Flirting with Deception

by Ava Catori

  I had no idea what was in store for me.

  The meeting had been set at noon in one of the ancient casinos. For most people, it was an obsolete institution that only survived for historical reasons, but for us, it was the neutral ground for negotiating alliances or peace treaties. It did hold some memories, a few special ones for me.

  The Italian restaurant on the second floor was one of my happy places. It was my mother’s favorite, the one in which I celebrated all of my birthdays until I left home. My parents had met there and held their anniversary dinners there every single year. Well, every year but the ones he was away.

  Avoiding the valet service, I found a place in the adjacent Dunkin Donuts parking lot and walked the rest of the way. It was twelve fifteen when I arrived. The maître d’ ushered me across the main dining room to one of the smaller private ones. He opened the door and quickly closed it behind me.

  The smile I was preparing for my uncle died on my face when I realized he wasn’t alone. Two other men were at the table.

  “It’s so nice of you to join us today, Gia.” Of course, I’d heard Gino use his Capo voice before, but to that day, he had never used it to address me. I knew that the more unctuous and cold his tone, the more outraged he was. And that day it went below Artic freezing.

  I stood petrified by the door wondering if I was going to get out of that room alive. Taking a deep breath, I scolded myself. I was being absurd. I didn’t know the other men, but this was my mother’s kid brother. A man I grew up with, one that had looked out for me.

  “Why don’t you sit down?” he said. “One of my friends here has a few questions to ask you. I’d appreciate your answering them honestly.”

  Fighting the impulse to run, I took the few steps that separated me from the designated seat. I wrapped my arms around my handbag and looked at the men around the table. Their faces were closed. Unreadable. Only the one who was to ask questions was wearing a smile. Looking into his eyes, I felt like a mouse trapped by a snake and shuddered when the tip of his tongue did a little dance on his lips.

  “First, I understand congratulations are in order, Miss Giavana.” I looked at Gino and then back at the man who hadn’t bothered to introduce himself. “I understand that you’re done with your studies and are now an architect licensed in several states.”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “And you got lucky and found a job right out of school?” I nodded. He gratified me with a quick smile and another snake like tongue movement. “So, tell us more about it. Where do you work?”

  “Ocean Crest.”

  “Ocean Crest, New Jersey?” he asked.

  “Yes.” As far as I knew there was no other Ocean Crest, but maybe I was wrong. The man pushed his chair away from the table and stood. “So what have you been doing in Ocean Crest, New Jersey?” he asked walking to the end of the room and looking out the window.

  Relieved by the fact that he was no longer staring at me, I took a deep breath and answered. “Building a complex that comprises of some residential and professional units.”

  “And did you inform your family that you were working on that project?” he asked still looking out the window.

  “No, I didn’t. They thought I was still in California.”

  “Now, that’s what Gino tells me, but I have a hard time believing it.” He turned and walked toward me looking directly into my eyes. “You see I have three daughters; they’re about your age and I always know where they are.”

  I stared back at him waiting for his next question. Yeah, he had indirectly called me a liar, but hadn’t asked me anything so staying silent was cool. He glared at me in vain. A long time ago, my mother and I had been trained by the family’s attorney. My father wanted us to be prepared in case we would, one day, be called upon to testify. While looking into the black and shiny eyes of my interrogator, I could still hear the lawyer giving us the first golden rule: “Never volunteer any information.”

  The second, “only answer the question,” came to my mind as the man asked, “Why wouldn’t you tell your family you were coming back home?”

  “Because I wasn’t coming home.”

  “And why is that?” he snapped.

  “Because I want to make it on my own.” It took all my self-control not to yell my answer back at him.

  He walked back to the window. Turning around he looked at me again and said with a softer tone, “You mean to tell me, you took this job without telling anyone in your family about it?”

  “Well, yeah,” I said not bothering to hide the exasperation from my voice. With each question my fear had vanished, replace with anger. Who were these men and what gave them the right to ask me all those questions anyway.

  The man rolled his eyes at me as if I were a spoiled child and turned to Gino. “Okay, I believe you now.”

  Another man at the table shook his head. “She has no clue what she’s done, has she?”

  My uncle shook his head. “No, she doesn’t.”

  * * *

  9

  Hunter

  I made a point to check in on Tony. After everything that went down, I needed to see how he was making out. His wounds might not have been life threatening, but there was obvious damage. I called the hospital to see if he was still in. They couldn’t give me any details without being family, only the room number he was in. I jotted it down. I’d pay him a visit.

  Ryder and Barbara would be there a little longer, and then they’d take the baby home. I wondered if they’d settled on a name yet. They seemed to be pulled between two at the moment, one being a name from my mother’s side of the family and the other a name they both liked. I was certain Ryder had a sense of loyalty to Mom, but he didn’t have to name his kid after her, though I’m sure my dad made a good attempt. He’d hinted at it the last few months of Barbara’s pregnancy.

  I got myself together and headed to the hospital. Tony’s room was full of people when I got there. A couple of other local cops, some of the firefighters, and his family were there. “Hey, Tony, how are you doing? What happened to the two person visitation limit,” I teased.

  “Doing okay, they’ve got me on good pain meds,” he said with a laugh. “And it doesn’t hurt that the nurses aren’t bad looking.”

  One of the other guys in the room made a rude comment about one of the nurses.

  Tony’s mother glared at him. “Keep it classy, buddy, or you’re out of here.” I went to hug Francesca. I loved Tony’s mom. She was a fierce and loving mother who used to bake all sorts of cakes for us when we were kids. She was always there for her son and his friends. We grew close to her, especially after our mother died. As usual, she seemed to have control of the reins.

  “So what’s the story?” I asked.

  “Shoulder, shattered a piece of the bone, otherwise, mostly muscle and tissue. They’ll be sending him home soon, but after recovery, he’ll be looking at physical therapy. Ryder stopped by, said they had the baby. Congrats on being an uncle,” Francesca said.

  “Thanks, yeah, I’m heading over there shortly to see if they actually named the kid yet.” I stayed for a few more minutes, but with a room full of people, he was okay with me leaving. “I’ll check in with you later.”

  * * *

  When I got to Barbara’s room, Dad was there. He was holding his grandson and making a case for the baby’s name again.

  “Hey, Hunter,” Ryder said. He stood. “Have a seat. I’m going to take a quick walk down the hallway and wake up a little bit. All this sitting around is wearing me down. Do you need anything, hon?”

  “I’m good, go walk,” Barbara said. She seemed to be glad for the opening of time. Knowing her, I knew she wanted to talk to our father.

  “Be back,” he said before leaving the room.

  Barbara turned to my father. “Dylan, you know Ryder loves you, right? Adores you? Respects you, dearly? And loved his mother with all his heart…I hope you understand that he’s torn. We have a name we’ve decided on, and he d
oesn’t want to upset you, but he’d like to avoid using your wife’s family name.

  “It doesn’t change how much he cares. We’d just like a fresh start, no names attached to anybody, and something we agreed upon together. He’s held off telling you. The guilt is eating at him. I hope you’ll respect him enough to accept our decision.”

  Dad’s face slacked. “I didn’t mean to cause any distress. I’m sorry; I just got to thinking about what a wonderful grandmother she’d have been. I miss her. I guess in times like these, when it’s all about family, I get a little sentimental. No harm done. I’m completely fine with whatever name you’ve chosen. I’m sorry to have pressed. What name did you decide on?”

  “When he returns, we’ll share the news,” she said. “Thank you for understanding.”

  A few minutes later, Ryder found his way back to the room. “It felt good to stretch my legs.”

  “I’ve explained to your father that we’ve chosen a name,” Barbara said.

  “Dad, I…”

  “No, son, it’s fine,” Dad soothed. “I’m sorry I pressured you.”

  “I get it, we just want a fresh start,” Ryder explained.

  I chimed in. “Well, are you going to tell us what my nephew’s name is?”

  “Why don’t you do the honors of introducing our son?” Ryder nudged Barbara to share the news.

  Barbara’s face warmed. “After much deliberation, we’ve decided on Aidan.”

  Our father’s face lit up. He whispered to the baby. “It’s gorgeous; absolutely perfect, if I don’t say so myself. See your mom and dad know what’s best for you. Come to Pop-Pop when you want to be spoiled.” He leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

  I loved seeing my dad like this. He didn’t let his guard down often, but I was certain the baby would have him wrapped around his itty, bitty fingers.

  “I saw Tony; he looks pretty good for a man that was shot. He says they’ll let him go soon, but he’ll need to take some time off and then start physical therapy when he’s able. Man, he’s lucky to be alive.”

  Ryder nodded. “Thanks for the update. I went up to see him last night for a short bit. That boy’s a girl magnet. A couple of nurses were hanging out with him, laughing at his stories. He had a big smug grin on his face, loving the attention.”

  Dad passed the baby over to me. “Now we just need to get you settled down,” he added.

  “Whoa, don’t rush him,” Ryder said. He couldn’t have made it clearer. He wasn’t thrilled with Tiffany being back in my life. He thought I deserved somebody special, and Tiffany was a paper doll in his eyes. Like the toys our cousins used to play with. Fine to dress up, undress and look at, but no depth.

  I looked into the baby’s eyes. They were clouded, looking around, but not sure what they were seeing. I could relate. I felt clouded lately too, wondering if what I wanted wasn’t quite what it seemed.

  * * *

  10

  Gia

  Talking about someone in their presence as if they’re not in the room is downright insulting in my book, but I didn’t protest because a foreboding feeling was eating me up. What had I done? Couldn’t a girl take a job without asking her family about it first? Most girls probably could, but not me, I guess.

  While Gino walked his guests out of our meeting room, I racked my brain trying to figure out what the consequences of my being hired by such a small corporation could possibly have on the family business and came up empty. I was so frustrated, I got up and paced in front of the window.

  A few minutes passed and I was still waiting for my uncle to return. Someone knocked and opened the door without waiting for an answer. It was the maître d’ wheeling in lunch. Acknowledging my presence with a nod, he went about his business, setting the table for us. Two large plates covered by shiny silver domes. This restaurant did things the old fashion way. Usually my heart filled with a childlike pleasure at this site. When I was a kid, lifting the cover was a treat; I never knew which delicious specialty was hiding under it. That day, I’d lost my appetite.

  The maître d’ was almost done with the cutlery and the fancy napkin folding when Gino returned. “Will you be needing anything else?” he asked opening a fresh bottle of San Pelegrino and pouring the crisp liquid into the glasses.

  Gino inspected the table and gave the man his best smile. “No, thank you, Paolo. I’m sure you’ve thought of everything.”

  After the man left, Gino pulled a chair and beckoned me to sit. I doubted I would be able to swallow anything, but I returned to my assigned seat while Gino walked around the table and made himself comfortable. He pulled the two covers from the plate and the amazing smell of rich beef, tomato, and oregano filled the room. Gino inhaled it and said, “Buon appetito!”

  That was about the extent of Gino’s Italian. Like me, he was born in New Jersey and had steadfastly refused to learn the language. My grandmother had warned him that it would be a problem if he ever wanted to rise through the ranks of the family business, but he’d shrugged her worries away and history proved him right.

  He dove in his food while I watched him eat. I guess he wasn’t ready to tell me why he needed to see me so urgently. Only after he cleaned his plate, did he look up to me again.

  “You’re not hungry?” he asked. “It’s too bad, the chef really outdid himself.”

  He wiped his mouth delicately and drank from his glass.

  My patience had run out so and I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of yelling at him for being such an ass so I just pushed myself back from the table and picked up my handbag from the adjacent chair. “Well, it was lovely to see you, but I need to go now.”

  That’s when Gino dropped the mask he had steadfastly kept in front of me all those years. Something cruel was shining in his eyes when he snapped at me, “Sit down, we’re not done talking.”

  I shook my head and stood my ground, both hands holding tight to the back of the chair to hide my trembling. “If you have something to tell me, you’d better say it now because I’m not playing games with you.”

  “Fine. Let’s see if you can take it standing up.” He paused for effect. “You’re the reason your father’s in jail, young lady.”

  I frowned and tried to make sense of what he was telling me, but I couldn’t.

  “Did you ever hear anyone in the family talking about doing business in Ocean Crest?” he asked enunciating each word as if speaking to a simple-minded person.

  “No, I didn’t.” And that was one of the reasons I had applied for the job. The location had been specified and I had never heard of that town before. I figured I was safe there. Obviously, I had been wrong.

  “Well, there’s a reason for that,” he snarled. “The reason is that Ocean Crest is not part of the Traversini family territory.”

  I understood that much but it still didn’t add up. How could my moving in Ocean Crest be the reason my father was in jail?

  “So do you know what happens when a Traversini starts doing business in another family’s reserved territory without going through the proper channels?”

  I shook my head frenetically as I finally connected the dots. Ocean Crest belonged to another family and somehow, even though I was there under my mother’s maiden name, a member of that other family had recognized me and thought I was acting for my family moving in to take over their territory.

  Letting go of the back of the chair, I took one step and dropped back in my seat. “So that other family—”

  Gino provided the name, “Yeah, the Guarnieri.”

  “So the Guarnieri family, they framed daddy because they thought he had sent me into their town?”

  Throwing his hands in the air, Gino said “Duh.”

  “But don’t you guys talk, ever?” This was so absurd.

  Gino’s mask was back on. He spoke normally again when he said, “Oh, but they did. They sent messages to your father, but since we didn’t know what you were doing, we had no clue what they were talking about.”


  I could just imagine how this played out. They thought my father was adding insult to injury when he acted as their accusations didn’t make sense and they solved the problem the Italian way.

  Vendetta.

  Revenge. They’d set up my father to fall for some trumped up charged and they could very well also have been the reason behind all the delays we’d been experiencing lately.

  I needed to resign.

  “And those men who were here earlier?”

  “They’ve been arbitrators,” Gino said.

  “And they wanted to talk to me to see if your explanation checked out.”

  “I think you’ve convinced them, now we need to pray they can convince the Guarnieri capo, otherwise the next time you’ll see your father’s face outside of a jail will be in his coffin.”

  Gino had always been prone to dramatics, surely he was jesting. I was about to protest that no one got sent to life in jail for bribery when Gino cut me off.

  “It’s his third strike, Gia. This time if they find him guilty, they’ll be keeping him for good.”

  Shit, since 1995, New Jersey had a three-strikes laws. At the third conviction, they threw away the key.

  Even though he was trying his hardest to look suitably concerned, there was something off in Gino’s body language.

  I had the horrible feeling that while pretending the opposite, he would find a way to let my father rot jail and become the new boss of our family.

  I closed my eyes and prayed I would find a way to fix what I had done.

  * * *

  11

  Gia

  “Come on, honey, eat something,” my mother urged me.

  I looked at the linguini she’s ordered for me, because I had to taste it and go through the motion of taking one bite cursing myself for making a bad day worst.