"But it's not malicious either," Bruno points out. "It's just her."
I sit with that for a moment. Just her.
Is this really who Liana is? Enthusiastic, food-obsessed, overly generous with offers to house elderly relatives?
Or is there something else going on?
"What if she's doing it on purpose?" I ask. They all look at me. "What if she's trying to drive me crazy? Make me back out of the arrangement?"
"Why would she do that?" Bruno asks. "Her family needs this alliance as much as we do."
"I don't know. But something feels off."
"Off how?" Sal leans forward. "She treating you bad? Being cruel?"
"No."
"Disrespectful?"
"No, she's actually very respectful."
"Then what's the problem?"
"The problem is—" I stop. What is the problem? "She's not what I expected."
"Expected what? A quiet little wife who stays in her lane?" Sal snorts. "Kid, no woman is ever what you expect. That's rule one."
"My ex-wife seemed normal at first too," he continues. "Three months in, I realized she was completely insane. But by then I was already married. You, on the other hand, got over a month more to figure it out."
"Figure what out?"
"If you can handle her." Sal shrugs. "Because if you can't, walk away now. Don't wait until you're stuck."
"I'm not walking away." The words come out automatic. Defensive. "This alliance is too important."
"Right. The alliance." Bruno's still watching me with that look. "Nothing to do with the girl herself."
"Of course not." I'm trapped in this conversation and I don't know how I got here. "She's fine. She's beautiful. She's... energetic."
"Energetic," Tommy repeats. "That's one word for it."
"She ate your steak," Paulie points out again, clearly unable to let it go. "That's not energetic, that's just rude."
"She didn't mean to be rude. She was just hungry."
"Then why'd she order a salad?"
"I don't know! Because she's on a diet!"
"But then she ate everything anyway."
"I know!" I'm getting frustrated now. "I don't understand it either. That's why I'm telling you."
"Maybe you should ask her," Bruno suggests. "Like, actually talk to her. About what she's thinking. What she wants."
"We talk."
"About what? Reality shows and lettuce trades?"
