Page 90 of The Don’s Omega

I pick up the phone and say hesitantly, “Hello?”

“Please tell me you’ll play tennis today.” Giulia’s pleading voice comes over the line. “I’m bored to tears and I need some fun and exercise.”

“Oh, uh…”

She laughs. “Sorry, hello, Elio, how are you? This is Giulia Greco. I forgot that part.”

I smile and meet Noemi’s curious gaze. “You want to play tennis? With… with me?”

“Yes,” Giulia exclaims. “I’ll give you a free lesson. I need sun and exercise, but Renato’s gone to Atlantic City for work. I’m bored to tears.”

“You’ve seen me play,” I say. “You know I’m terrible.”

“I do know. I witnessed your lack of talent personally. It was genuinely hard to watch.” I can hear the grin in her voice.

“Ouch.”

She laughs. “You really weren’t very good, why lie? But you’re fun, and I like that you didn’t take the game too seriously. You had fun even though you lost. I want that happy energy around me today.”

“I… I don’t have a racket.”

“The club has rackets, you absolute peasant, you must know that. That’s one of the perks of a club. They have everything you need. I’ll call ahead and reserve a court for us. You’ll come, right? You won’t stand me up?”

I hesitate because the idea of going to the club without Marcello makes me uneasy. “You sure you really want to play with me?” I glance at Noemi, who’s openly eavesdropping and nodding at me while mouthing go.

“I wouldn’t have called if I didn’t.”

“Hang on one sec,” I say to Giulia, and lower the phone. “Do you want to come play tennis with us?”

“I’d love to but I can’t,” Noemi whispers. “I have a hair appointment at noon. I’ve had it booked for a month. Eric does my color and he’s impossible to rebook. I’ll die if I lose this appointment.”

“Is that Noemi?” Giulia asks. “Tell her to come too.”

“I tried, she has a hair appointment.”

Noemi leans forward. “Elio, tell her I love her and I’m sorry but that I’ll come next time.”

“Uh…” I’m beginning to feel like their social secretary. “Maybe you two should just speak directly to each other.”

They both burst out laughing.

“Sorry, Elio,” Giulia says apologetically.

Noemi grins. “I’ll call her later and tell her all the things. You just go play tennis. You need to get out of this house before you dissolve into the wallpaper.”

“I don’t know anyone at the club,” I say into the phone. “I feel weird going there without Marcello.”

“You know me. I won’t abandon you, I promise,” Giulia says. “I’ll stay glued to your side. We’ll play some tennis, grab drinks, and I’ll introduce you to the people worth knowing. The list is short, so it won’t be too overwhelming.”

I look at Noemi, who’s nodding vigorously and making a shooing motion with both hands. The alternative to going to the club is another long, empty day alone at this house with nothing but my own circling thoughts about Marcello.

“Okay,” I say into the phone. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“Ha, thank you for accepting. I might actually have some fun today thanks to you.”

I hang up and Noemi pulls out her cell. “I’m going to call the club and have them set out some tennis clothes for you. You’re probably too timid to do it yourself.”

I smile weakly. “Thank you.”