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I sighed as I pulled out my phone and called Stefano.“Hey, what’s going on?”
“I’m coming to meet up with you.”
“Cool.You done with your chick?”
“She’s not my chick, and her name is Valentina.”
“Okay, okay, no need to bite my head off.You done with Valentina?”
“I’m done with Valentina.For today, anyway.Where are you?”
“I’m meeting Santino and Sergio.We’re going to grab some lunch.You want to come?”
“I guess, but how are we going to talk if they’re there?I thought we didn’t want them to know about Mom.”
“We don’t,” he said, “but maybe if we use a code name.”
“If we use a code name?What?”
“I don’t know what to say, Sam.Maybe we can chat afterward.”
“Okay.Where are you guys?”
“We’re at the deli on Fifth.”
“The deli on Fifth?Oh yeah, I know what you’re talking about.Okay, I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”I hung up, put my phone in my back pocket, and continued walking down the street.
“Hey, you got twenty dollars?”an old man asked me as I walked past him.
“Sorry.”I shook my head.
“You sure about that?”
I stopped and looked back at him.“I just said no, sorry.”
“I mean, I can punch your other eye if you want me to.”
“Are you threatening to punch me for twenty dollars?”I took a step toward him, and I could see his eyes looked scared.“Don’t threaten me.You don’t know me, and trust me when I say it’s not worth it to you.”
“Oh yeah, why is that?”
“Because the damage I would do to you would cost you a whole lot more than twenty dollars.”With that, I turned around, and then because I felt bad, I pulled a five-dollar bill out of my wallet and handed it to him.“Get yourself something to drink or eat.And next time—”
“Yeah?”he said.
“Don’t be an asshole.”I continued on my way and shook my head.I knew I looked rough, but if even addicts in the street were trying to call me out and make fun of me, I was looking a lot worse than I thought.
I got to the deli in record time and saw my brothers sitting in the back.“Hey, Sam, over here.”Sergio waved at me.
“Hey, what’s up?You get Gabriella home safely?”
“Yeah.”He nodded.“Oh my gosh, she can talk.”
“What was she talking about?”Santino said.“How handsome you are?”
“No.”Sergio rolled his eyes.“She was going on and on about some clothes she was designing and how she wanted to go to Milan and Paris and be a part of fashion week.Yawn.”Even though he sounded annoyed, it was clear to me that he was frustrated and slightly awed.
“Hey, I hope you weren’t rude to her.You know she’s Valentina’s best friend.”
