"In a way her misguided marriage to that pompous fool turned out to be a good thing for you."
"Really?" I say, watching as she crosses her leg,
starts one bare foot swinging back and forth.
Allegra's rather large feet compliment her height and
robust figure.
"You're so different than that man. I think that's
why she married you. You're shy and unassuming,
don't mind staying at home while she's out making
her fortune. You are just what she needs, a man she
can come home to, someone to cuddle with and who
takes care of the house."
"Well, I keep the books for her business in our
home office. The girls in the office know little about
bookkeeping. She says that's a great help since she
doesn't like to be bothered with figures and finance."
"And keep house."
"Well, yes, that too."
I look at her swinging foot remember the occasion of our first unlikely intimacy.
She told me I had dainty feet, that she envied
them, went to her closet and came back with a pair
of tall heels, told me to try them on. I didn't want to
do it but she was adamant. Like Gabrielle, Allegra is
strong willed. So I took off my socks and slipped my
bare feet into her shoes. There was room to spare
and she said I looked cute in heels.
She told me to hold up my pants cuffs and look
at my feet in the mirror, how nice they looked.