Yellow Roses, Precious Songs

By Regina Bianco Cosenza

In Long Island and New York City during the prosperous 1970s, life was good.

It was a time of plentyplenty of jobs, plenty of money, plenty of hope for all, and everything seemed right with the world. For Anna Maria Bellone, a vibrant college graduate from Long Island, it was also a time to begin her career with a prominent NYC insurance firm.

It was not long before she met the captivating Andrew Moore, who quickly swept her into his life and his soul. They enjoyed everything their beautiful city had to offerbut the secrets he held close and the events of one fateful evening shook their relationship almost beyond repair. Was it possible that all they had shared and built together could be so easily destroyed in a matter of moments? Could romance end so swiftly, leaving only broken lives and bittersweet memories behind?

Anna relied on her strength and the love that was born below the shadows of the Manhattan skyline. She prayed that her faith would help Andrew heal emotionally while she physically recovered from the night that forever changed them.

But Andrew had a different idea. To save her further misery, he was convinced that if he put half a country between them, his plan would be successful. Could their love overcome the circumstances that tried to separate them? Was it possible for a love founded in the shadows to blossom in the sunshine of happily ever after?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Dec 29, 2011
• ISBN: 9781426971709

Regina Bianco Cosenza

Regina Bianco Cosenza works in finance and insurance and is active in several ministries at her local parish, St. Anthony of Padua. She and her husband live in East Northport, New York, where they raised three children and a Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen named Peanut.

Book preview

Chapter 1

It was a balmy and beautiful June morning on Manhattan Island. As the E train halted noisily to its last stop, this is a moment in time that Anna-Maria Bellone will recall for all her life. The smooth orange seats on New York’s finest trains were filled with the most recent college graduates readying themselves for the first day of the rest of their lives.

The boys who were baseball players, or video game masters at the Student Union just last week, were now men. They had appropriately donned brand new blue or gray pinstripe suits and heavily starched white shirts. Needless to say, their ties and handkerchiefs were a matched set. They carried new leather briefcases complete with their initials monogrammed in gold. These were, most likely, graduation gifts and contained nothing more than a brown bag lunch and, for effect, the Wall Street Journal. Anna spotted the shiniest tie clips and cuff links and made a mental note that the cuff link men usually headed for the Wall Street area.

The girls still, somehow, held on to the innocence of youth, even though their clothes now came with Dry Clean Only labels. Anna’s attire was close to very proper for one’s first day on the job – a navy blue dress with a straight skirt and short sleeves: a gold belt, its only adornment. These were the years prior to subway slashing and women still wore jewelry on the trains so Anna-Maria had selected small pearl earrings and a brilliant emerald pendant that accented the color of her eyes. These were, also, the years before wearing Reeboks to work was acceptable and she prayed she had chosen an elegant enough shoe with a low enough heel so she wouldn’t break her neck climbing the always challenging subway stairs the first day.

The subway doors opened easily and the conductor’s voice bellowed, Step lively and have a nice day.

Commuters gathered their overabundance of be- longings and exited the train. Just then, it struck Anna that there were three things all of these boys and girls, a.k.a. men and women, had in common. Firstly, they were all probably wearing new watches. Secondly, their class rings were still relatively new and harbored few, if any, scratches. Lastly, their whole lives were before them and they were filled with adventure, excitement and a touch of nervousness. As the high heels and wingtips hit the platform and headed for the escalators, all of these lives were overflowing with hope. The possibilities were endless.

As Anna passed the variety of shops on the promenade of the World Trade Center, she thought to herself that it might be fun to one day work right here. Instead, she exited the building into the vast expanse of lower Manhattan. As she walked south on William Street passed the Chase Manhattan Bank, Moshell’s and Jiffy’s, she knew that everything along the route would become second nature to her in only a matter of weeks. These would be the places she would do her banking, buy Christmas gifts and grab a quick lunch on payday leaving enough time to pick up a new outfit or pair of shoes. The walk took twelve minutes, fifteen if she stopped for coffee, which she did every day and in every kind of weather, except today, her first day.

At last, she stood before the massive gray building sporting scores of windows that did not open and she wondered why they bothered. The huge bronze doors offered ornate ebony lettering that stated simply: ANDERSON ASSURANCE. It almost seemed like a challenge, something spiritual beckoned Anna to make a choice. But, of course, the decision had been made and she hoped courage would see her through the first day, and the next and the next.

She reported immediately to the Personnel Department and was greeted by Mr. Harper, the Employee Relations Director. He reminded Anna of a beloved Golden Retriever with warm eyes, a cozy disposition and a happy smile. She felt at ease and calm during those first moments. It was only after the endless pile of Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance and the dreaded tax forms were presented to her, did she seem overwhelmed.

As she wrote her name, address and Social Security number for the fourth time, she remembered the front cover of the little blue test booklets used for every college exam. Suddenly, she missed essays and term papers about Shakespeare, Byron and Browning. She never appreciated them when they were the assignment of the week or they tried to get in the way of a football or basketball game. Was it really only days ago that she sat safely in her English class, Papermate poised in hand, absorbed by Professor George’s explanation of Shelley’s intimate love affair? What was his lover’s name? Oh, yes, Mary. Shelley often said of her, …she could feel poetry.

The calm had fled and Anna was, all at once, alone and scared – wishing college had never ended. She wanted to run from this place, grab the first train to Sam’s, request a pitcher of Sangria and begin planning the program layout for next football season. How had the life she loved so dearly for the last four years come so quickly to an end?

…And on everyone’s behalf, I’d like to welcome you to Anderson Assurance. I hope you will be very happy here. Steven will show you to your office and your Director will be happy to give you a tour of the building, exclaimed Mr. Harper.

Beaming back to earth, Anna found herself shaking hands with great sincerity considering she had missed about half of his welcoming speech. Mr. Harper handled the array of forms with swift expertise as Steven Milano guided their newest employee to the bank of elevators at the end of the hallway.

Steven was a tall good-looking chap with impeccable taste in clothing. His sandy hair and light blue eyes helped him look even younger than the twenty-four years he, in fact, was. He explained that he was in charge of employee benefits and should she ever have a question or problem or a need to talk, his door was always open. Her memory, once again, floated back to the time when her favorite Philosophy professor, Dr. Risker, uttered those very words, a lifetime ago. Steven continued his welcome mentioning a few amenities that the company was famous for.

Our Christmas party rivals those given by the Aetna Life and Casualty or the United States Companies. The generous end of year bonus comes in handy for shopping in our terrific downtown area and Anderson Assurance offers its employees several weekend get-away trips at great savings. You might want to inquire about them in time, he continued. His enthusiasm was contagious.

Anna felt good. Regaining her confidence with this new wealth of information at her command, she was sure she had, indeed, made the right choice.

The elevator stopped and her heart pounded anew as Steven took her elbow and directed her to the large corner office. She remembered from the day of her interview that this office encompassed almost the entire fourth floor. ‘Public Relations’ was etched impressively on the beveled glass doors and as they entered the receptionist offered a friendly greeting. Behind her was an arrangement of neatly ordered desks housing the supporting staff. To the right of the doors was a small but comfortable sitting area and to the left was a large conference room. Anna smiled, recalling the enormity of that room complete with the obligatory oak table, eight swivel chairs, coffee machine and tiny, but efficient, kitchenette. The entire office was decorated in the depressingly popular earth tones of the 1970’s with its only dash of color offered by the few silk flower sprays strategically placed about. Anna was fairly certain that the employees of this office had purchased them to assuage the ‘every shade of brown’ monotony.

All at once, Frank Bevins, Public Relations Director extraordinaire, was at her side vigorously pumping her hand. Steven bid them farewell, and promised they would ‘do lunch’ even before ‘doing lunch’ was the thing everyone seemed to be doing.

Frank introduced Anna all around and they made brief visits to the six small offices (better known as cubbies) that lined the perimeter of the department. Each of these offices was tastefully decorated, thank God, in bone and peach with oak desks and credenzas. The visitor chairs were plush and inviting and it was evident that every effort had been made to insure client, as well as, employee comfort.

When they approached the second to last office, Anna was surprised and pleased to see the brass nameplate already engraved and affixed to the window. It read: Anna-Maria Bellone – Assistant Account Associate. A sense of pride swept over her.

Finally they reached the corner office reserved for the Director of Public Relations. He motioned for her to be seated as he made himself snug behind the huge mahogany desk that gave the appearance of organized clutter. The windows on both exterior walls enabled one to gaze upon William Street to the west and John Street to the south. The light was welcomed, as Frank had chosen what painter Bob Ross would classify as Van Dyke brown as his color. Only the chairs enjoyed tiny splashes of beige and light blue, and yet this room had that touch of elegance and, at the same time, comfort.

Frank was affectionately referred to as ‘The Boss’ and was the true epitome of the word gentleman. Frank Bevins was at or about mid-life, pleasant, intelligent, well spoken and very well dressed. During her lengthy interview the previous month, Anna had noticed his clearly expensive Italian leather shoes and it was pretty much the turning point at which time she decided that insurance might, indeed, be the way to go.

It was a well-known fact that ‘The Boss’ was a natural leader with a genuine concern for his employees. Anna would come to understand that everyone who ever worked for and with Frank Bevins was truly fond of him and in the coming months she would experience, first hand, the reasons why. From first glance, this company might be a place one could spend their entire career. At this point, however, Anna-Maria would have been content to make it to lunch.

As she sunk into the thickness of the cream stripe chair opposite Frank’s desk, she enjoyed a cup of coffee that was ready for her. He expounded upon the nature of her job responsibilities, touched upon office procedures and other general matters that would take her some time to remember. He loved to relay the story about the company’s founding father, Richard Anderson, a robust individual with boundless energy who was much more concerned with his clients than the bottom line. The big boys in the downtown area laughed at him, but Richard continued to place his clients above all else. He treated each of them with respect, dignity and understanding.

It’s our job, Anna-Maria, to anticipate problems, properly channel any complaints and deal with any questions so that, in the end, the client is satisfied. This is the reason we are rated one of the best. You have been assigned several fairly large accounts as well as many smaller ones. You will almost never hear from 80% of them, but it’s how you handle the remaining 20% who come to you for help, that sets us apart from every other company.

Anna imagined Frank delivering this speech to everyone currently seated outside his door, and yet, in no way did it seem contrived or rehearsed. It came from the heart as if he had never spoken the words before. She wondered if he had been a poet in a past life, or even in this one.

While he attended to an important telephone call, she regarded the many photographs displayed on the credenza directly behind him. She thought how proud he must be of his handsome family, his wife and four sons. The boys appeared to be rather close in age and as adorable as their father was distinguished.

The shelves to her right held countless volumes of insurance manuals, procedural textbooks and general office management paraphernalia. The top two shelves housed beautifully bound great works of literature while modern selections and current best sellers appeared on the shelf below. As was everything she had seen, this collection was well cared for.

I knew he was a lover of the written word, she thought.

As he completed his conversation and hung up, he explained that all his employees were welcomed and encouraged to make use of his library.

With most of the entrance details behind them, he personally conducted the tour of Anderson Assurance, which was really a refresher for Anna-Maria since she was fortunate enough to have interned here during her college summers. The remainder of the fourth floor encompassed Underwriting and New Accounts. Descending the stairs one level, they found themselves in the middle of an intricate claim operation. This location served as the main office for life, disability, medical and dental claims. The mailroom, supply rooms, training classes, as well as excellent dining facilities were located on the second level. Home Office Personnel and District Supervision were found at their last stop; the sixth floor.

Anna’s head was reeling with names, faces and the hierarchy of the powers that be as she returned to her office with the little brass nameplate. A plethora of supplies had been delivered to her desk during her absence and Frank left her to tidy her domain and compose her thoughts.

She eyed the phone and wished beyond words that she had her friends new work numbers. Her best buddies had also begun their careers today and she was not sure if she would be able to wait until dinner that evening to hear all the gossip.

After Anna had arranged the collection of her supplies methodically in the oak drawers that seemed strong enough to hold a hundred pounds, there came a knock at her door.

Come in.

Pat Foster, the senior account manager entered and invited Anna to lunch at Willy’s. She gratefully accepted the invitation and hoped Pat would furnish some helpful tips on the downtown area. As they left, Anna donned a pleasant smile meeting scores of people entering and exiting the elevator. She knew she had met some of these folk this morning, but did they work in Claims or Underwriting? Were their names Timmy or Tommy, Rita or Rebecca? She would definitely need more time. As they passed the Personnel Department, Steven was leaving for lunch, as well, and Anna was thrilled for the ability to greet someone by his rightful name.

He was quick in reply, So, how did the morning progress? Have you made any earth shattering decisions that may affect the future of the company?

Absolutely, she answered, I’ve made the executive decision to place the manila folders in the bottom right drawer instead of the bottom left.

They laughed and wished each other a pleasant lunch. He was attracted to her quick wit. He liked her.

Pat Foster was considered, by most, the ambassador of Anderson Assurance. At forty-five, she had already been with the company for a quarter of a century and she felt it was her personal responsibility to make all the new employees feel at home by showing them a bit of their new realm. Originally from upstate New York, she became a city dweller since attending New York University, graduating at the ripe, old age of twenty. She began her career with Anderson Assurance immediately after graduation, as Anna had done, and although Pat had been offered many promotions, each would have meant giving up her clients in the field. This was a choice she was never ready to make and so she remained the best and most productive account manager in the company. Pat had found her perfect job and was the envy of so many because of it. She married and raised her family in Manhattan. Her twin boys, now nineteen, were following in her footsteps, having just completed their second year at NYU.

When Anna and Pat emerged from the building, they were immediately swallowed into the mainstream of lunch hour traffic on the narrow, practically non-existent, sidewalks of lower Manhattan.

We’ll go left and left again, Pat shouted over the din of the city.

There, across John Street was a charming little restaurant nestled between two not so tall office buildings. It should have looked out of place, with its Olde-English appearance, but it did not. The chocolate colored façade and cornice offered the flavor of early New York during a simpler time while the white Gothic lettering that spelled WILLY’S beckoned a formidable midday crowd.

A distinguished gentleman greeted them and in quiet elegance, they were shown to a window table for two where parchment menus awaited them. Fine white linen cloths, crisp forest napkins, beautiful stemware and fresh tulips completed the atmosphere that Anna hoped would be part of her working life.

This is my favorite place, Pat admitted. It’s close to the office, has marvelous food and is so quaint you almost forget what’s outside the door. The ladies usually come over about once a month, or so.

Anna-Maria lost herself for an instant, recalling the tales of Professor George lunching along the English countryside, insisting always, that the pubs had the finest food because they served the locals, not the tourists. She heard the words, his words, as if he were sitting there beside her, at that moment. Without looking at the menu, she made her selection and had every confidence it would be there and it would be wonderful.

I think I’ll have the venison stew, announced Anna.

I was just going to suggest that very dish, Pat was astonished. Not too many people have ever tried venison, and dismiss it without a single thought. It is, however, their specialty, and always my preference. They make it with a delightful sour cream sauce and a garnish of mint.

Somehow, Anna already knew that.

Lunch was both entertaining and informative as Pat shared a wealth of tidbits about Manhattan, especially this neighborhood. She told Anna that her lunch hours would become a vital part of her day now that she was working full time. Anna supposed it was true. After her evening commute to her sleepy, but charming, little Long Island town, there would be little time for much else. Pat shared the secret of Elysium, the best hair salon in the district. Antonio had a gold mine and catered to the lunchtime crowd of busy, refined and very smart women, who made the most of every moment. Other significant points of interest included, local pharmacies, card stores, coffee shops and banks.

Naturally, you’ll want to take full advantage of the half-priced theatre ticket booth, two blocks west on the corner. You should try to see all the latest Broadway shows - definitely a steal at those prices. There has, also, been continued talk about making Nassau Street a pedestrian mall. Of course, they’ve been hashing over plans for years and years. That street, like so many others in this sector, was originally laid for horse drawn carriages. Now, it has become a major shopping corridor and a danger for the hoards of people who shop there. That’s the bad news, but the good news remains - no matter what you may be shopping for – look first on Nassau Street. Pat laughed, I hope I’m still working when the mall is finally a reality. For heaven sake, I hope I’m still alive. It’ll be something to behold.

As Anna finished her coffee, she mentally filed every piece of data for further use. This had been a wonderful treat and, indeed, she felt more relaxed and in command of her new surroundings.

As they left Willy’s, Pat pointed out the hair salon just across the street. Antonio is the best, but you definitely have to book a few days in advance, especially if you have something special doing, Pat offered.

It was two o’clock when Anna and Frank Bevins had settled in the conference room to review the accounts she would be handling. He gave her only a brief overview and explained that during the remainder of the week she would be working with the underwriters and claims personnel in regard to her major accounts.

They’ll give you an ‘in depth’ look at the policies they each have, any problems that have been addressed in the past and if there have been any major claim events within the past year. You’ll be furnished with the names of our contacts; now your contacts, at each company. Many of your client split happen to be members of the New York Stock Exchange and that’ll mean a great deal of your work will be centered in the lower Manhattan district. You do have a few clients in midtown, so you’ll have to familiarize yourself with that area, as well.

Anna laughed to herself. He should only know that she and her friends had been delving into the streets of midtown Manhattan since Thanksgiving weekend of their sophomore year of high school. They have explored the streets and the avenues in the bitter cold, the slushy snow, the blistering heat, and the driving rain and loving every moment. He should know that they have been to every theatre on and off-Broadway, shopped at every store on Fifth Avenue, ate at every restaurant on Thirty-fourth Street and, at twenty-one, had already spent weekends at the Plaza and the St. Moritz. To date, their two favorite bookstores included the Little French Library on Rockefeller Plaza and Rossini’s on Fifth Avenue. On one particular occasion during freshman year in college, Anna-Maria met her Italian professor, a Vincentian priest, at Rossini’s. He was so thrilled at meeting his student at such a place; he was overflowing with praise and adoration for her. Anna is still convinced that that meeting remains the single most important reason she received an ‘A’ in Italian. What else could it possibly be? At the completion of the course, the only Italian she spoke fluently was the Hail Mary. That fact is true still to this day.

You, of course, are provided with an expense account, Frank continued, totally unaware of Anna’s mental transgression, And we ask that you keep accurate records of your travel and meal expenditures. You are our representative and spokesman (this was, naturally the era prior to the use of terms such as spokeswoman or spokesperson), for these clients and we expect you to be a model of decorum at all times.

She thought, again, Thank heaven this guy was not at our last basketball game. We were models of insanity, especially when we lost by one point at the buzzer. I’d have never landed this job,

Frank continued, I see it is nearly four-thirty, Anna, so let me help you get these files to your desk and you may arrange them to your liking. I think you’ll be a true asset to our organization and we are all happy to have you aboard.

I hope I’ll live up to all your expectations, stated Anna, hopefully.

Standing in her office, she found herself surrounded with files to get under control with five o’clock looming ever closer on her new Loris. She thought, Organization. That was the thing that pulled me through twenty-one credits per semester and a dozen extra-curricular activities all at once. It’s that time, once again.

With great accuracy and speed, she took charge of the mass of papers and files and by four fifty-five, her domain seemed in reasonable order for the evening. She had made it through eight hours and, in silence, she recited her special prayer of thanks to God, and reviewed the busyness, not wanting to leave anything out when her friends asked her, So how was your day?

After she locked her desk and said her good-byes, she opted for the stairs. She had been warned that the elevators were filled with hundreds of people who just wanted to get to the subway in a reasonable amount of time. The evening rush will create insanity even in the nicest of people. They were not kidding. Most of these individuals were heading home to spouses, children, dinner preparation, an evening of television and, a few perhaps, a favorable sexual encounter. Anna fit into none of