The Maturation of Vinnie Pt. 03

The highlight of my day was Dana showing up about ten that morning. She was dressed in jeans, proper work boots, a rain jacket with day-glow safety stripes and a white hard hat with her name on the front. On anyone else, it would be work clothes and nothing remarkable. On Dana, it was downright sexy. The jeans were tight, the boots were clean and tan colored and the jacket was open at the front, revealing a good look at her lovely front porch in a cotton work shirt. With her makeup, it made the whole package look like an advertisement from the ladies section of the Work Warehouse.

"Now that's what I call a proper outfit," I heard one of the guys say. I gave him a look, but I couldn't get upset. He was right. She looked terrific.

"Hey ... how are you?" I asked with a smile.

"Great," she smiled. "Here's your C.P. for the week. Nothing too special. You're right on the money as of Friday."

"See you tonight?" I asked, making conversation.

"Sorry ... I have a doctor's appointment." She looked at me with a slightly crooked smile. "Maybe tomorrow? Or the next day? Or the next day?" she continued. It was a game, but it was a fun game. I was just lucky enough to know what the game was.

"Yes ... yes to all of the tomorrows," I said with a smile.

"Good. See you then," she said and then did something completely unexpected. She stepped forward and kissed my cheek, smiled, turned and walked back to her car.

Two or three of the guys must have seen it because all of a sudden I heard the whistles and catcalls from the back of the house. I'm sure I turned bright red, but then, after I thought about it, I was feeling pretty good. She wasn't shy about showing affection in public so why should I be shy about returning it. I was falling for the best looking woman in the land and I didn't care who knew it.

Chapter 12:

I racked my brain trying to come up with the perfect Christmas gift for Dana. I wanted it to be something special because she was something special. I had fallen for her and fallen hard. I was sure now that this was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. For her part, she seemed to feel the same way, but I still wasn't sure. We had kind of calmed down after that first week or two when we were having sex every minute we were together. We were still having lots of sex, but it didn't seem so frantic and it didn't seem like Dana was quite as intent in making up for all the lost time she thought she had missed.

We were good for each other. We had taken to doing some work planning together. We figured out a way for the guys to have two weeks off at Christmas and New Years and then we started planning on next year's work load. She was amazing. It was like she had been doing this all her life. At the same time, she was teaching me. She made me want to learn. I was excited with what we were accomplishing and I was beginning to understand much more about the business I owned. From me, Dana got lots of compliments and enthusiasm. I threw myself at anything she wanted me to do or wanted to show me.

I seriously considered buying Dana a ring. A big diamond engagement ring. I chickened out. It wasn't that I didn't think I was sure about her, but I wasn't certain that she felt the same way about me. After all, we had only been together for a few weeks and neither of us was saying the words. I was afraid that it might frighten her off and she ... well ... I just didn't know.

I had looked around and found myself a car that I could take Dana out in without having to use the truck. Actually, Dana found the car after two weeks of hard searching. It wasn't some sports car or muscle car; it was a conventional four door sedan. We bought a '03 Caddy DeVille from an estate sale. I really liked it, considering I was mostly a truck guy. I think Dana thought I was showing off, but then she negotiated what I thought was a ridiculously low price, and when she slid her bum onto that nice leather front seat, she changed her mind. It was the right car for a successful business couple and we were both pleased with it.

Dana and I had only been together for a month, and Christmas was just a few days away and I still didn't have that special something for her. I had picked up several small things for her, almost stocking stuffers, but the big thing was still eluding me. I decided to talk to Jenny and see if she could help me. This time, she was a big help.

"Take her to Hawaii, Vinnie. You've both earned a vacation and it would be a great place for you two to get closer. You may find out how she really feels about you," Jenny said.

"Yah ... that sounds great. We've already figured out how to get the time, thanks to our planning ahead." I was enthusiastic about Jenny's idea. It would be the perfect way for us to really get close and maybe decide on our future together. "I guess I should go to a travel agent and see what I can get for January."

"Good luck. I hope she enjoys it. I know I would, assuming Tom would ever take me there," she laughed as her husband came into the kitchen.

"What did I do?" he asked with a questioning glance at me.

"It's what you didn't do," his wife quickly answered. "Vinnie's going to take Dana to Hawaii. You'll notice that she gets to go there before I do," she said with mock disgust.

"So whose brainstorm was this?" Tom asked, obviously irritated.

"Your loving wife's," I laughed.

"I might have known. I suppose this means I won't hear the end of it until I take Jen and the kids there too," he said with a twisted grin.

We shot the bull back and forth for a few minutes and then I thanked Jenny for her help and headed out for Dana's. I had taken to going there most of the time because it was such a nice place and mine was so plain. Dana didn't seem to mind, but I didn't have the guts to take any of my clothes over there yet. I was still being really careful with our relationship. I was still very unsure of how she felt about me. Maybe I shouldn't have been. She kind threw my world upside down that night.

"Hey babe ... how are you?" I asked as I walked in the door. She didn't say a word and when the door was closed, she wrapped her arms around my neck and laid the best kiss on me that she could possibly give. Now that's how I like to be greeted by my best and only girl.

"I'm good now that you're here," she said with a serious look.

I'm not sure how I picked up on it, but something wasn't quite right. She was upset or worried about something and it wasn't about me.

"Are you OK? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing ... nothing much," she said uncertainly.

"Come on, Dana. I can tell when something's not right. Tell me about it. Please," I pleaded.

"Vin, I ... we ... need to talk about ... us." She was stammering which was completely unlike her.

I got a cold feeling that ran through my guts when she said that. The first thing that ran through my mind was "Is this a kiss off?"

"OK," was my feeble reply.

"I don't know where to start. I guess ... I guess I should just tell you what I'm feeling." She looked up at me but I couldn't tell whether this was good news or bad. I think I was holding my breath.

"I think I've fallen in love with you, Vin." She said it in such a quiet voice that I wasn't even sure if I had heard her right. She looked up at me and I guess I was just standing there not saying or doing anything. I was in shock, but I still wasn't sure of what she had just said.

I moved closer to her, put my hands on her shoulders and said: "Say that again." I was almost afraid I hadn't heard what I thought I heard.

"I said I think I've fallen in love with you." She looked scared or worried or something and I was still in shock for a moment before I reacted.

"Oh Dana ... I can't believe this. I can't believe it's really happening to me." I could actually feel tears starting to form in my eyes. She was looking at me with her eyes wide and then I could see that her face was changing into something a lot happier.

"Does that mean it's OK with you, Vin?" she asked tentatively.

"Dana ... Dana ... you're all I been thinking about ... all I've been dreaming about. I know I'm in love with you. I was scared that you didn't feel the same way about me. You know I wouldn't press you or push you into something you didn't want to do. I love you Dana." The tears were still there in my eyes and I could barely make out her face. I wasn't even sure what she was looking at, but it didn't matter. I'd heard the words I really wanted to hear. She loved me. I was dizzy with excitement.

"Vin ... we need to talk." Dana was back to her serious voice and I wondered what this was about. She'd just told me she loved me and I'd just told her I loved her. What the hell else was there to say?

"OK ... let's sit over here," I said, moving toward the sofa.

Dana sat down and she was smiling but it wasn't that great "I'm really happy" smile. There was obviously something bugging her. Once again, I followed my own new best advice and just waited for her to start.

"I saw my dad today. He just showed up at the door. I wouldn't let him in. He said he wanted to talk to me but I wouldn't let him. He said he'd be back." She had a very frightened look on her face.

I was getting very angry. I wish I had been here when he'd come to the door. I'd have taken him apart at the seams. Any sonofabitch that would rape his own daughter didn't deserve to live. I guess Dana could read me and was quick to grab me.

"No Vinnie ... you can't ... you can't hurt him. You'll be the one who's in trouble, not him. I don't know what he wants, but I'm pretty sure there's a restraining order still in place. We can get him on that. I need your help though. I need a lawyer."

"Yah ... OK ... I'd sure love to go a few rounds with him though," I snarled. I tried to calm down and I put my arm around Dana and pulled her close. "Did you mean it?" I needed to be sure. I needed her to tell me again.

"Yes ... you're my guy, Vin. You're everything I want in a man ... a husband," she smiled up at me.

"A husband? Does that mean if I asked you to marry me ... you'd say yes?"

"Uh huh," she grinned. "Surprised?"

"Yah ... man ... who'd have thought it ... Vinnie gets the Princess!" I think I was almost laughing. I couldn't believe my good luck. But then I remembered Dana's worry about her dad. "Dana, Tom has a good lawyer. He was involved in that problem I had. Why don't I call Tom and let him know what's going on?"

A look of panic crossed her face. "No! No! Please, Vinnie ... I don't want your family to know about my past. I'm afraid they won't want me around you if they find out."

"Dana ... you have to have more faith in us than that. If they can live with my fuck ups, they can understand what you've been through. You need help and nothing is stronger than a pissed off Blanton. My folks don't need to know anything about your past except that your father abused you. They don't need to know anything at all about your high school days. But trust me Dana, you need this family on your side. They want you in our family. I know that for sure. They want you in our family." I guess I laid it on pretty heavy because I could see the shocked look on her face and then the tears forming in her eyes. I was just hoping I hadn't scared her.

"Oh Vin ... I feel so good being with you. I've never had anything like it. Just Mom and me. I want you so much. But I'm scared, Vin. I'm scared. I don't know what my Dad might do. We have to keep him away from your family. We have to!" she pleaded.

"Yah ... well ... you just let me take care of that. I promise you, there won't be any stupid stuff ... it will get looked after properly ... trust me."

"I do, Vin. God, I'm so happy to have you. I never realized how much I needed you."

"Dana ... if you only knew how ... nervous I was about us. I was so unsure about how you felt about me. If you hadn't said what you just did, I still wouldn't have a clue about us," I confessed.

"Well ... now you know. I'm just so happy you feel that way too. I want to be more than just a bed partner," she said, sounding a bit more confident that a few minutes ago.

The next morning I called Tom and without giving him any details, I asked him to give me the name of the lawyer that had helped him when I was up to my ass in alligators. Frank McCauley was his name and Tom gave me his phone number.

"What's going on, Vinnie? Are you in trouble?"

"No ... No ... nothing like that. I'm just trying to help Dana." I wasn't going to give Tom anything more than I had to.

"You should know that Frank is a corporate lawyer and not a criminal lawyer, Vin."

"Oh ... I hadn't thought of that. Can he recommend a criminal lawyer?

"Yah ... I'm sure he can." There was a pause. "Vin ... what's going on? Do you need help?" I could tell he was worried I might have fallen into some old bad habits.

"No, Tom. I'm fine. It's just something I have to help Dana with."

"If you need a criminal lawyer, it has to be serious." My brother was too smart for me to try and B.S. him.

"Look, Tom ... if I tell you something ... you have to swear you will never, ever tell anyone else. Can you do that?"

"As long as it isn't illegal ... I guess I can keep a secret as well as anyone."

"No, it's not illegal." I stopped for a minute and thought about whether I should break my word to Dana and tell Tom about what has been happening. I decided that I needed his help and I knew I could trust him. I had to tell him something. "Look Tom ... just remember ... you can't tell anyone ... not even Jenny ... understood?"

"OK, OK ... I get the message." He was beginning to sound irritated.

I began to relate the story of Dana's dysfunctional family and how her dad beat on his mother. Finally, I got around to the part where he abused Dana when she was twelve. I didn't give him all the details, but I'm pretty sure Tom got the picture. Then I told him that her dad had shown up at her apartment and she wanted to see if the restraining order had expired or if she could get another one. She was obviously frightened of him.

"Holy mother! Vinnie! That poor girl. You're right ... we need to help her. Let me call Frank and I'll get some advice. I have a couple of ideas that might speed things up. We've got to get rid of that bastard as soon as we can. Leave it with me, Vin ... I'll get back to you pronto. And, Vin ... don't worry about me keeping this quiet. I understand completely. You can count on it."

"Thanks, Tom. I guess I can also share another secret with you. She told me she loved me last night. How's that for your punk brother, huh? Don't go blabbing that around town either, brother. I want to be the one that tells Mom. She's going to be really surprised, I think." I was bursting with pride at Dana's telling me she loved me. I really wanted to tell the whole world and I was pretty sure Tom would tell Jenny, but I just had to be the one who told Mom.

"Well I'll be damned! Congratulations, Vin. She's perfect for you. I'm really happy for you. I know Mom and Dad will be too. You just couldn't do better than Dana." I was smiling as Tom told me how happy he was for me. I really felt I was back as a part of the family again. I owed Tom a lot, and here he was again, sticking his oar in to give me a hand and not asking for anything in return.

Tom called me back just before noon. Frank had recommended two things and he and Tom had already arranged them. Frank would do a search to see what had happened to the restraining order and Tom had called a private detective, Peter Dennison. Apparently, he had been the guy who had dug up the information on me and Marcia and Tremblay when I was involved with them. He was good at what he did and Tom said he would find out what was going on with Dana's dad. There was no need for me to tell Dana what was going on.

Since we had no idea where her father was living, the P.I. was going to have a little more of a challenge to find him. Dana had told me his name and where he used to live years ago, but that's all we had to go on. I kept my fingers crossed that we could get rid of this asshole without him bothering or threatening Dana.

We were sitting on the sofa; actually more like lying on it. We were talking about marriage and Christmas and kids and all that kind of stuff and I was really feeling terrific. It was like everything was settled and we were going to get married and have kids -- and life would be perfect. Sometime about nine, the phone rang and Dana slowly untangled herself from me and got up to answer it. The phone was in the kitchen, so I couldn't always hear what was being said.

"No! ... no ... you can't. I'll call the police! You'll go to jail! I won't let you hurt me again. I'll kill myself first!" Dana was almost shouting into the phone and I was up off the sofa in a flash and headed for the kitchen. I stood in front of her. I was shocked at the look of terror on her face. I grabbed for the phone and virtually tore it from her hand.

"Now you listen to me, you fuckin' creep. You stay away from Dana or I'll hang your balls on the lamp post in front of city hall ... do you hear me?" There was nothing on the other end of the line. He had hung up. I didn't know what he had heard from me, but he must have figured out it wasn't good. I slammed down the phone and turned to Dana, pulling her into my arms and holding her tight. I could feel her sobs as she let herself go.

Later in bed, for the first time in a long time, we didn't make love. I held her close and I must have told her I loved her at least a hundred times. I think she got the message. We dropped off to sleep but it wasn't a pleasant comfortable sleep. I think we were both having bad dreams.