After she kisses both of his drooping cheeks, he lifts his cigar to his lips, lights it, and blows smoke in my direction. “Ciao. Nice meeting you.”
“Ignore him.” My lunch date swallows her last bite of pizza, grabs my hand, and rushes me out the door.
Before we get two steps, Joey runs out from behind the building. “Wait up.”
His cousin slows and narrows her gaze. “Now what?”
“Dad wants to know if you’re sleeping with him?”
I open my mouth to respond but she beats me to it. “Holy God Almighty. No. Get lost, Joseph.”
“Uncle Vinny said for me to give this to you.” Smirking at me, he hands her a yellow sticky note.
Reading it, she crumples it in a fist. “Shit.”
“What is it?”
“None of your business.” She throws it on the sidewalk.
Curious, I squat, pick it up, and read. ‘7:00PM’.
“Fuck.” When her fists thrust at the gray clouds, I half expect a bolt of lightning to strike us dead.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have a date.” She glances at her phone and rushes down the street.
A bit puzzled, I follow. “Your uncle fixes you up?”
“In return for low rent.”
“And you put up with it?”
“Until I get my degree or win lotto, yeah. You got a problem wid dat?”
“Not unless you do.”
“Well, I don’t.” She stomps into the salon and wanting to avoid yet another confrontation, I stay outside, and absorb the heat of the brick wall.
Not long after, an olive-skinned man approaches, He’s about six-two, with a manicure and shoes so shiny you can see yourself in them.
“I heard you’re sleeping with my wife.” He tugs on his sleeves to show off gold cuff links and a Rolex, which if it’s real, costs thousands.
I grin. “Well, if it isn’t he-who-cannot-be-named. I’d say nice to meet you, but it’d be a lie.”
He shoves my chest. “Stay away from her.”
If he was the first to warn me off today, I’d probably laugh it off but frankly, I’m sick to death of people thinking I’m not good enough for her.
“Maybe you should fuck off, pal.”
He starts to reach for a weapon but I’m faster and chop my hand down on his wrist. He’s lucky I’m a nice guy and didn’t break it.
Inside, Rose curses and a second later she’s out the door. “Paolo? What the hell?”
“Why you slumming around with the likes of him?” Holding his damaged arm to his chest, he eyes me.
“If I am, it’s none of your damn business, is it?” She puts her hands on her waist and with her legs apart, she’s Wonder-Woman. No mortal man should dare stand against her.
