by Tessa Thorne
“Yeah.” I drop my eyes and stare at the floor. “It’s a part of the life, you know?”
“Yeah, I get it.” She nods knowingly. She pauses to give a respectable moment of silence for dead soldiers she never really knew. “Would it be terrible if I steer the conversation back to those shoes? Seriously, you’re back at the office wearing the golden pair you said you’d never wear. So spill!”
“No, that’s fine. I can’t really talk about that anyway.”
“But you can talk about the shoes, right?” She looks up at me as she strokes the shoes in an almost sexual way.
“You’re so crazy.” I smile and pull my feet back from her. “I had a talk with my dad…”
She laughs. “That can’t be why you’re smiling.”
“It actually is.” I slap her on her thin thigh. “I told him that I couldn’t be cooped up in the house anymore. And that I didn’t want a driver or to be constantly escorted to work.”
“Oh shit.” She looks at me with a look of awe on her face. It’s a little sad that something as simple as this would be so surprising to my best friend, but that’s why I love her. She understands this wasn’t easy for me.
“Yeah.” I laugh. “That’s exactly how I felt when I started. I don’t really know what got into me.”
“I do!” She puts her hand up. “Pick me! I know the answer!”
We laugh as I grab her hand and put it back down in her lap. “Yeah, maybe it was that.” I can feel my face burning up. “Well, not his dick. But what he said to me that night. What he made me realize about myself.”
“Go on…”
“Anyway, I just told my dad that it couldn’t be like that anymore.” I smile. “And he accepted it. Well, sort of. Marco is still here keeping an eye on the club. I don’t think he’ll ever leave this place unattended.”
“But still, I’m so proud of you!” She wraps me in another hug.
“Well, wait till I’m finished! This is why I waited to tell you in person.” I flash her a beaming smile. “I also told him I’m dating Gio!”
“No. You. Didn’t.” She leans back, staring at me like I sprouted a third eye.
My smile is so wide my cheeks hurt. “I totally did!”
“Also, stop for a second.” She grabs my hands. “Did you say boyfriend? So we’re upgrading his status from booty call to boyfriend?”
“Yeah, maybe.” I tilt my head and grin, squeezing her hands.
“Does he know?” She laughs.
“He better.” I flash her my best you-better-not-mess-with-me glare. “I think his exact words were 'I’m not going to be able to let you go'.”
“Ooh…” She puts her finger on her forearm and makes a sizzling noise. “I love the combination of goods Gio brings to the game. Hot, massive cock, and possessive. That's the trifecta.”
I laugh.
“That last one really only works when you've got the first two though.” Sarah holds her fingers about a foot apart. “I’d say a man should be at least yea big before being possessive becomes an attractive quality.”
I giggle. “Yeah, just about.”
“So, back to the matter at hand.” She puts her hands back down on her lap. “How did your dad take the news?”
“Not nearly as well.” I scrunch up my mouth. “But…I held my ground there, too.”
“Because you’ve become Superwoman.” She nods. “We’ve covered that.”
“You’re making me blush!” I laugh. “And while he hasn't said he approves, we’re all going to go out and have dinner so Mom and Dad can meet Gio.”
“Oh, damn.” She has a worried look on her face. “That’s pretty soon. I’ve literally never introduced a boyfriend to my parents yet.”
“Have you kept any past two weeks?” I look at her doubtfully.
“A few.” She grins. “Anyway, this isn’t about me or my man harem. This is about you, and pretty much your only man. Does he know he’s going to be having dinner with your parents?”
“Yes.” I pause. “Sorta.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I texted him.” I look over at the Nokia sitting on my table. “I just haven’t heard back yet.”
Sarah's mouth opens into a perfect O of surprise. “He’ll be cool with it,” she says.
“Yeah.” My voice isn’t as confident as I’d like it to be, and I can feel the butterflies in my stomach again.
“From what you’ve told me though, he doesn’t seem like the type to be intimidated by the thought of meeting your parents.”
“I don’t think anything intimidates him.” I smile, thinking about our amazing escape to the woods and the trip back.
“And this is why you’re finally wearing those gorgeous heels?” She’s practically eye-fucking my shoes.
“Yeah.” I point my toes. They really do look amazing on me.
“One thing though.” Sarah looks at me sternly. “It’s like, totally crazy that your parents get to meet him before I do.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” I pout and bat my lashes at her. “It wasn’t on purpose. You’ll meet him the first chance I get.”
She pats me on my arm and laughs. “Don’t worry girl, I know. I’m not going to hold this against you.”
“You’re too good to me, Sarah.”
“For long.” She grins playfully as I laugh.
My laughter is interrupted by the familiar buzz of my trusty Nokia. We both rush over to the other side of the table but she gets to the phone first. These heels are not meant to be run in.
“Give it to me!” I reach for the phone.
Sarah only hesitates for a second before giving me the phone back without even reading the text first. She knows how much this means to me.
“What did he say?” Doesn’t stop her from leaning in and trying to read over my shoulder though.
“He asked where and when.” I type in my answer and wait. “And…now he just said okay.”
“Well that was easy enough.” She smiles.
“I know…” I’m suddenly feeling worried though. This is really happening. I’m going to introduce Gio to my mom and dad, and hope they like him well enough to not kill him.
“What could go wrong?” she asks.
I can’t even tell if Sarah is joking.
“Okay, Mom!” I shout loud enough to be heard downstairs. “I’m almost ready!”
I look at myself in the mirror one last time. I’m wearing a long black Michael Kors dress that barely kisses the floor and a pair of Coach kitten heels. She must have noticed me wearing the Miu Mius and felt it was open season on me accepting the gifts I refused before. She was so happy when she gave them to me that I couldn’t say no. It’s like she’s been waiting for this moment my whole life.
I adjust my breasts in my bra, trying to downplay my cleavage as best as I can. Thankfully this dress has a conservative neckline. I’m careful not to touch my hair because I really don’t know anything about making a blowout last. All I know is that my hair looks better than it’s ever looked, and I could only make it worse by touching it.
I grab my purse from the top of the dresser, look at myself one last time in the mirror, and head downstairs.
My mom looks at me with the same look she had on her face the day of my prom. The only difference is that today I actually have a date.
“You look so beautiful.” She clasps her hands together and wipes a tear away from the corner of her eyes before it can mess with her mascara.
“Thanks, Mom.” I take her hands and kiss her cheek lightly.
I hear the sound of leather soles on marble and turn around to see my dad walk into the main entrance with Marco at his heel. He’s wearing a navy suit with thin pinstripes, a red tie and a white pocket square.
My mom steps between us, and takes his hand in hers. “You look great, honey.”
“Thank you, my dear.” He kisses her on the cheek. “You look beautiful as always.”
Mom takes my hand in hers, joining us as a family with
a bright smile on her face.
Dad puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “You look beautiful, princess.”
I think I hear an odd tone in his voice, but I put it aside. It’s just me being worried about how this night’s going to go. God I hope Gio shows up on time. Dad hates it when anyone keeps him waiting.
Dad looks at the both of us. “You’re both ready. Good.” He turns to Marco. “Bring the car around.”
Marco nods with a blank expression on his face. He seems a little odd, too. Normally he’s a lot friendlier. No matter. Time to see if Gio can charm my parents, too.
We get to La Rodinella at five of eight. Marco double-parks the Maybach directly in front of the doors to the irritation of the traffic behind us, but no one says anything. This is just how it is when we go anywhere with my father. Marco steps outside to get the door for us, and I notice him avoiding my eyes as I step out of the car. Something’s definitely up with him, but I don’t have time to dwell on it as an attendant at the restaurant opens the carved wooden door for us. The smiling hostess guides us to a private dining room.
The restaurant is lit by chandeliers and sconces covered with stained glass, plus candles flickering on the tables. The walls are paneled with dark wood and the chairs are upholstered in red velvet. It’s my dad’s favorite restaurant, run by a famous Italian chef.
We follow the hostess into the private dining room and a smile splits my face as I see Gio standing by the table waiting for us.
He’s dressed handsomely in a well-tailored navy suit, blue tie and perfectly shined brown wingtips. His hair is freshly cut. He looks like he's just shaved.
He smiles as he takes my hands and kisses me lightly on the cheek. “You look beautiful, Alessandra.”
I’m caught speechless. I had hoped he wouldn’t show up in his typical t-shirt and jeans, but I didn’t expect him to clean up so well.
He steps to my side when he sees my dad walk into the room.
“Hello, Mr. Pavoni.” He extends his hand to my dad. “I’m Giovanni Gallo. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
My father takes his time looking him over. I finally release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding in when he takes Gio’s hand and gives it a firm shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Giovanni.” He motions to my mom, waiting eagerly to meet him. “This is my wife, Gina.”
My mom steps forward quickly and clasps his hand in both of hers. “You're such a tall, handsome man. I hope you’re as well-mannered as you are dressed.”
I laugh softly. That wasn’t nearly as embarrassing as she could have been.
Gio smiles. “I hope that you’ll find I am.” He pulls back my chair as my dad pulls back my mom’s chair. She has a small smile on her lips and nods approvingly as she sits down.
I take my seat at the table and we order our wine and drinks.
As the waiter fills our glasses with a second glass of wine, my dad speaks up. “Mr. Gallo, did you grow up in Brooklyn?”
“You can call me Giovanni.” He puts his glass down on the table and dabs his mouth with a napkin. “I did. I grew up in Flatbush. It was very different when I was growing up.”
“And what do you do for a living?” My dad leans back in his chair, settling in to grill Gio. “Do you have a respectable job?” I try not to cringe, since I should have expected this.
“Depends on how you define that, sir.” Gio’s lips curve into a small grin. “I used to be military, and now I’m a security consultant.”
My dad grunts. “Which branch?”
“Navy, sir. I was a SEAL.”
“That’s impressive.” He nods. “My father was in the Navy, but they didn’t have SEALs back then.”
“Knowing Allie,” Gio smiles warmly at me, “I have no doubt he would have qualified.”
“And what exactly do you do as a security consultant?”
Gio presses his lips thin. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say, sir.”
My dad keeps looking at him as if expecting a better answer.
“I don’t serve as a consultant to any law enforcement agencies.”
My mom and I listen to the conversation with matching nervous smiles until my dad breaks the tension with a small smile. “Was your father Dominic Gallo?”
I can see the muscles on Gio’s jaws tense for a moment before he answers. “Yes. Did you know him?”
“I did. I don’t know if he ever told you, but we went to school together.” My dad takes another sip of his wine. “We were a deadly pair on the football field.”
I look down and see Gio’s hand is clenched tightly into a fist, and I rub his knuckles softly. I’m thankful his bruises have fully faded. “He never told me that.”
“I’m not offended.” My dad smiles. “I offered him an opportunity to join my business, but he didn’t care for my line of work. But I didn't take it personally.”
Gio’s expression is blank and he remains silent.
My dad gestures for the waiter to fill up the table’s wine glasses again. He picks up his glass and takes another sip. Gio downs half with a big gulp.
“Terrible tragedy what happened to your family.” My dad shakes his head and lowers his voice. “It’s even worse that the perpetrators of that crime haven't been caught.”
Gio finishes his wine and gestures for the waiter to fill up the glass again while my mom and I watch the back and forth between the two men at the table. What did he mean by the tragedy to his family? He only told me his dad was dead.
“I'm confident that the people responsible will be brought to justice soon.” Gio’s expression is dark, and his face hard.
“I followed up with the NYPD when I heard the news.” My dad picks up the napkin from his lap and folds it neatly before placing it back on the table. “But they're next to useless.”
“What happened to your family, Gio?” My voice barely breaks through the tension that permeates the room.
My dad looks over at me. “Did he not tell you, princess?”
I’m so confused by what’s going on that I don’t even get annoyed at the use of that nickname around Gio. “What happened to your family, Gio?”
He takes the napkin from his lap and puts it on his empty plate. “They were murdered…in a home invasion.”
I gasp and my mom uses her napkin to cover her mouth. “All of them?”
Gio keeps his eyes on my dad as he speaks in a stiff voice. “My father, mother and little sister. Murdered in cold blood in their own home.”
My heart jumps into my throat. I have so many questions but I don’t even know where to start, and the last thing I want to do is ask in front of my parents. And I feel selfish for wondering why he didn’t tell me. Like that matters at all. How would I act if my whole family was brutally killed? Probably not nearly as well as Gio's handling it.
“I’m so sorry.” I rub his hand under the table.
My mom nods and uses her napkin to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. “My condolences, Giovanni. There has been so much death lately. I don’t know what the world's coming to.”
I don’t care about the world. I just want to know what’s going on with the people around this table. This must be why Gio acted so weird when I brought up his dad at Hush that night. And what the hell is going on with my dad? What are the chances that he’d know Gio’s father?
Gio nods to my mom with a stiff face. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Do you believe it was a home invasion?” My dad’s using the same voice he uses when he’s trying to dig out a truth I’m unwilling to talk about. Gio’s not blinking, but he’s stiff as a board, and his fist is still clenched so hard all his knuckles have turned white.
“No.”
“Nor should you.” My dad nods. “Nothing about the crime matched a home invasion.”
There’s a long pause before Gio speaks again. “I’m surprised you went to such lengths to look into what happened.”
“Why wouldn’t I? He didn’t join me in busines
s, but it doesn’t change what we had. He was my left guard in football. He protected me from more vicious hits than I could count.” He turns his head so we're looking at him in profile. “And he saved my face from getting ruined for my high school sweetheart.”
My mom titters out a nervous laugh. I see Marco by the door leading out to the main floor of the restaurant, unbuttoning his jacket. He looks like he’s watching us closely, but when he sees me looking at him, he looks away quickly.
“He was always protective of his friends,” my mom says. “It landed him in lockup more than once.”
“Yeah,” my dad laughs. “He cold-cocked a safety once for getting a late hit on me. Got himself tossed out of the game for that.” My parents laugh over the shared memory of Gio's father.
Gio doesn’t answer.
My dad motions to the waiter for the bill and turns back to Gio. “Well, Mr. Gallo. It's been very interesting making your acquaintance, but we have to get going.”
He looks over at my mom and she nods and begins collecting her things. Then he turns to me. “Will you need a ride home, princess?”
I’m taken aback. I expected him to tell me to go home with Marco, not for him to ask me if I had other plans. Maybe my talk with him went a lot better than I thought.
“No. I’ll get a ride home from Gio.” I turn to him. “If you don’t mind, that is.”
He nods and gives me a small smile, but there’s no joy in his gray eyes.
“I understand.” My dad pushes back his chair, stands up and buttons his jacket. “You two must have a lot to talk about.”
He takes out his wallet, and passes a business card to Gio, who accepts it silently. “If you ever want to talk about your father, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.”
There’s a tone to his voice I don’t understand. But Gio seems to. He nods, takes a look at the card and puts it in the inside pocket of his jacket as he stands up.
“It was a pleasure to meet you both.” He extends a hand to my father who grips it tightly and shakes. He holds out his hand to my mother, but she brushes it aside.