Page 38 of His Beautiful Revenge
“Fuck them!” Giacomo was up now, pacing. “Lando, I promise you, I will never stop trying to find Carmel’s killer.”
Orlando looked at him gratefully. “I would tell you I can’t let you spend your money, but I know it won’t make a difference.”
“It won’t.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
Zulika sighed. “Look, shall we eat? Ferma will be home from school soon and she’ll be starving.”
Orlando stood. “We’re barbecuing,” he said, moving to the French windows. “I’ve already set it up.”
“I’ll give you a hand.” Giacomo followed his friend outside, leaving the two women alone. Norah got up and went to her friend and they hugged for a long time.
“Love you, Zully.”
“Love you too, Batfink.”
Norah giggled. “Batfink?”
“Orlando has them all on—guess what—video tape. And he still has a video machine!”
Both of them broke into giggles, and when Orlando came to tell them the barbecue grill was ready for the chicken, both Zulika and Norah had to bite their lips. “Chicken?” Norah pretended to be serious. “Have you thought of branching out on the meat you grill? Say …bat?”
Orlando rolled his eyes. “I knew that wouldn’t stay secret for long. Yeah, so I liked Batfink. What can I tell you?”
Giacomo stuck his head in the door. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Norah stood and went to her lover. “A kid’s show us poor Americans had to suffer through.”
Orlando scoffed as he herded them all outside. “Philistines.”
The evening passed pleasantly, even happily. Ferma came home, delighted to see her godfather and Norah. By the end of the evening, when Giacomo and Norah were saying goodbye, it felt like a family had been together again.
As Zulika hugged her friend, she suddenly remembered something. “Hey, before I forget, we need to talk about the bookstore. I think we’re at the point where we need to take someone else on.”
Norah nodded. “I think you’re right. I’m sorry I’ve been leaving it all to you, Zul. Look, I’ll come in tomorrow and we’ll put together an ad.”
Zulika grinned. “Don’t apologize. I’m psyched that your business has taken off. Soon you’ll be too fancy to visit the likes of us.”
Norah cocked her little finger and pretended to sip some tea. “What do you mean ‘soon?’”
“Doofus.”
Norah chuckled. “Listen …anything you need, Zul, ask. I’m always here.”
“I know that. Love you, girl.”
“Love you too, girl.”
Zulika helped Orlando tidy up the backyard. “Lando …I think I need to try and get back to some sort of independent living, you know? Now that things are looking up? Not that I’m not grateful for everything, and believe me, I’ll still be here every day for you and Ferma.”
Orlando nodded. “Well, we knew this was temporary, yes? But, still, we’ll miss you.”
“And I you. I’m not saying I’ll want to move out entirely at the start …maybe a couple of days a week for a while to get on my feet? The weekends, maybe, when you’re at home for Ferma?”
Orlando sighed, but smiled. “That sounds like a good idea.”
Zulika hesitated. “Lando …nothing will change between me and you and Ferma. You are my family now. I just need to try and regain some of my old life.”
