Broken Hearts On Boulevard Unirii novel Chapter 27

"I know the apartment. After all I was the agent," she replied.

"Wait till you see what I'm really talking about," I smiled.

I led her to the most beautiful building in the area where we walked up to the third floor. I opened the door and rushed to open all the windows and turned on the single light in the living room.

"This is the apartment I bought," I said. "I traded the apartment on the ground floor for this one."

Dorina stood there in shock. She looked around the apartment and said, "Do you realize what you have done? You won the grand lottery."

"I understand very well. I'm a quick learner. I am now putting you in charge of the renovations. We will have to gut it entirely. We must replace the windows, the floor, the electrical system, water pipes, bathrooms and doors. We will have to dismantle some walls in order to make some interior changes. I'd like you to obtain some quotes for me by tomorrow afternoon."

We left the apartment and went downstairs into the park. We passed two lovers sitting on a bench hugging each other. As we passed them I put my arm on her shoulder and said, "We can at least pretend to be lovers."

Dorina laughed and let me go on hugging her as we sat on a bench near the water fountain. As it was getting dark, Dorina looked into my eyes and complimented me. "You pulled it off."

When I got to my apartment, I found it was locked from the inside and I could not get in with the key. Suddenly I heard voices inside. Fabrizio shouted something that sounded like "Wait a minute." I was not sure why, but I waited. After several minutes the door opened and Fabrizio stood there in his underwear.

"I didn't think you would return so early," he said. "It is not even eight o'clock yet."

Luciana was in the apartment and had just gone to the bathroom to take a shower. It seemed they were getting ready to make love, and I had disturbed them

"What's happening with you? What about the café

"I am in love. When I'm with her, I feel young and full of energy. My youth has returned to me. What can I say; I'm happy and contented," Fabrizio said.

"What about your family in Italy?" I asked.

I left the apartment and went down to the street and went directly to the taxi stand at the entrance to the park.

"Piazza Unirii please," I said to the driver.

There were masses of people in the piazza. In the center there was a big stage with musicians and a singer. Around the stage young men and women were gathered. Heavy rock music could be heard from the loudspeakers, and women dressed in very skimpy dresses screamed and jumped to the music. I moved away a bit and found an empty bench where I could sit down and think.

The clash with Fabrizio bothered me. Ever since we had arrived, he had been acting strangely; nervous and distant. I had for the last day or so been so busy with my own business that I was not able to keep tabs on him. But he had Angelo to help him, and besides I could not be his keeper. He was an adult who wants to do business. Let him take responsibility for what he does. If I express my opinion, he can accept it or not, but he need not attack me. Before making a deal, I do my homework, prepare, think and analyze each step and its consequences. Let him also do some thinking.

When I woke up the next morning, everything seemed normal. Fabrizio got up, went to the bathroom and greeted me with a cheerful Buongiorno. From the way he behaved I guessed that his anger had subsided. I noticed that my cell phone was flashing, that I had a message. I saw that it was sent at four in the morning. I read the message, which read, "Giorgio, if you are still awake, call me. I miss you and want to meet you. Kisses, Dorina."

"Very weird," I thought to myself. "After all, just yesterday she very decisively rejected all my attempts. Who knows, maybe this is a tactic of hunting her prey, like a scorpion that goes round and round its prey. I will allow her to play her game."