“What were you expecting? That we’d cut off his toes?”
“No, I just… everyone seemed so mad at him.”
I float on my back, splashing lazily. “Adriano’s family and family gets one decent fuck-up per decade.”
She smiles. “That’s kinda nice. In a mean way.”
I mentally pull the wings off the butterflies in my stomach. “You wanna know something mean about Adriano, January Joy? He’s obsessed with your pretty pink pussy.”
The girl almost slides into the pool. “Nico! Don’t talk like that!”
More puritanical bullshit, but I don’t get a‘I’m gonna put a chair behind the door so Adriano can’t come in and fuck me tonight’vibe from her. She’s into him. Fucking Adriano. He’s put in a lot of groundwork, watching her ballet classes, and taking her to see her Zia. She might think he’s the only one who really understands her, which is fucking delusional. Adriano’s a mute, old-school nutcase who’d amputate anyone who tried to buy her a Coke, but January doesn’t know that. I’m gonna have to work to put this dark horse down.
“You like Adriano, don’t you, Tits?”
Her hand shoots to her hair. “No! He’s super scary.”
“Yeah, but you like that. The ‘creepy pervert panting after the virgin’ thing.”
“If you’re going to be gross, I’ll get up and leave.”
“Okay, I’ll play nice. But you should know Adriano’s got a nasty little habit.”
“Didn’tyouused to sell pills?”
I laugh. “I’m not talking about drugs. I mean Rossi’s choked five girls to death in as many years. More, if you include vacations.”
“He has not!”
“He didn’tmeanto. It’s a sex thing. He gets carried away andpfft.”
January clasps her throat. “You’re lying.”
“Has Adriano ever choked you, Tits?”
She stares into the pool, perhaps recalling the many times Adriano Rossi has put his hands around her neck.
The best lies have truth in them. Adrianodoeshave a thing for choking and the fact he hasn’t killed a girl, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t. Let’s see the scarfaced fuck mope his way into taking January’s virginity when she’s terrified he’ll crush her windpipe when he nuts.
“So, has he choked you?” I press.
“I… Yes. A little bit, I guess.”
“Yeah, you wanna watch out for that. Breath-play’ll kill ya.”
I swim away and complete a few laps, giving my bombshells time to sink in. When I get back to January, her cute face is all suspicious. “You’re making out like you’re the only choice for my first time, aren’t you?”
I spread my arms wide. “What can I say? We look good together.”
“I don’t want to be with someone for the first time just because it looks good.”
“I know, Tits. That’s what I like about you. You’ve got a big heart to go along with that big rack.”
Her mouth falls open. “You’re such a jerk!”
“Yeah.”
She gives me an adorably skeptical look. “Have you ever even had a girlfriend?”
