The Lesson (11 page)

He started to walk away, then hesitated for
a moment and turned back. “I’ve always thought highly of you,
Bianca.” He walked away, leaving her to wonder if there was more to
his statement.

She worked the rest of the afternoon,
diligently ignoring the message she knew waited for her on
Facebook. The five o’clock hour finally hit, and fellow employees
began leaving, shutting down lights as they went. Soon, most of the
offices were empty and Bianca found herself alone, her desk lamp
the solitary light up and down the length of the corridor where her
desk sat.

“Oh, just look at it,” she snapped out loud.
“You’ll never stop thinking about it until you do.”

She opened her web browser and with a few
clicks, found herself staring at the screen, Mason’s message
prominently displayed.

Bianca, I’ve hesitated to contact you after
the way we left things, but I knew the time had finally come. We
left so many things unsaid. I’ve thought about you so many times
over the years, and so many times I wanted to pick up the phone and
call you, but I just didn’t have the courage.

You were right about me, everything you said
about me was true. I was weak and scared.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I know I
don’t have the right to ask, but I will ask anyway. Is there any
chance you’d be willing to meet with me? I have some things I’d
like to say, and something I’d like to show you if given the
opportunity. Please say yes. I promise I’ll say what I have to say,
and then I’ll leave you alone, if that is what you wish.

Please, just think about it. I promise I
won’t contact you again if I don’t hear from you.

Bianca sat back in her chair as she
considered his words.

How long had she hoped and feared to hear
from him?

Not long enough for him to
have become a completely different person,
the little
voice inside her piped up.

I don’t know what you mean.

Ha! Liar.

Shut up!

The voice fell silent, but it was too late.
Bianca knew exactly what it was talking about. It had been almost
six years since she’d seen Mason, but surely not long enough for
him to overcome an entire lifetime of programming. He was still a
Freeman. His parents still had expectations. Freeman Industries
still needed the heir apparent.

After all, he claimed he loved her,
that he had never loved another woman, but he still abandoned her
when she needed him the most. Left her for his parents, for
a
party
.

Bianca had little doubt Mason still fell in
line whether he liked it or not.

Losing Nonno Joe had hurt, but losing both
Nonno Joe and Mason in the same breath had nearly broke her. If she
saw Mason now, let him ply her with his charm and beauty, she would
surely end up hurt again.

She couldn’t go through it a second time.
She wouldn’t survive it.

Tell him to fuck off and
go back to mommy and daddy,
the voice inside her
suggested.
That way you don’t have to see
him and you don’t have to take the chance of falling at his feet
and begging him to love you.

I wouldn’t do that,
she protested.

But you’d think about
it,
the voice countered.
You’d take one look at him and you’d have to hold yourself
back from touching him and kissing him and acting like a shameful
slut, just like you always did when you were with him. Think about
it. You barely knew him, not even twelve hours and you were letting
him tie you up and take your virginity.

I enjoyed every moment of it and I regret
nothing.

Liar. If you see him, you’ll end up
regretting things all over again.

She lifted her chin in defiance, clicked on
the message and began typing.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Bianca’s fingers seemed to know what she
wanted to say as they moved swiftly over her keyboard.

Mason, if you’d like, we can meet for a
drink. I am available this evening, or tomorrow.

She clicked send and sat back, closing her
eyes and wondering how long it would take to hear back from
him.

Not long, as it turned out. A few moments
later she heard a ding and she sat forward, opening the message
with more eagerness than she cared to admit.

I would love to see you tonight. Tell me
when and where and I’ll be there.

She thought for a moment before she smiled
wryly and typed her response.

7 pm. Roma’s.

His response came a second later.

I’ll be there.

Bianca released a shuddering sigh. There was
no backing out of it now.

Sure there is,
came the voice.
You don’t have to
show up.

I couldn’t do that.

Why? Because you owe him something?

No, it’s just …
Bianca didn’t finish because she didn’t have an answer. She
didn’t feel like she owed Mason anything, but she knew she couldn’t
stand him up.

Well, if you’re going to go, you better get
the show on the road. It’s quarter after six now.

“Shit!” Bianca shot out of her chair and
bustled around, shutting down her computer and gathering her
things. She rushed from the building to her car, a small, slightly
used convertible Mini Cooper. After Nonno Joe died, she put the
house she’d grown up in on the market. She couldn’t stand the idea
of staying in the house anymore, it held too many painful memories.
After the house sold, she invested most of the money, except for
the Mini Cooper. It was the one extravagant purchase she made.

Bianca shifted into reverse and pulled out
of the parking lot. She whipped through the streets, and her quick
movements reminded her of Mason. He drove in much the same way,
quick and seemingly careless, but with the precision of a race car
driver.

Twenty minutes later she parked the car a
block away from Roma’s. She flicked on the dome light and flipped
down her visor mirror, peering at her reflection. Pinching her
cheeks, she pulled a comb and lipstick from her purse, applying the
lipstick with a shaking hand and running the comb through her hair
in quick, rough motions. When she was done, she stared at
herself.

Why are you so
nervous?
She asked herself.
What are you so afraid of?

You’re afraid that when you see him you’ll
feel exactly as you did all those years ago.

How could I after what he did? He betrayed
me. Abandoned me.

When has love ever made sense?

When indeed? Bianca shook her head and
climbed out of the car. Dusk had begun to fall, and the setting sun
cast shadows from streetlamps, newspaper machines and mailboxes
across the sidewalk. Bianca’s heels clicked on the cement as Roma’s
grew closer and closer.

Pulling the door open, she stepped inside
and drew in a deep breath. Everything looked the same as it had six
years ago when she left the restaurant for the last time. There
were two rooms connected by an arched doorway. The tables were in
the same place, covered in the same red and white checkered
tablecloths. The same green carpet covered the floor. Even the air
was filled with the same aroma, the rich scent of garlic and red
sauce.

“Bianca!” a booming voice came. “Sweet girl,
it has been too long!”

Bianca smiled as Alfie came across the room.
He was a big man, as big as his voice and he gathered her into his
arms, hugging her tightly.

“Alfie, how are you?” she squeaked as he
hugged the breath out of her.

“Missing you, bella,” he boomed. “Missing my
old friend. I think of your grandfather every day.”

When he was done hugging her, he held her at
arm’s length. “Let me look at you! It’s been too long. Why haven’t
you come to see me?”

Bianca had to fight back tears and she shook
her head. “I’m sorry, Alfie. I guess I’ve been distracted.”

“Distracted, eh?” He cocked his head. “And I
bet I know why. Your young man is here. He asked for the same table
he always sat at when he used to wait for you to get off work.”
Placing a hand on her back, he said, “Come, I’ll show you to your
seat.”

Bianca nodded and followed Alfie to the next
room.

As they came around the corner of the
archway, the booth came into sight. The high-backed seats shielded
the table and Mason from her.

“Here we are,” Alfie said as they took the
final few steps to her seat.

Bianca came around the end of the booth and
Mason looked up.

“Bianca,” he breathed.

“Mason.” Her eyes swept over him. He looked
the same, mostly, although he had sheared off his chocolate locks.
Only a shadow of hair remained.

“Sit, sweet girl,” Alfie instructed her.
“I’ll bring some wine. On the house!” He bustled off, leaving the
two of them alone.

Bianca slid into the booth opposite of
Mason, and they stared at each other for a moment.

Mason spoke first. “I wasn’t sure you’d
come. I thought maybe I’d sit here all night waiting for you.”

“I considered it,” she told him. “But then I
realized how silly that would be.”

He studied her for another moment, his eyes
roaming her face and he leaned forward, closing the distance
between them. “You look well. Hell, you look amazing. Just as you
always did.”

Bianca ignored the compliment. “Why did you
want to see me?”

Mason sat back. “I haven’t stopped thinking
of you since that day. You can’t know how much I regret what
happened.”

Bianca snorted in disbelief. “Which part,
Mason? The moment when you stood by and let your parents humiliate
and degrade me? Or the moment when my grandfather died and you
abandoned me for your parents and a party?”

That’s good,
praised the little voice inside her.
Stay strong.

“I regret everything,” he answered with a
heavy sigh. “You can’t know how much.”

“Hmm,” she responded. “What does that have
to do with here and now?”

“I wanted to apologize for everything,” he
answered. “I hate that I hurt you, and I want you to know that I
understand I made the wrong choice. I never should have left you
that night. Hell, I never should have taken you to that party.”

“No,” she replied sharply. “I’m glad you
took me to the party. It opened my eyes. Before that, I was living
in some fantasy world. Before that, I really believed we could be
together, that our opposing backgrounds didn’t matter.”

That’s good,
encouraged the voice.
Keep it up.
Don’t let him sweet talk you.

I won’t,
she
told the voice.
He won’t get to me
again.

Still, she wasn’t able to quell the thread
of doubt that wormed through her.

Alfie approached their table, wine glasses
and a bottle in hand. “Here you are. A nice Sangiovese. Shall I
bring you a little antipasto as well?”

“Please,” Mason responded, smiling at the
older man. “And bring us an artichoke heart francaise as well, if
you still make them.”

Alfie threw back his head and laughed. “Of
course we do, smart boy!” He shook his finger at Mason. “That was
always Bianca’s favorite. It’s good you remember.” He poured the
wine and then hurried off again.

“What makes you think I’m staying long
enough to eat anything?” Bianca asked in clipped tones as she
sipped the wine.

Mason shrugged. “Nothing. I merely hoped.”
He leaned forward again. “Bianca, I know what happened, and despite
my bad behavior before, I still believe we can work. My background,
yours, it doesn’t matter. It didn’t then, and it doesn’t now.”

“You’re kidding, right?” she gaped at him.
“How can you possibly still believe we have a chance?”

He pursed his lips in frustration, shaking
his head. “I shouldn’t have said that. That really isn’t why I
asked you to meet me.”

“Then why did you?” She took another sip of
her wine, trying to calm her nerves. “I already asked you that
once. It seems like you’re avoiding the question.”

Mason took a moment to sip his own wine.
“First, I wanted to apologize and let you know that what happened
between us changed me. Maybe not right away, but it did change me.
I never got over you.”

Bianca arched an eyebrow. “Knowing you, I’m
sure you were able to find comfort somewhere.”

“Ouch.” He frowned. “Your tongue is sharper
than it used to be.”

Bianca felt her face flush.

Are you kidding?
The little voice snapped at her.
He’s the one who should be embarrassed, especially after the
way he treated you.

For once, we agree,
Bianca thought. “I’m not the same person I was when we met,”
she told him. “Life has a way of doing that.”

He studied her, and she couldn’t stop her
body from reacting as his eyes swept over her. “Is there nothing of
her left?” he asked in hushed tones.

His voice was hypnotic. Bianca felt herself
wanting to lean toward him, reach across the table and take his
hand in hers so she could feel the heat of his skin, but before she
could do anything, Alfie arrived with their appetizers.

“Here you are, my lovebirds!” he sang as he
placed the plates on the table. Shaking out a cloth napkin, he
draped one across Bianca’s lap, then Mason’s before he carefully
laid out small plates and silverware. “Mangia, dear ones!”

Bianca couldn’t help smiling up at him.
“Thank you, Alfie. It looks wonderful.”

“Of course it does,” he chuckled. “Are we
going to have a bit of supper tonight as well?”

Mason grinned as he speared a piece of
prosciutto. “Give us a bit. You’ve already brought us so much.”