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She grabbed the table and the back of her chair. “God, my back just aches so much to get up and down like this,” she winced.
“No,” I said, hurriedly at the exaggerated look of pain on her face. “It’s fine. I don’t mind the seating arrangements.”
“Oh, honey,” she said, putting a hand on my arm now. “You’re such a dear to an old woman. Now do tell me. How did you snare my little boy? They’ve dated models.” She squinted at me, obviously not seeing anything in me as worthy as a model.
I laughed low. Wow, lady, I thought, but didn’t say it. I just tilted my head and smiled the smile my momma did in church when she said, well, bless your heart.
“I guess I charmed them.”
Her smile dropped and her eyes narrowed like she was sniffing out a clue. “Them?”
Shit. Maybe she was smarter than I’d given her credit for. And probably more dangerous. I fought to keep the saccharine smile on my face. “Yes, I charmed both of them to get the job. It’s called an interview.”
“Or did you come work for them because of those nasty rumors?” she asked, eyes narrowed. “Trying to charm one or both of my boys and get them wrapped around your finger? Janus is a sweetheart. He’ll fall for anything.”
“Mom!” Janus said at the same time Leander rolled his eyes. “Here we go.”
“She’s not wrong,” Milo whispered vehemently, sitting forward. “He is too gullible, because he keeps falling for your shit.” He glared at their mom. “Why are you really here, Mom? Do you need money? Just tell us how much. Enough with this dog and pony show like you actually care.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I do care. If any of you would actually answer my calls or texts—”
“You mean the ones you leaked last time Janus texted?” Leander said scathingly.
“I told you, my phone was hacked!” she exclaimed. “Janus, honey, you believe me, don’t you? I’d never do anything to hurt you. I miss my boys. I hate missing out on your lives. Please. You’re getting married and I just want—”
But a growing noise made all of us look towards the foyer. The hostess had her hands out, but there was a crowd pushing past her. Many of whom had cameras and phones up.
A waiter had run over to join the hostess but they were barely holding people back who had started shouting:
“Leander!”
“Can I get a picture?”
“Leander! I love you! Will you marry me?”
“Leander!”
And then it just turned into a roar.
“Jesus, what did you do?” Leander asked, throwing the napkin he’d only just spread on his lap on the table as he shoved his chair back and jumped up. Immediately he and Janus were by my side.
“They must’ve followed me,” their mom said. “The paparazzi track my every step.”
“Because you call them,” Milo growled, stepping in front of me to block me from view of the cameras. “Get her out of here.”
“Let’s all get out of here,” Janus hissed. “You always have a backup plan. What’s the secondary exit?”
“Alley out back,” Milo said. “Hurry.”
Janus grabbed my hand, turning quickly to his mom. And his face—whoa. I’d never seen an expression that dark on his features. “This is the last time you disappoint me.”
“Honey,” their mother called. “Honey, I just thought it would be a great photo op. My social media has really been blowing up lately when I show old videos I took backstage from Who’s Counting Now. And a shot of us all reuniting with you introducing me to your fiancée—it would just make all our collective fans go so wild! Honey, just listen—”
“Keep her away from me,” Janus said to Leander. But Leander was taking my other side. “You deal with her. I told you years ago to cut the bitch off. I have more important matters to see to.”
And Leander grabbed my other hand, taking the lead behind Milo as we pushed through swinging doors into the kitchen. It was loud with a different kind of noise, pots and steam and voices shouting orders. White-frocked people scurrying around started yelling at us in Italian.
Milo held up a hand as he kept barging forwards. “Scusi! Scusi!”
I was stretched between Leander dragging me forward from the front and Janus trailing from behind, occasionally looking back in the direction of his mother. As if he knew he was saying goodbye to her for the last time.
Finally we were through to the back of the restaurant and Milo shoved the door open roughly with both hands. He exploded out into a dark alley. The rest of us tumbled after.
It was quiet. Until Milo doubled over and absolutely screamed his guts out into his knees. And then, far down the long twisting alleyway, we heard voices and saw phones lighting up the darkness as they snapped pictures.
