When the door snaps shut behind us, Gio’s face breaks into a wide grin and he wraps an arm around my shoulder, hurrying me down the hall and away from the door. When we get halfway down the stairs, he bursts into laughter and shakes his head at me, thrilled. I can’t help laughing along with him
We stay quite late at the Bianci house that night, waiting for Kent to wrap up the deal. I admit that I’m fading a bit towards the end, my head on Daniel’s shoulder and my eyes drifting shut, wondering if I’m going to have to crash on a couch or something – But the Italians? Man, can they pa
“You were never such a cock block, Fay,” Janeen grumbles, even though she allows me to pull her along, “before you got all mafia.” “You’re throwing yourself at him, Janeen,” I counter, opening the back door for her as Jerome climbs in the other side, giving his boyfriend the space he needs to ta
Daniel snags a bottle of wine and some wine glasses out of the kitchen before going to sit with Janeen and Jerome in the living room – close enough to be on hand if Kent needs to inform them of anything, but far enough to give Kent and Gio privacy. I step towards the kitchen, my eyes catching on
“Good,” Gio says, raising his eyebrows. “I’m glad you have collateral, Kent. I’ll give you more if you want it.” “I don’t need more,” Kent says, holding his nephew’s gaze with his own dark glare – a look so menacing even I blink at it in surprise. “You need to know, Gio, that you’re my man now.
“Nooo,” I whine, reaching back for the door. “I want to see! Gio’s going to find out that Janeen is single –“ “As if he doesn’t already know,” Kent murmurs, carrying me directly to bed. “Besides, your sister’s love life isn’t a telenovela –“ “Um, isn’t it?” I ask, pulling back and staring up
God, I love it when he’s all riled up. “If you need me to teach you a lesson about the right time for jokes, Fay,” Kent snaps, lowering himself over me again, glaring at me with a violent heat in his eyes. “I am more than happy to oblige.” “Go ahead and teach me, Kent,” I say, drawing a fing
About half an hour later, freshly showered and more appropriately dressed in pajamas and a robe, I push open my bedroom door and give a little squeak of joy to see most of my family already awake gathered in the kitchen and living room. Dad and Kent are the only ones absent – but Kent’s just a minut
My dad greets him with such genuine joy and excitement that it makes my heart swell with joy. They talk for a few minutes about Dominic’s day before dad gives him a little nudge back towards the gate where Kent and I are waiting. Dominic gives dad a kiss before running ahead again. My dad waves to
“Papa!” Dominic shouts, startling me out of my reverie as he drops my hand and darts down the road. I look up, a huge smile breaking out on my face again as I see Kent on the sidewalk just ahead. His back is to us as he speaks companionably with the butcher, a heavy bag of his purchases already hung
As I walk down the street towards the little Italian kindergarten, the whispers start around me, as they always do. I listen to all of them, a big German Shepherd padding quietly at my heels. “Is that her?” “Yes, that’s the one – I heard she was her husband’s mistress before he married her – tha
Both Kent and I laugh, but Don Bianci – across the baptismal font from us – snaps his eyes up, perhaps not liking the joke as much as we do. But I just ignore it, because dad’s right, frankly – and it’s too happy a day to care. After the final blessing everyone applauds Dominic – he likes that, bl
“Well, it didn’t seem to affect your first very badly,” Ivan says with a shrug, peering around Kent to where Daniel is laughing with an arm around Jerome’s shoulders. “So…maybe keep it up.” I smirk, squeezing Ivan’s hand once more before standing and moving to Kent’s side, tucking myself against h
“Hey, gorgeous,” Ivan says, his mouth turned up in a smirk as I cross the churchyard, beaming at him. “Look who’s talking,” I say, laughing and reaching for him when I come close enough. Ivan wraps me in a hug, dropping a kiss to my cheek as I hold Dominic a bit to the side so he doesn’t get squis
He laughs, smiling at me genuinely. “Do I make you nervous?” he asks, blunt. I laugh, unable to help it. “Has no one bothered to tell you, in all these years, that you’re a little terrifying, Don Bianci?” He grins and shakes his head at me. “Well, considering what you accomplished, young lady, I
Two months later, we’re all gathered together again. And it is only with frustration that I see Gio and Janeen standing so close together that their arms nearly brush, even though they’re still not together. I roll my eyes, dismissing the problem for a moment as I move my eyes down to Dominic and
It's an incredible night. Kent didn’t lie, not at all, about the food either. I’m shocked by the mountains of dishes that continue to follow each other, one after another, long into the night. After a few hours of it I just mournfully watch the waiters go by because I couldn’t eat another bite if I