The Save Game

Chapter 10

Sal pushed the door to the book store open. It had been three days since Allison flew back without him. He'd thought about calling her everyday he was in California, but ultimately decided that he needed to see her in person.

"Can I help you, Sir?" An elderly woman asked him.

"No, thank you. Just browsing." Sal picked up the nearest book and flipped through the pages until the lady disappeared. He sat it back on the shelf and strained his neck to see if he could spot Allison.

He caught a glimpse of her hair, piled in a bun on top of her head. He walked passed the rows of books, looking over his shoulder to make sure there wasn't anyone else around.

"Hey." He stepped behind her and tried to judge her reaction.

Allison turned around to face him.

"Hi." She tried to keep the emotions she was feeling hidden. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Well, I'm looking for a book." He sighed and ran his hand down the spine of a book near him. "A friend recommended it to me."

Allison stood with her arms crossed. She raised her eyebrows, waiting to hear which book he needed.

"It's called How Not to be an Asshole When The Woman You're Dating Tells You She's Pregnant. It's supposed to be real informative." He couldn't hide the grin that began to creep across his face.

"Interesting." She let her arms fall to her side and motioned for him to follow her. "I just finished a really informative book myself. Bad Timing The Sequel."

"Yeah, I think I'm all caught up on that one, but thanks." He replied, glad to see that her sense of humor was still intact.

"How'd the shows go?" She asked.

"I wish you'd been there." He couldn't tell her how hard it had been to wear the suit jacket that smelled like her. And he certainly couldn't tell her how he'd wanted to jump on a plane a fly back the same night she had.

"I'm sorry. I had to leave, Sal. It was best for us." She stopped in front of a table stacked with books and began sorting through them. "I'm not hurt. I truly do understand."

"I know." That's what made it so hard. Even with the way he had reacted she still didn't hate him.

"Here it is." Allison pulled a book from one of the stacks and turned around to hand it to Sal.

"What To Expect When You're Expecting." He read the title out loud. "Probably better than the asshole book." He laughed.

"It's got good information in it." She told him.

"Have dinner with me." He said as he tucked the book under his arm.

"Only if you promise to read the book." Allison motioned toward the book under his arm.

"I'm already on chapter two." Sal said to assure her he'd read it.

"I get off at seven." She led him to cash register and rung the book up for him. "I can meet you somewhere."

"No. I'll pick you up." He took the bag that she held out and then took her hand. "I won't make the same mistake again, Allison."

She wanted to believe him as she watched him walk out the door. Deep down she knew that there were things he still didn't know about her. She just kept thinking about Jackie's warning about the paparazzi digging up skeletons.

***************

"How was work?" Sal asked as he held the car door open for Allison.

"I enjoy it. I always meet so many interesting people." She scooted onto the seat and waited for him to close the door.

He walked around to the driver's side and joined her in the car. As soon as he shut the door, he turned to face her.

"I bought something for you. Well, for the baby really." He reached into the backseat and handed her a square, white box tied up with a yellow ribbon.

"You didn't have to do that." Allison took the box and sat it on her lap.

"I know. I wanted to." He said. "Open it." His eyes lit up when she started pulling the bow off.

"Oh, Sal! It's beautiful." She pulled the fluffy yellow blanket from the box and brushed it across her cheek. "It's so soft. Thank you." She reached out and touched his arm. "Our baby will be so lucky to have you."

"It's so crazy to think that there is a person inside you. Half you and half me." He reached out and touched her stomach.

As he pulled his hand away he saw a flash.

"Damn." He spotted the man with the camera just a few feet away. "Paparazzi." He put the car in drive and tried to turn his head so that the man wouldn't get a clear shot of his face.

"Jackie warned me about them." Allison shoved the blanket back into the box and covered her own face with her hands.

"Yeah, well if anyone knows how ruthless they are, it's her." He confirmed. "He's following us."

Sal glanced into the rear view mirror and watched the man on the motorcycle stick close to their bumper. Allison looked over her shoulder and wondered what the man would do to get a picture of the two of them.

"I can't lose him. This traffic is insane." Sal slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

Allison reached across and lightly touched his arm. "It's ok. Let's not let it ruin the night. We'll just go about the evening like he isn't there."

Sal nodded, but he had a feeling that their friend wasn't alone.

When they pulled up at the restaurant, his suspicions were confirmed. There were four more camera wielding men standing near the entrance of the restaurant.

Sal pulled up to the valet and got out.

"Sal! Can we get a quick smile?" One of the guys yelled toward him.

Sal flashed him a smile as he walked around to help Allison out of the car. Instinctively, when she stood up, he stood so that he protected her stomach.

"How about one together? Smile!" One of the other men yelled.

Allison awkwardly smiled as she let Sal lead her into the restaurant.

"Can we be seated away from the windows?" He asked the hostess as she led them toward the back of the room.

"Absolutely." She led them into a private room with no windows.

"Thank you." Sal slipped the hostess a twenty dollar bill and then held the chair out for Allison. "At least dinner will be peaceful." He said as he sat across from her.

"So are we making this public, or no?" Allison smiled as the waitress sat a glass of water in front of her.

"It's not really a written rule that I have to live me life in the spotlight. I don't owe them anything." He motioned toward the outside of the building. "They can stand there all night. Doesn't mean I have to tell them anything or even smile at them."

"So that's a no then." Allison laughed.

"I think it'll be easier if we just let it ride." He reached across the table and took her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Physically? I'm fine. Mentally? I need a cigarette." She took a sip of the water as the thought of a drag threatened to weaken her. "It's been almost two months since I've had one. Don't worry, I'm not going to slip up." She said when she saw the look of worry on his face.

"I trust you." He said, rubbing his thumb across her hand. "I just know it must be hard, to have your body not really be your body anymore."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, studying the menu. Once they had place their order with the waitress, Sal took her hand again.

"What can I do?" He wanted to help in any way that he might be able to.

"Promise me that no matter what, even if we aren't together, that I won't have to do this alone." Her eyes were begging him not to abandon her again.

"I'm going to be there, Allison. I promise." He reassured her.

She took a deep breath and exhaled. She sure hoped he was right.