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Giovanni releases the trembling girl and stands, offering me a hug. His embrace is surprisingly warm and tight, a rare display of affection from him. But I can sense his eyes on the waitress, trying to impress her with his tender gesture.
“This is my niece,” he introduces me to the girl with the notepad. “Christine, this is Ariel. She’s a junior at Blackmore. Have you two met?”
I pull away from my uncle and take a seat, shaking my head at the question. There are 20,000 students on the BU campus. Does Giovanni really think that I know all of them?
“I’m Ariel, your waitress for today. Can I get you something to drink?” Her eyes, glinting with unspoken emotion, remain fixed on mine as if trying to convey a message without words.
I’m not sure what happened before I arrived, but I wish I could assure the girl that she has my support now. The most Gio would have done in front of everyone was make her feel uneasy, but I’ll put a stop to that now. “I’ll take a water. Thank you.”
Ariel nods her head before running from the table. I wouldn’t be surprised if she never came back; I wouldn’t.
“How have you been?” Giovanni’s lips pull back, revealing a wolfish grin. His eyes sparkle mischievously as he leans back in his chair, his posture relaxed and confident. He looks put together with his slicked-back hair and designer suit.
“I’m alright, Uncle.”
“And how are your classes? Are you missing any today?” The corners of his lips never falter, forming a flawless smile that conceals his thoughts and emotions.
As another woman approaches our table with a tray of drinks, she quickly sets them down and mentions that Ariel will be back soon to take our order. Before walking away, I catch her giving Giovanni a quick once-over with a disgusted expression on her face.
“No, Uncle. I scheduled lunch around my classes.” Not that I have too many classes to schedule around.
Giovanni ordered a draft beer before I arrived. He grabs the glass and downs a quarter of it, smacking his lips together when he’s finished. “That’s good. I would hate to be responsible for you falling behind in your classes. Speaking of classes,” his lips pull tight into a frown, “will you have any classes with Niccolo after the break?”
I hope my face doesn’t reflect the fear that tears through my body at the mention of my stepfather. I try to wear a neutral expression, but I’m afraid my emotions are visible. “I believe so. Nic also teaches an Experimental Methods in Psychology course in the spring and a Cognitive Psychology course each semester. Both of them are required for my degree.”
“Have you ever entertained the idea of pursuing a different career?” Giovanni proposes, his voice laced with skepticism.
My expression contorts into a scowl, and a surge of irritation courses through me. “No, I haven’t because this is what I want to do. I want to work with children.”
Giovanni raises a slender finger, attempting to downplay my passion. “Ah, then perhaps you should consider becoming a teacher.”
My teeth grind together in exasperation, my frustration manifesting in the clenching of my jaw. The tension builds, causing my cheeks to tighten. “No, Gio, you’re missing the point entirely. I aspire to do more than simplyeducatechildren. I want to make a transformative impact in their lives. I want to help them.”
“Teaching, helping,” he nonchalantly waves his hand in dismissal, “it’s the same thing.”
If I scream at him, I’ll lose whatever goodwill he’s saved up for this encounter. And God, how I want to kick and scream and yell until he gets it through his head that I’m not going to become a teacher. But I have to be the mature one. I have to swallow my anger like a bitter pill and let it sour my stomach instead of releasing it on Giovanni. “Thank you for the suggestion, Uncle, but I don’t think that’s the right option for me at this time.”
A mischievous grin spreads across his face as he lifts his beer to take another swig, but our conversation is suddenly interrupted by Ariel’s return.
She takes our order without looking at either of us. Giovanni asks her what she’s majoring in while reaching out to grab her again. In a clumsy attempt to avoid his advances, she bumps into our table and hastily excuses herself with an apology. “Sorry. I’m a little busy at the moment. I’ll be right back.”
She’s never coming back.
“Can we talk about the marriage that you and Grandfather are arranging for me?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Of course, we can. We’re thinking a June wedding will be pretty. The weather would be warm but not yet burdened with the suffocating heat of the Kansas summer. And yet, far enough into the season that a rainstorm is unlikely. You don’t mind having an outdoor wedding, do you?” Giovanni asks after a moment as if remembering I still have a say in the matter.
I have to force a smile on my face. Inside, I’m angry that all the details have already been planned out, but I can’t tell my uncle that. “I was actually wondering if you might reconsider the marriage,” I offer as cheerfully as I can muster. “I understandwhy you and Grandfather were upset, but I’ve ended things with Niccolo and?—”
“And, what?” Giovanni raises an eyebrow. His fingers dance along the tabletop, patiently tapping on the dark wood. “What can you offer me that will please the Castigliones more than your marriage to Rocco?”
I gape at him, not knowing what to say. “What can Ioffer?” I echo his words.
“Yes. The Castiglione family is delighted that we’ve offered a union for one of their prized enforcers. Saverio says that there will be a reward for our loyalty. Can you offer me something better?”
He’s gone mad. His actions are beyond rational thought and are evidence of insanity. “Please, Uncle,” I desperately plead, my voice barely above a whisper as I glance around the crowded restaurant. “Rocco is a monster. He’ll hurt me, maybe even kill me.”
Giovanni purses his lips together in a show of mock disappointment. “Maybe you should have thought about that before you snubbed your family to stay with Niccolo after your mother’s death. Or perhaps you could have considered it when you were whoring yourself out in high school to any boy that would have you.”
