Page 33 of Three Times You

Then he looks at me as if he’d just had yet another bright idea. “Then let’s do it this way. The responsibility is all on me. I’ll act on my own, not as Futura. I still have something to settle with Ottavi, and it’s something I would have done eventually. It was just a matter of time. The only thing is, I don’t want to tell you anything. I don’t want to involve you in any way.”

I smile at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

“Excellent, perfect, that’s exactly right. And now for the third thing, the most important thing to me…”

I stand, pick up my bottle of still mineral water, and take a long sip. He waits while I drink. Then I sit back down in the same chair. Concerning this last item, he seems uneasy. I wonder what he’s about to say.

“Well, then…I really like this company. I like what we’ve done together and what we’re doing now, and what I hope we’ll do in the future. But there’s one thing I’d like to make clear.” He pauses briefly, and I’m careful not to hurry him. “If by any chance you think that sometimes I joke around too much, if there’s anything you’re not happy with, just let me know. There are many people who make a fatal mistake, if you ask me. They keep in too many things. Precisely because they didn’t know how to deal with things as they came up, one thing at a time, in the end they have to deal with an explosive, uncontrolled situation, and at that point, the relationship is no longer fixable. Now, that’s something I don’t want to see happening between the two of us.” He looks at me. He seems to have finished, and he heaves a sigh of relief as if, one way or another, he had finally gotten a weight off his chest, and he shifts comfortably in his seat.

I smile at him. “Everything’s okay. There’s nothing so far that’s bothered me. I think I would have told you if there had been.”

“Even when I joke about this sort of thing?” He refers to the belly again.

“Of course not. Even in those cases, you make me laugh, and you cut through the tension.”

“Good, I’m glad.”

I start to get up.

“One last thing.” He changes his tone of voice now.

“Yes, tell me.”

“If you ever needed any advice, or you wanted my opinion, or you felt like letting off steam…or anyway, if you wanted to share something, I’m here.”

“But I already have!” I open the door.

“Then don’t worry about a thing here. Go and get ready to get married,” Giorgio says.

“Thanks and so long. I’ll see you later.”

Chapter 24

When I wake up, the house is silent, except for music playing quietly on the clock radio. It’s ten a.m.

“Gin, are you here?”

No answer. She must have woken to the alarm. I head for the kitchen. Breakfast is laid out, cereal, a block of Brie, a honeydew melon, already sliced, bread ready to pop into the toaster, and a note.

Good morning, darling. Eat hearty. It’s your last day as a single man! By tradition, we aren’t supposed to see each other today. So tonight you’ll have to sleep at your father’s or brother’s place, but don’t come back here. It’s bad luck! I know your father has a suit for you. I’m dying to see it! Now, the bachelor party. I know Guido is planning it but take it easy. I need you in decent condition to legally say, “I do”! I love you, and if everything works out, I’m planning to marry you. Gin.

I fold up the letter and start eating breakfast. Then I shower, shave, and get dressed, and soon I’m ringing my father’s doorbell.

“Here you are, at last! I’m not going into the office today. Paolo is on his way. He told me to let him know when you arrived. He wanted to say goodbye.”

“Yes, okay, but I’m not leaving for America or shipping out for war. I’m just getting married…”

“Well, that’s a form of warfare.” And he starts laughing like an idiot. I give him a frosty glare.

“Oh, look, Paolo is here.” He leaves the room and comes back beaming, arm in arm with my brother.

“Hey, Stefano!”

“Ciao.” I stand up, and we hug. We chat idly for a while, but when I stand up and announce that I’m leaving for the office, my father holds up his hand.

“Hold on, hold on!” And he hurries out of the room, coming back with a garment bag. “Here’s the suit.”

“Aren’t you going to model it for us?” asks Paolo.

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