[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

the option of not being in a relationship. I often think that s the place you have to get to in
order for anything really good to happen to you.
 That s similar to what Marta told me in Lima, I remarked.
 Still think that was all bullshit?
 I m not sure whether it was bullshit; I just question whether it was an authentic
moment.
 Who cares? You got the message, didn t you? Isn t that what really matters? And
besides, I think it was very real and it just scared the crap out of you because it was
exactly what you didn t want to hear.
 Oh, come on, Mags! How could she know anything about me or Sam without
Manny telling her or my giving it away somehow?
 Andi, don t stop believing in possibilities. Sometimes they re the only things
worth believing in.
I thought about this as Kermit the Frog hovered above us, wavering in a gust of
wind, while a high school marching band played an annoyingly perky rendition of  Can
You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street.
Later that day at Mom s house, while Tony and I watched the Dallas Cowboys get
their asses kicked by the Philadelphia Eagles (much to my dismay since I had bet David
twenty dollars against the Eagles), I called David.
 How re you holding up? he asked.
 I ate half a turkey leg on a dare from Joey, I said as my stomach gurgled. He
laughed hard.  How  bout you? I asked.
 My mother and sisters wanna meet you again. They want you to come over later
tonight or sometime tomorrow. Whattya think?
 How  bout tomorrow? I don t think I can move, much less fit behind the steering
wheel of a car.
 How re the Cowboys doing? he asked.
 They suck.
 Which means your money is going in my pocket tomorrow night.
 That may not be the only thing that goes in your pocket tomorrow night, I said
with a wink, even though he couldn t see me.  I don t know what that means, but it
sounds sexual, doesn t it.
 I know exactly what it means, he replied. I could swear he winked back. We
both laughed and finalized plans. When I snapped my cellphone shut, I looked up to find
Tony gawking at me, mouth open, mortified.
 I don t even wanna know what it means.
I laughed.  Get over it, Tony. Your little sister has sex.
Tony covered his ears and yelled. I laughed again.  Great sex! I teased.  Earth-
moving sex! Sex so good you ll never want to leave the house ever again! Better-than-
jazz-sex! He ran out of the room, hands over his ears, yelling to make it stop. I almost
fell off the chair, laughing.
The last time I had met David s family was on the day of his father s funeral.
From what he told me, they had liked me back then and were thrilled to find out that we
were now a couple, albeit under such tragic pretenses. I was surprised that they
remembered me at all.
He picked me up at my mother s house in the Hamptons at six-thirty. Mom
opened the door; it was her first time meeting David.
 Hello, she greeted him and extended her hand.  I m Genevieve Cutrone,
Andrea s mother. Nice to finally meet you.
 Same here, Mrs. Cutrone. I m David Santino.
 Italian? she asked.
 All the way.
 I heard you speak it, too.
He replied in fluent Italian, and could have been condemning her to hell for all
either of us knew. Yet she and I both swooned at his inflections and lacy enunciation.
David s speaking Italian made me horny the way Sam s reading to me use to I could ve
jumped him right there.
His eyes brightened when he saw me, and I practically pushed my mother out of
the way and kissed him hello.  Ciao, bella, he said, eyeing me up and down.
 So, David. Would you like to come in and sit down? asked Mom.
 I m afraid we can only stay for a moment or two. Holiday weekend traffic and
all.
She eyed him as if to say, You d stay if you knew what was good for you. I raised
my eyebrows and concurred. He followed me into the great room.
 Gorgeous house, said David.
 I got it at a fabulous price, just before the housing market went to hell.
 Lucky for you.
Mom took in an eyeful of David before turning to me.  He s very handsome,
Andi. You ve always managed to attract handsome men. Then she turned to David.  My
husband had your look: tall, dark, and handsome.
Good God, was my mother flirting with my lover? And when was the last time
she had brought up my father, especially in front of someone she just met?
 Although you re more& what s that word everybody uses now& metrosexual?
I wanted to dissolve into my seat.
 That s the word, David said, taking it in stride, easing my embarrassment with a
wink in my direction.
 Yes, he wasn t one of those. Otherwise, you picked someone just like your
father, Andi. You know what they say about girls choosing men like their fathers.
I cringed.  They don t say it, Mom. Freud said it. And by today s standards he d
probably be considered a quack and have his own reality show.
 Well, I d like to thank you for sharing your daughter with me this weekend, Mrs.
Cutrone. Ever the charmer.
 I stood up.  Well, we gotta go. Mom and David stood up as well.
 You have keys, yes? I m locking the door. She then turned to David and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]