I fell hard and he wanted me to move in immediately. He not only paid attention, he made an effort to make it easier.
No one had ever paid enough attention to my life to know about the things that would make it easier. No one had ever done anything like that for me. One time when I complained that my hand was cramped from taking such copious notes, he showed up with a little handheld tape recorder so I could record my lessons. He took me out when he sensed I needed that release, and when the class work became overwhelming, he sat up with me all night and tested me on my flashcards. He showered me with just enough and just the right kind of attention. Since no one had ever given me flowers, it could have been one rose and it would have had the same effect. He showed up for our first date with the biggest bouquet of flowers I had ever seen. I held him off for a while, but not long enough to really get to know him. He was genuinely interested in everything I had to say and took every opportunity to converse with me. He never charged me for my drinks, and on the odd occasion I ordered a burger, he would pick up the tab for that too. He smiled, flirted, and asked me out every single time I was in the place. Gino was beautiful, charming, and persuasive. Appreciating this, we always ordered the cheapest thing on the menu to be able to tip big for the privilege of sitting there. Best of all, the staff never made you feel rushed or complained when a study group of ten took up a table for a few hours during the busy time. He managed a club next to the hospital that served cheap drinks and pub food. But my head was full of other really, really bad things.Ībout a year earlier, I had moved in with Gino Abbiati. If my head was clear, I might have worried about him coming after us. I had no idea what had happened to Jamie. I had a permanent headache and my eyes hurt. I jammed a chair against the bathroom door while I bathed and against the bedroom door when I slept. I jumped at every sound and locked every window despite the heat of the evening.
To say I thought of nothing else would be much closer to the truth. T o say I thought a lot about that night would be a lie.
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