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His mom turns around in the kitchen, places down a ladle, and wipes her hands on her apron while walking over to us. I have about three inches on her, so when she hugs me, her face smashes in between my breasts.
Oh joy.
* * *
It’seasy to see the dynamic in this household. Enzo joined Carm and his dad on the couch minutes after my introduction. I guess I should’ve assumed Enzo is a sports nut since every time I turn on his television, it’s on ESPN.
His mom works in the kitchen, shifting her attention between boiling pots and chopping and mixing. This is ridiculous. Please tell me they aren’t all going to sit in there until she says dinner is ready?
“Would you like some help?” I ask, peeking over the breakfast bar since I don’t want to intrude on her obvious routine.
She looks up, smiles, and waves me in. “You can be in charge of salad.”
She places the knife in my hand and my other hand on the lettuce, showing me how to cut it. Oh man, this is her entire gig. Those men are going to sit on those couches the entire day.
She stirs a few sauces then watches me. Maybe I shouldn’t have offered. “So, Annie, how old are you?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“Did you graduate college?”
“I did.”
She pats me on the back in a ‘good job’ gesture. “You like my Enzo?”
I look over toward the couch. He’s laughing with Carm, his smile infectious. With his long legs stretched out in front of him, he’s relaxed with a pop in his hand. He’s sexy, that’s for sure. But there’s so much more to him, and although I’m kind of pissed he lets his mom make a family dinner all by herself, that doesn’t change the rush I get when he enters a room. I’ve known for a few weeks that I’m falling. Even after convincing myself that this relationship is going to go nowhere, I’ve lost control. I’ve even suspended the one-night-a-week rule.
“I do,” I say with a smile.
She runs her hand down my upper arm a few times, clearly happy with my answer. “He’s a good man. An honest man. I know all my boys love their bachelor life, but once they get a taste of a woman who can take care of them, they’ll change.”
I smile again, not wanting to upset her.
A knock lands on the door, and she leaves to answer it. God forbid Enzo gets up. He doesn’t even look to see who it is.
In barrels Dom and a cute brunette, razzing him about something. Blanca. I recognize her from her date with Jake. Dom stops in his tracks when he sees me in the kitchen, then glances at Enzo. Blanca hugs her mom hello, smirking when she sees me over her mom’s shoulder.
“Well, I haven’t met you, but I’m pretty sure I know who you are.” Blanca sits across from me on the breakfast bar stool, putting her elbow on the counter and leaning her chin on her palm. “Annie?”
“Blanca?”
“Nice to meet you,” we say in unison then laugh.
“I’ll be right back,” she says, sliding off the stool. She moves over to her dad and kisses the top of his head. Then she stands in front of the television and points at Carm, Enzo, and Dom. “Idiot, idiot, idiot. Trying to marry me off.” She rounds the back of the couch, her hand slapping the back of each of their heads.
I love her already.
She puts on an apron from a box Anna, Enzo’s mom, brought in, secures it around her waist, and gets to work. As I finish the salad, Mama Mancini layers a lasagna and Blanca boils the pasta.
“Is this the way it is all the time?” I ask. “Them on the couch and you two working in the kitchen?”
Blanca glances at her mom and nods. I’m not sure if it’s a sensitive subject or not and I don’t want to overstep on my first dinner, but I think Blanca and I are on the same page.
Having some time while the lasagna cooks, Blanca and I find ourselves at the kitchen table with a glass of wine.
“Tell me about Jake? What did you think?”
“Shh.” She places her finger to her lips, eyeing her mom.
“Oh, sorry,” I say.
“He’s nice,” she says in a low voice.
I know what that means. I decide to drop it since I don’t want to put her in a bad position.
It’s like the boys have a radar that we’re all done preparing the food—either that or the game is over—because all three of her brothers come over and sit down with us. Enzo’s hand lands on my thigh and I slide it away only to have him laugh and try again.
The man is incorrigible.
