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Luna joined in with Chi-Chi and continued to sing until the song was over. “I like your taste in music.” Chi-Chi was smiling from ear to ear.
“Thank you.” He smiled back. “It’s a bit eclectic. I don’t think I own anything that was recorded after 1996.”
“I understand,” Chi-Chi assured him. “Either I cannot understand the lyrics or I feel as if they are yelling at me. Even ballads. And the language.Ori mi o!Shameful. Maybe I’m being fussy, but I prefer to sing something that has meaningful lyrics, not four-letter expletives.”
“Well,youhave a beautiful voice.” Cullen was reassuring.
“Thank you. I wish I could do it more.”
“Why don’t you join a group?” Luna asked.
“I have thought about it, but I wanted to focus on my business before I got involved in other activities.”
“Understandable.” Cullen nodded as he continued to watch the road ahead.
“Well, the next time there is live music somewhere, we’ll make sure you’ll show off more of your talent,” Luna said.
“I do not want to be a show-off,” Chi-Chi said plainly.
“That’s not what I meant.” Luna gave her a pat on the shoulder.
“For now I must be satisfied with singing at home.”
“Whatever you say, woman.” Luna knew when the opportunity presented itself she would be dragging Chi-Chi up on a stage, platform, or bandstand.
They arrived at Three Brothers Pizzeria and were given the usual big hello greeting from Louie. He showed them to their regular table, where they could see the cooks prepare the pizza behind the cutout in the stone wall.
Halfway through her first slice, Luna brought up her forthcoming visit to Gaines’s house. “It should be fun.” She took another big chunk. “What are you guys going to do while I’m away?”
She thought Cullen was going to choke on his escarole.
“I have not thought that far ahead.” Chi-Chi shrugged.
Luna turned to Cullen. “What about you?”
He barely got the first forkful of escarole down before he came close to gagging again. “I hadn’t given it much thought.” He averted his sister’s eyes.
“I have an idea. Why don’t you try Bouchorelle?”
“I have not been there,” Chi-Chi admitted. “I have not had the occasion to go.”
“Well, how about a ‘Luna is out of town’ occasion?” Luna took another bite trying to be inconspicuous.
“Is that an occasion?” Chi-Chi raised her eyebrows in confusion.
“It could be.” Luna wiped her lips, hoping Cullen would take the cue. But he didn’t. She wanted to kick him under the table, but that would be too obvious. The three of them were sitting very close together. “Cul, I think you should take Chi-Chi to Bouchorelle. She’s never been.”If he doesn’t jump on this right now, I’m going to hit him with a meatball.
“Well, sure.” Cullen was just a decibel above muttering.
“Luna, you cannot tell your brother to ask me to dinner. It is not polite,” Chi-Chi admonished her.
“Ha. We’re all friends here, and he is my brother, so I can definitely boss him around.” Luna chuckled.
Cullen finally got the guts to speak up. “Chi-Chi, I would be delighted if you would join me for dinner at Bouchorelle, when my pesky sister is out of town. Thatisan occasion I can celebrate.”
Luna could barely hold in her excitement. “Now I won’t worry about the two of you pining away while I’m gone.”
“You’re going for one night,” Cullen reminded her.
