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I waggle my fingers as I sip at my drink. “Major le sigh, but Tabitha, I’ll have you know, there is a whole sea of sexy fish who would love to have me as a mate. I just need to find the right one.”
All of his sisters appear at that moment and sink down next to us. They ooh and ahh over my declaration, and I laugh at how interested and accepting they are. I wish my parents were like this, wish I could share this part of my life with them. But I can’t. It’s best not to push it or else who knows what will happen? They don’t even know what I do for a living. If they ever found out, they’d expire. Sometimes I feel like I’m hanging on to their love with the tips of my fingers.
“Oh god, there’s Dad…where the hell was he? I swear he shows up and disappears randomly. It’s a bit of a mystery,” Tara says. I watch as Tomas’s dad meanders out of the house, looking left and then right before sitting down right next to me. Even the way he lowers himself into the chair takes years off my life. But I can’t help but feel endeared to him.
He’s precious in his own way. An older Tomas, if you will.
“Dad, where were you?” Tara asks, and Tabitha rolls her eyes. Their mom is still in the kitchen, music blaring as she finishes everything up for dinner.
“Just found my way to the garage and then got distracted by Tarak.”
“Where is Tarak?” Tomas asks and then suddenly his older brother shows up, flopping down in the chair opposite us with a beer dangling from his hand.
“Here I am. I know you all were missing me. Where the fuck have you been, Tomas?”
Their mother must hear his comment because the music suddenly stops, and I hear her shout, “Language!”
Tomas’s sisters snort and Tarak flushes a bit, feeling chastised.
“Yeah, whatever. I swear she has Superman hearing. It’s creepy.”
“Don’t know why you’re surprised by this,” Tomas says, and Tarak glowers at his brother before his lips turn up in a grin.
“Fuck off,” he mutters, but I notice that his voice is a little lower so his mom can’t hear him.
“Oof,” Salvino says as he stretches out his legs, his knees popping. “Don’t mind me. Just an old man coming out to enjoy the evening with his kids,” he mutters with a grin, his mustache twitching, and I can’t help but reach out and poke him.
It’s like he’s not real, like an aberration. But he’s true flesh and blood. He even giggles when I do that.
“How old are you, Salvino?” I ask and he shrugs.
“How old do you think I am?”
“A hundred?” I say, and he chuckles.
“Close. I’m sixty-two. A bit old for a woman like my wife, but I think it was the mustache that convinced her I was worth it.”
He makes it wiggle on his face, and I clap my hands in glee.
“It’s fabulous. Like Tom Selleck. Very sexy.”
Salvino loves that, grinning at me like a loon, and I can’t help but grin back.
“You know what you need, old man? A drink.”
He nods his head. “I think you’re right. I’ll have what you’re having. Looks fancy, and I could go for some of that. Will put me in a damn fine mood.”
I beam and then make my way inside, feeling Tomas’s eyes on me the entire time. I hope they’re on my ass, but then again, I’m not delusional. I really don’t know what he’s thinking, but I don’t let myself go too deeply down that rabbit hole. There’s nothing there but platonic friendship. Nothing there at all.
I have to remember that.
Now, where do I find the stuff to make this drink?
Fuck if I know. So I ask Tomas’s mother, and she guides me, showing me where the alcohol is and then sets out some juice. In the end, I’m pretty damn pleased with myself.
When I return several minutes later, I hand Salvino his drink, and he holds it out to me. With a clink of our glasses, he sips at it slowly and methodically, slurping a bit unnecessarily. And I swear, his nose whistles a few times when he breathes—like a train on a track, just slowly chugging toward its destination.
I have so many questions. I’m so fucking intrigued by this guy.
