“Good. Happy.” I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips. “Baking everything in sight.”
“Adriana too.” He sighs through a laugh. “What is with holidays and them baking?”
He shakes his head. “My kitchen’s exploded and Adri, bless her fucking heart, but my wife can’t bake for shit. The other day I was forced to choke down...what had to be a cinnamon-flavored brick. I almost chipped a tooth.”
I laugh, picturing the scene. Angelo’s never been one to suffer in silence. “Dea’s not bad, her treats are costing me more time in the gym, but she destroys the kitchen. Like a bomb went off. She’s not capable ofnotmaking a mess.”
Angelo nods, understanding in his eyes. “You clean it up after?”
“Sometimes. Other times I pay Mrs. Keen extra to do it when she’s not looking.” I take a sip of my wine. “She gets upset if she thinks she’s causing extra work.”
“Adriana doesn’t give a fuck. Just leaves it for me or Nico to handle. And God forbid I ask Ruby or Clara to do it, then I’m mishandling staff. She starts listing legalities and I doze off.”
At the mention of Nico, I lean forward slightly. “Speaking of your shadow, where is he?”
Angelo’s eyes narrow, suspicion immediately flaring. “Why?”
“I need to borrow him.”
“For what?”
I set my glass down, choosing my words carefully. “I need someone I trust for a delicate situation.”
“What kind of delicate situation requires my right hand?” His voice drops lower, eyes scanning the empty restaurant.
“The kind that needs to be perfect.” I meet his gaze steadily. “It’s for Vasilisa.”
Angelo tosses his hands in the air. “For a fucking present? I thought this was something about the Armenians and I could get out of the Florida trip.”
“Yeah, because we need another shitstorm. Don’t speak that into existence.”
He sighs, rubbing his jaw. “You know Nico’s been... distracted lately. He may not want to help you.”
“Distracted by what?”
“Not what. Who.” Angelo shrugs. “Luna.”
“Vasilisa’s Luna?”
Angelo nods.
Interesting.
I file this information away for later. “This works though, I can lure him in with her.”
“What do you need though?” Angelo leans back, studying me. “You gonna tell me, or do I have to guess?”
“I’m proposing to Vasilisa.”
Angelo’s eyes narrow. “Pretty sure you’re already married.”
“Says the man who also proposed after already being married.”
“Fair, getting her a new ring? What are you going to do with ma’s?”
“No, I stole the ring away from her, she’s been a wreck without it, but I need it to propose again. It’s at the jewelers. I need Nico to get it and bring it to me at Christmas eve dinner since Vasilisa won’t let me out of her sight after today.”
Angelo leans forward, intrigued. “So you want to propose to your wife... with her own ring... that she already owns.”
