I watched my mother bite her lip and shake her head in either defeat or frustration, so I gathered this had been an ongoing conversation.
Val sniffed and blew her nose. “Mike, we aren’t in a position to refuse help. I’m alone every night with Tina, and soon the new baby will be here. You’re missing your daughter growing up.” She wiped her eyes, smearing her mascara. “I miss you.”
“I’m trying to make it easier for us, baby. It’ll happen soon. I promise.”
“But at what cost?”
I’d never seen Val so emotional. Their marriage had always been the bedrock of Mike’s life.
I tried appealing to him. “You have to know I’m never too busy to help you. I’m lucky that I’ve saved enough so I can afford it, and I want to do this. You’re having a baby, Mike, and if you continue overworking yourself, you’re going to have a heart attack and wind up like Pops. And I would never forgive myself if something happened to you and I could’ve helped prevent it. Family means helping through struggles as well as sharing the good times.” I heard my mother’s swiftly indrawn breath. “Mom, I’m sorry.”
Frisco barreled into the conversation, and I hoped I wouldn’t end this evening having to separate my brother and my lover.
“You stupid, selfish fool. You dismiss me without even being willing to listen to what I have to say. You have a family to provide for. A wife who loves you. God knows she must have a heart of gold to put up with your crap. I should take her on a shopping spree at Chanel.”
“What the fuck,” Mike muttered so our mother wouldn’t hear him, but Frisco was on a roll and would not be denied.
“First of all, I don’tplayat anything. I’m a classically trained chef, and I’m offering you my help. And by help, I don’t mean popping in, as you so ungraciously put it.” He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it off his brow. “I mean, I’m willing to work with you. Draw up a partnership.” He leaned forward, face alight with energy, and a frisson of lust ran through me, watching him come alive. “Let me have a piece of the business, and we can take it to heights you’ve never imagined. I have the contacts. We can make this work.”
“What? A partnership? With you? Are you kidding me?” Mike snorted. “You must be crazy.”
Frisco’s eyes narrowed and I hastily intervened. “Dude, Frisco doesn’t kid, and he’s not crazy; you are. Why would you turn him down?” I addressed Frisco. “I personally think it’s a great idea. Frisco knows everyone, Mike. He can introduce you to so many key people in the business, many more than I ever could. And you know he can cook.”
Excited voices rose around us, and I heard Val say, “You’d be crazy to turn him down.”
I agreed but waited on pins and needles. I caught Frisco’s eye, and he winked and grinned.
“I hear you all whispering how great it would be and how this could solve all my problems, but I’m looking at how it might cause more. Torre, I know you say you two are happy now, but how can you be sure you’re going to last? What if you break up? Where would that leave me? Stuck with a business partner who’s my brother’s ex-lover? No hard feelings, right?”
“First of all, there are many exes who own businesses together and manage them perfectly well. Actual exes, not brothers and sisters and whatever assorted relatives. And more importantly, your brother and I aren’t going to break up.”
“Famous last words,” Mike retorted.
“Listen to me good. The one thing I’m not is a fool. Your brother is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, so I’m here to stay. Torre knows he never has to doubt my fidelity or how I feel about him.”
“I do,” I agreed.
His eyes burned with excitement. God, he turned me on, and I wished we were alone. Frisco met my eyes, and from the rising flush tinting his skin, I knew he’d guessed my internal thoughts.
He continued directing his conversation to Mike. “I’ve heard stories about your father. How he told you both to never say never to your dreams, and yet here you are rejecting me. I’m urging you to stop and think. I’m giving you the chance to reach for those dreams. All you need to do is say yes.”
I left Mike on the sofa, and stood by Frisco and took his hand. “And for the record, I obviously knew nothing about this, but I think you should say yes.”
Frisco stood as well. “I don’t want to pressure you, so all I’m saying is to think about it.” His lips touched my ear. “I think we should leave. Let him and his wife talk.”
We said our good-byes, and my mother hugged me, then took Frisco by the shoulders and kissed him on both cheeks before hugging him.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure he does the right thing. You’re a godsend.”
He blushed, an incredible sight, and hung his head, muttering, “I hope so.” My heart swelled, knowing how much this man deserved a family around him for support.
We left, and as we walked down the steps, Frisco started to chuckle; once inside the apartment, he collapsed with laughter. I tossed my jacket onto the chair.
“What’s so funny?”
“Being called a godsend. By your mother.”
“She’s emotional. All she wants is for us to be happy.”
