Flowers
They were strolling side by side along a busy little market street and Zorah was in awe of the bustling space. People ducking in and out of shops, vendors and customers haggling over prices and the laughter of children running through the alleyways, had Zorah’s head twisting, and turning to take it all in.
She stopped at a stall of flowers and grinned at Icaro, “how pretty! They’re similar to the ones in the garden back at the farm.”
“Would you like some flowers, Zorah?” he was pulling his billfold out.
“No. No.” she shook her hands nervously. “We have so many flowers at home.”
“Ah, but none are ones I’ve bought specifically for you,” he winked at her and then took his time perusing the prepared bouquets. “This is the one,” he held it out to her. “Gerbera daisies, freesia and roses.” He held up one of the flowers, “this is the freesia you liked so much back at the farm.”
“They smell so good,” she buried her nose in the paper bound bouquet, inhaling deeply. She looked up at Icaro and smiled widely. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He dropped his arm over her shoulder and kissed her temple. “I think that might be the first genuine smile I’ve seen on your face in over a week.”
She shook her head, “not true. I’ve smiled.”
“No, you haven’t.”
“I smiled at Father Tarantino.”
“You smiled but you didn’t smile,” he said making her shake her head in disbelief at him. “When we went dancing you were laughing and smiling and I could see it here,” he pointed to her eyes. “Your eyes light up Zorah when you are feeling happy. Since Monday night, dinner with my mother’s grandparents, the light is gone. The light is gone and it’s my fault. For a moment there,” he motioned to the flowers, “I saw it again.”
They walked silently towards another stall and Icaro repeatedly sniffing her hair.
“What are you doing?” she finally giggled and looked at him as if he sported two heads.
“I like your scent.”
“From the man who stole my panties to sniff them I would assume so.”
“Ouch!” he laughed at her words.
“You did!”
“I did more than sniff them.” He rubbed his nose along her ear. “Once I wrapped them around my –”
She turned with big eyes and cupped her hand over his mouth “don’t you dare.”
He kissed her palm and pulled it away from his mouth. “I’ll be good.”
“You haven’t been good a day in your life.”
“I’m good at things.” He argued with her.
She snorted, “I bet you are.”
“Icaro!” a voice called from a stall and Zorah immediately stiffened.
“Relax, Zorah. Look who it is.”
“Keturah!”
His smile was gone though as Zorah looked back to him. The simple fact she’d automatically assumed it was going to be someone from his past was dampening the initial and fragile truce they’d called.
“Hey guys! What are you doing here? I would have thought you’d be holed up in the bedroom of the villa.”
“Where have you been? You didn’t go to the farm with us.” Zorah ignored her question.
“Mom and Dad said the wedding banquets were postponed for a bit, so I came straight to the city. If I don’t have to be home with my parents, I’m not going to be.”
Zorah giggled, “why not?”
“Because they make her behave,” Icaro grunted and wrapped his arm around Keturah’s neck and tugged her close. “It is good to see you, cousin. Tell me why you’re working a stall at the market. It is unlike you.”
“My parents were talking about an arranged marriage,” Keturah wrinkled her nose. “They won’t look for me here. I told my friend Cece I would watch her vegetable stall in exchange for her hiding me from whatever man they want to set me up with.”
“What if it’s someone you are interested in?”
She looked at Zorah and then shrugged, “not all of us are blessed to have husbands who will never cheat, beat us, or break our hearts. I don’t get to have a Lucchesi husband because I can’t marry my own kin. Mom and Dad were talking about someone from Giarre’s family.”
“Caiu Giarre?” Zorah asked curiously.
“The one and only.” Keturah grimaced. “The men in his family, his cousins, are giants. Do you think I want to push one of those beastly bastard children out of my vagina, Zorah? I’ll never be the same again. Also, they are arrogant bastards with chips on their shoulders. They think because their cousin is a big-time businessman, they are as important as he is. Or worse, they know they aren’t and they’re bitter about it.” She gave an exaggerated shudder.
“Are they all as big as The Walrus?”
“No. He’s the biggest of them all.”
“You could marry him,” Icaro teased Keturah.
She pointed to a lamp post on the street, “I could take it to my marital bed, and it likely wouldn’t compare.”
“Keturah!” Zorah was blushing horribly at Keturah’s bluntness.
“I know a girl who knows a girl who was with him for one night and said he was so vigorous, she needed stitches.”
“You are lying,” Icaro roughed Keturah’s hair up with his knuckles.
“I’m not!” Keturah protested.
He looked at Zorah, “he is chasing you. You should stick with me. Better the devil you know.”
“He’s chasing Zorah?” Keturah turned to her wide eyed. “But you are married to Icaro. He knows better.”
“He saw her on a balcony with the sunset on her face and he’s in love.”
“He’s so weird. Seriously Zorah. What are you going to do?”
“What do you mean what is she going to do?” Icaro laughed at Keturah. “Do you think she would leave one mobster for another?”
Keturah wrinkled her nose, “no. Wait, are you thinking of leaving Icaro? Is this because of all of his whores?”
“Keturah,” Zorah looked around, “I don’t like the word. Women shouldn’t be called such things. Women are entitled to their sexuality.”
“Women also know the score when they banged him, yet they keep coming out of the woodwork. I saw them all at the club.”
“The Walrus paid them to be there to torment Icaro,” Zorah sniffed with the memory.
“Again, he’s weird.”
“True,” Icaro agreed with his cousin. “Who do you want to marry Keturah, if not a Giarre?”
“Nobody. Why must I get married? Why can’t I simply do the jobs I have for the family and live my life the way I want? I don’t want to have children. I don’t want to be tied to one man.”
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