“Ella, you’re so sweet. I figured you for a smarter cookie than that. He’s got an angle, and after dinner, you’ll know what it is.” Bria grabbed a carrot.
“I’m gonna give him the benefit of the doubt. He better not piss on my battery, or I’ll call in the Bria squad to break his nose.”
Bria flexed her bicep. “That asshole’s going down!”
“Cool your jets, Fabulous Moolah. If I need a kickass wrestler, I let you know.”
The front door opened as our gaggling boys filled the house with noise, closely followed by Mario and Franco, laughing and jostling.
“What are you layabouts doing here so early?” I asked as Mario came over and gave me a big squeeze.
“We’re so excited to see you; we stalked your husband and his sidekick and followed them home. Is that Spaghetti Carbonara I smell?”
“Oi! Hands out of that pot, mister. Here, have a carrot.”
“What am I? A rabbit?” Mario sulked but took the carrot anyway, and when I turned my back, he dipped it into the Carbonara sauce.
“Hey, gorgeous. Did I miss anything while I was gone?” Joe put his arms around me and kissed me.
“You’ll never guess,” I said as I dusted the flour off my hands and poured myself a large glass of wine.
JOE
Dinner at Gino’s. Not my idea of a fun evening, but I was committed to making an effort to smooth over the animosity. Ella looked stunning in her white dress, platform shoes, and her hair up in a ponytail. Her olive skin glowed as the car passed by the streetlights.
“You look beautiful, darling.”
“Thank you, Joe. You don’t look too bad yourself.”
“Are you ready to play nice, my gorgeous?” I smiled at her as she gave me a wicked smile.
“I’ve got the cement mix ready . . . just in case.”
“Remind me never to never piss you off.” She laughed as I mockingly cowered against the driver’s door window.
“And don’t you forget it.” She hit her palm with her fist.
Gino lived in a swanky penthouse apartment. The Ferrari coffers afforded him a decent lifestyle. He greeted us warmly as he opened the door.
The inside of the penthouse was magnificent. The smell of family money hung in the air like noxious gas. Gino was happy to show off his digs, smirky satisfaction dripping from his face as we were given the grand tour.
“It’s a lovely place, Gino. You must enjoy the freedom of all this space.” I was being gracious, considering my brother’s snippy behavior towards me during the months prior.
“It’s home. What can I get you to drink, Ella?” Joe was always extra nice to her. It made me uncomfortable, but I put it down to my dislike for the man.
“White wine, please. Have you lived here long?” Ella asked as she took a seat on a plush leather sofa.
“A year or two, now. I like this part of town—there’s a lot of action.” He handed her a glass of wine then turned to me. “What can I get you, brother?”
The word still stuck in the craw, but that was just tough shit for me. “A beer, thanks.”
“Do you have anyone special in your life, Gino?” Ella took a sip of her wine.
“I’m more of a free spirit. I don’t like to be tied down.”
The doorbell rang. “Ah, my other guests are here.” Gino headed for the door as Ella and I exchanged surprised glances.
“Hey, Gino! I hear there’s a party. I brought some friends.”
“Ah, Alex, come in. I see the usual hangers-on are here too. Come in, you lot.” Gino was smiling from ear to ear. He was surrounded by his friends and in his comfort zone. My jaw clenched just a tad at the thought of Ella and I trapped in a room full of “rough diamonds.” I’d better be on my toes.
Gino was happy to be “mine host,” and welcomed the gate crashers in for a drink.
There were three men. Gino introduced them to Ella and me.
“This is Alex. He’s my buddy from school. This is Stephano, he and I go way back, and this is Lelo, Stephano’s brother. Boys, meet my brother Joe and his beautiful wife, Ella.”
“Good to meet you. I didn’t know they were joining us for dinner, Gino.” Ella shifted uncomfortably. I didn’t blame her.
“The boys pop in often, usually unannounced, mostly when they’ve run out of whiskey.” Dick Dastardly and the Wacky Racers got stuck in an expensive bottle of whiskey as Ella and I did our best to feign interest in their crass tales of whores and bar fights. It was not the way I’d envisaged the evening going.
“Okay, you louts. Get out of here,” Gino announced after two hours of grandstanding. “I have dinner guests.”
By then, Ella and I were starved. Ella was the perfect lady, not complaining once. Poor thing. She was a trooper.
ELEANORA
I couldn’t be more uncomfortable had I been running naked through the streets. I was one of the guys with the best of them, but Gino’s friends were gross. They were dressed to the nines, but class isn’t something money could buy.
Alex was tall, skinny, with a hard face and slicked back dirty blonde hair. He was friendly enough but reminded me of someone who was trying to climb a ladder in pumps—dead keen but clumsy. Stephano, I didn’t like one bit. He was creepy. When he looked at me, I felt as if he were not only undressing me, but violating me in the most personal way. He had dark skin and black hair, pulled back into a man bun. Lelo was enormous. He had the biggest stomach I’d ever seen. As my aunt used to say, he was four meals ahead and eight shits behind. He seemed harmless enough, but he
