Chapter 3
About 10 minutes later, Luigi strolled back in and came over to Marco. “You’re a genius, Boss. I don’t know how you did it, but we caught them, and, with a little persuasion, they decided to sing. They are locked up in the basement when you are ready to talk to them. Once we told them we knew about their airplane and that they were sent by their boss in Chicago, they figured they’d been set up.”
Marco looked directly at Anne and realized she had saved his life. He was amazed that she had been there at just the right time to see what she had seen. She was pale and trembling. She kept looking down at the table. He said, “Let’s get her out of here and into a quieter place. She looks like she’s going to faint.”
John helped her out of the booth. He put his arm tightly around her shoulders and escorted her out into the hall. Marco led them the down the hall to the elevator. They went to the top floor and he opened the door to his suite. John led her over to a large overstuffed chair, and she sat down. He stood behind her with his hand resting on her shoulder.
Marco poured a small glass of a deep red drink. He gave it to her and said, “Drink this. It will help you feel better.”
Anne looked at it warily. When she looked up, Marco smiled at her, and she took a sip. It was strong, and she coughed, but it did warm up her insides and made her feel less nervous. Slowly she drank the rest. He refilled it and told her to drink a little more. She drank again.
“Who are you, my angel? It seems a miracle to me that you would be here tonight and save my life. Tell me about yourself,” he urged her.
She looked up at John, and he smiled and nodded. “I don’t know what to tell you, because I’m not sure how I got to be here either. It is a long story. We were both saved by miracles tonight,” she began shyly.
She explained how she had met John at the children’s hospital several months ago, how they had become friends, and how they had lost contact with each other.
“I thought you two came here together,” Marco said.
“No, I was coming back from a funeral in San Jose.” She looked over at John and said, “Do you remember Rachel’s little friend Tracie Austin?” After he nodded yes, she continued, “Her mother called me a few days ago. She died suddenly, and Hannah was all alone and distraught, and I volunteered to go the San Jose to help her through the rough first days until her family could fly in. Hannah wanted to thank you for how kind you were to Tracie when she was in the hospital. Rachel and Tracie loved it when you visited them. They talked about you a lot after they went home. Sorry, I was afraid I’d forget to tell you about that. After I left her house this morning, I stopped at the service station near here for gas. When I tried to leave, my car wouldn‘t start. The mechanic is supposed to call me and let me know how much it will cost to get it fixed. I need to get back to my job. I’ve only worked at that hospital a few weeks, and I don’t really have time to take off. Darn! I just realized my cell phone is turned off so he may have already tried to reach me. In the meantime, I was driven here to get a place to stay for the night. I need to turn my phone on in case he tries to call. I’m sorry I’m rambling, but I’m having trouble concentrating,” Anne apologized.
“You’re doing fine, angel. How did you get together with John?” Marco asked.
“That’s another miracle. I was taking a nap in my room when this big drunk guy forced his way into my room. He tried to grab me to ‘have some fun’, as he put it. I managed to get out of the room. I was running to the desk to get help, and I literally crashed into John and Joe standing by the elevator. We hadn’t seen each other in several months. He and Joe chased the drunk off. It was getting late, and they said they had to meet someone. They suggested that I stay with them, until their meeting was finished, because they didn’t want me to be left alone here. So that’s how I ended up sitting at your table. It is all one strange coincidence or miracle after another.”
Marco refilled Anne’s glass. She was much more relaxed as she sipped the fiery red liquid. While they were sitting there, Anne’s cell phone rang. When she answered it, she heard the mechanic’s voice. He said, “I just got finished looking at your car. It is so old I don’t even know if I can get parts to fix it. My attendant says you told him you have more than 200,000 mile on it, and you are the original owner. If we can get parts, it will take several days to get them delivered here. It will cost you at least $3200 to get it running. That’s a lot more than the blue book value. What you need to do is junk it and get a different car. I’d be happy to come over to your room tonight and see if we can work out some kind of a special deal for you,” he offered.
“No, not tonight. I’ll have to think about this and figure out what to do. I don’t have that kind of money, but I really need to get back home. I’ll call you in the morning,” she said as she hung up the phone.
John asked her, “Well, what’s the story? What’s wrong with your car?”
“He said it was too old and broken down to fix. He said it would be at least $3200 to get it running and that is a lot more than its blue book value. He said he couldn’t guarantee how long the repairs would last. I know I need to get a newer car. Once my father’s house sells, I’m planning to get a newer car. I put his house on the market a few weeks ago after he died. Hopefully, it will sell soon. Until then, I guess I’m back to riding the city bus. That is, once I get back to the city,” she said with a sigh.
“I didn’t know your dad died. How long has he been gone?” John asked.
Anne’s eyes filled with tears. “He died about two months ago. That’s why I took the Leave of Absence so I could take care of him. I stayed with him the last 5 months of his life. It has been very hard the last few months since he got sick and died. He was all the family I ever really knew,” she said softly, tears running down her cheeks.
John put his hand on her shoulder; Anne reached up and squeezed it. He knelt down beside her chair. He looked into her eyes, “You’ve really had a rough time. I wish I had known. I would have been there to help you. Let me help you now,” he offered.
Marco interrupted, “Let me talk to the mechanic. I’ll see what the story is and get your car situation fixed. That’s the least I can do after what you did for me tonight. Let’s get together in the morning. It is very late tonight, and I can see that Anne is about to fall asleep sitting in the chair. Where are you staying tonight?”
“We’re in Room 388. I’ll take care of Anne tonight,” John said quickly. “We’ll make sure she is safe and gets undisturbed sleep.”
Marco handed John a slip of paper with his private phone number. “Have Anne call me in the morning, and we’ll meet to get this straightened out. Luigi will escort you to your room.”
When Luigi returned a few minutes later, he led Marco down to the basement to question the men he had detained. He wanted to get more information from them. He had been impressed by Anne’s skill at lip reading, but he wanted to be sure the plot had not been staged by John and Joe to get in his good graces. He talked to the hit men individually, so he could compare their stories and decide if they were being truthful. After thoroughly questioning each of the men, he was convinced they had really been caught because of Anne’s lip reading skills.
After talking to the men he had caught, he went back to his office. He placed a call to a contact in Chicago to see if he had heard anything about a plot to kill him. He had some connections with two mobs in that area, but he wasn’t aware of any problems with either of them. After talking to his contact, he learned someone had blamed him for a problem with a missing drug shipment. He called the two mob bosses and talked frankly to the men who might be involved. He convinced them that he had nothing to do with the missing drug shipment. He informed them that he had stopped the men that ‘someone’ there had apparently sent to kill him, but he didn’t explain how he had learned about the plot.
He said, “I think someone is tryi
ng to stir up trouble between us. I assure you I have never interfered with your business dealings. I have more than enough territory here to keep me busy. I have no hard feelings, because I believe you were lied to. I’ll send your men back to you on your charter airplane. It was not their fault the plan failed. They had broken through my security lines. If it weren’t for the intervention of an angel, they would probably have succeeded. I could have the killed them, but I’m returning them to show that I hold no grudges. They will be on their way in a couple of hours. Be sure to tell your pilot so he will wait for them,” he added.
The next call he placed was to the mechanic at the gas station. When the mechanic answered the phone and recognized Marco’s voice, he started shaking because he knew the attendant had sabotaged Anne’s car. He planned to look her up at the hotel and take advantage of her. He decided to keep that information to himself, unless it would get him off the hook.
“What is the story about Anne Lanford’s car? She is a close personal friend of mine. What’s going on with her car?” Marco asked.
“Did she tell you about her car? It really isn’t worth fixing. It has been in her family 20 years. It has over 200,000 miles on it. It is a wreck! I don’t know how she’s kept it running all these years. It needs a new engine, transmission, air conditioner, and lots more. I really doubt if we can locate all the parts it needs. Even if we could fix it, it would still be a piece of junk. I don’t know what else to tell you, Mr. M. What do you want me to do?” he asked in a panic.
“Just hang on to it. It doesn’t sound like it’s worth fixing. I’ll take care of it from here, but it does seem strange that she was able to drive it into your shop, just buy gas, and then not be able to get it started again. What do you have to say about that?” he asked suspiciously.
“Sometimes strange things happen,” the mechanic admitted. “Mistakes are made. Certain wires get cut accidentally or water gets into the gas tank,” he hinted.
“That’s what I figured. You’d better stop allowing mistakes like those, or there will be a new manager and mechanics at that garage!” he thundered.
Early in the morning, Marco placed a call to a business associate of his in Hollywood who owned a car dealership. “This is Marco. How are you doing in your car business?” he asked.
“Things are good here. What do you need?” the car dealer asked.
“I’m looking for a really good reliable used car for a friend. No, I’d prefer a lightly used car. Something not too fancy, but very well-taken care of for a young woman to drive. What do you have that fits that description?”
Marco listened to the dealer describe four cars that might be good choices. He listened and jotted down each description. The first car about two years old. It had less than 13,000 miles. It was a four door sedan with air conditioning, high quality stereo radio/CD system, leather seats, cruise control, power windows and locks. It had a sporty sun roof and was deep red.
The second car was a one year old sporty two-door convertible. It had 11,000 miles, nice radio and CD player. It was yellow with black racing stripes and a powerful V-8 engine.
The third car was a SUV. It was one year old, had 16,000 miles, and a V-8 engine. It was fully loaded with all the fancy features like a built in DVD player in the back seat, air conditioning units for front and back seats. It was light blue with tan interior.
The fourth car was the current year’s model two door sedan. It had 7,000 miles on it. It was equipped with air conditioning, stereo radio/CD player, GPS unit, power windows and power locks, cruise control, and was silver with light blue interior.
Marco said, “I’m not sure which one she will want. I’ll send her to you. Show her these cars and let her choose the one she wants. I’ll pay you for whatever car she chooses. Don’t ask for or allow her to pay for anything. Include the best service plan you have. She deserves the best, but I don’t think she would accept a new car. Don’t even let her know how much the car costs. I want her to get exactly what she wants,” he added.
Marco jotted down the information on the cars and the dealer’s name, address and phone number. He stuck it in a folder ready to give to Anne when she came to see him. He hoped she’d accept his gift of the car. He thought about her and smiled as he imagined her looking at the cars and choosing the one she liked best. “I wish I could watch her when she sees them. I wonder which kind of vehicle she’ll choose,” he thought happily.
After being excused by Marco last night, John reached down, pulled Anne up on her feet. She was wobbly, so he put his arm around her and guided her out of the suite and down to his room on the third floor. When they were in the elevator, she leaned heavily against him. He looked in her eyes and realized, she wasn’t just sleepy; she was really tipsy. When they got into the room, he steered her over to a chair and she sank down into it.
Joe asked, "Now what?”
John looked at Anne slouched down in the chair. “There’s no way I’m going to leave her alone in any room in this place. Remember what happened earlier”
Joe suggested, “There are two beds here. Why don’t I go sleep in her old room? She still has her room key. You could sleep in one bed; she could sleep in the other. That way we’d each have our own bed, and she wouldn’t be left alone.”
“That sounds like a good plan. I’ll make sure she’s safe from everyone, including me,” he vowed.
Joe got his suitcase and went down to Anne’s old room. He locked the door and then slid a chair under the door knob to keep other wandering drunks out.
John looked down at Anne dozing in the chair. He lifted her up and carried her to the bed. He pulled off her shoes and gently shook her awake. He pulled a nightgown out of her suitcase. “Come on. Anne, you need to get ready for bed,” he urged. She was so looped, she began pulling her clothes off and dropping them on the floor. John turned his back, but he clearly saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror. He stared in fascination as he watched her undressing. He gazed in wonder at the beautiful perfection of her body. Slowly she pulled the gown over her head, shielding her naked body from his admiring gaze.
He turned the covers down and tried to lay her down on the bed. Anne reached up and put her arms around his neck. She began to tremble and she clung to him, “Please, don’t leave me alone here tonight. I’m so scared and nervous,” she begged. “Please hold me until I go to sleep.”
John looked down at her face. He felt her body nestled against his. Her mouth was slightly parted. Like a magnet drawing iron filings, he felt this mouth being drawn down lower and lower until his lips covered hers. She stirred in his arms and he parted her lips and tasted the warm sweetness of her mouth. She moaned and moved closer to his body. She sank back down on the bed, pulling him down on top of her. He lay there feeling his body pressing against hers. She felt so warm and delightful. He longed to possess her. He felt every fiber of his being wanting desperately to reach out and make love to her. The smell of her hair and the warm fragrance of her body filled him with intense desire. His whole body screamed for fulfillment that only her body could provide. He stared at her sweet innocent face He wanted her so much. He knew she would not resist him or refuse him anything that night. For a moment, he tottered on the edge of his passion and desire. With a groan, he forced himself to move away from her delightfully ready body. He slipped out of her embrace and covered her body with a blanket. He gently bent down and kissed her one last time.
He left her sleeping there and went in and took a cold shower. He gradually regained control of his body, before he climbed into the other bed and tried to get to sleep. Even back when they met for coffee at the children’s hospital, he had felt much more for her than he had ever allowed himself to think about or admit. After tossing and turning, he finally realized the real reason why he had not taken her there that night. He respected her and he was in love with her. He was afraid if he took advantage of her
helplessness and had made love to her that night, she would never forgive him, trust him, or see him again. He didn’t want her body for just one night. He wanted all of her for the rest of his life. He wanted to make love to her forever. He wanted to possess her, to love her, to live with her, to marry her, and to spend the rest of his life loving her.
What he wanted most in the world was her love, but as long as he was involved with Marco, he knew he could never tell her how much he loved her. One day, when the job was all over and finished, he would tell her and ask her to marry him. Until then, it wasn’t safe to let her get too close. He had been able to stop this time, but he was afraid he would not be able to stop if he touched her again. He lay for a long time listening to her breathe until he finally fell into a restless sleep.
About 8 am, the phone rang; John quickly reached over and grabbed it on the second ring. He looked over and saw Anne was still sleeping peacefully in the other bed.
“Hello,” he answered quietly.
“John, this is Joe. Sorry to call so early, but I wasn’t sure what our plans are for today. Are we going to have a chance to talk to Marco about getting together with him? Our boss, Bob Watson, just called about our progress, and I didn’t know what to tell him,” Joe said.
“I don’t know how what happened last night will affect our chance to get into his organization. This isn’t something we can rush. We have to be patient and get his trust before he’ll open up to us. If Bob isn‘t satisfied with what we are doing or how we are doing it, tell him to get someone else to take over this assignment. I’m burned out, and you can tell him that for me,” John growled.
“Hey, don’t bite my head off. I’m just the messenger. I know the danger and how careful we have to be. This isn’t my cup of tea either, but I think we can do a better job than anyone else in our department. That’s the only reason I’m still hanging in here,” Joe replied.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I don’t like having Anne mixed up in this. I sure don’t want to see her get hurt or messed up with this place. She is really a very sweet and innocent girl. I’ll feel better when we get her out of this place,” John explained.
“How is she doing this morning?” Joe asked.
“She’s still sleeping. I want to let her get a little more rest. She’s really had a rough time the last few months. I feel sorry for her being exposed to that whole mess last night. It amazed me that she could read lips like that. She may have saved our lives as well as Marco’s. If we had left with him last night to go to his office, we’d probably be dead now. I want to get her out of here as soon as possible,” John said.
“I’m going down to the café and get some coffee and read the newspaper. Give me a call when you figure out what to do,” Joe said.
When John hung up the phone, he looked over and drank in the beautiful sight of Anne’s sleeping in the other bed. He wanted so much to walk over and touch her and kiss her awake. She was an incredible Sleeping Beauty, but he was the first to admit that he was no Prince Charming. While he was watching her, she sighed and stirred in her sleep. He walked over and looked down at her. She moved restlessly and the cover slipped down revealing her breasts hidden only by the sheerest lacy material. He forced himself to walk away. He sat down at the table and waited for her to wake up. He heard her moving and he looked over at her again.
Anne opened her eyes and stretched lazily. She looked over and saw John sitting at the table. She was momentarily disoriented. Slowly vague memories of the previous night began drifting into her consciousness. She couldn’t connect all the thoughts. As she grew wider awake, it suddenly dawned on her that she was lying in bed and John was in the room with her. She glanced down and saw she was in her nightgown. She couldn’t remember much of anything after leaving the bar with John, Joe, and Marco. Her memory of the events of the afternoon and evening began falling into place. Her head felt fuzzy and it was hard for her to fully awaken. She pulled the blanket up covering her partially exposed body. Her mind was full of disjointed memories. Or were they just fragments of dreams? Some of them were more vivid than others, but she struggled to understand what had happened during the night.
She looked over and saw John was watching her. She struggled to sit up but felt dizzy. He looked at her and smiled. “How are you feeling this morning?” he asked.
Anne smiled shyly and said, “I don’t know. I can’t get my mind to fully wake up? What time is it, and how did I end up here in this room?
“I’m not surprised that you are feeling fuzzy this morning,” John said. “Here’s a cup of coffee. It might help you get your mind unconfused.”
Anne took the cup of warm coffee and took a drink. She suddenly remembered drinking a red liquid last night that had warmed her and relaxed her. She smiled, “Thanks, that does help. I’ve never had this much trouble waking up before. I don’t know why I feel so groggy,” she added.
“I think I can explain a lot of it,” he said. “Last night, did you eat dinner?”
“I don’t think so. I was taking a nap and somebody came in my room. I remember running down the hall and bumping into you. Then we went to a nightclub. I didn’t eat dinner there, did I?”
“That’s part of the problem. You were also very tired from driving to San Jose and from San Jose to here and from the nervous tension of helping Tracie’s mom. Then you had car trouble and ended up staying here at this hotel. After the excitement at the nightclub last night, Marco gave you something to drink. I’m not positive, but I think it was some very old, very strong brandy. I’ll bet you don’t normally drink alcohol, do you? Truthfully, you had passed out last night by the time we got here to the room. In your condition, there was no way we would leave you alone in a room in this place, not after your run in with the drunken man. You were overtired, had no food in your stomach, and you drank three glasses of strong liquor. To put it mildly, you were totally drunk.” John explained with an amused chuckle
“Now it’s beginning to come back to me, but there are still lots of gaps in my memory,” Anne said blushing.
“What do you want to know? I’ll tell you the truth if you want me to,” John said.
“Please tell me the truth. Always tell me the truth. I can’t remember what happened after I got into this room. I have vague memories, but I can’t tell what is real and what is dream. I don’t know if I did anything I…” she stammered and stopped. She looked like she was about to cry.
“Anne, you didn’t do anything wrong. After we were in the room, I woke you up. You got undressed and I tucked you in your bed. I slept in the other bed. Joe slept in your old room. I wanted to sleep with you, but if I took advantage of you when you were helpless and vulnerable, I’d be worse than that drunk who broke into your room. You are very beautiful, and I am a man. I’ll be honest, I wanted to make love you, but you are my friend, someone I care about and respect. You asked me to hold you until you fell asleep, because you were feeling scared and upset by all that had happened. I did hold you close until you fell asleep, and I kissed you goodnight. You did nothing wrong. You have nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. Does that clear things up for you?” he asked gently.
She looked at him with tears in her eyes. He sat down on the bed beside her. He gently wiped away her tears. “Do you have any other questions?” he asked.
“No, John. Thanks for being my friend and my protector. I don’t know what to say except thank you,” she murmured.
“Joe went down to get some coffee and breakfast. When you feel up to it, we can go down and see if Marco is ready to talk to us. He was going to check on your car. Hopefully, he can get it fixed for you. If your car can’t be fixed, Joe and I are driving back to Los Angeles today and we can drive you home. I won’t leave you stranded here alone. Now that I found you again, I don’t want to lose contact with you. I hope you’ll let me be your friend when we get back home. I’
ve really missed our talks over coffee. Maybe you’d even allow me to take you out to dinner. I am so sorry I wasn’t there when your father died. Can we be friends?” he asked humbly.
“We already are friends. You’re my very special, dear friend, John. Only a true friend would have taken such good care of me last night. I’ve missed talking to you so much. I wanted to find you, but I wasn’t sure how to do it. Sometimes I feel so lonely and long for someone safe to talk to. I hope we can still be friends and see each other when we get back to LA,” she said.
“I’d love to see you and talk to you, Anne. You are very special to me. I want us to become even closer friends,” John admitted. He looked at his watch and asked, "Do you want me to get out while you get out of bed and get dressed?”
“I’ll just get in and take a quick shower and get dressed in the bathroom. You’re welcome to stay here. After all, it is your room,” she added with a laugh.
John turned away while she got out of the bed. She had left her suitcase in the bathroom, so she scooted in and in a short time, John heard the shower running.
John shook his head as he thought about what he had told Anne. It was correct, Anne had not done anything she would be ashamed of, but he had not told the absolute truth. He wasn’t nearly as noble as she believed. He could remember every detail from feeling her warm and alive under his body. He was honest enough to admit that he did not regret anything he had seen or felt while she was lying in the bed last night. He would treasure the memory of her body and the sweet kisses they had shared. It only made him want to win her love so he could complete what he had wanted to do that night.
John was still lost in those forbidden thoughts when Anne walked out of the bathroom. She was dressed in a pair of cream colored slacks with a blue scoop-necked sweater with seed pearls around the neckline. The color of her top brought out the beautiful blue shade of her eyes. She had pulled her hair back into a French braid down her back. She looked so gorgeous, he whistled when he saw her.
“Thanks for the whistle. I needed that this morning,” she laughed.
She walked over and hugged him. He breathed in the sweet floral smell of her perfume. He hugged her and held her a moment longer than necessary for a friendly hug. He looked at her mouth and started to kiss her. When he started to pull back, she touched his face and brought her lips up to meet his. She kissed him tenderly. “Good morning, John. Thanks for being my friend.”
“Does this mean we can be ‘kissing’ friends?” John asked with a smile.
She kissed him again. “I guess it does,” she added with a playful wink.
John handed Anne the slip of paper Marco had given to him last night. She read it carefully and picked up the room phone. She dialed Marco’s private number.
“Good morning, my angel,” he said when he heard her voice. “Have you eaten yet? I’ll meet you and your friends in the café in 15 minutes. We can talk about your car over breakfast,” he suggested.
“That sounds great to me,” Anne said before hanging up the phone. “I hope you don’t mind, but Marco suggested meeting for breakfast at the café. He said he had some information about my car. Is that OK with you?” she asked.
“Sure. I’ll call and let Joe know.” John called Joe’s cell phone and they agreed to meet in the lobby in ten minutes. When they met in the lobby, John said, ‘Meeting Marco for breakfast was great. We didn’t even known if Marco was going to talk to us about our business proposition. This is more than we had hoped for. We are thrilled to be included.”
Joe, John, and Anne sat in the lobby for a few minutes, not wanting to arrive at the café too early. As they waited, Luigi, one of Marco’s body guards, walked up to them.
He walked over and spoke quietly to Anne. “I want to apologize for my language last night. I’m sorry that it embarrassed you. Of course, I had no idea you could see what I was saying,” he added with a sheepish grin.
Anne smiled and said, “Thanks. I hope I didn’t get you in trouble.”
Luigi shrugged and smiled, “Mr. M was so happy and amazed that he was still alive, he forgot to reprimand me about it. I am here to escort you to your meeting with Mr. M.”
Luigi led them through the lobby, passed the bar and pool room. At 11 AM the bar and pool room were open, but only a few men were inside. The lights were all on, and she glanced curiously inside as they walked along the open doorway. Two of the men she had seen last night with Luigi were standing just inside the last doorway. They greeted Luigi and smiled and nodded at her. She shyly smiled back.
When they came to the entrance to the Café, Luigi led them inside to a private dining room at the right side of the main dining area. He opened the door revealing a round table set for five. It was beautifully arranged. There was a bouquet of red, yellow, and blue flowers in the center of the table. Crystal water glasses, delicate china plates, cups, and silverware were arranged at each place. Next to the plates were linen napkins folded into the shape of birds. There was a card with the flowers. Anne’s name was neatly printed on the outside. She opened the envelope and removed the card. Inside she read, in the same neat handwriting, “Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady. Thanks, my sweet angel, for everything. With appreciation and love, Marco”. John watched Anne’s expression while she read the note. When she handed it to him to read, he read it silently. He clenched his teeth when he saw the ‘with love’ closing. He put the card on the table and reached out and took possession of her hand.
Anne squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. She noticed his stiff posture, and asked, “Is something wrong? Are you upset?”
“Sorry, I was just wondering what he’s learned about your car. When he said we were meeting in a café, I expected something like a coffee shop. This is very fancy for a breakfast meeting,” John said with a shrug.
Before Anne could comment, the door opened and Marco entered followed by Luigi. Marco walked over to Anne’s side. “Good morning, Angel,” he said. He reached out, took her hand and gently kissed it. “How are you feeling this morning? You look very beautiful today,” he added gallantly.
Anne blushed and answered, “I feel better now than I did last night. Thank you for the beautiful flowers and card. I am so impressed by the beauty of this room. I’ve never seen such a lovely table setting, except in home decorating magazines. I am definitely not used to dining in such an elegant setting,” she said smiling warmly at him.
“You should always be surrounded by such beauty,” he said. “Come, let’s sit down,” he said holding out a chair for her. He sat down in the chair on her left. John quickly sat down on her right side. Joe and Luigi sat at the other places.
As soon as they were seated, two servers came in: one filled their water goblets and coffee cups; while the other gave them menus.
Marco lightly touched Anne’s hand. Anne turned and smiled at him. “Order whatever you like. All the food here is very good, or so I’m told.” He returned her smile and stared intently at her face. Anne demurely lowered her eyes when she realized he was staring at her.
John watched Marco with growing suspicion and jealousy when he noticed Marco was still touching Ann’s hand. John cleared his throat. Anne looked at him. She reached over and squeezed John’s hand, but she didn’t pull her left hand away from Marco’s touch. John smiled and asked, “Have you decided what you want to eat?”
“Well, since I forgot to eat dinner last night, I’m hungry this morning. All of the choices look so good, it is hard to decide. I think I’d like the French toast breakfast with fresh fruit. French toast was one of my favorite treats when I was a little girl. It was one of the few things my father could cook better than Momma,” she added with a smile.
Marco nodded and the waitress hurried over and took their orders. When she brought a small crystal glass with a bright red color liquid inside, Anne eyed it warily. She looked at Marco and teased him playfully, “I
hope this isn’t as strong and as devastating as the drink you gave me last night. I don’t know what that was, but it had a real kick to it, especially since I never drink anything more than a small glass of wine at dinner,” she added looking up at Marco.
Marco laughed and shook his head apologetically, “Sorry, my angel, I am not used to people who don’t drink a lot. I hope it didn’t cause you any problems last night. This is just cranberry juice,” he said quietly and glanced over at John.
Anne laughed and shook her head. “If I ever need something to help me sleep, I’d like to get some of that stuff. What was it anyway? I slept soundly all night, but I had a hard time getting my mind to wake up this morning.”
“That was brandy. After what happened in the lounge, you looked like you needed something to calm your nerves. I should have been more observant. I will know better next time,” he said.
After the food was served, the conversation was light and pleasant. Nothing of any importance was discussed.
“That was really delicious, Marco,” Anne said as she folded her napkin and put it down beside her plate.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it, but you didn’t finish it,” he noticed.
“That’s enough food to stuff a sumo wrestler. If I ate that much every day, I’d look like a sumo wrestler in no time. I can’t eat another bite,” she said smiling warmly at him.
After they finished eating, their plates were quickly removed. Fresh coffee and water were poured for each of them.
Anne looked at Marco and asked shyly, “Did you find out anything about my car yet?”
“Yes, Anne. I had a long talk with the mechanic and the manager of the garage. You didn’t tell me what kind of car you were driving. Is it true that it is over 20 years old, has been driven more than two hundred thousand miles, and has a lot of mechanical problems?” Marco asked.
Anne replied, “Yes, my father bought it for my mom when I was a little girl. It’s been in our family ever since then. We never had much money. So first it was Momma’s car. After she died, Papa drove it. When I started college, he passed it along to me. By then it was like a member of the family. We even named it “Clunker”, because it has kept plugging along all these years. We talked about trading it in, but there was always something we needed more.”
Marco listened carefully, nodding his head to indicate he heard and understood. He finally spoke, “I hate to tell you this, Angel, but it isn’t really worth repairing. Parts are almost impossible to find. Even if they could be found, it would cost too much to fix and probably would just break down again.”
“I was afraid that’s what you’d say. I understand and agree with you and the mechanic. John and Joe said they could drive me back to Los Angeles when they leave today. I just don’t know what to do with ‘Clunker.’”
“My angel,” he said, “I have a proposition for you”
John looked startled and glared at Marco.
“What do you mean?” Anne asked.
“I would like to have your car. In exchange, I have a business associate in Hollywood who owes me a big favor. He owns a car dealership.I’ve already made arrangements with him to supply you with a car of your choice. We’ve narrowed it down to the four used cars that we think would be best for you. There are no strings attached. I will give it to you in exchange for your old car. When you get back to Los Angeles, call the car dealer and he’ll fix you up with a good, reliable car,” Marco explained.
Marco handed Anne a file folder with the car information. Her hands trembled when she opened it and took out his notes. Anne began scanning the notes while John leaned over and studied them. Anne looked up at him. They were both amazed when the saw how new and perfect they sounded.
Anne put the papers back in the folder, and handed it back to Marco. “These are all too new and expensive. I can’t afford one of these cars. They are almost new,” she exclaimed. “Even when I sell Dad’s house, it is more than I could afford.”
“Somehow, I expected you to say that, but, Anne, there aren’t many 20 year old Clunkers still running , Even if I could find a duplicate to give you, you’d still have an old junky car. You saved my life last night. What you did for me last night was worth more to me than the cost of all those cars combined. I have more money than I can ever spend. I wanted to give you a brand new car, but I knew you’d flatly refuse that. I feel partly responsible for your problem. I can’t prove it, but I suspect your car was disabled by one of the guys at the garage. I’ve heard similar complaints before. Since I can’t repair your old car, I insist on making sure you have a safe, reliable vehicle to drive. It would give me great pleasure to do this small service for you, my sweet angel.
“I don’t know what to say or do. This is too much,” she stammered.
Marco smiled at her, “Just say yes!” Marco looked at John and asked, “What do you think, John? Should she accept one of the cars?”
John had mixed feelings. He wanted Anne to have a safe newer car to drive, but he didn’t want her to be obligated to Marco. He looked quickly at Anne. “What he says makes a lot of sense. If you had not been here and stopped the plot to kill him last night, his money wouldn’t be worth anything to him. I understand how he feels. If I had the money, l'd give you a car, but there’s no way I can do that. He wants you to have it. He has the money to do it. He is old enough to know what he wants to do. It won’t cause him any hardship. Anne, you need to do what you want to do, but I think you should accept his offer.”
Marco took her hand in his. “Please let me do this for you. It will make this old man very happy.”
When Anne looked up at Marco, she had tears in her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you. This is so much more than I ever dreamed about. If you’re sure this is what you want to do, I will accept your offer,” Anne agreed.
Marco hugged her and kissed her cheek. Marco kept his arms around Anne longer than John thought he should. He kept watching Marco trying to decide what Marco’s real motives were for his offer to give Anne a car. John’s cynical side kept telling him, there had to be something in it for Marco.
After they finished the coffee, Marco asked John and Joe what they wanted to talk to him about. They both hesitated and glanced at Anne. Marco noticed and understood that they didn’t want to talk about it in front of her.
Marco said, “Luigi, please take Anne over to the garage. I’m sure there are some papers or personal things in the glove compartment or trunk she might want to retrieve from her car before she leaves today. Help Anne collect her things. When you are finished, give her a short tour of our hotel and spa while I visit with these gentlemen” The men stood up while Anne and Luigi walked out of the room.
After Anne left The Café’s private room, John said, “Thanks, for sending her away. I really don’t want Anne getting involved in this. Joe and I are tired of working hard and getting nowhere. We want to work for you and start making some big money fast. We’ve heard you’re the top man is this area. We want to get into your organization. We’re not fussy about the kind of work we do. We’re just tired of working for peanuts!” John spat out.
Marco listened intently and watched their body language. Something just didn’t feel right to him. “Let me think about it. I don’t have anything special going right now that needs new workers, but I will keep you in mind,” he promised. “You said you’d do any kind of work. What if I need you to get rid of those three guys from last night?”
“We’ve both got guns and know how to use them. I was an expert marksman in the military. I’ve killed men before, and I can do it again. We were hoping for more regular work, but anything is possible, if the price is right,” John answered.
Marco called in two of his other men. He told them to show John and Joe around the resort in case he decided to hire them to work for him later.
After they left, Marco noticed Anne’s bouquet was still on the table. He carried it to th
e reception desk so she wouldn’t forget to take them home with her. He called Luigi’s cell phone and told him to bring Anne to his office as soon as they were finished. “I want some time alone with her without those two guys hanging around,” he said. Next he called and told the other two guys to keep John and Joe busy for a couple of hours, but not to tell them anything private about his organization.
About twenty minutes later, Luigi and Anne returned to the lobby. They left the small box of things from Anne’s old car at the desk. He guided her up to Marco’s office and then returned to the poolroom across from the lobby’s registration desk. When John and Joe returned to the lobby, they looked around for Anne. They asked about her at the hotel registration counter. The clerk said he thought she was still looking around the hotel and would probably be back in a few minutes. He suggested they might want to go get their things from Room 388 so they could check out and be ready to leave when Anne returned. They decided that was a good plan and headed up to get their luggage. John found a few things Anne had left in the bathroom. He put them in her suitcase. He checked the room again. Nothing had been overlooked as far as he could tell. They gathered everything up and walked back down to the lobby and sat down.
After a few more minutes, John walked back to the main desk and asked about her again. The clerk said he would ask the staff to look for her. John began wandering around the lobby. He checked in the bar, and then he returned to sit near Joe. “Luigi is sitting in the bar, but Anne’s not with him. He said he didn’t know where she was now, but he’d check on it. I don’t like this, Joe. I don’t trust anyone in this place, especially not where she’s concerned.”
Joe reassured him, “Calm down. Since Marco has his guys all around here, she’s probably safer here than in her own apartment.”
John glanced around anxiously, “I hope you’re right, maybe no one will bother her, but who will protect her from Marco?” he asked suspiciously.
After Luigi took her to Marco’s office, Marco led her over to a pair of leather chairs. He sat down across from her and smiled. He looked intently at her and said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to have some time alone with you, my angel. I still cannot believe what miracle brought you into my life. I know it can’t be to reward me for anything good that I’ve done. My life has not been a good one. When I was young, I thought my life would be much different than it turned out. I was raised in a good home, but I drifted off the right path after my beloved wife and our beautiful little daughter died.”
Anne reached out and took his hand in hers. “How terribly sad that you lost your wife and daughter. I feel so lonely and devastated by the loss of my father. I can’t even begin to imagine how terrible that must have been for you,” she said as tears sparkled in her eyes.
“I think you have noticed that I have been staring at you. I know you felt it earlier today and looked away at the café. I have been looking at you since we first met. My little Angela would have been about your age now. When I look at you, I see the same sweet innocence in your face and eyes that used to steal my heart. Your smile and laugh remind me so much of my beautiful daughter. Physically you do not look the same. She had the warmest brown eyes so full of intelligence and sparkle. Her hair was dark brown just like her beautiful mother, Sophia, my wife and the love of my life,” he continued.
“I can see in your eyes and in the way you speak of them that they were very special people. My mother died when I was a child, and my father talked of my mother with the same tone and words that you use. He never stopped loving her. Even when he held my hand on the night he died, he spoke of his love for her and how much he had missed her. He’s with her now and I know they are happy and together again. That thought comforts me more than anything else. Love like that is never forgotten. I’m so sorry for all the losses you’ve had,” Anne added quietly.
Marco spoke softly with emotion in his voice. “I can’t explain what I’m feeling or how meeting you has changed me. When I look at you I realize how you miraculously appeared and saved my life. I feel like a sweet beautiful part of her life entered into my heart when you sat here last night. I can’t explain how deeply you have touched my heart and soul, my sweet angel. That’s why I keep staring at you and why I have slipped and called you my beautiful Angel. Her name was Angela, but when she was tiny, I would look at her face and call her ‘my Sweet Angel.’ Perhaps I am just a foolish, lonely old man, but you have changed my heart. I know I have no right to suggest this, but you have recently lost your father, and I have lost my beautiful angel. Today, I feel almost like I have found my precious little girl again. I would feel very proud and honored if you would think of me as your substitute father and let me be your friend and helper,” Marco said humbly as he looked deep into her eyes.
“Marco, I am so touched by your words. I sense so much love in you that I believe you have not shown to others. I loved my father so much, and I miss him terribly,” Anne said.
Marco interrupted her, “I am not trying to replace your father. He is your father, and I know Angela is my daughter. We cannot replace them; they will always be what they were to us in life. I would just like to stay in touch with you. It broke my heart when you talked about feeling so lonely and not having anyone to talk to who cared you were alive. Many times, even surrounded by many other people, I have felt the same emptiness and longed for someone that I could trust and talk to. In my business, we don’t talk about personal things. I don’t think anyone in my whole organization, except Luigi and his brother who grew up where I did, even knows I had a wife and daughter. I have told you more about myself in these few hours since we met than I have told to anyone ever before. We come from totally different backgrounds, but I feel like you can understand me and the loneliness I’ve felt most of my life.”
“I think I do understand some of what you feel. Marco, I do care about you. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I’d be happy to keep in contact with you, but how can that happen? I live in Santa Monica and you live up here. There’s no telling when, or if, I’ll travel up this way again for years,” Anne said.
“This is my private phone number. Please call me. I’d love to talk to you anytime about anything. If you feel lonely in the evening or even late at night or in the morning, please call me. If it is all right with you, may I call you some evenings to see how you are feeling? There are no strings or conditions. If you decide later that you don’t want to keep in touch any longer, just tell me, and I’ll stop calling. No matter what happens later, the car is yours to keep. It has nothing to do with what I’ve told you tonight. I don’t know how to explain it, but I care more about you right now than I have cared about anyone since Sophia and Angela died. I love you like a daughter. I’m sure that sounds crazy, since we just met last night, but that’s what I feel,” Marco said brokenly.
“Dear Marco, I’m flattered and pleased that you want to be part of my life. We are so different in many ways, and yet my heart understands and cares. I would be honored to have you as my ‘adopted father,’ and I will try to be a good ‘daughter’” to you,” Anne said.
Anne knelt down in front of his chair. She reached out and hugged him close. She kissed his forehead. He put his arms around her and hugged her. When they separated, both of them had tears running down their faces. She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out some clean tissues. She wiped away his tears and kissed him on the cheek. For several minutes, they sat holding hands and talking quietly.
When Marco’s cell phone rang, Anne startled at the noise. He listened silently. He said “Thanks,” and hung up the phone. “Your friends are in the lobby and are waiting impatiently for you. I know you have a long journey and need to get home and rest before going back to work. I will call you soon. I want to hear all about the car you choose and how your life is going. Please call me anytime. The words ‘thank you’ are not strong enough to say all I feel. I’ll
say goodbye to you here, if you don’t mind. Being seen crying is not good for my reputation,” he said with a sheepish grin.
Marco walked her to the door. He hugged her again. Anne reached up and wiped away another tear. Just before leaving, she kissed him on the cheek.
“Take care of yourself, my dear ‘papa,’” Anne said as she walked out of Marco’s room.