Magnet & Steele Page 3

  Stephen laughed aloud and yanked the bottle away from her. He guzzled down another sip. “What do you want to do now?”

  Nancy turned away from his selfish grin. “Have you ever been in love?”

  She caught him off guard and choked before he asked, “What?”

  Nancy gazed out beyond the mountain. “Been in love Stephen, have you ever been in love?”

  Stephen took another sip before saying, “No Nancy, I’ve never been in love.”

  Nancy now looked down at her feet, “I think I’m in love Stephen and I can’t stop thinking about him.”

  Stephen now grabbed the bottle more aggressively and chugged the damn stuff down his throat like it was water. Nancy got out of the car abruptly and ran towards the edge of the cliff.

  Struggling to get out himself, Stephen tried to open the door but tripped over his own two feet and fell to the ground.

  At the edge of the cliff, an unexpected wind rushed around Nancy’s body causing her scarf to rise up and float on its own.

  Reaching her finally, Stephen came up behind her, dirty yet concerned, “What’s the matter Nancy? Tell me, maybe I can help.”

  Nancy wiped away the tears that were suddenly rushing down her cheeks. “Oh Stephen, you can’t help me. You’ve never been in love.”

  With the scotch now numbing his inhibitions, Stephen wasn’t so sure he wasn’t already in love. Nancy was striking with the wind rushing through her hair and the moonlight highlighting her face. Her side profile was faultless; the stuff that pin-ups were made of. Yes, damn…he was in love with her, but how was he going to make her fall in love with him? And who was this guy she was suddenly in love with? Some movie-star…a jerk from high school? He would have to ask his father in the morning, right now, he was starting to see double…

  July, 1945

  It was early in the morning and a very warm day; frogs and birds harmonized in the nearby wheat grass, while the water bugs buzzed above the water of a sheltered creek that Nancy oftentimes frequented.

  Nancy sat by the edge of the stream and stuck her bare feet into the water, wiggling her toes and mixing the sand with her foot. Relaxed and unabated, Nancy gazed at the fish slowly swimming downstream. “Oh, how can I be in love with a total stranger?” She asked a chirping bird that happened to be perched on a branch next to her. She then stood up to walk along the water’s path. Heading towards her secret spot, she made sure she only stepped on the tree roots that were sticking out from the ground that meshed into the stream. “Aaah, my favorite tree and secret hiding spot to shut out the world.”

  Two hundred feet high, the tree stood alone and regal on the opposite side of the creek elevated above and out of normal viewing distance; once a nest for ground owls, a hole had been carved out nearly a century ago and through time, the opening had widened by rain and the weather and now big enough to stand up in. Books of poems and literature were hidden within its large cavity and Nancy sat down on a blanket she left within the shelter year-round.

  Two sentences in and she was startled by some unexpected voices which were across the way and then noticed two juvenile boys splashing their fishing poles inside the water. They don’t see her perched there and Nancy laughed aloud with them when she heard someone laugh behind her as well. Alarmed this time, she peeked around the corner to see who it was—then gasped!

  Angelo Magetti?

  Nancy brought herself in from around the wood and was immediately dizzy, drunk with shock. Angelo, was here? How did he find her? What was she going to say to him now that she was in love with him? Her heart was beating so gosh darn fast, she had to huff and puff like she was blowing up a balloon when Angelo’s head appeared out of nowhere and popped in front of her face.

  “Hello Nancy.”

  Nancy stopped blowing and spurted out, “Angelo, how did you find me here?”

  Angelo laughed sensitively then looked across the way at the two boys, “I followed you…you don’t mind, do you?”

  Surprised, Nancy asked, “Followed me?”

  Angelo took a step in closer but his hands still remained in his pockets. “I wanted to see you again.”

  “I know, I…I wanted to see you again too.”

  They stare into each other’s eyes—lost in a daze.

  “May I sit down?”

  Nancy whirled her head around and sniggled, “Sure, but there’s hardly enough room for two.”

  Angelo brought his eyes down to the outsized area where she sat then quickly met Nancy’s questioning eyes. With a laugh still in his words, he conveyed, “There’s some room next to you.”

  Nancy watched in awe as Angelo stepped into the gap and carefully sat down on the exposed area on the blanket where she occupied. She scooted over so that he could at least bring up his legs to get comfortable.

  Angelo had never been so nervous and yet, at that same time calm. “This is nice.”

  Nancy stretched out her legs and then spread out her cotton skirt to cover her knees. A decent girl always tries not to seem too improper, even if her thoughts were a little naughty. “I love coming here; this has been my favorite spot since I could remember,” she gushed out in front of her.

  Angelo gazed out from within the oval tree trunk and watched the two boys gather up their poles to head away. “And it’s quiet here too,” he said, glad he wasn’t going to have an audience for what he was about to confess.

  “It always has been,” Nancy softly voiced, hearing her speech crack at the realization that they were now alone.

  Unexpectedly, Angelo grabbed her hand and held it within his. “Nancy…I can’t seem to get you out of my head,” Angelo finally said to break their concentrated stumbles.

  “Angelo…”

  “I know you must think me forward.”

  “No, I—”

  “You must think I’m crazy.”

  “No, it’s all happening so fast.”

  “Yes, to me too, do you think I’m crazy?”

  “No, no, I don’t.”

  “Yes, but I feel crazy…”

  “I don’t think you’re crazy, I must be the one who’s crazy!”

  “You? Crazy?” An enlightening expression filled his face. “I don’t even know you and I’ve—”

  “Fallen in love with you too,” she finished for him.

  A flash of karma and wandering eyes set on one another when a deep sense of realization seeped into their cores.

  Angelo began to caress her fingers within his at this moment; she hadn’t pulled her hand away and his flesh wanted more.

  “Oh Angelo, what do we do? We don’t know what we’re saying.”

  “Maybe not, but we know how we feel,” he affirmed, bringing her palm up to his lips and kissing the back of her hand.

  Nancy met his eyes again as he kissed her skin repeatedly and remained holding them. She wanted him to kiss her lips as well and asked, “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

  Angelo gave her half a smile, “I believe in Il Destino, destiny. I believe in old couples who were once young and fell in love to make a commitment to stay in love forever…per sempre.”

  Nancy sat silent and engrossed. If it was even possible, her heart expanded even more.

  Angelo studied her face, her beautiful green eyes, pink lips, engaging him. “And I believe you belong to me,” he claimed, adjusting his position to incline his body and lean into hers. Gently cradling her face with both hands, he was going to take what was his.

  Nancy didn’t pause, if felt so natural, it felt so pure and she was so drawn to him; so much so, they came together in unison and kissed, softly at first, then grabbed each other fierce with a hunger and uncontrolled passion. Angelo didn’t mean to be so forward, but his fascination was stubborn and he couldn’t hold back his enthusiasm for her. Their steadfast kisses quickly turned into heated bussing that seemed to detour elsewhere. Nancy arched her neck to accept Angelo’s hot mouth that trailed up and around her earlobe, down alongside the back of her ear and then
downward again to rest on her bare shoulder that he exposed with his wandering hands. Yes, they were wandering and touching her everywhere as Nancy couldn’t help but feel a bit wanton as Angelo freely undressed her upper body. Unbuttoning her blouse, Angelo began to finger the softness of her bare shoulder as he leaned down to kiss her there as well. Nancy wrapped her arms freely around his neck and pulled him down slowly and diagonally on top of her, ending with them lying on the blanket, deep within the hallow trunk of the tree.

  Nancy couldn’t stop herself, even if she wanted to, she was too far gone and her body, too heated up to cut short what she actually dreamt of doing. He was very experienced, she could only assume, as his unwavering mouth found its way to an uncovered breast. Nancy closed her eyes and welcomed his tongue as it circled around her pebbled nipple, sucking and licking until Nancy felt her hips buck up giving Angelo a spontaneous invitation. His roving hands reached underneath her cotton skirt and pulled down her underwear, pulling and dragging the fabric down until it reached her knees and lie at the base of her ankles. Drawing his mouth up and away from her skin, Angelo stopped; he completely stopped and recovered her breast to Nancy’s astonishment.

  “Do you want to Nancy?” Angelo asked in a gruffly voice.

  Nancy leaned up to kiss him and gave him his answer by reaching down to his waist and unbuckling his belt. Angelo assisted her hands by kissing her again; his tongue deep and erotic transporting Nancy into that impassioned area that found her there in the first place.

  Her exploration of him was equally exciting as her roaming hands discovered the hardness of his backside then the softness of his buttocks subsequently realizing he was inside of her now without an ounce of pain. Kissing and kissing her repeatedly, she held onto him tightly as Angelo seemed untamed on top of her, ramming her sensuously until a synchronized responsiveness ended their euphoria.

  *****

  Nancy was back at her front door at midnight and way passed her curfew.

  At the base of her stairs, she began her ascent up the staircase when she heard her father’s voice ringing through the hallway in the dead of silence.

  “Nancy?” She heard him call, “Nancy, would you please come in here for a moment.”

  Nancy turned the corner and walked into the Great Room. “Yes, daddy?”

  Philip was seated in a high leather back chair beside a blazing fire. Nancy looked into the flame and heard him clear his throat.

  “Nancy, where were you this evening?”

  Nancy looked into his eyes but could only see the fire’s glow in his eyeglasses, “At the movies, daddy.”

  Philip took a quick glance back at the blaze. “Try again.”

  “I was there, why?”

  Philip took off his reading glasses and rubbed his red eyes. “Nancy, don’t ever lie to me.”

  Nancy’s heart began to thump, “I didn’t…I don’t.”

  Philip now ran his fingers through his hair. “Where were you today Nancy?”

  Nancy hesitated, “…at the movies.”

  Philip popped up immediately and rose to his feet. “You’re lying to me dammit!” He yelled, pointing his finger in her face. “I’ll have none of it! Now where the hell were you today?!”

  Tears critically bunged at the edges of her eyes. She’d been caught. “Daddy—”

  Philip stood a few feet away from her, careful not to touch her, careful not to strangle her. “Kelly came by looking for you earlier,” he let go exasperated with the situation. “She wanted to know if you could go to the movies. At first I thought you may have missed her, crossing paths, but then after awhile, after Kelly and I waited for almost an hour, I knew the truth. You were out with him.”

  “Him?” Nancy asked carefully.

  “I saw you today.”

  Her heart immediately sunk.

  “I’ve always known of your special place by the creek,” he confessed, sort of matter-of-factly. “I used to follow you there when you were little, to make sure you were all right,” he said with a cry in his voice, “You were my baby Nancy, you were so small when you found that creek…and now you found him.” He stared at his daughter’s pretty red-blonde hair, it hurt him to say what came next; it injured him physically.

  Nancy began wiping away her tears, “I’m sorry daddy.”

  “You should be,” Philip remarked, quickly rounding back his emotions, “Because today was your last day with him.”

  Nancy let go a huge sob, “But daddy, you can’t!”

  Philip now lunged for his daughter and grabbed her by her shoulders. “You are never allowed to see him again, do you hear me? No one could ever know. No one will ever know.”

  Nancy looked up at him, “But why daddy? Why?”

  He shook her repeatedly, “No one! Understand?”

  Nancy looked away from him, “No daddy no. I don’t understand, I love him daddy, I love him!”

  He let go of her like she was on fire and Nancy toppled over trying to catch her balance behind her. His fatherly instinct was immediate but it was too late and Nancy fell on her butt, nearly hitting her head on the side of the banister. Relieved that his daughter wasn’t injured, he stated, “But he’s not one of us, baby.”

  Nancy was still on the ground, but her tears came to a screeching halt. She tried to register what he just professed. “What?”

  “He’s not one us,” Philip asserted in a cold austere voice.

  Nancy found her feet and stood back up. “Because he’s a foreigner, you’re forbidding me to see him?”

  “Yes,” Philip confessed, not ashamed.

  “He’s Italian daddy, not German or Japanese, Italian.”

  Philip leaned in towards his daughter. “He’s European Nancy, they’re all the same. What about your brother Nancy?” He asked, feeling the moisture behind his own voice. “Have you forgotten about your brother Nick? What about your uncle David and Arty’s eldest son? All of them shot down in Italy! Killed! Don’t you remember? It wasn’t all that long ago, we’re all still in mourning for crissakes!”

  Nancy stepped back and away from him. “I don’t care! Angelo didn’t shoot them down. It’s not his fault. I’m gonna get married to him daddy, I’m gonna marry Angelo!”

  Philip turned his head away, exhausted with her perseverance. “Someday, I know you’ll get married.”

  “No, now to Angelo,” Nancy stated, pointing to the ground. “He wants to marry me.”

  Philip eyed his daughter up and down, “No, to Stephen Steele.”

  Nancy shook her head, “Stephen? No, never in a million years!”

  “On the contrary baby, in two months.”

  Nancy’s eyes bug out, “What!”

  “It’s all been prearranged. I just got off the phone with Arty and Stephen will be here tomorrow afternoon to go over the details of the ceremony. We’ve already notified the papers and in two months time, you’ll be Mrs. Stephen Steele.”

  Nancy grabbed at her throbbing head. Walking around in circles, she tried to make some sense of it all. “This is just not happening. This is just not happening! Dear God, you can’t be serious! You can’t make me marry him! You can’t make me marry Stephen! Not in a million years! So what I want doesn’t matter? Even if I happen to be in love with someone else, I still need to obey the plan?”