Page 28 of Bad Husband

“Absolutely. I’ve got no choice but to listen to her. So,” he held out his arm, “what do you say to you and me getting this show on the road?”

She sniffed the rose and quickly stepped back, putting it into a mug of water, then rushing back toward him.

“Do you want me to call a taxi?” she asked.

“No need, on my break I checked the car, and I’m going to deal with the light myself. It’ll be fine to get us where we need to go,” Marco said.

In all the time she’d known him, she never knew Marco to be a mechanic, or even show the barest interest in cars.

He helped her into the passenger seat, and then she remembered all the dogs, and she asked about them.

“All have been fed, and I’ve even let them have a runaround. It’s all taken care of.”

She smiled.

The journey to the bar did take a little while—exactly thirty minutes—and a few times, she was pretty sure she heard the car engine make a few sounds indicating it was not happy. This did not seem to bother Marco, as he didn’t show any concern.

They arrived at the bar without much trouble, and Chiara expected Marco to turn the car around when he saw how busy it was. Usually, he didn’t like to go into crowded places. He was always on alert. One glance his way, and she didn’t take off her seat belt to see what he wanted to do. Even though she’d love to go dancing, she didn’t want to push him into doing something he didn’t really want to do.

Marco surprised her by clicking his seat belt off, climbing out of the car, and rounding to her side. Tentatively, she removed her seat belt, slid her hand into his, and then they were out. He locked the car, and they started to head toward the bar. She was tempted to ask him if he was all right, but she felt that wouldn’t go that well.

They stepped into the bar, and sure enough there was a live band, performing some cover songs of country music. The atmosphere was buzzing with activity. Couples covered the dance floor, and she felt that energy the moment she walked in. She wore a basic dress which had short sleeves, and was a deep blue with little pink flowers all over. She felt ... pretty. Her hair was down, yet some of the length was pinned back so it didn’t stick to her face.

Marco reached for her hand, and together, they made their way toward the bar, where he ordered them each a beer. Chiara couldn’t help but smile, and once they were served, Marco paid, and they found a small table. People were already dancing, and she couldn’t help but glance around the room at how happy everyone was. At parties back home, everyone was always still. No one wanted to draw attention to themselves. Everything was always so serious.

Marco handed her a beer, and she took it, taking a swig, and she knew right away she was not a beer drinker, but this was all part of the experience.

“So, Marco, tell me about yourself,” she said.

“What would you like to know?” he asked.

She figured they could play this part. “What is it you do?”

Marco lifted the beer to his lips, and she was pretty sure she saw a smirk on his face. “I’m involved in the family business, but for now, I’ve decided to take a sabbatical.”

“A sabbatical?”

“Yeah, there’s something important I’ve got to do. You see, I messed up, big time, and I’ve got to fix it, because I can’t handle the thought of living without her.”

She felt her heart start to race, but this wasn’t about that.

“Did you always want to be in the family business?” she asked. “Was there anything else you would have liked to do?”

This question seemed to make him stop and consider.

“There was no choice. My father only had me. He believed the only solution to keeping a family strong was to have one child, if you’re lucky, one of each sex. He wanted a son and a daughter. He got a son, but was never granted a daughter, so he stopped while he was ahead.” Marco chuckled. “I asked him once what he would have done if something had happened to me, he told me he’d have taken care of it, had another son, because he needed someone to take over. A son was the most important.”

She looked at him a little taken aback. “Was there anything else you wanted to do?”

“I never knew anything else. I’m sure when I was a kid, there was something I wanted to do, but I can’t think of anything right now. My dad always told me my place was to be by his side, and then eventually take over. That’s all I was trained to do.”

“Do you enjoy it?” she asked.

“Sometimes. It has its perks, but I don’t know if you could truly call it a fun time.”

Chiara took a sip of her beer and looked at Marco. Was he being honest? He’d never lied to her, not that she could recall. This felt like a big deal, and she was surprised he was being so open with her.

“What about you?” he asked. “Did you always want to be a waitress?”