I shake my head and proceed to listen to the conversation Pippa strikes up with my mom. They seem to be hitting it off and I hope they continue to get on, because I intend on keeping Pippa around.
“Have you heard from Adriana lately?” Mom asks.
Pippa casts me a strange look and as I answer, “No.” I turn to Pippa and tell her, “Adriana was my brother’s girlfriend.”
I haven’t spoken about my brother and now isn’t the time to jump into that conversation, but I have all the time in the world to clear up who Adriana is.
“Hi, are you going to introduce us?”
Glancing up, Victoria and Luca are stood there and I’m grateful for the interruption. I make the introductions and find I’m strangely nervous.
Victoria sits and adjusts River from her hip to her lap. Luca jerks his chin toward the clubhouse and walks off.
“I won’t be long,” I tell Pippa and tip my chin for my mom to join me as I stand.
Mom looks like she would rather be anywhere but here, but she walks beside me wordlessly.
Luca waits in the bar, quiet with everyone outside. I try to see Luca through my mom’s eyes, and I get that he is intimidating.
“What do you want to talk about? I tell Konan everything, I’m sure he relays every single detail.”
“It’s not about that,” Luca begins. “I want to know what your end game is?”
Frowning, she says, “I’m cosying up to the old guy so Konan can get the warehouse for your club. See, like I said, it’s what he already would have told you.”
“Konan said the guy wants you to move in, you’re playing coy needing a ring first. What are the chances of him proposing?”
“Pretty good, I reckon. He’s smitten and he hasn’t got long left, he keeps telling me he doesn’t want to be alone anymore. He’s clingy and needy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s out looking for rings now.”
Luca nods thoughtfully. “So he proposes, you say yes, you’ll make it a quick union on account that he’s old as shit. What happens when he croaks it?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
I watch between them and while I’ve got to know Luca pretty well, I know he’s playing with her to get what he wants, and I know my mom is keeping shit close to her chest. She was never one to show her cards if she didn’t have to, or even if she had to.
“You’ll be set to inherit everything. I know you’re the type of woman who would’ve thought of that. So, what will your plans be once the will has been read and you sign all the dotted lines?”
“Ifit goes to plan, then I’ll be set for the rest of my life, and I look out for my family. He could have another few years in him, Heaven forbid, so in that case, I’m already planning to ask he sign over the warehouse to my son as a wedding gift, I’ve alreadybeen telling him Konan has a new business idea and that he’s working really hard to get it off the ground.”
It shocks me sometimes that my mom never made something of herself. She would have been a force to be reckoned with in the business world. But she was always content to get by with me and Kelly.
Luca smirks but it soon disappears. “I want you to find out what else he has, specifically where our chapters are based.”
“I thought you only wanted the warehouse?” I ask.
“I’m not going to leave your mother destitute. But if he has properties where it could be useful to us, then it’s more beneficial for us than your mom.”
Mom steps forward. “Again, if it all goes to plan. I’m happy with the money and his house. We can discuss what else he has when we know more.”
“What will you want for it?” Luca asks her.
“Nothing, I’m doing it for my son. He wants to be part of your club, so I’m going to do what I can to ease it for him.”
Luca stares at her. “So you’re a good mother, doing all she can for her son, no matter what she has to do?”
“When you put it like that, yes.”
Luca shrugs. “Fair enough.Ifthis goes to plan, I’ll owe you a favor. Don’t use it flippantly.”
