Giovanni really didn’t look like Shrek. I tilted my head. Much.
“Not today, Mrs. Macchiavello.” Giovanni swiped the keys from my hand too fast for me to even jerk them back. “Mac’s orders.”
Forget looks. Heactedmorelike Shrek at the beginning of the first movie. Instead ofget out of my swamp!it wasgimme those keys!
I calledMac.“Why can’t I drive?”
He sighed. Impatient. “It’s not safe. I’ll see you tonight.”
I looked down at my phone. He had hung up. “Uomo scortese.”I stuck my tongue at his picture on my screen. I had taken it of him in Greece, his eyes challenging the water for who wore the color blue best.
Giovanni’s mouth twitched. He didn’t want to outright laugh. I had called his boss arude man.
We beat most of the traffic and made it to the restaurant at the same time Keely did. Bruno looked up from where he was cleaning a table. His eyes flew back to the dirty dish he was placing on a tray when he realized it was the bug,me.
We were brought to the private room. The man who usually waited on Capo, Sylvester, came in, taking our orders. Keely and I had the steak. It was cold out, and besides, the crab dish was seasonal. When Sylvester came back in with Keely’s drink, she stopped him before he left.
“Wait. What do you want to drink, Mari?”
I lifted my water. “This.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not getting a cocktail? They’re so—” Her eyes widened.
Sylvester left without a sound. So quiet compared to Keely’s screech.
She slapped the table. “You’re pregnant!”
I smiled and gave her all of the details.
“I’m going to be an aunt!” She lifted her glass, toasting to me, to every chair along the table, pretending like there were people sitting in each one. “That baby is going to be so pretty.” She took a sip of her drink. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
I shrugged, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “The thing with Harrison—I didn’t want things to get more awkward. I’ve been…staying away. I don’t want to lose you. And I don’t want to make him feel bad.”
She watched me for a minute before she held my hand. “Things have been different, right? I’ve been giving him time. You, too. But no matter what, you’re my sister till the end.”
I squeezed her hand and we both smiled.
After our dinner came, conversation flowed, as easy as it ever was. This time, though, both of our lives seemed to be moving in the right direction, and it was fun to talk about all of the positive things instead of survival tips. We laughed more than we ever did.
I asked her questions about Broadway. She asked me questions about Capo and the baby.
“Is he excited?”
I shrugged. “Hard to tell. He’s been working a lot.”
She still didn’t know about our arrangement, so it was hard to open up. I couldn’t tell her a version of the truth without giving her the complete truth.
“Hmm.” She took another drink. “You’re not being totally honest. I’ve kept quiet long enough. I know he loves you, Mari, but you’ve been keeping something from me.”
My fork hit the plate with a loudclang!when it fell from my fingers. “He loves me.”
She threw back her head and laughed. “Duh. You goof. He’s your husband. Of course he loves you. At least, I’d hope so. Or why would he marry you? Just for your smoking bod? You have one, but in New York, and with a man as fine as him, bodies are a dime a dozen. There has to be more. Animal attraction. True love. I see and feel both.”
I didn’t want to seem overly excited, so I kept my tone even. “You can?”
“Actions, Mari. Not words. I can tell by his actions. I saw the look on Capo’s face when Harrison confessed his undying love for you in the kitchen. Jealousy is a mean bitch, and she was slapping Capo all around. Then in Italy. The way he’d look at you when you weren’t looking. When you walked down the aisle? I doubt anyone else existed in that moment. I could tell the wait was killing him. One of his gorgeous friends— Rocco?— had to put a hand on his shoulder to keep him in place.” She sighed. “Your first dance. The way he was rubbing your feet under the arbor.”
“You saw that?”
