Darlene took a dramatic breath, “let’s get to the juicy stuff! The long-term assignment I would like to send you on will be for eight weeks in Martinique.”

  Martinique! Sabrina struggled to contain her excitement. All her life, she had dreamed of vacationing to the Caribbean island and now she was going to be paid to spend two months there! It hardly seemed possible.

  Darlene resumed, “You would leave in early July and return in late August. I don’t have the exact dates yet, but I would be sending you alone or perhaps with one of our freelance writers to collaborate on a large-scale project that will be the cover story of our January issue next year. The story is going to focus on untapped island gems, places that American tourists either have never heard of or at least have never been to. We might have photographers visit some other islands too, but the focus is going to be on Martinique. I thought this would be an especially desirable assignment for you since you speak French.”

  “Yes!” Sabrina agreed emphatically. “I had such a wonderful time using my high school French in Paris, and this sounds absolutely dreamy.” She was so enraptured by the romantic aspects of the assignment that the logistics of staying abroad for so long did not even cross her mind. “Oh, Darlene! I accept! Thank you so much.” Sabrina stood up to shake the woman’s hand, then ran around her desk to give her an appreciative hug.

  “Your enthusiasm matches your talent, Sabrina.” Darlene said kindly. “If you’ll excuse me now, I have another meeting to prepare for.”

  “Absolutely, Darlene. Thank you!” Sabrina practically floated out of her boss’s office, envisioning the dazzling beaches and fascinating aquatic life she was going to photograph. This was an assignment that could truly propel her career to heights she had not even dared to contemplate. Her portfolio was becoming thicker by the hour!

  At that moment, an image of Gio swept over her, and she bit her lip uncertainly. She had not even taken him into consideration when Darlene had offered her the assignment. After all, their relationship had hardly begun and she couldn’t dare to predict the future. They might not be together in July. But what if we are together? The question poked at her as she walked out to the parking lot. She reasoned, if we’re together, then he’ll understand. As she turned the key in the ignition, Sabrina tried to convince herself that the distance could even stoke the fires of their relationship and make their hearts grow warmer. But that hadn’t been the case with Kenneth. Absence had made his heart grow treacherous and cold. If a man were truly faithful, he would wait indefinitely. And if he were a cheater at heart, a woman wouldn’t have to go more than a stone’s throw away to be betrayed.

  Besides, she didn’t want to have to choose between a man and a career. The 1970’s had supposedly liberated women from such impossible choices. No, she wouldn’t let a man dictate her decisions or detract from her elation about such a plum assignment.

  A few minutes later, Sabrina arrived home and ducked behind the steering wheel as she saw Mrs. Benjamin on her front lawn. The old woman looked about to burst with some sort of story, and Sabrina was sure it concerned her. Mrs. Benjamin waved to Sabrina, silently calling her over.

  Getting out of the car, Sabrina gave her a broad smile and chirped, “Good afternoon, Mrs. Benjamin! Looks like the sun is coming out after all that rain we got.”

  Completely ignoring the small talk, Mrs. Benjamin cornered her as she strode over to her front door, “Dear, there’s been a man snooping around here! He was at your door before and seemed perturbed when there was no answer. Looks like a shady character to me.”

  “Well what did he look like?” Sabrina asked, mildly concerned.

  “Very tall and dark, and he drove an old blue truck.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Benjamin,” Sabrina scoffed, “That’s Giovanni---Gio, the man I’ve been seeing. He’s not a shady character at all. He happens to work for the fire department. But thank you for looking out for me as usual.”

  “I’m glad to hear he’s a friend of yours. Still, I didn’t like the way he was lurking around here. And he left something at your doorstep too.”

  Sabrina looked at her empty doorstep, “There’s nothing there.”

  “Well, of course not! As a matter of precaution, I took the package myself. It’s a bouquet of roses, actually quite pretty. But I thought that perhaps they could be poisonous for that cat of yours.”

  Sabrina rolled her eyes, annoyed. “Mrs. Benjamin, may I please have the flowers? Roses are not poisonous for cats. Think of all the outdoor cats that play in people’s gardens.” Sabrina was talking to the air, as her neighbor had gone inside her parlor to fetch the flowers.

  “Here you are, dear.”

  “Thank you.” Sabrina said, pulling the roses forcefully from the woman’s grip. As Mrs. Benjamin disappeared again into her house, Sabrina was excited to see Gio’s truck pull up to the curb.

  He rushed over to her, and she gave him a lingering hug. “You’re full of surprises, Mr. Salvatore. Thank you for the roses.”

  “You’re very welcome. I was looking for you earlier today. Hope you don’t mind that I just drop by unannounced.”

  Sabrina grinned, “No, it’s alright. You keep me on my toes! I was at the office at a meeting with my boss and I just got back. Would you like to come inside?”

  “Definitely.” The pair stepped into her house, as Sabrina offered Gio a seat on her ivory living room sofa.

  “Can I get you anything to drink? Maybe a bite to eat?” Sabrina gestured towards the kitchen.

  “No, thanks, I’m fine. Let’s just sit here and talk.” He patted the cushion next to him, inviting her to sit down.

  “OK. How has your day off been so far?” She snuggled by his side.

  “Somewhat eventful.”

  “What does that mean?” She questioned.

  “I got an invitation in the mail to a surprise birthday party for my uncle Stefano. It’s going to be in Brooklyn next Saturday.”

  “Are you planning to attend?”

  “At first I wasn’t planning to, but after some thought I realized that I need to tell my uncle and aunt what transpired with Bert Shanty.”

  “You mean you haven’t told them yet?” Sabrina was surprised.

  “No,” Gio admitted, “They’ve been on the periphery of my life for so long that I didn’t even think to tell them. The only person I thought to tell was Max.”

  “I can understand that, Gio.” Sabrina’s expression brimmed with compassion.

  “Anyway, would you like to accompany me to the party? It will probably be very dull, so we can make our escape early and enjoy an evening in the city.”

  Sabrina laughed, “Yes, I would like to go. As a matter of fact, I’ll be in the city anyway because I have a ten day photography assignment that begins tomorrow. I’ll be staying with my parents and Cara in Manhattan. You can pick me up from there on Saturday if you’d like.” Sabrina hesitated a breath, wanting to share her news about Martinique, but unsure if this was an appropriate time. She opted to keep silent and let her relationship with Gio continue to flourish before putting a potentially disagreeable topic on the table.

  He replied, “Yes, I was planning to drive in. If you give me the address, I’ll pick you up around four thirty next Saturday.” Gio moved closer to Sabrina on the sofa and said huskily, “If you’re leaving for New York tomorrow, that means that I’ll have to endure almost two weeks without seeing your beautiful face.” He caressed her cheek as he spoke, wanting shamelessly to make love to her right there on the sofa in the middle of the afternoon, not caring that the dainty white lace curtains were wide open and the sun was beating in to spotlight them.

  “That is a long time. Are you saying you’ll miss me?” The question was bold and flirtatious.

  Wordlessly, Gio answered her, cupping her face in his rough h
ands and kissing her more aggressively than he had yet dared. His trembling hands quickly made their way to fondle Sabrina’s curves, unbuttoning her navy blazer, leaving her in a strapless white camisole. He broke off the kiss and moved his lips to her neck where he nibbled teasingly and tried to remove her slinky camisole.

  “Gio,” The sound of his name was a command that he didn’t want to obey. She caught his hands as they clenched the material of her camisole. “Gio, it’s too soon. Much too soon. I need you to be patient.”

  She rose from the sofa, leaving him panting after her, and she couldn’t control a tremor deep in her belly at the erotic sight of this tall, beet-faced man drowning in unsatisfied passion. The woman in her wanted to give him what he so fiercely needed, but her heart was not ready to become vulnerable.

  Sitting up straight on the sofa, Gio tried half-heartedly to infuse humor into the situation and said tightly, “Whatever you say, Primrose. I guess you’re the boss.”

  “What did you call me?” She asked tartly.

  “The boss?” He asked mockingly as she frowned at him. “Oh, you mean Primrose. Yes, I think that’s a very fitting nickname because you are as lovely as those roses I just gave you, but also as prim as a school marm.”

  “You can call me Primrose all you like. But I have my reasons for wanting to take things slowly.”

  “Such as?” Gio probed, straightening his collar.

  “First of all, I already told you that it’s too soon! We met last week, Gio…”

  “But don’t you feel the chemistry between us?” He interrupted ardently.

  “Yes, I do.” She replied softly and ventured to tell him sparingly about her heartbreak with Kenneth. “I’ve been hurt before, Gio. I’ve only been in love once and suffice it to say that it ended in disaster and infidelity…with one of my best friends! After the relationship ended, I immersed myself in my career, which has brought me comfort and independence.” She extended her arms, pointing in all directions to the home she called her own. “I’ve become very self-sufficient and it’s not that I’m not open to whatever it is that’s happening between us. I am open…but also wary.” She shook her head, not wanting to rant any further about the past. “My story must seem trivial after what you’ve seen in your life.”

  “Sabrina, listen. You can’t quantify sorrow. All pain is precious to the one who experiences it. I’m sorry if I’ve been a bit of an octopus. I am extremely attracted to you. But I also have a great amount of patience…that I’m going to have to tap into right about now.” He added wryly.

  Sabrina looked at him gratefully. “Gio, I would say you’re half octopus, half gentleman.”

  He laughed out loud and winked, “OK, Primrose. I accept that.”

  They spent the rest of the afternoon in conversation, drinking coffee at Sabrina’s kitchen table and letting Softy entertain them with his acrobatic antics. By the time Gio left, night had fallen, and he gave her a deliberately chaste kiss on the cheek.

  Lightly clasping her forearms, Gio said, “See you next Saturday. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “So am I. See you then.”

  As she heard his truck pull away, Sabrina retreated to the oasis of her bedroom, craving a warm bath and restful sleep.

  Chapter 6

  The company car arrived punctually and escorted her into New York with minimal traffic delay. She tipped the driver generously as he handed over her suitcase. Walking up the familiar flight of stairs of her parents’ brownstone apartment building, Sabrina felt uneasy. She had not spent a night in her parents’ place since her college days when she was a commuter student. Even though it was a short-term visit, it would still be a challenge to be under their roof again and face their questions about her personal life. The front door swung open, and Sabrina’s senses were instantly assaulted by the pungent smells of potpourri and perfume. She held in a sneeze recalling how fond her mother was of home fragrance products. Already Sabrina began to yearn for a cleansing blast of Vermont’s immaculate mountain air.

  “Sabrina! Come in, I’m so glad to see you.” Cara pulled Sabrina into her arms and squeezed her. Sabrina was unaccustomed to this display of hospitality and affection from her often combative younger sister.

  “I’m glad to see you too, Cara.” Cara held onto her for a moment longer, then pulled away. Sabrina gasped in shock as she registered Cara’s countenance. Cara’s eyes were bloodshot and puffy, as though she had been crying for hours.

  “Cara, what’s wrong?”

  The younger Montrouge sister stood there, eyes threatening to spill tears again as she replied in a somber tone, “Bruce and I broke up.”

  Sabrina pulled Cara into another embrace, not wanting to say anything insensitive or stupid, so she simply said, “I’m so sorry.”

  “So am I! Oh, Sabrina. After three years together, it’s over. Just like that! I thought we had a commitment! I thought he was getting ready to propose to me!” Cara raved as the tears flowed down her blotchy face.

  “Cara, what happened?” Sabrina asked, taking her sister by the hand to sit on the divan together.

  “Bruce decided to do some pro bono work in Nairobi. As in Nairobi, Kenya! He got some grant to live there. The jerk applied for the grant last year without even telling me! He just announced his decision last week and expected me to go along with him. He wants me to just pick up and leave my whole life here in New York. How could he make me choose like that?”

  “You wouldn’t consider going there? I mean, it can’t be a permanent thing.”

  “No, it’s not permanent, but it’s long enough. It’s for two years!” Cara raged.

  “You wouldn’t even consider it?” Sabrina repeated.

  Exasperated, Cara cried, “I’m not a globetrotter like you, Sabrina! I’m very attached to New York. But that’s besides the point. The point is that when Bruce asked me to go, he asked me to go just as his girlfriend! That’s not the kind of sacrifice a woman makes for her boyfriend. It would even be difficult to do for a husband, but at least then there’s a commitment for life. Can you blame me for saying no?”

  This new piece of information made Sabrina angry for her sister. “No, Cara. Not at all. You’ve made the right decision. I’m just so sorry things ended like this for you and Bruce.”

  “It’s almost as if he wanted to get rid of me. He knows I would never leave New York! So he forced me into a corner, already certain of what my response would be.” Sabrina couldn’t argue with this bit of logic and felt like taking a cab to Bruce’s apartment to throttle the buffoon.

  “Oh, Sabrina, let’s change the subject please. Tell me what’s new with you.”

  Sensing this would be a very inappropriate time to bring up Gio, Sabrina looked around the apartment and remarked, “Mom and Dad don’t seem to be home.”

  “They’re at work and will be home for dinner. They’re looking forward to having you stay here, but be prepared for some grilling…and I don’t mean the food.” Sabrina nodded knowingly, fully expecting the barrage of questions her marriage-minded parents would ask.

  “Although, “Cara said pensively, wiping her eyes, “now that they’ve got two old maid daughters, the focus won’t be entirely on you. I can just hear them now. ‘Where did we go wrong?’”

  Sabrina snorted in response, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You’re right, Cara. We’ll be a team tonight and face the interrogation together. And I’ll remind them how I’m here to work. My photography really will occupy most of my time here.”

  Giving her sister a quick, reassuring hug, Sabrina carried her suitcase over to the room they had shared as children. Their parents had spent their entire married life in this rent-controlled apartment, and Sabrina wondered if they would ever move. She doubted it, as her parents were as devoted as Cara was to city life and attended a theatre or musical performance almost weekly. Sabrina flopped onto the twin bed, pulling off her shoes and drifting into a nap until her parents’ arrived home for dinner.