“Oh, it’s a maneki neko. My brother brought this back for me from his honeymoon in Japan. It’s a lucky charm, it should bring money to my business, since its right hand is up. When the left is, it brings friends and love—but I already have that.” Fly’s smile is filled with so much happiness. I’m really happy he found his brother…alive.
“So, the reunion went well?” I ask him, even though I can see it did.
“More than well. I actually want you to meet him and his husband, Aki, but…”
“An Enzino meeting a Yakuza member. That’s a recipe for mayhem and chaos.” Luca sniffs. The insufferable bastard has to be right this time. My father fucking hates any Asian Mafia. He thinks they are beneath us. Misogynist, homophobe, and racist, a real catch.
“I know, it’s not such a great idea, though.” I smile sadly at Fly. I fucking hate my family. But the disappointment on my friend’s face feels worse. Need to change the subject. “Answer me this, teacup poodle or teacup pig, who would win in a fight?”
I can feel Marco’s and Luca’s annoyed looks heavy on me while Fly takes a few seconds to ponder it. “Do I get a little background on the pets?”
I grab the ice cream carton, ready to open it. “Well?—”
“Let’s just order pizza,” Marco kills the conversation and halts my movements. Lucky for him, my stomach usually decides for me.
“You aren’t staying that long,” Luca tells them rudely.
“They are. I haven’t seen Fly in ages! And I’m hungry,” I retort, pulling the lid off the carton.
He takes hold of my wrist, not tightening his fingers, though. “It’s not up to you to decide. Stop forgetting how you ended up here.”
I take a step closer to him, feeling ballsier than usual with Fly present. Luca wouldn’t do anything in front of him. Right? “I ended up here because one of you bozos must have let our location slip out.”
“Or maybe you did!” His gruff voice and warm breath aren’t making me feel all tingly. They aren’t!
I let out a bitter laugh. “With what? Smoke signals?”
“How-how do you want your pizza?” Fly’s nervous voice reaches me, but Luca’s next words rile me up.
“Since you keep whoring yourself out to my men, maybe you used them to do your dirty work.”
“Whoring myself? You are the one who left me chained to a tiny sofa for hours to go fuck someone else!” I grab his red silk tie and pull, but he doesn’t budge. He is humongous. What does he eat—babies? Cool Ranch babies? When did I eat Cool Ranch chips last?
“How about pepperoni and bell peppers? Yum!” Fly pulls me away from my chip-related happy memories.
“He doesn’t like bell peppers,” Luca replies, still staring at me. Is he talking about me? I don’t like bell peppers, he’s right. Now I kind of hate that he knows all these things about me, when I know so little about him.
“Who?” Marco asks with a smirk.
“Oh right, sorry, Art. I forgot.” Fly sounds all apologetic. It’s okay, he can’t keep up with all my likes and dislikes. While Luca does…
“How did you know he doesn’t like them?” Marco questions Luca, while Fly orders the pizzas on his phone.
“It was written all over his face,” Luca clarifies.
My face? How did he…?
His booming voice shakes me off my pondering. “Let go!” The commanding tone urges me to call the whole chorus of Angels, begging for patience or a flaming sword.
“You first,” I equally demand.
A few tension-filled seconds pass before his hand releases my wrist. I do the same, adding a little flick of my fingers to push his tie to the side. Petty, I know, but this wacko just drives me absolutely crazy.
“I ordered four pizzas,” Fly declares as he hangs up the phone.
“From where? Cantuccio?”
“No, Rosario’s.”
