“And what about you, pretty boy?” I ask.
“Oh, I wanted to be Lorenzo Luciano, Senior when I was a kid. I idolized him,” Hudson says with a big smile.
Enzo laughs. “You really did.”
“The power, the respect. I envied it while we were growing up.”
“Me too,” Enzo admits, almost regretfully.
“What was he like?” I ask.
They look at each other, smiles crossing their faces as memories flash behind their eyes.
Enzo answers. “He had a tall, imposing presence—always serious or stressed—but he wasn’t scary or mean. Not to us. He was kind to his men, to his family. Always fair, but also not caught up in stupid stuff. He never made us feel like we couldn’t be kids. He thought our rebellions as teens were funny and necessary for growing up and growing wiser.”
“Remember when Gabriella found us drunk the first time we skipped school?” Hudson asks.
Enzo laughs loudly. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard him laugh like that before.
“Gabriella?” I ask.
“Enzo and Eva’s mom. His parents always insisted I call them by their first names, instead of the formal Mr. and Mrs. Luciano. So, we’re in high school and we decide to skip one day. It’s important to know, Enzo was kind of a dork?—”
“A dork?” he protests.
“I mean, you were hot, don’t get me wrong, but yeah, you followed all the rules and made good grades and shit.”
“You had better grades than me.”
“I was smarter than you. Still am. But I wasn’t a dork.” They both laugh. “Anyway, I talked him into skipping school and stealing some liquor from his dad’s stash. After a day of wandering around, literally doing nothing, we found our way back to the mansion drunk. Gabriella found us and she was so worried Lorenzo would be angry. It was like the first time Enzo was really going to be in trouble, you see. He was such an obedient little boy.”
Enzo rolls his eyes.
“Anyway, when Lorenzo got home, he thought it was the funniest thing that we were drunk. He kind of interrogated us, to see if we had done anything to be concerned about, tried to freak us out a little, but overall, was entertained by our antics.”
“I guess when you see the real evils in this world, some teenage boys drinking on a school day isn’t a big deal.” Enzo has a look of admiration on his face as he speaks.
“They sound like lovely parents.”
Both guys agree.
“So, Hudson, do you still want to be like Lorenzo? Or, if you could do anything now, what would it be?” I ask.
Leaning back in the cushions, he ponders before saying, “Travel. I’d like to travel more. I’ve only left the country on quick work trips. It’d be nice to explore.”
“I can see that about you,” I say.
“Me too,” Enzo says. Smiles cross their faces.
“And you, Pippa?” Enzo asks.
“I love the science and medical fields. There were times in college I considered becoming a doctor. I don’t think I’d want a practice, though. I tend to need a little drama or adrenaline,” I say with a smirk. “But maybe an ER doc or an EMT—I could see that being a good fit.”
We talk a little more about our daydreams. My guys share more funny stories from their childhood.
Then an idea crosses my mind. “Don’t we have enough money to never work again?” I ask slowly.
Hudson smiles. “Retirement?”
