Fish Perfume (Cozy Harbor Marina Series) (11 page)

They all nodded. One said, “Love curves. Somethin’ to hold on to when you’re doin’ the rumba.”

Al told his son, “Tony, take these two beauties and get them something to eat and drink. You girls like cannolis? My wife makes the best.” He lifted his right arm, kissed his fingers, and threw them in the air.

Helen and I nodded.

Tony said, “Okay, Dad, I’ll take them out to meet Ma and get them something to eat.”

Tony’s dad told him, “Make sure they get some antipasto. Aunt Loretta made it special for today.”

“Okay, Dad.”

We walked into the kitchen, which was full of women. He stopped to introduce us to his cousins Jeanne, Mary, and Mary Lynn and then went off to find us some drinks.

Jeanne said to us, “It’s always nice to meet Tony’s friends. Is one of you dating him?”

Helen and I looked at each other and said at the same time, “We’re just friends of his.”

Jeanne said, “Well, our Tony’s a good catch. He’s the smart one in the family. He went to Brown, you know. The only one in the family that went Ivy League.”

Helen and I had no idea that Tony had gone to Brown. This was going to be an interesting evening.

Mary Lynn asked, “What do you girls do?”

I told her, “I’m a teacher.”

Helen said, “I’m an engineer.”

Lynn said, “An engineer. Wow. I haven’t met too many women engineers.”

Helen got her back up and said, “I know quite a few women engineers.”

Jeanne said, “Well, this a first. Most of the women Tony brings around are a bit different from the two of you.” The three cousins looked at each other conspiratorially.

A small, attractive, older woman came into the kitchen and immediately rushed up to us. “Are you the girls my Tony brought?” she asked.

We said, “Yes.”

She folded her arms and asked, “So, which one of you girls is going to be the mother of my grandchildren?”

We both looked at her and shrugged our shoulders in unison.

She looked us over from head to toe and said, “Well, you are both beauties. Either one of you would make beautiful babies with my Tony.”

I blushed and handed her the flowers. “Thank you for having us to your home Mrs. Maroni.”

She looked at Jeanne, Mary, and Mary Lynn and said, “Classy girls, too.”

They smiled and nodded their approval.

Helen and I were relieved when Tony walked in the kitchen carrying a glass of wine for each of us. “Ma, I brought my girls some of Uncle Mario’s homemade wine.”

She smiled at us and said, “My brother makes his own wine.” She patted our cheeks. “You girls enjoy.”

Tony laughed and gestured us toward the back door. “Let’s go out back, and you can meet the rest of the family.”

We walked out into the yard. It was big and full of people. Three barbeques were going, and there were at least thirty kids of various ages running around. Everyone came to a complete stop when we walked out and looked at us. Tony announced, “Everyone, I would like you to meet my friend Meggie and my Polish Princess, Helen.”

Everyone said, “Hello.” Tony found us a couple of seats at a table near the back door. One of the guys beckoned Tony over. Helen and I sat enjoying our wine, taking in the festive atmosphere. A little girl about five, with curly dark hair and big brown eyes, shyly walked our way.

She came to a stop in front of Helen and sweetly asked, “Can I sit in your lap?”

Helen said, “Sure.” She reached down, picked the girl up, and set her across her lap. The little girl looked up at her adoringly and asked reverently, “Are you really a princess?”

Helen said, “Sweetheart, all girls are princesses.”

The little girl said, “My dad says I’m a princess and my mom’s the Queen of All Things.”

Helen looked at me, winked, and said, “Your daddy is a smart man.”

The little girl introduced herself. “My name is Christina.”

Helen said, “That’s a beautiful name.”

Christina asked, “Are you from the land of Polish?”

Helen laughed and said, “I’m from Pennsylvania.”

Christina said, “My dad said most of Tony’s girlfriends come from a town called Hooters.”

Helen and I looked at each other and smiled.

Helen said, “I think there’s a town called Hooters in every state.”

“I think you should be the one to marry Tony,” Christina said.

Helen smiled at her and asked, “Why do you think that?”

She said, “Well, you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen him with.”

Helen gave her a hug and said, “Well, I’ll think about it, sweetheart.”

We suddenly heard a voice yell, “Christina, you come here and finish your dinner.”

Christina said, “I’ve gotta go. Bye, Princess Helen; bye, Meggie.”

She hurried over on her little legs back to her mother.

Tony came back and escorted us in to get something to eat. The spread was unbelievable. There were four different kinds of pasta salads, squid salad, Aunt Loretta’s antipasto, which looked delicious, four different kinds of sausage, meatballs, barbequed chicken, steak, and stuffed olives. I could go on and on. It was a feast. We all filled our plates and went out back again. I finished my plate, while Helen and Tony went back for a refill. Helen can eat like a horse and not gain a pound. They came back, sat, and shoveled in their food. Three older gentlemen were setting up to play music. Four more guys came around the corner from the side of house with a portable dance floor. It was starting to get dark, and a couple of women were lighting torches that surrounded the yard. The smell of citronella permeated the air.

One of the men announced on the microphone that dessert was being served in the dining room. I had no room left for dessert, but Helen and Tony jumped right up and went into the house. They each came back with three different desserts.

Tony bragged, “My cousin Jeanne makes the best lemon cake. What do you think, Hel?”

Helen swallowed and nodded yes.

At that point, an old woman dressed from head to toe in black came to our table. Tony introduced her as his grandmother, Josephine. She was even shorter than Tony’s mother, who barely reached five feet.

After Tony did the introductions, she pointed her finger at Helen and said, “You eat good.” She then gave me a scary look and walked away.

Tony looked flabbergasted.

Helen asked him, “What’s wrong?”

He said, “I can’t believe she spoke to you. I’ve been bringing people home for years, and she’s never spoken to any of them.”

Helen looked at me and shrugged her shoulders.

After dessert, the band started to play and the fun really started. Tony explained they always play two sets. The first one is Dean Martin hits and the second set, of course, is Old Blue Eyes. All the card players came out to the yard, and people started to dance. Tony got us more of Uncle Mario’s homemade wine. I don’t know what Uncle Mario put in it, but I was feeling no pain. Tony grabbed Helen to dance. Lucky me, I got to dance with Uncle Guido. He pinched my ass at least three times. The band struck up Dean’s pizza pie song, and everyone in the yard sang. During the second set, Tony and Helen were dancing to Frank’s “The Way You Look Tonight” and a drop-dead gorgeous guy came over to me.

He smiled and with a strong Italian accent said, “Hi, my name is Bond, James Bond. Make my day,” and held out his hand. I thought, what the hell, and we hit the dance floor. He was a smooth dancer. When the song was over, he took me back to Helen and Tony.

Tony said, “I see you met my cousin Maurizio. He just came from Italy, and doesn’t speak any English. The only English he knows is what he’s learned from the movies.”

Maurizio smiled at me and said “Hasta la vista, baby,” and walked away.

By the end of the night, I had danced with Uncle Frank, Cousin Joey, Uncle Nick, Cousin Sonny, and a little old man named Harry the Hammer. After the band played their last song, I turned to Tony.

I said, “Tony, I hate to be a party pooper, but I’ve got to get up at 4:00.”

He nodded, “We’ll go. Let’s just say goodbye to my parents.”

We went and found the Maronis, who were sitting at a table with Tony’s grandmother and some of his aunts.

I said, “Mr. and Mrs. Maroni, thank you for a wonderful evening.”

Helen patted her stomach and said, “That was the best food I ever ate.”

Mrs. Maroni said, “You girls come back anytime. My Tony is a good boy. He’d make a great father.”

Tony said, “Okay, Ma, I think they got the message.” He kissed his mother, and she smacked him on the head. He shook hands with his dad, and his dad gave us girls both a hug.

On the way home, I was half-asleep in the backseat when Helen told Tony, “I’m so full I have to unbutton my skirt.”

Tony glanced at her and said, “Babe, don’t say things like that when I’m drivin’ the Beamer.”

I woke up when the car stopped outside Gram’s cottage. I told them I would go open the door and turn on the lights. I wanted them to have a chance to say goodnight in private. Ten minutes later, Helen walked in.

She threw open her arms and said, “Was that fun or what?”

“I had a great time. Uncle Guido pinched my ass three times, and I didn’t even care. Did he get you?”

“Oh, yeah. When I went to the bathroom, he got me in the hallway.”

We both laughed and I said, “I’ve got to hit the hay. Come over to the store tomorrow when you wake up. Goodnight, Hel.”

She said, “Nite, Meg, and thanks for having me up.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Today is the Fourth of July, one of the biggest summer events in Cozy Harbor. I rallied myself out of bed, jumped in the shower, and headed over to the store. Helen came over around noon. I sent her over to the Snack Shack to pick us up a couple of sandwiches, since Journey was off and I couldn’t get away. She came back with two southwest chicken wraps and two iced teas. I asked her whom she met over at the Shack.

She said, “Well, of course, I met Mo. She is a riot, Meggie. I also met a woman named Linda and her daughter Allie. Linda’s husband, Harry, owns the
Allie E
. Allie is a cute four-year-old-redhead. She looks like a mini-me of her mother. I also met an older guy named Joe Turner. He tried to hit on me. I looked over at Mo, Joe’s back was to her, and she shook her head no. Not that I was interested anyway.”

I informed her, “Well, he calls his wife Number One, and his girlfriend Number Two. You would’ve been Number Three.”

Helen said, “You know me, Meggie, I’m the only star of my movie.”

We laughed.

I asked, “Was anyone else there?”

She said, “Yeah, a couple named Jim and Bonnie.

“Bonnie’s the only woman you ever see on B dock where the sport fishing boats are. She’s always down with Jim working on the boat, and she’s the only wife who goes fishing. She catches more fish than the guys. She’s invited me to go tuna fishing anytime I want. I plan on taking her up on her offer before the end of the summer. I’ve always wanted to go offshore fishing and reel in a big tuna.”

Helen said, “Well, she seemed really friendly. I’ll tell you, Meggie, I can really understand why this marina’s been in your family for years; the people are really nice up here.”

I asked, “What do you think of Tony after last night?

She took a bite of her wrap and chewed for a while. Finally she said, “You know me. I usually meet guys who are dumb as a door nail. Either that or they’re pompous asses. They’re so full of themselves, I can’t stand them for more than a minute. Remember that guy from the Main Line I dated a couple of times who was filthy rich. He was such a snob and rude as hell. After two dates, I knew I was smarter than he was, and he knew it, too.

When we went to a restaurant, he would be so obnoxious. I always felt sorry for whoever waited on us. I always tried to be extra nice to make up for him being an asshole. I wanted to make sure they only spit on his food, not mine. Worst of all, he was a lousy tipper, and you know how I feel about that. I’d tell him I had to use the ladies’ room as we left the restaurant. When he went out to get the car, I would hurry back to the waiter and apologize, and give him another twenty. When the valet opened my door, I would slip him another five. That’s why I usually never date any guy more than twice. I want a guy I can respect. If I have no respect for them, they’re history. Plus, most men are intimidated by me.”

“That’s doesn’t answer my question. What about Tony?”

She smiled and said, “He’s definitely on my To Do List. I like what I see so far. He has a hell of a sense of humor; he makes me laugh. He lets his mother slap him in the head, and he dances with old ladies. He’s a lot smarter than he lets on. I especially like that about him. He has a great body and he’s hot handsome. If he’s as good in the sack as I think he will be, I might just have to keep him around for a while.”

“Well, you’d better give me all the details if you get to that point.”

She gave me a sad look and said, “Are you sure you want to hear about it? I know you’ve been having a dry spell.”

“I’ve been living in the Sahara, but it would be good to know somebody isn’t. I want details.”

“Okay. I’ll tell all. By the way, I didn’t get a chance last night to tell you, but Tony invited us out tonight to watch the fireworks. A friend of his lives in Narragansett, and he’s having a bunch of people over for a barbeque.”

I said, “You and Tony go ahead. I’m going to the parade at 6:00. I promised Mac I would come by and watch it with him. I also want to stay close to home and keep an eye on the marina tonight. Everyone will be partying, and I should probably stick around.”

“Are sure you don’t mind? I feel bad. I came up to see you.”

“Don’t worry about it, Hel. I want you to have a great vacation. Go have fun with Tony. I have off tomorrow afternoon. How about we grab lunch from Mo and take a ride up the pond on Mac’s boat? Maybe if Mac is up to it, he’ll join us.”

“Okay, sounds good. Tony has to work anyway. He did say he would take off Thursday and Friday so we could do some things together.”

I smiled at her and teased, “He did, did he? I think the boy likes you.”

She smiled, “They all like me. Speaking of the boy, I told him I’d meet him on his boat, he’s taking me for a boat ride. I’ll see you before I leave for the party. Tony said we would leave around 5:00.”

“Okay, have fun. Thanks for lunch.”

She gave me a wave and headed out the door.

At 3:00, I put a Be Right Back sign on the door of the store and went down to the fuel dock to talk to Matt about some charge slips. I was having trouble with the handwriting on a few of them. Brian was in the fish store, and Matt was on the fuel dock finishing up with a boat. While I waited, I noticed a big dog sitting on the dock. He looked like a Chesapeake Bay retriever. Matt finished and came over. I asked him whose dog it was.

He told me, “That’s Diesel, Harry Randall’s dog. Harry ran in to town to pick up something and asked me to keep an eye on him.”

I asked him about the slips and before he had a chance to answer me, another boat pulled up for fuel.

I said, “You go ahead and take care of that boat; I can wait a few minutes.”

He went to talk to the customer, grabbed the fuel hose, and climbed aboard the boat. A small boat went by with two golden retrievers in it. They started barking at Diesel and he barked back. After the boat passed the dock, Diesel took an amazing flying dive off the dock into the water and landed with a big splash. He started swimming after the boat carrying the golden retrievers. I quickly looked back at Matt; his back was to me and he was still busy fueling up the boat. I thought, “Shit, shit.” I had visions of Diesel swimming to Block Island or getting hit by another boat or a jet ski.

I kicked off my sneakers, jumped in the water, and started swimming after him. I was on the swim team for six years during grade school and high school. As fast as I swam, I couldn’t make any headway on Diesel. I’ll never underestimate the doggy paddle again. A boat approached, then slowed down, and I took a quick look. It was Ian on
The Stalwart
. He reached over the side and grabbed Diesel by his collar and hauled him up onto
The Stalwart
. I stopped swimming, and Ian looked at me and extended his hand to pull me aboard.

He had a smirk on his face and asked, “Out for a swim, Meggie?”

I gave him a dirty look, turned, and swam back to the dock. I hauled myself up the ladder to the fuel dock. I was dripping wet and once again humiliated. Matt stood there with his mouth open.

Meekly, he asked, “Meggie, what did you do that for?”

“You said you were watching him for Harry and since you were busy, I went after him. I was afraid he would swim away or get hurt.”

Matt told me, a little too late, “Diesel always does that. He jumps off the dock at least five times a day when he’s down here. He just swims a little bit and then turns around and swims around to the little beach on the other side of the marina. Five minutes later, he’s lying on the dock again. I’m sorry, Meggie.”

It wasn’t his fault; I didn’t want to take my frustrations out on him so I let him off easy. “Don’t worry about it, Matt; next time I’ll know better. Stop in and see me when you get a chance, and we’ll go over the slips.”

Luckily, I had handed him the slips and he put them in his pocket before he started fueling up the boat. Even though I was soaking wet, I bent down and put on my sneakers. The last thing I needed at this point was a fishhook in my foot. Ian had tied up and both Sam and Diesel were walking around on the dock in front of
The Stalwart
. Unfortunately, I had to walk that way. I could sense that Ian was looking at me. I tried to ignore him, but I had to stop and wait for the dogs to get out of my way before I could continue up the dock. Diesel stepped in front of me and proceeded to puke up saltwater all over my sneakers. I sneaked a peek at Ian. He looked me up and down and shook his head. His shoulders were shaking and I could tell he was trying not to laugh. Ian was lucky I didn’t have a gun because I would have shot him in the head. The dogs finally moved out of my way, and I proceeded up the dock with as much dignity as I could muster. I glanced around the marina to see who might have witnessed my latest mortifying experience. Sure enough, Bob on the
Bite Me
had his camera phone ready. I stopped and struck a nice pose for him. He snapped my picture, gave me a wave, and I stomped over to the cottage to change clothes.

Business was steady all afternoon, and at 5:00 Helen popped in the store.

She said, “Just wanted to tell you I’m leaving. You have a great night.”

“You too.”

As she was headed out the door, she turned and said, “Don’t wait up.”

Some girls have all the luck. I closed up and went over to the cottage. I didn’t have a chance to shower after my delightful swim, so I jumped under the welcoming hot water, dried my hair, put a little makeup on, and dressed in a denim skirt and a red and white striped tank top. Since my spare sneakers were history, my only choices of footwear left were sandals or flip-flops, which seemed like the better bet.

I looked around as I walked through the streets of Cozy Harbor on my way to Mac’s house. It was so nice to see all the houses decorated in red, white, and blue. Practically every house I passed was in party mode. People were starting to line the curbs with chairs, getting ready for the parade to start. As I approached Mac’s house, I could see that his party was underway. I recognized Mac’s nephew, Mike. Mac was sitting in a chair next to a woman whom I assumed was probably Mike’s wife.

Mac saw me and said, “Meggie, I’m glad you came. Come meet everyone.”

I said hello to Mike, and then Mac introduced me to Mike’s wife, Nancy. Mike and Nancy introduced me to their son, Kyle, and their daughter, Taylor. Kyle looked to be in his early twenties and Taylor a little younger. A few of Mac’s poker buddies sat with their wives at a picnic table in the shade. Mac took me over and introduced me as his favorite clamming partner. Mike handed me a beer, and I helped myself to a hot dog off the grill. I sat in a chair next to Nancy.

I asked her, “How’s Mac doing?”

She said cheerfully, “He’s bounced back great. Mike and I have been here all weekend. We’re going home tonight and I think he’ll be fine on his own.”

I told her, “I’ll check up on him.”

“You wouldn’t believe all the people who have said that to us. Mac’s had a steady stream of visitors.”

“I believe it. He’s a Cozy Harbor treasure.”

I finished off my hot dog and disposed of the paper plate in the trash on the side of the house. When I came back around front, Ian was standing in the yard talking to Mac and Mike. After what happened today, he was the last person I wanted to see. I heard the parade approaching and went and sat in a chair by the curb between Nancy and Taylor.

Leading the parade was an antique fire engine with a big red, white, and blue banner across the front of it that read The Cozy Harbor Fourth of July Parade. Following the fire truck was the bicycle brigade, consisting of about twenty kids of various ages on bikes and tricycles. All had American flags and red, white, and blue streamers dangling from their handlebars.

Next came four antique cars loaded with people dressed up for the occasion. The kazoo band was up next, with about thirty adults playing “Yankee Doodle Dandy” totally out of sync. Behind them was Kathy from
The Dancing Queen
in all her glory. Kathy had a banner across her chest that said The Dancing Queen and behind her was a dance troop from her studio. Kathy and the girls were dressed in sparkling outfits and performed a dance number to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”
People strolled by in all sorts of wild costumes. Most of them looked homemade and were probably thrown together today. One adorable little boy pulled a wagon with two little girls dressed as mermaids. Four guys, dressed as lobsters, did a little dance. Pulling up the rear of the parade was a group of adults and kids, leading dogs, whom they’d dressed up for the occasion.

The parade continued on down the street. We all got up, picked up our chairs, and went back into Mac’s yard. There’s nothing like a small town parade. I loved it. I decided to head back to the marina since the party was winding down. I still hadn’t talked to Ian, which was fine with me. I said my goodbyes and started down the street. I got halfway down the block when Ian caught up with me.

He said, “Slow down, Meggie. You didn’t even say hi to me.”

I turned my head to him and said, “Hi, Ian.”

“Do you mind if I walk back to the marina with you?”

I shrugged, “Suit yourself.”

“Where’s your friend?” he asked.

I ground out, “You’re too late. Tony already has dibs on her. He took her to a party.”

“Boy, you’re really pissed at me,” he said, probably taken aback by my tone of voice.

I gave him my phony smile and said, “I’m not pissed at you. I’m nice to all the marina customers.”

“Meggie, I owe you an apology.”

“Not necessary.”

He sighed and said, “Look, I’m sorry I laughed at you today. Even you have to admit it was funny.”

“I’m glad I’m such a source of amusement for you.”

He ignored my remark and continued, “When I saw you in the parking lot hugging that guy at 4:00 in the morning, it took me by surprise. It was the last thing I expected to see on my way to work. I admit I jumped to conclusions, and I should’ve given you a chance to explain. Yesterday morning, I went over to the Snack Shack to grab some coffee, and I overheard Mo telling Marion the whole story about your old boyfriend showing up.”

I barked out, “I told her not to tell anyone about that.”

“Well, it’s hard to keep anything a secret around here.”

“So I’ve learned.”

“Anyway, I’m sorry,” he said in a quiet voice.

I stopped and turned to look him in the face. “Ian, you were way too quick to judge me and think the worst. You just assumed I picked up some guy for a one-night stand. That showed me exactly what you think of me.”

“Meggie, I don’t think of you that way at all.”

I said, “Look, it doesn’t really matter anyway. Like you said, we shared a few kisses, no big deal.”

“I shouldn’t have said that. It was a big deal to me. Frankly, I wanted to go over and rip his head off. I was surprised at myself for feeling that way, and I lost my temper. I should have let you explain.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

We had just walked into the marina parking lot.

He gently grabbed my arm and turned me toward him again.

He looked me in the eye and pleaded, “Meggie, can we please start over?