“Yeah, that’s what I thought. It was one of the better ones I’ve had, so maybe I’m not a bad kisser and it was the guys I’ve kissed in the past that were bad.”
I shrug, not knowing how to respond to that or where she’s going with this whole conversation.
“James Walter,” she announces with a look of reverence, like she’s announcing her soulmate.
I screw up my nose in confusion. “Isn’t that Nikki Steel’s on-again, off-again boyfriend?” He’s also the school quarterback or something. All I know is that girls watch him like a lioness watches a wildebeest calf.
She nods enthusiastically, all signs of her hangover gone. “Yes, but if I can’t have Gio Russo, then he’s the next boyfriend goal.”
“But… Nikki will eat you alive.”
“Meh.” She brushes me off. “Rumor has it she’s stringing him along because she’s worried if she puts out, he’ll dump her. Gossip also has it that he doesn’t care so much, and he secretly wets his wick on the side. I want to be that side girl and be so good for him he’ll dump Nikki and announce to everyone that I’m his girlfriend. With James Walter on my arm, I will be the most popular girl in school.” I know she’s been obsessed with becoming popular, but this is taking it to a whole new level. I can’t say I’m surprised, though, as her schemes are often ridiculous and over the top
“Ah, okay. I’m not sure what any of that has to do with me. I mean, I think Gio knows him. I guess I could get him to drop a good word or something.”
She waves her hand, dismissing my words. “No, don’t do that. It needs to be a secret, like an illicit affair to make it spicy and exciting. Then when he can’t get enough of me, boom! Nikki will be gone, and I will slide into my rightful place. But I need your help. I need to become a sex guru, and you, my friend, are going to be my workout partner.”
I’m speechless as I blink at her in confusion. “How the fuck am I going to help you with that?” I finally ask once my brain starts firing again.
She just pats my hand and digs something out of the front of her dress. “With a little creativity and a few of these.”
My eyes are drawn to the little baggie she’s holding. She must have grabbed some of the ecstasy pills out of the favor bowl from last night, because the pretty little butterfly stamped pills are nestled in the bottom of the plastic bag.
“Please do this for me, Tori, and I’ll make sure you ride that popularity wave with me,” she begs as she stuffs the bag back into the front of her dress.
Who am I to care about popularity? I really couldn’t give a crap. I could be popular with Gio if I wanted it, but I really don’t. Stacey knows this, but for the sake of our friendship and to work through a few more of these unexpected feelings, I guess I can give it a go.
“But you’re not bisexual, are you?” I ask, and she shrugs.
“I didn’t hate what we did last night,” she admits, which reassures me that she’s not just using me to get what she wants.
She must see the acceptance in my eyes, because she squeals before jumping up and kissing me on the cheek. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll be back tonight, and we can work on a plan,” she promises and, in a whirlwind, disappears before I can respond.
My hand comes up to touch the spot she kissed. An ache in my stomach warns me that I’ll probably regret what I just agreed to, but without Stacey, I have no one apart from Gio, and it’s not the same. The thought of being friendless is the only thing that is convincing me to go along with her scheme. Well, that and I can’t say I’m not curious as to what scheme she’s cooking up and what my involvement will be.
ChapterFour
Gio kicked out all the stragglers, and instead of doing the cleaning himself, he hired a crew to come in and take care of it. They did a fabulous job, and the house smells fresh and inviting, not like there was a huge party here last night. I’m waiting for Stacey to return when I decide to give my dad a call. I haven’t spoken to him for a couple of days which isn’t like him, he always calls to check in on us.
Putting my phone to my ear, I wait to hear his slightly accented voice answer, but instead, it rings and goes to the recording instructing me to leave a message. I hang up without saying anything and frown at my phone. That’s unusual, Dad always makes time for us no matter what. Telling myself there’s no need to worry just yet, I throw the phone on the coffee table and use the remote to turn on the TV, then I grab my knitting basket that’s sitting next to the couch and pull out my latest project. I’m knitting Dad a scarf for winter. He always complains about how cold he gets during meetings or on planes when he travels. He says he must be doing business with penguins. It’s a variegated black and gray wool, which is going to look nice against his slightly graying black hair.
I start a new row of stitches and look up at the screen. The picture flicks on to a gruesome scene. It’s a news report of a gang-style shooting. I missed most of it, only hearing that authorities are investigating before it goes back to the news anchor. Not wanting to hear any more bad news, I change the channel until I find one of those tattoo shows. I like the ones where all the artists compete against each other to be the best. Perfect. I don’t need to pay attention to what’s going on and can just appreciate the talent and skills involved. I want to get some tattoos, but Dad says I need to wait. He won’t sign off on them while I’m still in school, but once I’m eighteen, I can make my own decisions. He’s not anti-tattoo, he has a few of his own, but he thinks that you need to be one hundred percent sure before you make those decisions, and of course they should be meaningful. Each of his has a story, though he doesn’t like to talk about some of them. He is very closemouthed about one in particular—a Latin phrase tattooed across his heart—only telling Gio and me that when the time is right, he will tell us its significance.
Gio drops down on the couch next to me, jostling me out of place. “Hey,” I complain, but he just ignores me and stays where he is. He rests his head on the armrest and closes his eyes like he’s going to take a nap.
“Have you heard from Dad?” I ask him after a moment of silence. The worry I feel is tugging at me.
His eyes open, but he doesn’t move. “I spoke to him yesterday. Not for long though, he’s got some stuff going on with the business, but he said he still plans to be home when he said he would be.”
“Oh, okay. I just tried to call him, and he didn’t answer. I was worried, it’s not like him.”
A funny look crosses his face, and I swear he’s hiding something. “Gio, what do you know that I don’t?” I growl, and he closes his eyes again.
“Tori, I promised Dad I would let him tell you when he gets back.” His eyes open once more, and I flinch. There’s a hardness in them that I’d never seen before last summer. “Make sure you enjoy the rest of the summer, because life is about to change, and it’s going to be a bitter pill to swallow.”
He sounds cold and calculating, and a knot forms in my throat at what he knows and what Dad has to tell me. Something happened to Gio last summer. Dad sent him away for most of it, and when he returned, he was different—not to me, but to everyone else. Something had made him harder, almost dehumanizing him. When I asked him if he was okay, he just told me he was fine. That was when he drifted from the good friends he’d previously had to cultivating all the hangers-on who were basically underlings at his beck and call. I know my brother is no Boy Scout, and I’m pretty sure he’s been involved in some shady dealings, but he loves me and his family, and that’s all that matters to me. Family first and always is the very creed that Dad has instilled in us from the moment we could comprehend it. The three of us are a team. Sure, Penelope’s around, but she’s never been a part of Team Russo, and she never will be. She’s a pretty ornament for Dad to keep on his arm and not much else.
My mind whirls with everything Gio just told me, and I almost jump out of my skin when the front door bangs open and Stacey comes in carrying a bag over her shoulder, as well as a couple of shopping bags with the logo of a nearby adult shop. Holy crap, what is she up to now?
