Northern Moonlight Read Online Free PDF Page A

recognized an ideal photography subject in him.  His handsome face was a study in male beauty, brooding, well-sculpted, and enlivened by the most captivating eyes she had ever seen.  When Gio paused to taste the sparkling water, Sabrina probed, “Tell me about your work.  What made you decide to become a fireman?”
     
The perplexing mask she had glimpsed at the waterfront once again dominated his face.  Gio seemed to be fighting an internal battle about what to say, or not to say, next.  Before he could formulate a response, the waiter served their wine, a bottle of Chianti Classico from the restaurant’s private cellar.  The waiter cracked open the bottle with ease and poured a swish into Gio’s goblet.  “ Signor ?” He prompted, waiting for Gio’s evaluation.
     
Gio inhaled the full-bodied aroma of the red wine, swirled it around in the glass, and took a lingering sip.  “It’s very good.  Grazie .”  He smiled cordially and Sabrina noticed for the first time that he had dimples.
     
“ Bene, signor .”  The waiter proceeded to fill Gio’s goblet halfway and do the same with Sabrina’s. 
     
“Your plates will arrive shortly.” The waiter announced before disappearing into the recesses of the dimly lit restaurant.
     
Gio raised his goblet and toasted, “To a wonderful evening.”
     
“To a wonderful evening.”  Sabrina lifted her glass to his and put her lips to it, letting the wine flow in and savoring the luscious, fruity flavor.  “Excellent choice of wine,” She complimented with a flirtatious smile.
     
“I’m glad you like it,” he answered, reaching for a wedge of herbed focaccia from the breadbasket. 
     
“You were about to tell me what led you into your line of work.” She persisted.
     
“Well it certainly wasn’t the salary.” He continued to evade her question.
     
“Then what was it?” She asked plainly.
     
Gio exhaled shakily, almost resolutely, as he rejoined, “I may as well tell you.  You should know that this is something I never discuss, so I’m going out on a limb here.  The only person in my life who knows this story is my buddy Max.  And I’ve known Max since ninth grade.  He’s a private investigator with his own firm here in Burlington.”  Sabrina listened in anticipation, wondering what he was about to share.
     
As if trying to rationalize his pending confession, Gio said, “If we continue to see each other, you’ll find this out anyway, so there’s no use hiding it.”  Gio’s voice transformed into a complete monotone with emotionally vacant eyes to match.   “My parents and brother were killed in a fire when I was eighteen.  The fire destroyed our house completely.” 
     
At his horrific admission, Sabrina gasped and put her hand to her heart, “My God.  How awful…I mean it’s unimaginable.  I am so sorry.”  To Sabrina, her words seemed inadequate, but they were spoken in all sincerity and compassion.
     
Gio continued, determined to tell her the whole story and then proceed more pleasurably with the evening, especially to learn about her.  “It was just three months before my high school graduation.  Ironically, I had been planning to go to college to study architecture.” He sneered the last word and gritted his teeth.  “I had wanted to build.  Yeah, I wanted to design and build a house like the one I grew up in until the night I came home to an empty plot of land…nothing but ashes.  I realized in that moment that there is nothing permanent in this world.  Why would I build houses when nature’s elements can so easily take them down?  I told my girlfriend at the time, Madeline, that I couldn’t stand to stay in Vermont and would be moving in with my uncle for a while.  So, I took my father’s truck, the same one I still drive today, and went to my Uncle Stefano’s apartment in Brooklyn.  He and my aunt Helena are the only family I have in this country.  The rest are still in