Page 58 of Three Times You

Yes, the way to your heart is through your stomach…And that’s not all!

I send back a laugh.Hahaha.

Anyway, you don’t remember a thing. This was the first dinner you made for me…No two ways about it: pearls before swine!

Do you expect me to remember something from who knows how many years ago?

And we go on joking back and forth by text as if not a day had passed since then.

***

A short while later, I’m at the supermarket near Corso Francia. There’s not much of a crowd so I find a parking space right away. I shop and pick up a bottle of blanche as well as a fine red, a Tancredi. Then I check out. I pay and leave with two bags of groceries.

Before I even get a chance to put the groceries in the car, I hear a woman screaming.

“Help! Stop! No! Help! No!”

Not far away, two young men are trying to snatch her purse. She’s screaming her lungs out, kicking and wrestling, clutching her purse to her chest, and when they try to pry her arms loose, she winds up on the pavement.

I set down my groceries, and in the blink of an eye, I’m on them. They don’t even see me coming. I punch the first one straight in the right cheekbone. I can hear the bone crack beneath my knuckles and watch his head snap back. I tackle the other guy with a straight-legged kick, smashing into his hip so hard that he drops to the ground. He tries to get back up, but he slides on the gravel as he tries to scurry out of my reach.

I pick up a big rock from the ground, hurl it, and hit him square in the back. Then I pick up a bottle, ready to face off with them, but they take off as fast as their legs will carry them, heading for the darkness of the streets running under the Corso Francia bridge. So I go over and help the woman to her feet. “Are you all right? Not hurt? They’re gone, don’t worry, put your weight on me.”

But when I get a good look at her face, I recognize her, I’m left speechless When destiny makes an effort, it’s just unbeatable.

***

I open the front door to the penthouse. “Babi, are you here?”

“Yes, in the kitchen, making food for my lovely husband.” I join her and set the bags of groceries down on the table beside her.

“Smells delicious…”

We exchange a kiss, and I notice that she’s dressed very fancy. She’s wearing a navy-blue skirt, high heels, a silk blouse, and a long necklace of dark stones. She’s wearing an apron over it all.

“Is this what you wear to cook?”

“Usually I just cook in a negligee. But for you, I’ve made an exception!”

I get a Corona out of the fridge and open it. I sit down at the table and take a long drink.

“Well, I hope I got everything you wanted. I’m guessing this was a test to see how I did…”

“Exactly. Let me take a look.” She opens the bags and peers in. “Perfect, looks like I really am going to marry you.”

“Look out, miracles do happen! Do you know who I rescued a few minutes ago?”

“Who?”

“Your mother.”

“My mother?”

“Yes, she was shopping at the same supermarket. At the exit, two thugs attacked her and tried to snatch her purse.”

Babi’s expression changes. “Was she hurt? Is she okay?”

“No, no, she’s fine. She calmed down,and I helped her back to her car.”

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