Page 165 of Cara & Gian: The Guzzi Duet

“Quaint little place, isn’t it?”

Cara’s head popped up, and her nerves instantly bloomed at the sight of Frankie Ricci. He seemed relaxed, with his hands shoved in his pockets and a small smile on his face.

The coffee shop buzzed with noise around them.

“Frankie, hey,” Cara greeted.

“Studying?”

She closed her spread-open books. “Trying. Sit.”

He did, taking the only other chair at the table. She couldn’t help but wonder, when he looked at her, was he seeing Lea and not her?

“You all right?” Frankie asked.

Cara shrugged. “So, so.”

“I didn’t expect to get a call from you, and especially not one to meet up.”

“I, uh … was in a shitty place for a bit.”

Cara packed her books away. It had taken her months just to gain up the courage to contact Frankie, never mind considering what they would actually talk about. She had lots to ask and say. Whether he would answer … that was the question.

“Thanks for agreeing to meet me,” Cara said.

Frankie leaned back in the chair, his posture softening. “No problem. I noticed you’ve been quiet lately.”

“Quiet?”

“Not so … out and about.” Frankie smiled, adding, “With the boss.”

“Gian.”

He lifted a hand as if to say, who else.

Cara cleared her throat. “I haven’t been out with Gian in three months.”

“Ah.”

“You don’t sound surprised.”

“Because I’m not,” he replied. “I’m even less surprised because I know his wife has taken a more active role in his business side of life. More than she ever did when they first got married. Kind of forces you into the back seat, doesn’t it?”

Cara bristled. “I’m not with him at all.”

“I didn’t assume that, either.”

Cara checked her impulsive defensiveness. “I’m sorry, don’t mind me. It’s a knee-jerk reaction. I feel like everyone I met knew what was happening, everybody except for me. No one thought to tell me that he was married, or that I was an affair.”

Frankie’s expression didn’t change. “Define ‘affair’ for me, Cara.”

“Why?”

“Because your definition of it won’t fit with a lot of people’s opinions of the word.”

“Really?”

Frankie nodded once. “That’s what I said.”