Risky Business Read Online Free Page B

this lasagna Magdalena was finishing. “I could have come early and had all this done before you arrived home.”
    She glanced at
Matka
and took a sip of her wine, then set it down. “The point is to spoil you,
Matka
, like you spoilall of us. Besides, I made this yesterday, and it just needed a few things.” She sprinkled the top with cheese. “All done.” She opened one of the two ovens in her condo kitchen, slid in the pan and closed the door. Turning, she said, “Let’s go in the living room.”
    They sat in front of a warm, blazing fire. Donuta had asked for tea because of the bitter, cold weather. “Speaking of spoiling,how’s Gerald?”
    “Gerald is wonderful.” Donuta knew she had an ear-to-ear grin, but she could not help it
.
    “I can’t believe you met him at Ham and Eggs.” A diner in Queens.
    “He says it was for…I cannot remember the word.”
    “Fortuitous?”
    “Yes. I go there once a week for breakfast after the boys leave for school. Gerald was out in Queens on business, and he had heard about the littleplace, so he happened in, sat down next to me at the counter and started a conversation by asking what was the best dish on the menu.”
    “I didn’t know that’s how you met. You were vague about it.”
    “I do not tell my children everything.”
    “How romantic.”
    “I suppose. I thought I was too old for romance, but I am not.” Donuta knew she blushed. “He came back every Thursday when he learnedthat was my breakfast day. I missed it once, and he was very concerned the next week. So I made sure I stuck with the routine. The rest you know.”
    Reaching out, she clasped her mother’s hand. “I’m so happy for you,
Matka
.”
    “Thank you. Now, tell me how Ana is doing.”
    Magdalena shook her head. “No, we aren’t going to talk about the family. These nights are for you and me.”
    “Then,tell me about yourself. You always listen to others, but I do not hear much about you.”
    “Work’s going well. We’re investing in a business and are doing all the pre-work before the final offer.”
    “Due diligence.”
    Her daughter’s brows rose. “How did you know that?”
    “Gerald explained it to me once when you were in the midst of a project.”
    “Ah.”
    “What about the rest of yourlife?”
    Kicking off her shoes, she curled her feet under her. “You know there’s not much to tell.”
    “That is a problem,
moja
córka
.”
    “Sometimes,
Matka
, it is. I date, but no one has caught my fancy.”
    “Since Carl.”
    Carl had been her first boyfriend in high school. They were both smart and went to Cornell. He was a couple of years older, but they’d started the same year.
    Magdalenashook her head, but the light in her eyes dimmed. “He didn’t cause my lack of commitment,
Matka
.”
    “He hurt you.”
    “That was years ago.” She sighed. “And I assure you I’m not suffering over that loss. Do you know how he is, though?”
    “Yes. His mother told me the marriage is not happy. My guess is he could never forget you.”
    “He couldn’t have lived the life I chose,
Matka
. He’s justwasn’t that kind of boy. He was a good one but not for me.” She shrugged. “He was meant to be a farmer I guess.” He’d studied in the agricultural school.
    “That is a hard life.”
    “Can we talk about something else? Thinking of Carl and how much I cared about him makes me sad.”
    “
Tak
. What about others you date now?”
    “Mostly they’re men like me. Busy, with little time for fun.”
    “But time for sex, I hope.”
    Magdalena grinned. Her mother had made sure all the girls got educated early on about facts of life, but only lately did she seem so comfortable talking about it. Though it wasn’t quite true, Magdalena said, “Yes, I have a wonderful sex life, and apparently, you do, too.”
    Resting her head back against the couch, Donuta appreciated the warmth from the fire. “Forthe first time.”
    “I’m sorry you had to wait so long.”
    “Your Pa