She paused a moment to try to control her avalanche of hurt. “And, uh… so, I-I guess you’re pretty serious about this, eh?” she asked, swallowing hard. “I mean, you moved all my stuff out.”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “It’s serious… actually… we’re gonna get married.”
Goldie’s hurt suddenly shifted into anger.
“What?” she asked, open-mouthed.“I’m with you seven years! I lost a baby, lost my sister, I supported ya every step of the way with the family! And now,now,after eight months of sneakin’ around, you’re gettin’ married? Just like that?”
“Hey—when it’s right, it’s right,” Markie justified.
“And what am I? Miss Wrong of this year, last year, the year before that?”
“C’mon, Goldie.”
“Why her?” she persisted. “What’s she got that I don’t?”
“Don’t do this.”
“No!I wanna know. I mean, I get that her ol’ man is Charley DiVarno, but there’s gotta be more to it than that.”
He shook his head. “This isn’t helpful.”
“Gee, Markie. You just Hiroshimaed my life. I wanna know!
“You wanna know?” he asked, raising his intensity.
“Yeah, I wanna know!”
“Alright! She’s educated for one thing. She’s gonna get a master’s in business. That’ll be very helpful.”
“And what? I haven’t been? Who double-checks your books? Who reminds you of important names and dates when you ask? Who told you to get a spare condo in this buildin’ for your shit in case the cops showed up with a search warrant?”
“She’s classy.”
“Classy? She dresses like a garage sale!”
“All college girls dress that way,” Markie defended. “Plus, she’s a natural blonde.”
“I take care of my roots every four weeks, and I’m waxed everywhere else. What’s the difference?”
“The difference is she don’t sound like a beer vendor at Yankee Stadium!” Markie argued, raising his voice and getting agitated.
“You sound exactly the same, Bronx!Get over it!”
“It’s done!”Markie yelled, raising his hands with finality and taking a few steps back into the living room. “I want this. Kristen wants this. Both Frank and Charley have blessed it. It allows New York and Chicago to join forces and expand into new territories. We’re talkin’ millions and millions of dollars.”
“You sayin’ it’s just business?”
“No. It’s the whole package!” Markie declared. He took a breath to calm down before continuing.
“I love her, Goldie. With you, I-I?—”
“What?
He hesitated, then spat out the answer. “I’ve outgrown you. Okay?”
This last comment really cut her to the quick. She looked at him bitterly while mascara from her eyes caused black streams of regret to run down her cheeks.
“You lied to me,” she said with clenched teeth. “Youliedto me,cheatedon me for months, then moved me out of my own home while I was burying an uncle and consoling a grieving aunt.You stole my home, Markie!”
