THE IMPROBABLE LOVE STORY THAT WAS


VOLUME I

By Willie Price


CHAPTER I
THE CHANCE MEETING

My story begins in an apartment management office.
Sabrina stands patiently in front the cheap, cluttered and enormous desk of Fatso Franco. He was an unpleasant and obnoxious pimp of a landlord. The man sadly epitomized his role in life.
Sabrina decided to break the silence. “I have brought the full amount in cash you requested, including a cleaning deposit. After our last conversation I assume you found my application acceptable. ”Fatso offers no response. “I can move in by the end of the month” she concludes.
“Well it’s not available now” Fatso Franco smiled revealing neglected dental hygiene. “I don’t understand” she responded “you said……..”
His response was slow and enjoyable, at least to himself. “Don’t matter what I said. You changed my mind. You never said you were a black! A black, black ………”As this putrid hulk struggled to complete his insult, Sabrina let go “You Racist, Fat Pig! You disgusting excuse for a man! I’ll sue you for flagrant discrimination!” Near tears and trembling in anger, she abruptly turned on her high heels to leave. Sabrina’s faced burned as the laughter from the two other small offices, got louder. Someone cackled a crude remark in Italian,”parte nera della coda!”(A black woman) In her haste to leave, she dropped her sunglasses and stooped to pick them up, only to bump heads with someone else bending over to retrieve the glasses. Sabrina looked into a pair of light brown eyes that were staring clear through her, as if dazed or mesmerized. “Have we met before” Sabrina finally found her voice and asked?
“I don’t know” he responded, astonished and looking totally flabbergasted.
“Well thank you for being a gentleman” Sabrina said as she rushed past him and made an exit out the door and into the sunshine. She could still feel his eyes staring at her as she walked shoulders back and head held high with indignation. In spite of her anger, Sabrina could not stop thinking about the tall, handsome soft spoken gentleman, whose head was harder than hers. She could feel a small lump forming on the spot where he bumped into her. “Maybe that’s why I can’t stop thinking about him” Sabrina chuckled as she entered the market to shop for some special treats. “I suppose not getting that house could be a blessing in disguise. I will put the money back into my savings and buy a car instead. I’ve been putting the wagon in front of the horses. Transportation would definitely give me the mobility to live beyond this bus stop. It only takes the time to change your mind about anything in this life to be happy.” Sabrina smiled as she reminded herself of this profound fact and went home to her two beautiful daughters.

The next morning Sabrina awakened to a sensation of wet lips on first her left eyelid, then the right. She opened her eyes and looked into the smiling face of Elizabeth, her nine year old. Twelve year old Katrina leaned over her sister’s small shoulders, displaying a brilliant smile. “Happy Birthday Mommy” they sang in unison. Sabrina smiled and threw back the covers as she reached out to embrace both of her daughters.
“Thank you young ladies” she beamed, as they wandered into the living room.
The girls were already dressed and ready for school. They grabbed their books, lunch boxes, kissed Sabrina and scurried out the door. Sabrina stood on the steps and waved at her best friend Lynda, as both women watched their daughters, Rose, Elizabeth and Katrina run to catch the approaching school bus. “See you tonight Birthday Girl,” Lynda yelled to Sabrina as she turned to go back inside her duplex.
Sabrina showered and applied her makeup. Today was going to be a beach day, thanks to the generous company policy of allowing employees to take their birthdays off with pay. She made her bed and slipped into a favorite beach outfit, which consisted of a long white cotton dress with a pattern of huge red flowers and matching belt that tied around her slender waist. Sabrina prepared her beach bag and walked into the kitchen, smiling and thinking, “It’s my 33rd birthday, so champagne and orange juice at this early hour will be quite adequate with my coffee and croissants.” Sabrina had just settled at the kitchen table with her newspaper when she heard a knock on the door. “One of the girls must have forgotten something. Who else would be here this time of morning?”
There he stood, her handsome bump on the head, holding a huge bouquet of red and white roses. Sabrina could not recall ever receiving a bouquet this large.
He gave her a sheepish grin and said, “Happy Birthday Sabrina.”
Sabrina could only gesture him in and ask, “How did you know it was my birthday?”
“I read your application to rent the house on Terrace Avenue.”
Sabrina was about to reach for the roses but quickly recoiled when she heard this. “Please tell me you do not work for that awful creature” she inquired, with her heart sinking.
He only smiled and said, “Actually, that creature works for me. The stupid buffoon thought he was doing the agency a favor by discriminating. After you left yesterday we had a little clarifying, discussion. If you still want the house, it’s yours. As a matter of fact, I came by this morning to ask if you have ever seen the inside.”
“No I haven’t” Sabrina had to admit. “I have only peered through the windows. However, the location of the house is just as important as its condition.”
While Sabrina talked, Fabio Antonio Leonardo wondered into in her tiny kitchen and started opening cabinet doors. Sabrina quickly realized what he was searching for and produced a pretty glass vase that had been a gift from her ex-mother-in-law. She opened a kitchen drawer and handed him a pair of scissors. At first glance the couple would appear to be very familiar with each other. While Sabrina prepared the flower vase, Fabio excused himself for a few minutes, only to return with a shopping bag containing a bottle of Moet, small box of gourmet pastries and a variety of cheeses with fresh strawberries. Sabrina and Fabio, without further ado, went about setting the table. They were smiling and maneuvering around each other in the tiny space as graceful as dancers.
Once they were seated at the table, Fabio reached over and took Sabrina’s free hand and apologized for the episode in the office the previous day. Sabrina could not think of anything clever or sarcastic to say so she simply shrugged her shoulders and smiled in acceptance of his apology. How could she possibly be angry with her bump on the head? “Good help is hard to find,” she reasoned. Today is her birthday; therefore, nothing was going to rain on her parade. They shared the basics about each other and laughed while exchanging entertaining stories about family and friends.
Suddenly Fabio realized it was almost noon and time to give Sabrina a tour of the rental on Terrace. He had already concluded the place was not suitable for her. She deserved something far better. However, that house remained the only pretext he had for the moment, to get to know her.
Sabrina agreed it was time to leave. “I have this special place on the beach where I go to read, relax or just watch the waves” she beamed at him starting to feel a little fuzzy from the champagne.
“Where on the beach,” Fabio asked, dreamy eyed and smiling?
“It’s just before the bluff by the seals beach. I have to climb down hill in order to reach the cove and then walk across large pieces of rock leading to my secret little cave” she chuckled. “Of course I can only do this whenever the tide is out.”
“I would love to join you sometime,” Fabio practically blurted out.
“First things first” Sabrina said feeling a little unsettled about this handsome Italian’s sudden interest in her secret spot on the beach. Sabrina assumed Fabio had driven himself to her duplex and was surprised when a man emerged from the driver’s seat of a long black Lincoln Town Car.
“Where to boss” The smiling, body building looking, driver asked.
“The house on Terrace” Fabio answered dryly without as much as a thank you for waiting all morning.
Sabrina turned to Fabio while seated in the car and said in an apologetic tone “Why didn’t you tell me someone was waiting in this car for you. I would have invited…….by the way, what is his name? You did not even introduce him to me”.
“Cairo” Fabio replied.
“Cairo? Spelled the same as in Egypt?” Sabrina was smiling when she asked this question. He returned her smile and said, “Yes, the same and I will explain the reason to you later”.
“Later?” Sabrina thought. “He sounds as if there is more than a rental going on here. Will there be a later? This is getting too weird.”
Within ten minutes the car stopped and parked in front of the rental property Sabrina wanted. The little house was located several blocks from her duplex and closer to the children’s school. Cairo opened the car door and helped her out, then rushed around to the other side to do the same for Fabio. There was a slope leading to the front porch which ran the entire length of the house. Sabrina counted the concrete steps as they climbed towards the pretty yellow house with white trim. Fabio unlocked the door as Sabrina proclaimed “Wow, I counted twenty one steps, talk about a daily workout.”
The interior of the house greeted them with the scent of fresh paint and new carpeting. Fabio took Sabrina by her left hand and proceeded to give a fast pace tour. When they arrived in an area that could be utilized as a small dining room, Sabrina reached up to open the curtains. At that same moment she felt Fabio’s arms wrap around her waist, while his hands gently caressed small firm breasts and slid down to her lower abdomen. Sabrina experienced feeling simultaneously amused, terrified and turned on. Her hands remained frozen on the curtains. All she could manage was a soft, throaty moan, as his lips nibbled the back of her neck and shoulders. She did not realize he had released the curtains from her death grip. By now Fabio was breathing very hard and slowly swaying the both of them left to right, as if they were being rocked by waves standing on the deck of a ship. Fabio’s warm and firm hand gently stroked her abdomen and she felt a low, rumpling sensation emerging from someplace deep in her womb. Her mind screamed “STOP THIS AT ONCE!” However, her body completely surrendered.

Meanwhile outside in the Lincoln, Cairo was trying desperately to remember where he had seen this strikingly beautiful, black woman before. Could it have been in one of the discos he often worked as a bouncer? Or one of the many places he delivered or picked up packages? The familiar sound of her voice was even more perplexing. Cairo had always taken pride in his ability to remember faces, especially one as pretty as Sabrina’s. Something strange was happening. Cairo could not recall his boss ever taking such special interest in a black female or any woman for that matter. He started thinking, “The only exception had been his deceased wife, God rest her soul. The boss had shared his bed with a number of drop dead gorgeous broads, but never displayed any sort of generosity towards them. Two dozen long stem roses for a woman whose name and address he had acquisitioned from an application? This is something else….But what? There had been some sort of rumor a few years back about the beautiful black nanny that helped raised the boss, his two brothers, Achilles and Marino, along with their only sister, Angelia. But she died of pneumonia shortly after I started working for the Leonardo family………Aha…..Oh, no, no. What I am thinking is impossible! I will have to stop taking those little nips while on duty” he concluded and reached over to turn on the radio. “Better not to think too much about things that are none of my business” he reasoned.

It was after three o’clock in the afternoon before Fabio and Sabrina emerged from the house. They were glowing radiantly and appeared to effortlessly float down the steps while holding hands.
“If only I could possess the awesome power of a woman.” Cairo thought as he opened the car door for this esthetically happy looking couple.
“Cairo my Pisano. Thank you for waiting so patiently, but we had much to discuss concerning the long term lease. Preterito e participio passato?” (Understood) Fabio grinned from ear to ear.
“No problem for me boss” Cairo responded with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Will you respect me in the morning?” Sabrina joked as she and Fabio continued to engage in long kisses while clinging to each other.
“Always and forever,” he said breathlessly while lifting her off the floor with his strong arms. “I have been struck by The Lighting Bolt” he shamelessly proclaimed!
Sabrina smiled, placed both hands on the sides of his head and said. “I have read and seen the God Father. Try to be more original” she laughed.
“Where would you like to celebrate your birthday to night” Fabio purred between breathless kisses.
“The girls have already planned this evening. Sorry, I’ll have to save the next dance for you” Sabrina whispered into his ear.
“May I have the pleasure of your company for dinner tomorrow night” Fabio persisted? “Tomorrow is my youngest daughter’s birthday and I have reservations at The Best Bistro. My best friend, Lynda and her daughter, Rose are planning to celebrate with us.” Sabrina said, unable to hide her disappointment at turning down another opportunity for a romantic evening alone with him.
Fabio merely gazed deep into her eyes and softly said “I will see you…., when I see you. What is your daughter asking for on her special tenth birthday?”
Sabrina felt impressed that he remembered her telling him the ages of the children during breakfast that morning. But then again, she remembered everything Fabio had shared with her concerning his family and sensed something benevolent about the Leonardo’s. “Something really weird is happening here” she thought. “She wants a pink Daisy Duke bicycle. However, what she will get is a pair of pink high top roller skates” Sabrina replied, starting the sensuous kissing session again.
The couple were still maintaining a tight embrace during their conversation as if unable to release each other for even an instant.
They finally had to pull apart when Sabrina heard the familiar sound of the school bus. She sadly realized the magic was about to approach an abrupt ending. The children were home!
Fabio lingered, much to her surprise. He placed one arm over Sabrina’s slender shoulders and held her close as Elizabeth and Katrina raced towards them smiling and singing “Happy Birthday to you Mommy!”

Cairo leaned against the car in an utter state of incomprehension and total perplexity.


CHAPTER II


THE PLANNED MEETING

“When a man loves a woman he can’t keep his mind on anything else” is how Percy Sledge so eloquently put it in his hit R&B recording. Well, the song applied to Fabio so well it could have been written with him in mind.
It had been seven weeks since he had first tasted the sweet nectar from Sabrina’s perfectly sculptured and smooth body. He could no longer sleep soundly through the night without her curled up next to him. Fabio had a lot of responsibility working as one of the managers for his family‘s various business enterprises. However during the past few weeks, even casual acquaintances began to openly tease him about his new cologne. It seemed no matter what brand of soap he showered with, Sabrina intoxicating Jungle Gardenia has still prevailed, as if in his very pores. Everyone he encountered would ask the same question “Who is she and when are we going to meet her?”

Fabio received a phone call from his brother ,Marino, demanding he attend the next family meeting and explain his current mysterious behavior. “So fucking what if she’s married or whatever,” Marino yelled at Fabio. “You just have her at the beach house this Friday before three o’clock. Achilles and I will pick up our Father and Grandfather. They have both expressed great concern about whatever the hell it is that has stolen your heart and mind” Marino continued!
“Is there still a game scheduled for this Friday, Fabio inquired calmly?” He was taking great pains not to sound disconcerted or disrespectful of his older brother.
“Hell yes the game is still on” Marino shouted again losing control and raising his voice. “Do you know what I am talking about? What the fuck is the matter with you? The only time we ever cancel a game is there’s a funeral to attend.” Marino lowered his tone and said in Italian “Ascolti sia appena la’siamo preoccupati per voi.”(Listen; just be there, we are worried about you)
“There is nothing to worry about, I have not been this happy since before the loss of my lovely wife, Sophia.” Fabio cheerfully responded to appease his beloved brother.
“That’s wonderful to know” Marino replied, very relieved. “We need your head on straight. There have been some problems with the Resoles brothers and since you and Pops negotiated the original contract…... we have more to talk about more than your new romance.” Marino concluded before saying goodbye.
Fabio placed the receiver back on the cradle, poured himself a little cognac and lit a cigar. How could anyone assume that he had lost his mind? When in reality it was the other way around, he had found his mind. Although he did have to acknowledge the past several weeks had been an incredible experience. “However I am very happy” he smiled amiably. “Marino sounded as if I’ve been sitting on my ass all this time. He could not possibly know how much I managed to accomplished in a matter of six weeks. First, I had to convince Sabrina to resign from her low paying job. Then pleaded with the independent and willful female, to move in with me, instead of that dump I seduced her in. Befriend her two little precious angels, Katrina and Elizabeth, much to my delight. I’m more grateful than previously aware of, to finally become a father. Hire her best friend, Lynda as a full time nanny and tutor for the children while they are out of school. Provide accommodations for Lynda and her little genius, Rose. It’s true that little girls are more intelligent than little boys” he realized smiling. “All this has been a hell of an undertaking, I know. However Sabrina is worth it! I would lay the world at her feet if it were within my power to do so. Imagine the look on Papa’s face when Sabrina walks into the study during the meeting. That will be very amusing, but no where near exciting as the look on Grammy’s face. Of course after the dust settles, Marino will immediately have Sabrina thoroughly investigated by one of the shrewd detective agencies he keeps on a retainer. As for Achilles reaction, that’s unpredictable and wide open to speculation. Baby brother has always held a profound fascination for the mystical and a genuine belief in reincarnation.”
Fabio rose and walked out onto the balcony located off the master suite where he found Sabrina.
She stood taking in the view, smoking a cigarette and enjoying her new favorite libation, champagne with a fresh strawberry in it.
Sabrina sensed his presence and turned to greet him with a sweet kiss on the lips.
“We are leaving tomorrow morning” he smiled.

Lynda Apricot glanced up from her reading material, a book claiming to have proven the theory of reincarnation, to see what the girls were doing. They were happily splashing around in the pool, playing games. Lynda smiled while pondering how her best friend’s good fortune had also included her and Rose. Who could have guessed two months ago that they would be vacationing in Hawaii? Staying in a luxurious condo, complete with balconies, private pool located on a secluded stretch of beach! She was genuinely happy for Sabrina, whom she loved dearly as the sister she never had. However, something very strange was happening to all of them. Even the children had become, “ perfect little angels”. Lynda’s thoughts rambled back four years ago to the events that placed her in the tiny duplex next door to Sabrina .She had been heart broken and disenchanted with her former employer and lover. The scoundrel originally hired her as a nanny for his triplets after he became a widow. Lynda’s responsibilities included cooking and housekeeping.
She looked forward to the day her employer would propose marriage. However, he had other plans. The scoundrel eloped with his young pretty secretary, leaving Lynda totally devastated. Meeting Sabrina several days later essentially saved her life. She was suffering from a state of deep depression and contemplating committing suicide. Sabrina’s positive attitude and love of life, in spite of the challenges and disappointments, helped to restore her self esteem. It had been wonderful sharing the care and nurturing of the girls and being there for each other. Nevertheless the events of the past six weeks have been just too weird for terminology. Lynda did not doubt the authenticity of the love between Fabio and Sabrina. One only had to observe the way they gazed into each others eyes. The over all body language of two people in love was obvious to any discerning person, in public as well as in private. She could not help but marvel at the audacity the two of them possessed. The couple dared to flaunt their love into the faces of a racist society. Imagine a male and female of the (same human race), one African American and the other Italian American…..was the world ready for this? Lynda smiled as she thought; “Theirs is an improbable love that happened.”


Portola Leonardo leaned back into his chair and smiled at the good news his son Anthony had just given him. Fabio was his favorite grandson and would be returning home in good health. The old man understood all too well the power of women processing extraordinary beauty. His poor hapless, still grieving, grandson obviously had stumbled onto an Aphrodite.


CHAPTER III

THE MEETING BEFORE FAMILY SUNDAY DINNER


“Cairo drove Fabio and me to the beach house yesterday” Sabrina excitedly told Lynda while they were in the process of selecting her wardrobe for the big event. “If you think this place is beautiful, wait until you see the family’s recreational home by the sea. What a party house!” Sabrina was out of breath just talking about it.
“A party house” Lynda mused, lifting her eyebrows?
“Yes, it is an expensive, secluded playground of many indiscretions I’m sure. A totally male oriented environment, complete with billiards, card tables, a swim up bar in the pool and three hot tubs located in various isolated areas on the property. You will absolutely love the plush gardens and foliage” Sabrina continued. “Fabio said the beach house was designed and constructed by his Grandfathers brother-in-law years ago as a place where he and close associates could hang out in an all male club like atmosphere. A place where boys could be boys” Sabrina laughed.
“You are too old to still be so totally naive.” Lynda smirked.
“The property is surrounded by a high concrete and brick wall on three sides leaving the private guarded beach as the only open space on the gated grounds” Sabrina merrily continued her description, ignoring Lynda’s sarcasm. “It has a huge kitchen and dinning area. And dig this, there are five master bedrooms. Each one with a fire place, mini bar, ceiling fans and balcony with a view of the ocean!”
“Then why did we go to Hawaii” Lynda asked with her hands on her hips while tapping one foot?
“I just told you the beach house is like a private men’s club” Sabrina giggled. “The beach house is a huge playpen for men only and maybe an occasional lady of the night, if you grasp my meaning?”
Both women simultaneously erupted into laughter at this last remark.


Fabio’s gorgeous, paternal twin brother Achilles, walked quickly towards Marino, seated at the bar in The Wet Your Whistle, gentleman’s club.
“She’s black you know” Achilles leaned forward and whispered to Marino, staring straight ahead, as a new hopeful topless dancer auditioned on the small lighted stage in front of him.
“So how do you know this” Marino inquired. His eyes still transfixed on the young

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 29.11.2010
ISBN: 978-3-86479-529-9

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