admiring young eyes, though her brothers were close by watching, with a number of warning glares offered from Creighton.
The caterers served several variations of salads, ribs, roast chicken breasts, sausage dishes and thick ham steaks, as well as a half dozen pasta dishes, fresh fruits and vegetables, chocolate mousse, cream cheese stuffed crepes, spotted dicke, cheese cakes and more champagne than Sandra knew existed in a single place.
Two long wide tents were set up next to each other, with an adjoining flap opened so people could pass from one side to the other. The second tent was closest to the house and held the food and more than a dozen round tables where the guests cold sit and dine or chat comfortably in the upholstered chairs. The band and smaller tables were set up in the first tent, along with a temporary dance floor and an open bar.
As the food continued to occupy a great deal of attention, being replenished frequently, the guests mingled, talked and danced; introductions were made and the wedding couple moved about with ease and comfort as if among old friends. The gayety of the party was alive and the laughter filtered out onto the world beyond like a flock of seagulls, carrying the noise of the evening into the night air.
Sandra found herself actually enjoying her visit with The Don and his boys, though their heavy accent left her straining to understand them. His sons, Demarco and Demetrio were the eldest, identical twins who were quite friendly, laughing and flirting with the many young women who smiled at them. Renato was shy and slightly stalky in form, yet his laugh was deep and genuine and Sandra found herself smiling at how easily it was for him to find humor in nearly everything around him. Giovanni was the youngest, early to mid-twenties, and by far the most attractive with thick dark hair that hung to the bottom of his collar, dark eyes and a wickedly seductive smile. Cathy found it easy to make her way toward him, smiling and flirting to the height of her expertise, and though he seemed polite and friendly to her, his eyes never strayed far from Sabrina, catching her eye and making her blush.
Their Italian friends seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as the rest of the guests, with the exception of Silvano. He hung around the opening of the tent with a bandage across his nose and two black eyes, solemnly watching all that was happening. Sandra felt bad for his appearance, since she was the one who caused it, yet she couldn’t help smiling as he walked away whenever she came near, glaring at her as though she were the devil incarnate.
“So, Signora ,” The Don said as he held her around the waist while they danced to the young singers version of Michael Jackson’s You Are Not Alone. “How is life with my old friend?”
“Better every day,” Sandra replied, taking note of the tall attractive Italian woman in a very tight blue dress watching them closely from a nearby table. “So what shall I call you? Mister what? I don’t remember Creighton every telling me your full name.” The man laughed, causing the woman nearby to frown.
“It is Donato Vigano, but the people I know just call me The Don. ”
“Well, I think I’ll just call you Donato. It’s your name after all.” The older man looked at her appraisingly then shook his head with an amused yet sad gesture.
“You are so much like my Zaira,” he told her, almost sadly. Sandra looked to the woman behind him and smiled.
“She’s very beautiful.” Donato looked over his shoulder, chuckling under his breath.
“That is not Zaira,” he said. “That is Mariella , she is my amanti ...lover. Zaira died when Aryana was born.”
“I’m sorry,” Sandra said, feeling the sudden tension between them at the memory of his beloved Zaira’s death.
“It was a long time ago. She gave me two beautiful children and I will someday rejoin her.”
“But you have six children.”
“Si, I have had the misfortune of burying two
The caterers served several variations of salads, ribs, roast chicken breasts, sausage dishes and thick ham steaks, as well as a half dozen pasta dishes, fresh fruits and vegetables, chocolate mousse, cream cheese stuffed crepes, spotted dicke, cheese cakes and more champagne than Sandra knew existed in a single place.
Two long wide tents were set up next to each other, with an adjoining flap opened so people could pass from one side to the other. The second tent was closest to the house and held the food and more than a dozen round tables where the guests cold sit and dine or chat comfortably in the upholstered chairs. The band and smaller tables were set up in the first tent, along with a temporary dance floor and an open bar.
As the food continued to occupy a great deal of attention, being replenished frequently, the guests mingled, talked and danced; introductions were made and the wedding couple moved about with ease and comfort as if among old friends. The gayety of the party was alive and the laughter filtered out onto the world beyond like a flock of seagulls, carrying the noise of the evening into the night air.
Sandra found herself actually enjoying her visit with The Don and his boys, though their heavy accent left her straining to understand them. His sons, Demarco and Demetrio were the eldest, identical twins who were quite friendly, laughing and flirting with the many young women who smiled at them. Renato was shy and slightly stalky in form, yet his laugh was deep and genuine and Sandra found herself smiling at how easily it was for him to find humor in nearly everything around him. Giovanni was the youngest, early to mid-twenties, and by far the most attractive with thick dark hair that hung to the bottom of his collar, dark eyes and a wickedly seductive smile. Cathy found it easy to make her way toward him, smiling and flirting to the height of her expertise, and though he seemed polite and friendly to her, his eyes never strayed far from Sabrina, catching her eye and making her blush.
Their Italian friends seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as the rest of the guests, with the exception of Silvano. He hung around the opening of the tent with a bandage across his nose and two black eyes, solemnly watching all that was happening. Sandra felt bad for his appearance, since she was the one who caused it, yet she couldn’t help smiling as he walked away whenever she came near, glaring at her as though she were the devil incarnate.
“So, Signora ,” The Don said as he held her around the waist while they danced to the young singers version of Michael Jackson’s You Are Not Alone. “How is life with my old friend?”
“Better every day,” Sandra replied, taking note of the tall attractive Italian woman in a very tight blue dress watching them closely from a nearby table. “So what shall I call you? Mister what? I don’t remember Creighton every telling me your full name.” The man laughed, causing the woman nearby to frown.
“It is Donato Vigano, but the people I know just call me The Don. ”
“Well, I think I’ll just call you Donato. It’s your name after all.” The older man looked at her appraisingly then shook his head with an amused yet sad gesture.
“You are so much like my Zaira,” he told her, almost sadly. Sandra looked to the woman behind him and smiled.
“She’s very beautiful.” Donato looked over his shoulder, chuckling under his breath.
“That is not Zaira,” he said. “That is Mariella , she is my amanti ...lover. Zaira died when Aryana was born.”
“I’m sorry,” Sandra said, feeling the sudden tension between them at the memory of his beloved Zaira’s death.
“It was a long time ago. She gave me two beautiful children and I will someday rejoin her.”
“But you have six children.”
“Si, I have had the misfortune of burying two
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