Chapter 2. Strawberry Season (June) Part 1

Now that is what I call a floozie!

"That's what I'd call her, too. I'm not sure we should let the kids spend a lot of time at the shooting gallery." Overheard on the midway.

 She came up behind him, molding her voluptuous body to his. Her arms wrapped around so that she could cover his eyes with her hands. Her perfume was pungent; like a sharp stick thrust up his nose causing instant headache. Bruiser growled.

 "Guess whoooo!" she said in an annoying falsetto that was more What Ever Happened to Baby Jane than seductive.

 "Hi, Marlene," Fabian said, trying not to sound as annoyed and disgusted as he felt. He carefully extricated himself from her, hoping that not too much perfume had rubbed off on him.

 "You have been a very bad boy," she pouted. "It's been almost two weeks and you haven't been to see me." She ran her fingers through her over-permed, bottle-blonde hair. Her fingernails were long, red talons.

 "Why would I come to see you, Marlene?" he asked, sounding bored, which was the least objectionable of how she made him feel.

 "You know perfectly well why, Fabian. I suggest you open up your busy schedule." She looked at her fingernails. "Unless you want Dante to find out about us."

 "There is no us, Marlene."

 She grabbed his shirt. The coy minx was gone, replaced by cold fury.

 "Don't give me that," she hissed. "I have put up with too much from you already. All of your philandering during the summers and then not even bothering to get in touch over the winter." The seductress returned. "Treat me better and I'll treat you better." He felt her fingers at his belt and backed up as he pushed her hands away. She frowned again.

 "If you don't treat me better you will regret it. I promise you."

 "Going to tell Dante now? Don't bother. He knows." He got more satisfaction than he thought watching her overly-made up face get pale.

 "You're lying."

 "No. I'm not. My parents know, too. And I have to tell you, they're not too pleased. Dad had a little talk with me just the other day. We are being watched, and you need to be careful. I'm family -- my job is secure. You're ... not."

 "That little virgin waitress isn't going to give you the things that I can," she spat, furious. Of course she knew about Lisa. She spied like a CIA agent.

 "I won't miss them," Fabian replied. He untied Bruiser and walked off to his vardo.

"So what do Anne and George think of the new restaurant in town?" "I'm sure they know there's enough business for everyone, and it might be nice for them to have a place to go now and then."

 Fabian enjoyed seeing the carnival through Lisa's eyes. She loved the rides especially -- the wilder the better. She told him she'd missed going on rides when she'd been there with her twin friends because one of them got sick on anything that moved and the other had a very young child she'd been preoccupied with. Lisa definitely wanted to make up for lost time with both rides and games. He steered her clear of the shooting gallery with its clown out front making balloon animals, but took her on the scrambler and wild teacups, enjoying her wild laughter and the centrifugally-forced cuddles. She loved the bumper cars, giving as good as she got and laughing until she was in tears. He took her on the ferris wheel -- not trying for a kiss at the top because they were too new, but they both enjoyed the view. When they were finally back on the ground, she asked, "Can we ride the carousel next?" He laughed.

 "Sure. Whatever you want." He checked his watch. "Why don't we have some dinner first? This end of the carnival is where the best food is."

 "What's up here?" she wanted to know. They had walked past the funnel-cake, sausage, and other food vendors.

 "My sister Adrianna is trying out a restaurant," he told her.

 "The sister who went to culinary school."

 "Very good."

 "I pay attention"

 They passed the carousel and approached what Fabian indicated was the place. Lisa was a little skeptical. It looked like the old ruin of the mill foreman's house that had always been at this end of the park. There was an order window in the back and a menu board. A few small tables sat out under a canopy. She was ready to question his calling this a restaurant when he led her right by it. The order window was not in a disguised food truck, as she'd thought, and the foreman's house was no longer a ruin. Fabian opened the door for her. Inside was dim, cool, and smelled like garlic, Italian sauce, and wood smoke. The floor was wooden planks and the walls looked like distressed plaster.

 "Hey!" A beautiful dark-haired young woman came over and gave Fabian a hug which he returned.

 "Addie," he said, "this is Lisa Kreider. Lisa, my sister Adrianna."

 "Before you think he's cheap, bringing you to his sister's place," she said, "the family gets no discounts in here."

 Lisa almost laughed and then remembered Franco and thought that maybe that policy was for good reason.

 "I have a table for you both over here." She led them to a table in the corner near a window which had a view of the carousel. Lisa could vaguely hear the band organ music and it somehow perfectly suited the mood of this little Italian restaurant at the edge of a carnival. Fabian held Lisa's chair for her, then took his own seat. Like the other tables, theirs had a red checked tablecloth and a candle in an old Chianti bottle.

 "Kitschy, I know," Adrianna smiled, lighting the candle. She handed them each a menu, then told them the specials.

 "I don't understand," Lisa said, after Adrianna was finished. "What is the order window in the back?" 

 "Oh -- that's for quick orders from people at the carnival. A more kid-friendly dining experience. Just pizza, drinks and sandwiches over there. In here, there's a full menu and pasta dishes. And we have a license to serve beer, wine, and a tirimisu that you need ID for. I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order."

 "Thanks, Addie," Fabian smiled. He opened his menu as Adrianna returned to the kitchen. "Want to split a pizza?" he asked. "Or would you rather get pasta? It's all good -- My sister is to Italian food what you are to pies."

 Lisa smiled.

 "I could eat some pizza," she said.

 "Have you ever had pizza before? I don't think there's another Italian restaurant in town."

 "I'm not that much of a hick, Fabian," Lisa replied. "And if you order fish on it, I am leaving." Fabian stared for a beat and then burst out laughing.

 "Those things taste like rancid tuna fish and they leave a slug trail so I won't eat it if you scrape them off, either."

 "What do you like, Lisa? I promise -- no anchovies. I don't like them either."

 "Anything but fruit and fish," she told him, "but I'm more in the mood for plain tonight, if you don't mind skipping a topping."

 "That's fine -- whatever you like. You're old enough to drink, right?"

 "Yes?"

 "Would you like some wine? Addie has some very nice chianti."