"Defensive much?" Paulie mutters.
I shoot him a look that makes him shut up.
Bruno's watching me carefully now. That look he gets when he's analyzing something. "You like her."
"What?"
"You like her. That's why you're pissed at Paulie for talking about her like that."
"I don't like her. I barely know her."
"But you're defending her."
"Because she'll be my wife and you're being disrespectful."
"We're always disrespectful," Tommy points out. "You never cared before."
"That was different."
"How?"
I don't have a good answer for that.
"Look," Sal says. "You want my opinion? Girl sounds a little off, but not in a bad way. Maybe she's got an eating disorder or something. Would explain the diet talk and then eating everything."
"She doesn't have an eating disorder," I say automatically. "Does she?"
"How would we know?" Bruno spreads his hands. "You're the one engaged to her."
"She ate four desserts. That's not an eating disorder, that's just gluttony."
"Maybe she's just really comfortable with you," Tommy suggests. "Some women, when they like a guy, they stop pretending. Stop being on their best behavior. Could be a compliment."
"Eating my dinner is a compliment?"
"Means she feels safe with you. Doesn't feel like she has to impress you anymore."
"We've known each other three days."
"Love at first sight?" Paulie offers, then quickly adds when I glare at him, "Just a theory."
"She's not in love with me."
"Then why'd she offer to have your grandmother move in?" Bruno asks. "That's a pretty big commitment for someone who doesn't care."
"Because she volunteers with old people. She told me. Every other Saturday at some senior center. Said she loves them, had a grandmother who lived with her family." I remember the conversation in the car. "She seemed genuine about it."
"She's nice," Tommy says. "Sweet. Just a little weird."
"A little?" I look at him. "She traded lettuce for steak, Tommy. Lettuce."
"Okay, a lot weird." He shrugs. "But nice weird. Not dangerous weird."
"There's a difference?"
"Sure. Dangerous weird is unpredictable. Volatile. Stalkerish. Nice weird is just quirky. Harmless."
"Harmless," I repeat. "She's systematically destroying every meal we have together and volunteering me to be a live-in caretaker for my grandmother. That's not harmless."
