Ever since running into Mary Strong in Santa Monica, Jackie has been caught in a loop of wondering how many she women she knows personally, or how many women in the entertainment industry generally Nico has actually been with. Finally, she just flat out asks him. The question pains him, which is why she's been keeping it to herself, but, "I just need to know how many encounters I'm going to have like we had running into Mary...I want to know how well known you are in the business for what you were." Nico half sighs, half laughs, "I was never any kind of 'gigolo-to-the-stars' Jacky, it was more like the wives of the accountants to the stars." "Well how did you end up with Mary then? She's a pretty big star..." Jackie wonders out loud. When Nico blushes & stammers, Jackie can't blame him: when it comes a right down to it, while she is occasionally morbidly curious about Nico's past, she really would rather not know the details if she isn't in any great danger of running into these women on a daily basis.

Nicolas grabs her forcefully into a tight hug, "God, Jacklyn, I don't want to lose you," he says, in Italian, and Jackie understands him. Once Nico learned Andrea was teaching her their native tongue, he began using it with her more himself. He was even a little jealous, like there was something going on between herself and his brother, beyond the workouts & language lessons. But this time, she can tell, he's simply expressing an untranslated thought, straight from his heart. "It's alright, Nico," she responds gently, "You're not going to lose me: we're getting married in the summer. I was thinking June would be nice..."

Nicolas has been gently pestering her about setting a wedding date since Trill was born, and expresses his elation at finally being given an answer with fervent passion.

"Let's honeymoon in Italy, let me take you to my home," Nico says, his eyes shining with a tearful joy, "My mother has never met Trillare...." Jackie always has to remind herself that normal people don't regard their families with the sort of dread she has of hers. She wouldn't bring her child into their home any more than she would into a bear's cave.

NEXT