“He’s not wrong,” Trina said.
That response surprised them all. “What does that mean?” Jimmy asked her.
“Champagne’s Clothing Boutiques have been struggling just like many businesses in this recession. Unless they’re colossal businesses like your father’s. We’ve been bleeding money. That’s just a fact. If it wasn’t for Reno we’d be out of business already.”
“Really?” Even Sophia was surprised to hear it.
“Your father’s money has been keeping the doors open for over a year now. I wanted to give up on that dream six months ago with all the money we’ve lost year over year, but he wouldn’t let me. He said if I hold on, I may be able to see my way to the other side. So we’re holding on. But just barely.”
‘What about Uncle Sal?” asked Jimmy. “He’s rich like Pop. He’s not pinching in too?”
“I haven’t even told Gemma the state of our financial affairs yet, so you know I’m not about to tell Sal. Gemma’s a busy attorney. She’s more of a silent partner now that her law firm keeps expanding. She leaves the running of the business in my hands. I guess I’ve been too embarrassed to tell her that I’ve run it in the ground.”
Reno placed his hand on her hand. “You’re doing better than most people would have done in similar circumstances,” he said and squeezed her hand. Trina reached over to touch his hand for his kind gesture, but he had already removed it. But that was Reno: a romantic he was not! But he’d never know how much his encouragement meant to her.
And although Reno was oblivious to the fact that he had removed his hand before Trina could squeeze back, their children weren’t. Jimmy and Sophia glanced at each other.
“When she first opened Champagne’s,” Reno continued talking, “she wouldn’t listen to a word I had to say. She and Gemma knew it all. They didn’t know shit, but they thought they knew it all.”
“But I listen now,” Trina said. “You’re the best businessman in America hands down.”
“What America?” asked Reno. “Who in this world got me beat?”
The children laughed. Jimmy shook his head. “You are so modest, Pop!”
“Modesty don’t get you nothing but a good lay,” Reno said, and Trina and Jimmy were floored.
“Reno!” Trina yelled.
“Pop!” Jimmy yelled. “There’s a child at this table.”
“What child?”
“This child,” said Carmine. “Although I fail to see what you mean. Modesty is a virtue, and not in any sexual context either.”
“Okay that’s enough,” said Trina. “Just knock it off! Besides, don’t you have classes to get to, Carmine?”
“Yes, and I’ll get to them. I always do.”
“You wanted to take your very expensive private school classes online this semester, and we agreed as a test. If your grades drop even one letter, that’s it. That’s over.”
“They won’t drop, Ma,” Sophia reminded her. “This is Carmine we’re talking about. Carmine can do that school work in his sleep. I heard they’re talking about allowing him to skip all the way to the twelfth grade.”
Reno shook his head. “And they tried to stop my ass from going to the second grade when I was a kid. And they’re trying to throw him to the twelfth? I’ll be damn. That’s full circle right there.”
“Go get online and get to work, Carmine,” said Trina. “He’s not skipping anything until he learns better time management. Which he hasn’t learned yet. Now get to work.”
Carmine wanted to object, but he knew his parents. “Yes ma’am,” he said, got up, and left the table.
“I’ve got to run too,” Sophia said as she got up and left as well.
Reno looked at Jimmy. “Where’s your daughter? Where’s Madison?”
“I told you, Pop, she was in Florida visiting Glo. I haven’t spoken to her this morning yet. You talked to Dommi yet?”
Reno frowned. “What’s with me and Dommi talking? No. He’s got my number. I don’t have time to be running his ass down. Why you so concerned about that?”
“I’m not concerned like that, but I think you ought to call him, Pop.”
