Dare to Dream

40

(40)

“How is that?” Gina asked.

Frank answered.

“I proposed to Louise on our second date.”

Gina looked at Frank and then at Louise.

“Really? I never knew that.”

Frank sipped his coffee.

“I knew right away that she was the one.”

Louise laughed.

“I thought he was joking when he asked me. I really liked him. He was so handsome and such a charmer.”

Gina playfully bumped Frank with her hip. The dark cloud in her mind was lifting a bit as she learned this new information from her bosses.

“Seems like he has never changed.”

She looked back at Louise.

“So what did you say?”

“Well, like I said, I thought he was joking, so I said, yes, figuring it would scare him off.”

She looked at her husband and took his hand in hers.

“It didn’t. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. I nearly fainted. He looked at me and told me that he wasn't joking.”

“And,” Gina pleaded.

“I just held out my hand, like this.”

Louise held her hand out to Gina.

Gina saw just a gold wedding band.

She looked at Louise, questioningly.

Louise looked at Frank.

“It was my Mother’s ring,” Frank answered, “and her mother’s before that. Our son, Frank Jr. used the same ring to propose to his Cindy. It is a good luck charm. We have never had a divorce.”

“Wow,” Gina exclaimed.

She looked back at Louise.

“And no regrets?”

“Thirty-five years and he is still the love of my life.”

She looked from Frank to Gina.

“The amount of time you know someone is not always the most important thing. It is what is inside, what you feel when you first see that special person; that is what it is all about. The rest can come later.”

She looked at Frank again.

“He made my heart pound and butterflies flutter inside. He still does.”

“That is so wonderful,” Gina said.

“I hope that happens to me, someday.”

“Didn’t it with Dylan?” Louise asked.

Gina shook her head slowly.

“I thought he was a player.”

“So there was nothing?”

Gina smiled.

“Honestly. I thought he was the most gorgeous hunk of meat that I had ever seen in my life.”

“Then what happened?” Louise asked.

“Louise? Maybe Gina doesn't want to talk about it,” Frank said, sympathetically.

Gina put her hand on his.

“It’s okay, Frank. Maybe I need to get it off my chest. It has been an emotional tornado ever since I met him.”

“But you love him, don't you?”

Gina looked at Louise.

“I think so. I don't know. I guess I forgot what it felt like to have someone special.”

She looked down at her mug.

“Doesn’t matter. It is over now.”

“And then we drop this bomb on you,” Frank said.

“We are sorry, Gina.”

Gina shook her head.

“Don’t be. Perhaps the new owners will be as wonderful as you two.”

“You are like a daughter to us, Gina. You know that, don't you?” Louise asked her.

“I know. Don't worry about me.”

“Of course we are worried about you,” Frank added.

“We will make sure that good people buy the restaurant and of corse we will highly recommend that you be a huge part of the running of the restaurant.”

“Thank you, Frank. And besides, I still have two weeks to raise the money,” Gina said, faking enthusiasm.

“Who knows, maybe I will win the lottery.”

“We will give you all the time we can, Gina, but we have to get everything in place before we can move on.”

Louise looked at her husband.

“We had better go, Frank. We have to meet the real estate agent at 10.”

Gina walked around the bar and hugged Louise again.

“I am so happy for both of you. This is what you have both wanted and now it is happening. Don't worry about me. I am a tough girl.”

They both hugged her again and then walked to the front door of the restaurant.

Gina went behind the bar and poured another coffee. This time she opened a bottle of whiskey and spiked the drink.

“What the fuck else can go wrong?” she wondered aloud.