Mona Lisa My Love

Chapter Sixty-three

I was walking in Midtown one sunny afternoon when I walked by a café. I wasn't even looking at the people; I was idling along minding my own business when I heard her.

"Excuse me, sir. Have you found a lost kitten lately?"

I spun around, there sitting at a table near the sidewalk was Kitty, looking beautiful and very much at home.

Smiling, I went to her table and said, "No, I sell kittens now. I haven't seen any to rescue in quite a while. How are you? You look marvelous," I said in my most Hollywood voice. "I've missed you. Is it the price of fame that you no longer associate with the working class?"

I was laughing now, and Mona Lisa gave me the biggest hug and kiss.

"What, are you calling me a snob? That's not very nice." She tried to look hurt, but it wasn't working.

"Well, if the shoe fits. Speaking of shoes, those are very nice," I said looking at Mona's feet.

"Oh, Jimmy does make a nice shoe, doesn't he?"

Laughing, I said, "Does it come in my size?"

She was laughing too. "No. Can you sit a minute?"

Since I had nowhere to be and the sun was shining, I said, "Sure."

The young waitress arrived right away, and I ordered tea.

"You look great, Mona. I mean you have always been beautiful, but now you look very... content. Happy. Almost glowing. I take it fame agrees with you. I see your billboards all over town. Whose idea was it to sell perfume?"

"Daddy's."

"Senior came on board with your modeling? I wasn't sure he would."

"Did you have anything to do with that? I never figured it was his idea like he told me it was. I haven't seen you to ask, but Brad thought it likely."

I smiled and shrugged, "I might have mentioned that you might like modeling and I thought you would be very successful at it."

"I thought you might have had some influence in this but how did you get him to agree?" she asked, leaning in toward me.

"Oh, that was easy."

"Nothing is easy with daddy. How did you get him to agree?" She was getting persistent.

"It was simple. I just told your dad I would burn my Mona Lisa painting if he didn't agree to let you model if that was what you wanted."

"You, what? You wouldn't have really burned it, would you?"

"I honestly don't know. Back then, I might have."

She was laughing so hard I thought she was going to wet herself.

"I miss you. Can we go out sometime? You rejected me last time and in Paris no less."

"I never rejected you, my love. I have always been in love with you. Ever since that first night in the police station, where you stole my heart with your good looks, charm, and dignity."

"Now you are just making fun of me," she looked exasperated.

Laughing, I said, "Only a little. I truly did fall in love with you that night."

"You know, in the modeling world I meet a lot of people, but I have never met anyone like you. I do miss you. I am flying to... oh, I forget...somewhere this weekend for a shoot. Would you like to come with me?"

God, she still looked so damn beautiful, but her eyes no longer held the sadness I saw that first night at the police station.

"You can bet I have never met anyone like you either, and I miss you as well. In your own way, you have given me everything that I have. Without meeting you that night, I never would have painted you. I would never have met your brother or your father. I would never have met Sarah or bought a pet shop. I never even thought about a pet shop. I don't think I would be living on my own now. I probably would be living on the West Coast with Sis. I would not have gained the confidence to do what I can do now if it weren't for you. You even showed me how to love and get in touch with my feelings. How strange is that? I owe it all to you and your beauty."

She was quiet for a moment. "I don't think I ever told you how sorry I was about your Sarah."

"Thank you. I miss Sarah, but I feel she is still here in the work we are doing."

"Yes, Brad is so excited about your project. I have never seen him this happy or driven. He is very committed to finishing the playground and is talking about other projects with you. He told me that you and your sister have a lot of money, but you won't use it on yourselves."

"Yes, that's true. We inherited quite a bit of money when our parents died but I didn't want the money I wanted our parents back. The money has always represented their loss to me. I think Jenny feels the same way or she went along with me because I needed her to at the time. I feel my dad would approve of what we are doing and that is important to me. So we use the money for good causes but not for Jenny and me to live on. It's to do good works. Donations from the community help everyone feel a part of the projects as well. I do it all in Sarah's name."

Sipping at her tea, she said thoughtfully, "I could tell you loved Sarah in a way that I can only hope someone will love me someday. But you are not that one, are you."

It wasn't a question, but I felt I needed to answer it anyway.

"No. Sadly, I am not that guy. At times, I wish I were. But I would like to see you more often. Deal?"

"Deal." She was smiling now. "The Bahamas."

"What?"

"The shoot. The shoot is in the Bahamas."

"Well, you didn't tell me that. Can I still come?"

She laughed, but it was a sad laugh. "You said no, so you lost your chance. I must go now, but soon. We need to get together soon, all right?"

I must be crazy, I thought. A beautiful model, on a white sandy beach, probably in a bikini and I say no. I got up and hugged her and kissed her goodbye.

"I agree; let's get together soon."

I watched her walk away with that same sad feeling I always had when she was leaving. It always felt like a knife thrust into my stomach. I shook my head and walked the other way.