I chuckled despite the tension coiling in my stomach and nodded. “You got it. Coming up. Is there anything I can help with for dinner before we sit down?”
She lifted the spatula and pointed it at me. “I’m not letting you stall any longer, Marco. I’ve waited long enough to hear about this girl.”
“I was just asking if I could help,” I mumbled before going to fix our drinks.
Aldo came with me, smirking as he added his glass for a refill. “This is going to be awesome. She’s going to flip.”
“If she has a heart attack, it’s on you.” I kept my voice low enough that only Aldo would hear me. “You really shouldn’t have told her. This will cause her unnecessary stress.”
He gave me a dark look. “It’s not unnecessary. This girl is in your life now. Mama should know about her.”
“Mama doesn’t know about every girl you fuck,” I argued. “Why is it okay to keep her in the dark about your exploits and not mine?”
He lifted his brows, disapproval stark in his eyes. “I’m not in a relationship with any of those girls. That’s why. It’s different and you know it.”
“No, it’s not,” I replied in a heated whisper, a drop of Grappa spilling with a plop on the counter as my hand trembled. “We might have more than a one-night thing going on, but even if we were in a full-on relationship, it’s still way too soon to be meeting the family.”
“I didn’t say anything about meeting her. I just told Mama she exists. You needed the push, and I gave it to you.”
I exhaled sharply. “I didn’t need a fucking push. I would have told Mama about Addy if and when the time came. On my own terms.”
“Yeah, well, your terms suck.” Aldo stood tall beside me, as firm in his convictions as I was in mine. “You shouldn’t have stopped me from talking to Addy about Mama the other night either. If you two have any hope of making things work, you need to be honest with her.”
“We’re not trying to make anything work except our actual work. The rest of it is fun. Window dressing. Besides, I already had to clean up that mess. She knows Mama won’t like her and why. It was a complication I didn’t need.”
“Dude, the complication you didn’t need was getting involved with her in the first place.” He put his palms out. “I’m just trying to help you smooth out the bumpy road your relationship is sure to take.”
“There is no—”
“How long does it take you to fill a glass for an old woman?” Mother’s voice rang out behind us. “I’m getting even older waiting for you two.”
Aldo and I both scowled at one another, then shrugged in unison and turned away from the counter. He grabbed his glass and took off to the living room while I carried my drink and Mom’s. She followed us silently, sat down on the edge of her ancient armchair, and accepted her Grappa from me.
“I’m listening, Marco,” she said primly. “Start by answering the questions I’ve already asked. Then fill in the gaps.”
It wasn’t a request. It was a command. I mentally cussed Aldo out, but my brother sat back on the couch he occupied with his arms spread along the backrest. Even his resting face held traces of a grin, like he didn’t have a fucking care in the world.
I suspected he knew I was cursing at him when he glanced at me and smirked, but he wasn’t bothered by my silent profanity. “Go on. Mama asked you questions. Like she said, we’re listening.”
I sent another few choice words his way, then turned to face my mom. “Her name is Adaline.”
Intentionally omitting her last name for now, I tried to get comfortable and sipped my Grappa. It burned like hellfire going down, but damn, it was good. And very much needed.
“She works for me as a client liaison. People listen when she talks, and—”
“People listen when you talk.” Mom narrowed her eyes at me. “Why do you need someone to do it for you?”
“If I’m the iron fist, she’s the velvet glove. We work well as a team.” I watched as my mother’s expression softened.
She placed her elbow on the armrest and smiled. “Any good, solid relationship should begin that way. Tell me more.”
My mother looked almost serene as she waited for me to continue. It killed me to know that in a few minutes that serenity would vanish. Deciding to focus on telling her about who Addy was first, hoping it would contain the explosion about to happen, I did as she had asked.
“She’s intelligent and funny. She doesn’t treat me like a walking wallet and she stands up to me.”
“A strong woman.” Mom nodded. “I like that.”
I allowed a grin to break free, even though I knew it would be short-lived. “She is strong and independent. It’s still new, though, Mama. Don’t go getting any ideas.”
She scoffed. “I got ideas the second Aldo told me there was someone special in your life. This is the first girl either of you has told me about in years. She must mean a lot to you.”
“She does,” I said, realizing only once the words came out that it was true. “Let’s rather say she’s starting to mean a lot to me. As I said, the relationship is still very new. At the moment, we’re friends and coworkers who enjoy each other’s company. That’s it.”
“I didn’t raise you to be slow and indecisive. It sounds like she’s a wonderful girl. Make her yours. Then hurry and give me my twin grandbabies.”
“It doesn’t work that way, Mama,” I said. “I can’t just club her over the head, drag her to my cave, and decide that she’s mine.”
“I know that.” She tutted at me. “You will make her yours by winning her over. I’ve waited long enough for you to get married and make
