The Front Porch

By Nick J Mercorella

Having just been dumped by her fiancee for a tall, blond, stacked, bimbo, Alex was not anxious to get involved in another relationship. But, the charming stranger was hard to resist. Not helping her situation was Riley, Alex's kid sister, who pushed Alex toward this handsome carpenter.
Just when Alex decided this man might be worth a long look, her ex decided he wanted her back, and tried to chase the stranger away. But, Tony Marchetti would not go quietly.
When Tony came up with an outrageous idea, would Alex be able to deal with what was in store for her.

This is Book Three in the Danielle and Friends Series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick J Mercorella
• Release date: Jul 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311671134

Nick J Mercorella

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, I have had a very interesting if not profitable life. Married twice, divorced once, widowed once. Two wonderful children of my own and five more I inherited when I married for the second time.I worked in management most of my life when I wasn’t operating my own business. Had the opportunity to travel a great deal throughout our beautiful country, parts of Canada and Mexico and some of the islands of the Caribbean. I’ve visited 40 states and uncountable cities. Never been to Europe, Asia or Africa. Don’t feel like I’ve missed much. Might like to visit Australia, though.Coldest I’ve ever been was in Halifax, Nova Scotia in February. Hottest I’ve ever been was in Phoenix, Arizona in July. I’ve been in Salt Lake City in June when the sun didn’t set until after nine o’clock at night. I’ve seen the Sierra Mountains from the observation car of a train. Sailed aboard a United Sates Nuclear powered aircraft carrier, twice. Never been in the military, but I respect all those who serve. Flown hundreds and hundreds of thousands of miles. Love to fly, but poor eyesight prevents me from qualifying for a pilot’s license.Now, I sit in Fort Lauderdale Florida thinking about love and writing Romance Novels. Not a bad way to spend my retirement years!

Book preview

Chapter 1 – How It Began

You can’t go anywhere in a Candy Apple Red, 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme without being noticed. When the occupants of that classic car are two rather attractive ladies, the glances in our direction usually became more focused. A combination of that old car and a stormy Wednesday afternoon would change my life. Personally, financially and emotionally, my life would never be the same.

Wednesday is Account Manger's meeting day. Since we never knew how long the meeting would last, we always planned for a light day, and I could usually get out of the office early. My kid sister, Riley’s classes also ended early on Wednesday. Since Wednesday was the only day I could be sure that I’d be free in the evenings, Wednesday was also Sister’s Night. I would pick Riley up at school and we would spend the afternoon and evening together. Usually, it was only Riley and me, but once or twice a month, Adele would join us, and Andrea would also be there when she was home from college in Tallahassee.

Do you think Red will be there today?

If he’s working today, he’ll be there, Riley. He hasn’t missed a Wednesday since this started.

THIS, had started months ago. One Wednesday afternoon, on our drive from Riley’s school to our house, we noticed a new sign in front of an empty piece of property. Ocean Breeze Development was going to build upper middle-class homes on the site. Each Wednesday as Riley and I passed by, we could see the development start to take shape. At first, it was just some heavy machines grading the property. Every week there seemed to be more and more construction workers on the project. When they started the actual construction of the homes, there were, even more, workers there.

When the construction workers realized that we passed by every Wednesday at about the same time, a number of them started lining up in front of the development waiting for us. We’d get cat calls and whistles and big smiles from all the guys, but they never were vulgar. Construction workers, at least, the younger ones, had great bodies and working in South Florida meant they usually wore shorts and tight tee shirts or no shirts at all. I could have easily found a different route home, but Riley enjoyed the attention, and I must admit, I did too. I never stopped, but I usually cruised by slowly, so we could get a good look at the guys. Riley and I would compare notes over dinner. A tall good looking red headed guy was Riley’s favorite. When Adele joined us for Sister’s Night, we filled her in on the day’s adventure. When Andrea was home from school, she’d meet me at the office and join Riley and me on our weekly pilgrimage. It was harmless, and it was fun.

Passing that construction site on one rainy Wednesday afternoon is how it all started. My life and Riley’s were definitely different after that day. Riley changed from a frivolous teenager to a woman with purpose. And I learned some very valuable lessons. Things like openness and honesty and loyalty. Not only loyalty to a man, or a relationship, but devotion to a purpose, to an ideal. I grew up even more than Riley did, and my life was never the same.

Wednesday nights were for us, even when I was engaged to Frank. After I picked Riley up at school, we’d spend the night together, just us two, three or four sisters, depending on when Adele and Andrea were available. Although I was the oldest of four sisters and Riley was the youngest, we were the closest. It was nice, and we always made it a party, whether it was a movie, or a board game, or just girl talk. And lately, the girl talk usually revolved around the guys we passed at the construction site on the way home.

On a faithful Wednesday afternoon, it started to rain just as we neared the site. If there is one thing you can say about South Florida, it knows how to rain here. I don’t think there is any place in the entire world that can equal a South Florida afternoon thunderstorm during the rainy season. Within a block, a drizzle turned into a full-blown downpour. -Just as we reached the construction site, I got a flat tire. I thought about riding the flat to the house, but I knew that would cost me a new tire. Not in the budget. I had no choice, I had to stop and change it. Not a big deal under normal circumstances. As each of us girls got our driver’s license, Daddy made sure we knew how to change a tire, jump a dead battery and check the oil, water, and transmission fluid. But, these were not ordinary circumstances. First, it was pouring down rain. Then, there was the matter of where we stopped. Right in front of Ocean Breeze Development’s latest project and our usual audience of construction workers was out and waiting for us, even in the rain.

Some the construction workers came over and offered to change the tire for us. They would do it cheaply, they said. The only payment they required would be a kiss from both Riley and me. I wasn’t sure if they were serious about the kiss part. I was pretty sure they wouldn’t molest us or anything, but I wasn’t about to open my window and find out. It seemed within seconds there were twenty guys around the car offering to help. I was beginning to feel frightened, but Riley was enjoying the attention.

Relax, Alex. They just want to help.

It’s what kind of help they’re offering I’m worried about.

Before Riley had a chance to talk me into allowing these men to change our tire, another man showed up and chased the others away.

If you want to work in the rain I can find plenty for you to do.

He must have been in charge because the others all scattered in a hurry. He was standing on the passenger’s side of the car, and he knocked on Riley’s window.

Give me the trunk key and I’ll change the tire for you.

Before I had a chance to say anything, Riley pulled the keys from the ignition, opened her door and handed the man our keys. When he moved to the back of the car, I screamed at Riley.

What’s the matter with you? That man is a complete stranger.

Do you want to change that tire in this weather? I sure don’t!

She was right, and despite the downpour, he made quick work of the tire. He slammed the trunk and came back over to Riley’s side of the car. She was about to open the door and retrieve the keys when he shouted through the closed window.

The spare doesn’t have enough air. Wait here a minute.

We didn’t have any choice. Our hero walked away with the keys still in his hand. A minute later, a pick-up truck pulled up next to us. It was relatively new, and it had one of those removable panels on the door: Ocean Breeze Development. I watched through my side view mirror as he started some kind of engine in the bed of the truck, pulled a hose out and filled up all four tires.

By this time the rain had stopped, but with the engine shut off and no AC, it was hot and humid inside the car. Riley opened the door to get us some relief. It didn’t help much. I needed to start the car and get the AC working. When our hero had checked all four tires, he tapped on my window and held up the keys. Since the car had power windows and the keys were outside, I had to open my door to get them. I looked up at the man holding them and realized in spite of the fact he looked like a wet puppy, he was quite good looking and had a great smile.

That should do it, ladies, but I’d get that tire fixed as soon as possible. The spare isn’t in good shape.

I thanked the man, closed the door and started the car. He went back to the pickup and began to drive away. But, the car wouldn’t start. It turned over but wouldn’t catch. I did everything Daddy had taught me. Even held the accelerator full open in case it was flooded, but nothing worked. I looked up and saw our tire changer had parked about ten feet in front of us and was walking back toward us. He stopped in front of the car and motioned for me to pop the hood. What choice did I have? As I pulled the hood handle, I noticed he had toweled off, but he hadn’t combed his hair. That scruffy look made him even better looking than I first thought. He leaned under the hood, from the side of the car and the combination of being soaked and stretched out, gave me a pretty nice view of a very nice body. But, I was not yet ready to end my hiatus from dating. I had recently broken up with my fiancé and had decided to stay out of the dating game for a while. I quickly stifled any thought in that direction.

After about five minutes, his right arm came out from under the hood, and he made a circling motion with his finger. I hit the ignition, and the old girl came to life. Our hero had saved us a second time. He walked over to Riley’s door, which was still open and leaned in.

This old gal’s a real beauty, and she’s in great shape. But she needs a tune up bad.

Next time I have five hundred dollars to spare, she’ll get one, I answered.

He frowned and shook his head.

That’s ridicules, Ma’am, I can do it for less than a hundred. Bring it over to the shop on Saturday and I’ll take care of it for you.

Thanks, but I haven’t the time right now. Maybe another time.

He sighed.

OK, but I would get that tire fixed. The spare has plenty of tread left, but the rubber is dry. It will blow out on you at high speed.

During my conversation with our savior, Riley was writing something in one of her school notebooks. Just before he closed her door, she tore out the page and handed it to him. He read it as he walked back to his truck. I couldn’t believe what she had done.

Are you crazy? Tell me you didn’t give him your phone number. He’s a complete stranger and much too old for you. What was on that paper?

Don’t worry about it, he’s not the masher type.

I was angry, and worried. When Mommy and Daddy moved back to Ohio, Adele was already married, and Andrea was away at college. Riley and I shared the house we all had lived in since we moved here over ten years ago. Since I was the oldest, Daddy put me in charge of my kid sister. I loved her dearly, and we were extremely close, but Riley was a handful. She was very attractive, and very popular with the boys. She never seemed able to concentrate on any one boy for too long, which was alright with me. She was still too young for a steady beau. But, Riley tended toward the bad boys, and I was not happy with most of her dates. Lately, she had been dating older college guys, and this construction worker seemed to intrigue her. I would have to put a stop to this immediately.

Since I was the oldest and Riley was the youngest, so we called our Wednesday night party the Book Ends. We both thought it was hilarious, but our sisters didn’t appreciate the joke. That evening started with a recap of the day’s events. I admonished her for being so friendly with a stranger, and she insisted she could tell this was a good guy.

Forget it, Riley. You are not going out with a man who is at least ten years older than you. Whatever you’re planning, get it out of you head right now!

Riley laughed.

It’s not me he was looking at, Sis!

I was surprised at her comment.

Forget that too, Little Sister. I can find my own men, thank you. And, you know I’m not ready to get back into the game.

What’s wrong with you, Alex. Forget that jerk Frank and give this guy a try. He seems like a good guy, and I’m sure he’s interested. It’s time to start living again.

I knew she was probably right, but I wasn’t ready, nice guy or not, the timing was all wrong. We talked about it for a while and then watched a Zombie movie. Needless to say, we shared the same bed that night, huddled as far under the covers as we could get. The next morning, in the daylight, we laughed about how stupid it was, but it didn’t seem silly in the dark of night. I forgot all about our encounter with Mr. Good Looking, Hard Body, and Great Smile. I had other things to think about.

I loved Saturdays. I never got out of bed before ten, and I usually didn’t get dressed until after noon. This Saturday was not an exception. Riley was an early riser like Mommy, even on weekends, and she knew to keep quiet until at least ten AM. I came downstairs around ten fifteen for my first cup of coffee. Riley was nowhere to be found, and the coffee pot was almost empty. I looked out back for her and then out front.

There she was, with her head under the hood of the Cutlass, next to a man in shorts and a very tightly stretched tee shirt. I usually sleep in a pair of panties and an oversized man style shirt.

What can I say, it’s comfortable.

I couldn’t go outside like that, so I ran back upstairs, showered and put on a pair of jeans and a short sleeve pullover. When I finally got out to the front of the house, I could see a strobe light flashing under the hood and a stack of old parts laying in the driveway in front of the car.

How’s she sound? I heard a man’s voice say as I walked out the front door.

Purring like a contented kitten! Riley answered just before she noticed me.

Do you hear that?

Hear what? I don’t hear anything.

Riley smiled.

Doesn’t it sound great?

She was referring to the car, of course, and it was purring like a contented kitten. It was so quiet and so still I thought it was shut down, but when I moved closer, I realized it was running. Our flat tire changer pulled his head from under the hood and walked over to me.

I was just about to take it for a test drive, but since you’re here, it would be better if you did it.

What could I do? I walked over to the driver’s side and slid in behind the wheel. He slid in the other side. I hesitated for a moment and then decided what the heck. I backed out of the driveway and started down the street. I couldn’t remember when the Cutlass ran this smooth. Now, all I had to do was figure out how to pay this man and keep him away from Riley.

By the way, the name is Antonio Marchetti, but my friends call me Tony.

That announcement was accompanied by a great smile. I wanted to smile, but I had my kid sister to worry about.

Mr. Marchetti, I appreciate the tune-up, but Riley is barely eighteen, and she’s my responsibility. I’m not going to allow her to get involved with an older man.

Is that what you think I’m doing, Ms. Rafferty? I have no designs on your sister.

Why else would you spend your free time tuning up an old car?

Because I love old cars and this one is a classic.

How do you know our name, and how did you know where we lived?

The glove compartment.

I assumed he wanted me to look in there, and when I did, I found Riley’s note:

Hi,

My name is Riley Rafferty. My sister’s name is Alex. If you really want to tune up the car for us, early Saturday morning would be great. I’ll have coffee ready.

Under that was our address. I was angry, but not at this man. My anger was at Riley.

Have you gotten the tire fixed?

I haven’t had the time.

Drive over to Dixie Highway. I’ll tell you where to turn. This should explain my intentions.

I was curious about that statement, so I followed his directions. When we pulled up in front of a repair shop, he got out of the car and talked to an older man who he seemed to be very friendly with. He waved me out of the car and introduced me.

It will take Tyler a while to repair the tire. We could wait across the street at Denny’s.

We found an empty booth and Tony convinced me to have breakfast. We had a very pleasant conversation, mostly about the Cutlass and his love for old classic cars.

How does a construction worker know so much about cars?

I’m not a construction worker anymore. I started out as a carpenter, but I’m the Superintendent on this development. It’s only temporary.

What does that mean?

I’m the crew leader. I don’t get to do much anymore, but schedule the workers and deliveries, but I still love to work with my hands. I’m just subbing for the regular Super while he’s on his honeymoon. My love for classic cars stems from my teenage years. I always had a passion for beautiful engineering.

How much do I owe you for the tune-up?

He pulled out a receipt from his shirt pocket and handed it across the table. I held my breath as I looked at the figure. I was shocked when I saw it was a list of parts, and the total came to sixty-eight dollars.

That’s impossible!

Possible.

I know the parts alone have to cost more than this and what about the labor?

I got the parts here at the shop, and Tyler only charges me dealer cost. I didn’t pay Tyler when I picked up the parts this morning, and if you prefer, you could pay him directly. As for the labor, if you want to pay me, I’ll only accept payment in kind.

What exactly does that mean?

If you want, you could cook me dinner some night.

I wasn’t sure that was such a good idea, but inside, the thought made me feel warm all over. We finished breakfast, and I suggested we head back. As we crossed the street, I noticed my car was up on a lift, and all four tires were missing.

Where are my tires?

When I was filling the tires the other day, I noticed one of the wheel weights was missing so I asked Tyler to balance the wheels and fill them with nitrogen. Nitrogen doesn’t leak out as fast as regular air, and you won’t have to check the pressure as often.

I couldn’t get angry because I knew he meant well, but I wasn’t in a position to spend any money on the car at the moment. I tried to figure how much I had left on my credit cards and how I was going to pay for all of this. When we reached the office, Tony sent me inside to speak to Mr. Tyler, while he went into the shop. I was hoping I could cover this expense and not be embarrassed when my credit card was declined. Mr. Tyler was a very pleasant and respectful man. We talked about the Cutlass for a while, and he asked how I had gotten it.

This was the very first car my father bought new. He fell in love with it. When us girls came along, it wasn’t practical for all of us. There have been a succession of other cars and vans over the years, but Daddy would never give up his Cutlass. When he was promoted at work, we had to move here to Fort Lauderdale. Daddy insisted the Cutlass come with us. That was over ten years ago. Last year, Daddy got another promotion which meant he had to move back to Ohio. He didn’t want to bring the car back into that awful winter weather, so knowing I loved it as much as he did, he gave the Cutlass to me.

Your father sounds like a very smart man.

That comment made me smile.

In addition to balancing the tires and filling them with nitrogen, I gave the Cutlass an oil change and lube.

How much do I owe you, including the parts for the tune-up?

No charge, Ma’am.

When I tried to argue, he moved over to the side of the office and opened a door. Reaching inside to switch on a light, he beckoned me over. When I looked into the other room, I was impressed. Inside what seemed to be a storage shed were about a dozen cars in various stages of renovation. There was a 63 T-Bird with a T-Roof, a 69 Mustang, Muscle Car, an early model Corvette among others and in the far corner was a beaten-up Viper.

The shop was Tony’s idea, and when one of the restored cars is sold, the profit goes right back into the shop. Tony and I are partners. I get a pretty good salary for running the shop, but neither of us takes any profit. The real purpose of the shop is to bring these cars back to life. The repair and collision work we do is a sideline. We try to work only on older cars like yours. It’s a pleasure to work on these beauties. Anyone who owns and cares for the Cutlass like you do is entitled to as much free service as needed. Here’s a list of services the Cutlass could use. Bring the car in when you have time and we’ll get them taken care of, no charge.

I wondered what other secrets Antonio Marchetti has.

On the drive back to the house, I thanked Tony and told him Mr. Tyler was a very nice man. Tony replied he was a sweetheart and then told me basically the same story Mr. Tyler had.

I used to bring my car here for service. Tyler confided in me he was ready to retire. He didn’t enjoy working on the newer cars as much as he did the older models. I noticed there was always an older car there in various stages of restoration, and I suggested Tyler devote the shop to restorations. I invested a few dollars, and that’s what the shop does now. The sale of the cars pays all the bills. They still do service and collision work on older models, but their primary focus is restorations.

By the time we reached the house, I had made a decision. Tony picked up his tools and the old parts from the driveway, and I walked him to his pickup.

I don’t know how to thank you, for Wednesday and today. Mr. Tyler is not the only nice man I met this week. You are a very nice man Mr. Marchetti.

He put the stuff he was carrying into the back of the truck.

I appreciate the compliment Alex, but it would sound better if it ended with Tony instead of Mr. Marchetti.

I smiled and gave him a nod to indicate my agreement.

What about what I owe you for the labor?

At your convenience Ma’am.

I took in a big breath, trying to hide my uneasiness.

Are you available this evening? It’s only pot roast.

I love pot roast, but I’ll have to clean up first. What time do you want me?

Why don’t you come back as soon as you’re ready?

OK, I’ll bring the wine and dessert!

I had no idea at the time how a flat tire on a rainy day could result in so much turmoil coming into my life. But, the following months would be full of ups and downs, joy and heartbreak, and my life would be changed forever.

Chapter 2 – Just Dinner

Back in the house, I found Riley peeking out the front window.

Dreamy, isn’t he?

I had to smile and nod. He was that! I told Riley I had invited him to dinner tonight. She immediately said she would spend the evening at her friend’s house, overnight if I preferred.

You’ll do no such thing. You got me into this, and you’re going to chaperon us tonight. Don’t you dare make any other plans!

Riley pouted and after a while, she gave in. At least, I wouldn’t be alone with Mr. Great Smile. While Riley set about straightening up the house, I started preparing dinner. Close to five o’clock, the doorbell rang. I was surprised. Every time I had seen this man, he was wearing shorts and a tee shirt. Now, here he was dressed in casual slacks, a dress shirt with the top button undone and a sport coat. His hair was combed, and he looked great!

I invited him in, suddenly, even more, unsure of what I was doing. Tony took two bottles of wine from the paper bag he was carrying. He handed me the bag and suggested I put it in the refrigerator.

But no peeking.

I did as he requested and offered him a glass of the wine he had brought.

I thought a nice white burgundy would go nicely with pot roast.

I poured us two glasses, and I invited him out to the back porch to enjoy the cool evening breeze. The conversation was polite and centered mainly on the Cutlass. But, he managed to get a lot of personal information out of me, almost without my realizing what I was telling him. I didn’t get to find out too much about him, except he was with Ocean Breeze Development, and he wasn’t a carpenter any longer. I also managed to discover he was single and unattached, news that made me uneasy.

It was much too soon since my breakup with Frank for me to consider getting involved in a relationship and I vowed to be careful. I would definitely have to watch myself around this man and avoid any consideration of additional contact. Tonight was just a ‘Thank You’ for the tune-up, and that would be it.

Dinner was very pleasant and on a number of occasions I had to remind myself of my promise not to allow this to go any further. He was extremely good looking, and he had a cute boyish way about him. He was an excellent conversationalist and loved to laugh. And he had a way of making Riley and me laugh along with him. He was right about the wine too. It was a perfect complement to the pot roast. All in all, it was a fun evening.

After dinner, while I was serving coffee, He asked Riley to retrieve the paper bag from the refrigerator. When I returned to the dining room with the coffee, there was a plate of Italian pastries on the table.

Dessert! He announced.

We four Rafferty girls were lucky. We never had to worry too much about our weight. We had great metabolisms and never had to diet. I never went crazy with food, but I do enjoy eating, especially sweets. And these were to die for! There were a variety of pastries, and I sampled most of them. My favorite, and as it turned out his also, was the cannoli. I had never tried one before, and for those of you who are as uneducated as to the sinfulness of Italian pastry, as I was, it is simply a tube of pastry dough filled with the most delicious cream I had ever tasted. Between the three of us, the plate was emptied in short order, with Riley and me devouring most of it.

I see dessert was a hit. I’ll have to remember that!

I knew he would, and I also knew his intentions went beyond dinner tonight. But, I had made a decision, and I was going to stick to it.

Why couldn’t you have shown up in my life a couple of months from now?

After dinner, we had another cup of coffee on the front porch. As we walked over to the swing that hung from the ceiling in the corner, Tony stamped his feet a couple of times.

This decking is rotten, an accident waiting to happen,

I know, but, it’s not in the budget at the moment.

No problem, I can get enough scraps from the job site and have a new deck installed in a day.

Tony, I don’t want you to get in trouble for taking stuff from work.

There’s so much scrap available it wouldn’t be a problem, and no one would mind if I put the scraps to good use. They just get dumped at the end of the job.

I continued to argue about the material and the labor.

How about payment in kind, just like we did with the Cutlass.

When it was time for him to leave we didn’t have anything settled. After Tony had left, Riley asked how it was going.

He’s very nice and under different circumstance, I might be interested, but the timing is wrong.

He’s a good one, and you’d be crazy not to find out just how interested he is. If he looked at me the way he looks at you, I’d go after him myself, in spite of the age difference.

We talked for a while, over what was left of the burgundy and finally headed for bed. Needless to say, I did not sleep well. Conflicting thoughts kept swirling around me. What it might be like to be involved with this man and just how much it hurt when Frank dumped me. I reaffirmed my decision not to allow this to go any further.

Mr. Great Smile would not be installing a new deck on my front porch, even if it was for free.

Sunday morning, I woke to the sound of banging, screeching and cracking. After my parents had moved to Ohio, I took over the Master Bedroom and my windows faced the front of the property. When I looked out the window, I saw Tony’s pickup parked at the curb. The noise was coming from right below me, but because the porch had a roof over it, I couldn’t see anything. That was until a piece of old lumber came flying out from under the roof and landed in a pile of broken boards on the lawn.

I rushed to shower and dress as quickly as I could manage and headed for the stairs. Just before I started down, I went back into my bedroom and put on some lip gloss. While I was painting my lips, I wondered what possessed me to do that. Downstairs, I noticed the coffee pot was almost empty again and assumed Riley had been supplying our benefactor with his favorite beverage. I didn’t bother to pour what was left, and instead headed for the front door. I stopped when I found yellow plastic tape stretched across the opening. Looking down, I saw the decking had been removed, and it was a good two feet to the ground below. Tony noticed me and came over to help me down. He brought me over to where the middle of the porch used to be, picked up his foot and stepped on one of the beams. It snapped in half in a shower of wood dust.

Rotted right down to the frame. Could have collapsed at any time. It won’t be a problem to rebuild, but it will take two or three weekends. I’ll build a temporary platform you can use to get to the front door until I’m ready to install the decking.

This is much bigger than you anticipated.

I enjoy doing this kind of work, and this would give me a chance to keep my skills sharp. I don’t get to do this sort of work anymore.

When I brought up the cost, he told me, The material won’t cost anything, and the labor could be payment in kind, just as before? If that’s OK with you!

All we have tonight is leftovers from last night’s pot roast.

I couldn’t possibly turn down a repeat of last night’s excellent dinner, but I didn’t bring any dessert.

I assured him last night’s dessert would last me a while, and I guess we had a guest for dinner again tonight. Riley, who had been standing nearby, listening to the conversation was thrilled. For a moment, I wondered if she had designs on this man who was, at least, ten to fifteen years older than she was.

I made Riley come into the house with me, and we talked. Riley did indeed like Mr. Antonio Marchetti, but she had no designs on him.

He’s a good match for you, Alex.

Riley, after the fiasco with Frank, I’m not ready to start dating again, and I’m surely not willing to get into a relationship.

I never did know what you saw in that guy. I thought he was a jerk from the moment I met him. But this one is a good one. He’s a gentleman, and I’ll bet he treats a woman with respect and dignity.

You might be right, but it’s my emotions you’re betting with, not yours. And, since I’m the one who would be hurt, I’d prefer if you would leave those decisions to me.

Riley pouted, but relented, and the conversation was over. Dinner was as pleasant as last night, even without those fabulous desserts, and I got a kiss on the hand when Tony left that evening. I knew Riley was probably right about this man, and he did seem to be interested in me, but I wasn’t ready. We wouldn’t see him until the following Saturday, and I hoped I would be better able to deal with the situation by then.

Back at the office, Monday morning, I was informed a week from this Saturday, Bob had to attend a charity banquet a potential client was sponsoring, and since I was his Assistant Account Manager, I would be required to attend also. Bob was bringing his wife, and just for a moment, I toyed with the idea of asking Tony to accompany me. I quickly dismissed that idea when Henry, the Director of Accounts informed me Frank would also be attending as my escort. When I got Harry alone, I protested.

Alex, I took you off Frank’s team because of your personal issue, but this is business, and you have to learn to deal with it.

I started with The Stein Advertising and Public Relations Agency as an Associate. When I was promoted to Assistant Account Manager, I was assigned to Frank. He was good looking and had a great body. He was also very charming, attentive and promised to help me become a full-fledged Account Manager.

As the Chief Account Manager and biggest money maker in the office, I can teach you a lot, Alex.

Our relationship quickly became personal. Frank was a great boyfriend, and when he proposed, I accepted immediately. That’s when everything changed. My charming and attentive boyfriend became my demanding and jealous fiancé. This was not the man I had agreed to marry. I soon realized Frank was a bully and had to have his own way in every situation. I was having second thoughts about our engagement and I was getting ready to call it off, but I never got the chance. One night, Frank took me to Le Chez, one of the fanciest restaurants in town. Conversation during dinner was forced, and just before dessert, Frank ended my indecision for me.

Alex, I think we got into this engagement too fast. I’m not sure either of us is ready to commit to till death do we part. Maybe we should take a break for a while and see how we feel.

I knew Frank’s reason. About four months ago, the company hired a new graphic artist. Sally was about my age, and she was what the guys would call hot. She wore her skirts much too short, and her scooped neck blouses showed off the cleavage of what I was sure were her thirty-six-Ds. Every single guy in the office was after her, and I knew Frank had put in his bid. I was sure Sally was the reason Frank had decided to end our engagement. I was not heartbroken, but I was insulted. What woman wants to be thrown over for a stacked bimbo with no substance to her. But, it did take the decision out of my hands, and I wouldn’t have to explain my reasons to Frank.

It’s okay, Frank. I’ve been thinking we may have gotten engaged too soon also. I think this may be best for both of us.

I’m glad you understand, Alex. Why don’t we tell everyone it was your idea to break off the engagement?

Well, at least that was something.

Two weeks ago, I found out Frank had taken Sally to a client dinner and Sally decided the client was a better catch than Frank. It seems Frank was dumped a little more than three months after he dumped me.

Don’t gloat, Alex, it’s not lady like!

I had no reason to gloat. Once Sally dumped him, Frank decided he wanted to reconnect with me.

Not going to happen, ever!

When Frank broke our engagement, it was uncomfortable working together. Frank asked Henry to transfer me to another Account Manager. Bob was more than happy to have me join his team. He was very pleasant and was much more helpful getting me to the Account Manager level than Frank ever was. Bob was happily married, and we became friends. Now, Frank wanted me back on his team, but the rule at The Stein Agency was no one could be transferred from an Account Manager’s team without the Account Manager’s consent. Bob knew my attitude toward Frank, and he would not agree to the transfer. This made both Frank and Henry angry, but their hands were tied. The rule was sacred. I complained to Bob about the banquet and Frank being my escort.

I’m sorry Alex. The company is paying for the tickets. They’re not being charged against my expense account. That gives Henry the right to distribute them as he wishes. Henry and Frank are good friends. He knows Frank wants you back and he’s trying to help him out.

That’s great for Frank, Bob, but that means I have to spend the entire night with Frank.

Don’t worry. My wife and I will pick you up and bring you home. I’ll try to keep Frank in check when we’re there. Frank knows this is an important client, and I’m sure he’ll behave himself.

I wasn’t left with any choice. The rest of the day and Tuesday, I tried to stay out of