Darlings (16 page)

“Hey, they were left over from the fifties.
The fifties were some good years,” Pete teased. 

“I bet they were,” Gwen said. She wondered
what he was like in the fifties. Greased hair, t-shirts with
pockets, cigarettes.  

“So, I thought we’d go to Amelio’s. What do
you think?” Pete asked. While pulling out of the driveway, Gwen
peered at him through the corner of her eye. His square jaw gave
way to that pointed boyish chin completed with a slight dimple. He
wasn’t perfectly clean shaven, but wasn’t really in need of a shave
either. Somewhere in between, she figured. He had the most delicate
lips for a man of his stature. His dark thick eyebrows sat
perfectly above his intense sparkling emerald eyes. He drove with
one hand on the vintage steering wheel and the other sat on the
shifter. Amelio’s sounded perfect. After all, it was her favorite
upscale restaurant and club. 

“Sounds great.” The familiar restaurant
reminded her of her brothers. “What are the boys up to tonight?”
she asked. 

“They were going to camp outside tonight,”
Pete added. 

“Oh,” Gwen stated looking out her window.
Pete could see the worry on her face. 

“They’ll be fine. I’m sure Tina will have one
of her firefly shows. Mike will love it. She has the bugs line up
and put on shows sometimes.” 

“Thanks,” she said. 

“For?” 

“Making me feel better, and being so good to
the boys. I don’t even think Mike is missing home.”

“Of course.” He shifted. “It has to be hard
on them.” 

“Do you think my parents are ok?” she asked
ringing her hands together.

“Yah they’re fine. Your dad thinks you guys
went to stay with your aunt Patty,” he said looking in his review
mirror. 

“What if they go to Amelio’s tonight?” Gwen
fretted aloud. She didn’t want to see her mother. She wasn’t sure
whether she would hug her and cry, or scream at her for keeping so
many secrets. 

“They’re not, your dad’s…busy.” 

Gwen knew what Pete wasn’t saying. As many
times as she knew her father was unfaithful to her mother, it never
got any easier to swallow. 

“So I guess we should talk about today huh…”
Gwen confessed. “Ash said you already know…” Gwen clicked her
fingernails together, anxiously awaiting his response. 

“I do…” he said calmly. 

“Yah…I’m sorry. I know you told me not
to…” 

“I know it’s tempting to use your ability
here. Trust me, I’ve been in enough sticky situations myself…It’s
just different when it’s… you. I would never forgive myself if
something happened to you.” Pete peered intensely ahead. “After
all, I’ve kept you safe for this long, what a waste of effort if
you kicked the bucket now,” he smiled, not taking his eyes off the
road. 

Gwen breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t mad
at her. She tried to change the subject quickly. “What was life
like in the forties?” she asked mostly to avoid any awkward
silence, but it was one of her favorite eras to study. 

Pete sighed. “The forties were fun. Times
were tough for a lot of people. I enlisted that year for the first
time.” 

“You were in the military?” She was surprised
Pete would risk his life for people in this world when it wasn’t
even his home.

“Special Forces. I couldn’t ignore what was
going on under Hitler’s regime.” 

Gwen turned to face him in her seat. “You
were actually there? I mean, there liberating the Jews?” Gwen was
fascinated by stories from concentration camps during World War II.
The sheer hell those people endured. Sickening what mankind was
capable of. 

“Yes. I was there…” Pete trailed off,
clenching his jaw. 

Sensing his discomfort, Gwen changed the
subject. “I bet you were pretty smooth in the fifties, did you
dance?” 

Pete laughed. “Yah I tore it up every once in
a while. Some great times in the fifties.” 

“Teach me how to jive someday?” Gwen moved
her hands in a sad attempt at a hand jive. 

Chuckling, Pete said, “Sure, if you promise
never to do that again.” 

She giggled. “Deal…so does this thing have a
radio?” Turning knobs on the dash she managed to find the power
button. A beautiful slow big band era song filled their
ears. 

“What is this?” she asked. 

“You can change it if you want. I personally
am fond of music from the forties. Could never get into the new
stuff.” 

Gwen listened for a second as the man sang in
a low, silky voice,
Do you think I’ll remember how you looked
when you smile? Only forever, that’s puttin” it mild
. She
smiled, “I love this. What is it?

“Bing Crosby. Only forever…” he made eye
contact with her and she blushed. 

 They drove in silence for a while
listening. She attempted to steal glimpses of him out of the corner
of her eye. He caught her and chuckled. They arrived at Amelio’s,
but drove past. 

“You missed it,” she said turning
around. 

“I said we were eating at Amelio's, and
that’s what we’re going to do,” he answered
mischievously. 

“Where are we going?” she begged. 

“Oh, hold on we’re almost there.” 

They drove onto a country road and came to a
long lane that led to an old bed and breakfast. The house was huge
and red with a white wraparound porch and matching deck. It looked
like a Victorian dollhouse with its scalloped peaks and decorative
windows. An elderly couple was sitting on their porch in wicker
rocking chairs. The woman put down her embroidery when she saw the
car approaching. Her white hair was brushed back into a perfect
bun, and she wore a blue floral apron. Deep lines covered her aged
face and her blue eyes sparkled with delight. She nudged her
sleeping husband whose hat was pulled down over his eyes. He awoke
with a fright. Noticing the car, he smiled and they headed down the
stairs. 

Pete parked the car in the grass in front of
the house. “Ready?” he asked.

 “Where are we?” she began, but before
she could finish her question Pete was already out of the car and
walking around to her side. He opened the door and took her hand.
“Thanks,” she said confused.

“Oh, Petren, Petren, Petren!” the woman said
in an accent foreign to Gwen. Maybe Italian? She grabbed Pete and
hugged him tightly. “You told us your Gwen was beautiful but look
at her, Alfie. Oh my, my, my!” She ran her hand over Gwen’s styled
hair and took her by the shoulders examining her face, a little
close for Gwen’s comfort. “You are just striking my dear!”

“Thank you.” Gwen smiled. 

“Maria, let the girl breathe,” The man warned
grinning from behind her. He took his wife by the shoulder and
pulled her close to him. His grey mustache twitched as he
talked. 

Pete presented Gwen formally, “Mr. and Mrs.
Amelio, meet Gwendylon. Gwendylon Mr. and Mrs. Amelio.” 

“Nice you meet you both,” Gwen
added. 

“Oh you too sweetheart.” Mrs. Amelio warmly
responded.

“Mr. and Mrs. Amelio were the restaurant’s
original founders, now their grandson runs it.” Pete
said. 

Gwen thought that explained a lot. “Well, I
love your restaurant. It is by far my favorite,” she
complemented. 

“Thank you dear. We poured our hearts into
the place. It’s different now with the club and bar attached than
we envisioned but I guess that’s what attracts the young people
these days,”  Mr. Amelio explained. 

“Well let’s not keep these two here talking
with us old people. The…uh….dinner table is ready for you Petren.”
Mrs. Amelio winked. 

“Thank you Maria. Well join me this way
Gwen?” Pete extended his arm and Gwen took it. They walked down the
dirt path that disappeared into the trees. 

Mrs. Amelio folded her hands and held them
close to her chest eyes welling up with tears. 

“Come on Maria. Let the two be.” Mr. Amelio
laughed as the teary eyed woman reluctantly followed her husband
inside. 

“They seem so sweet,” Gwen said looking up at
Pete. 

“They are. They’ve been good to me. I met
Maria’s grandmother years ago in Italy, though they of course have
no idea. Sweet girl. We were friends for some time and kept in
touch through letters.”

Gwen wondered if this was a friend or
girlfriend. She knew it didn’t matter, she wasn’t even born, but
she was curious. “What happened to her?”

 She got married and they started a
vineyard. Had five little dark haired children. I visited for a
while, but of course that couldn’t keep going on. She was realizing
I looked the same as the day we met. We wrote for nearly sixty
years. One day her letters stopped coming and I heard she had
passed away.” Pete slid his hands into his pockets, looking down as
he spoke. 

“That’s so sad,” Gwen said. 

“It’s life.” 

They came to a bridge that crossed over a
small creek. Gwen stopped. A two story Victorian gazebo sat
perfectly on the other side of the bridge. It was cream on the
bottom with wrap around stairs that led to the yellow top half.
White Christmas lights were strung daintily around it and a white
table, decorated with candles and blush roses, sat perfectly in the
middle of the bottom layer.

“Is this for us?” Gwen could have kicked
herself. Of course it was for them. 

“Yes, if it’s ok?” Pete asked. 

“It’s more than ok. This is probably the most
beautiful thing I have ever seen. It’s so…perfect!” she said
excitedly. 

“Well let’s go, after you,” he said as they
crossed the white wooden bridge into the gazebo. He pulled out the
ornate white chair for her and she sat as he took his place across
from her. Sliding the flower arrangement aside he said, “I hope
it’s okay, but I ordered for you.” 

Gwen giggled. “What did you get?” 

“The chicken saltimbocca?” 

“Perfect.” She should have known he’d order
her favorite. 

Soon Mrs. Amelio arrived carrying two glasses
and a pitcher of ice water. “Well you two like the set up?” she
asked joyously. “I had Alfie string lights. Thought it added a
romantic touch.”

“They’re wonderful Mrs. Amelio,” Gwen said
politely admiring Alfie’s work once more. 

“Oh call me Maria, bella,” she said. 
“Oh ok, Maria bella.” Gwen said.

Maria and Pete laughed but Gwen was confused.
“What?” she asked. 

“Bella is beautiful in Italian dear. My
fault,” Maria confessed through her thick accent.

Gwen could feel her cheeks turn pink. “Oh.
Just Maria then,” she corrected. Now even more nervous, Gwen
smoothed her dress on her lap and shivered as Maria filled their
water glasses. It was a gorgeous night for October but still chilly
none the less.

 “Want to see something fancy?” the old
woman asked as she walked behind Gwen and bent down to turn a
switch. “I had Alfie install this last year. We old people get cold
out here.” Gwen turned and noticed a little electric fireplace
glowing behind her, adding a beautiful ambience as well as much
needed heat. “Seems odd to heat the outside, but I love sitting
beside it out here. Now what to drink my dears?” she asked. “Have a
fresh batch of apple cider? I know it’s not fancy but-”

“That sounds perfect,” Gwen stated.

Pete grinned. “Apple cider it is, Maria.” She
winked and headed toward the house. 

“Where are Andrew and Tok?” Gwen wondered
aloud. 

“They went to Amelio’s. Didn’t think we
needed an audience tonight.” Gwen pictured Andrew and Tok sitting
at the bar. Amelio’s was always packed with young single women and
men. She wondered if they’d be social or sit back and observe in
protective mode. 

“Will we be okay without them? I mean isn’t
it possible the-” she lowered her voice, “They…will
attack?” 

He leaned in close and whispered
sarcastically, “We’re taking a risk.” 

Gwen sighed and rolled her eyes. “Seriously.
I’ve seen you in action enough to know you’re not just going to let
us be put in danger.” 

He looked offended, though Gwen knew he
wasn’t. “Alright. I had Tina enchant the gazebo.” 

Gwen was puzzled. “But the Amelio’s can see
us?” 

“Tina covertly got them to breath in some
dust,” he answered taking a drink of his water. Gwen liked the way
he closed his eyes as he drank. 

Soon, Mrs. Amelio returned with the beverages
and was followed by Alfie carrying their dinner. “Alright my
children, dinner is served.” He sat two covered plates in front of
them. “Enjoy,” he said taking a bow, and the pair walked off hand
in hand. 

Gwen lifted the silver cover off her plate
and steam rose into the air. “Looks delicious,” she said. She
hadn’t realized just how hungry she was. Pete did the same, and
Gwen saw he too had ordered the same dish. The two ate and made
small talk until they couldn’t eat anymore. 

“I am stuffed.” Pete said, holding his rock
hard abs. 

“Me too,” Gwen said sitting back into her
chair.  

Suddenly, more big band music began to play.
Gwen smiled. “Where’s that coming from?” She looked around and saw
a small speaker at the top of the gazebo. 

Pete stood up offering her his hand. “Dance
with me?” he asked. 

“Love to,” she said smiling. “First let me do
one thing.” She slipped her heels off underneath the table. “There,
that’s better.” Pete slid one hand around to her lower back and
took her hand in the other.  It was nothing like she’d danced
at school dances before. He swayed slowly back and forth, guiding
her by her hip. Her heart raced as he pulled her in closer. She
could smell his cologne, sweet yet musty. He stared adoringly into
her eyes, never looking away. 

“You’re pretty good at this,” Gwen
noticed. 

Pete half smiled. “I’ve had some practice.”
She figured he was right. “Hold on,” he said as he raised his arm
and twirled her under, bringer her closer to his chest than even
before. To her surprise, Gwen spun without falter. “I’d say you’re
not too bad yourself, miss darling.”