A distressed sound escapes Sophia. Yak moves quickly, lifting her to his lap instantly and kissing her head as he runs his hand down her back. I slide into her seat, and she rests on both of us. She’s hot to the touch, and when she looks up at me, her eyes are glassy with arousal.
“This family is fucked up.” David throws his napkin and stands. He picks up Esther and tosses her over his shoulder. He stomps out of the room, and we hear Esther’s giggles down the hall.
Before anyone else moves to find privacy, Zilv smacks his hand on the table. “I’m gonna move out. I’m gonna leave and start over somewhere else…away from feelings and horny family members. Everyone is all loved up and it’s sickening.” He waves at Blanche and Rose. “We are all alone, all that is left…unless—”
“NO!” Rose and Blanche scream.
Zilv blinks several times. “Fine. I’ll just die alone!”
Blanche reaches over and pats his shoulder hard. “That’s the spirit.”
He turns wild eyes to his cousin Sophie. “What is the male term for spinster? Do they collect cats or are they assigned a different animal to hoard? Is there a union or guild?”
Yak leans down to whisper in Sophia’s ear, his heated gaze on me. My skin breaks out in goosebumps, anticipation boiling my blood. “Should I have Monty don the cocktopus and fuck you until you can’t remember your own name?”
She shifts, her back to the table, her eyes darting between us. “I’m a little overwhelmed. And I have two client meetings this morning. Can we revisit the idea this evening?”
Yak answers with a harsh, “Absolutely. Thank you for your honesty.”
Looking at us from under her lashes, her cheeks darken. “I won’t forget my name…because the two of you will be screaming it by the end of the night.”
“Fuck.”
Sophia 7.
“Oh, Dot. That’s the one.” Rose whispers as Dottie spins around on the raised dais in front of the three mirrors. I nod, biting my bottom lip as tears fall down my cheeks. My sister is gorgeous on a normal day, but in this wedding dress…stunning. Her happiness is like a living, breathing entity that shadows her everywhere she goes. So much of our life growing up was mired in poop. Pain, humiliation, indifference, and abandonment. Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and I have been a team since inception.
And soon we will add another member to our team. Ezra Kraus is a shrewd businessman, deadly when necessary, and worships Dottie like the benevolent queen she is. He loves her unconditionally and out loud.
My cheeks heat as I think of my own deadly worshippers, but I push those X-rated thoughts aside because we are here for Dottie and Vandy. The exclusive bridal boutique we have commandeered is one of the best in the state and beyond, catering to the wealthy and private. The women of the Kosher Nostra are used to such decadence, even Seril has become accustomed to the privileges of being married to one of the most feared men in a 300-mile radius.
My sisters and I grew up in opulence, but it wasn’t ours. My father used his ill-gotten wealth for status, keeping us in a gilded cage until we set ourselves free. 15 years later and I can still feel the shackles of our youth. As adults, we enjoy the finer thingsin life, but we don’t make Kosher Nostra money. And neither do Vandy’s parents. Her mother Dalisay is with us today and she terrifies me…but is also nice? It’s confusing, but the love she has for her daughter isn’t difficult to see, feel, or understand.
We are surrounded by effortless love and devotion, between partners, parents and children, extended family and friends. I reveled in the warm glow it provided, while secretly wishing for a partner of my own. I am so darn-tootin’ ecstatic for Dottie, but I am only human. I wanted to be worshiped, adored, protected, and loved by a man even half as much as the couples I see every day.
Be careful what you wish for…I have two. It’s still hard to believe. Difficult to comprehend how much my life has changed in a few days. Saying I was drawn to Yakov and Monty would have been a massive understatement. They are two sides of a coin, and I craved both in devastatingly equal measure. Never in a thousand lifetimes could I have ever imagined that they would BOTH reciprocate, let alone be open to an unconventional relationship. The fact that they had never entertained the idea of the two of them together until me is both deeply satisfying and a little overwhelming. What if we give this a try and it fails? What if they decide that they don’t need me and are content as a couple? Or what if I’m the reason a life-long friendship burns to ash?
“Sophia?” I glance up when Vandy says my name. Looking around, I sink into the supple leather couch with an embarrassed smile.
“Sorry. Lost in thought.” It takes me another second to realize she’s standing next to Dottie in a completely different style dress but looking just as breathtaking. “Oh, wow. Vandy, that dress looks like it was made for you. And Dot.” I wipe away my tears and stand on shaky legs to approach my sister. “Ezra is gonna hate it.” She laughs, understanding what I mean.
“He is. It’s perfect.” The style on her body shape is sexy and tasteful. Molding to her curves while still leaving plenty to the imagination. And Ezra is quite imaginative. Believe me, I’ve heard or walked in on plenty over the course of their relationship.
“My brother is going to throw you over his shoulder before you’ve even made it down the aisle.” Tov states with a teasing grin aimed at Vandy.
Dalisay snaps her head to glare at Tov. “If everyone is already gathered, I am sure we can accommodate a funeral rather than a wedding.” I swallow hard and retake my seat at Dalisay’s casual threat to Tevye’s life. I want to laugh like the others, but I know she isdeadlyserious.
“Julia, is the dressing room ready?” Seril calls out to one of the attendants.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Seril claps her hands together and then rubs them like a movie villain. “Excellent. Bailey, off you go.” Bailey drops the plate of fruit in her lap and stares at her friend with unconcealed horror.
“What?” Vandy, who works with Bailey at Suzie’s Support Network, a charity run by the Kosher Nostra, steps down from the dais and reaches out for her friend. Seril grabs Bailey’s other hand and the two haul her up from the couch. I snicker when Bailey tries to dig her heels in and remain right where she is. Foolish girl. Seril is the Sarai Ima and a determined, stubborn woman with the biggest heart.
“Sweetie, your wedding had to be postponed because of Ernie’s surgery.”
“We’re gonna go to the courthouse soon.” It’s been months since they officially became engaged. They’ve been dating since Serilmet Moshe, but Ernie kept putting off asking her to marry him using man-logic. He was waiting for the “right time”. Then he smoked a new strain of weed Zeppo and Sophie were trying out at the Burning Bush Medical Dispensary and hallucinated Hans Gruber fromDie Hardwas seeking revenge after Seril’s infant son supposedly threw him off Nakatomi Plaza. According to Ernie’s enthusiastic reenactment, Hans blew up the Kosher Nostra, most of us were dead or severely injured, and when Ernie finally got Bailey to the courthouse to marry her, Hans showed up and shot Bailey. She lay on the ground bleeding flowers and Ernie realized he couldn’t wait another minute to have Bailey tied to him in every way.
