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His face changed, a seductive smile wrapping around his lips. “The thing I make you scream every night.”
I rolled my eyes, remembering his demands from last night.
“I love you, Garon Caputo.” Often, he demanded the words from me, but he never said it back. I wasn’t sad about it, I knew this love was one sided, and the look I saw on his face when I talked about it was enough… for now.
“Good,Piccolina.”
“Who’s coming over today?” I asked, thinking there were more visits to come. All his brothers had already stopped by at least once, Grazia came to see me nearly every day, but there were still other people that would want to see us — people in thefamiglia, Giovani’s lieutenants and their wives and daughters that were once family friends, but now would spit if they heard the Bernoulli name. I know I would have to face everyone at some point, maybe at a party, a wedding, a funeral, somewhere, but because Garon and I were such good gossip, some would just stop by with an excuse.
“No one.”
“Really? I thought Guido and Giorgio said something about having lunch with you and Giovani.”
“Giovani is refusing to leave Rebeca’s side now that she’s ready to go into labor any day and I will meet my brothers somewhere else.”
“Why?”
“Because you are tired and fed up with my family walking through our house like it’s a public library.”
“No.” I shook my head almost violently. “I don’t mind.” I wasn’t stupid. Don Caputo could simply tell Garon to get rid of the problem, rather than welcome me back with open arms, but they accepted me back into thefamiglia, only now I wasn’t the daughter of a disgracedconsigliere. Now I was Caputo, maybe not by name or marriage, but I was carrying their blood.
I’ve known all his siblings all my life, they were not strangers, but people I cared very much for, so looking into their eyes after my own sister plotted to destroy their name—their family—just to feed her selfish greed for attention had pressed heavy on my heart since we came back to Palermo. They’ve all made it easy for me, talking about how I was just a victim of my own name, pulled into the current with the rest of my family. They were willing to forget the past, or at least don’t hold it against me, and for that I was grateful.
“You didn’t have a minute to yourself all week. I want you to relax today and let me take you out tonight. Just the two of us.”
I frowned at his idea. “Don’t you think we’re too late for a first date?”
“We have to start somewhere, don’t we? Let me take you to dinner,Piccolina.”
My heart started accelerating. It seemed like I’ve waited a life time for those words. “I would love to.”
“Good. If you need anything while I’m out, just call Santo. He’ll help you, OK?”
“Garon, I don’t need a babysitter.”
“You do if I say you do.” He softened the harshness of the words with a peck on the top of my nose. “I should get ready. I have some more things to see to before meeting my brothers. I’ll be back by seven, OK?”
“I’ll be waiting.”
But waiting proved to be an ordeal. I was giddy and nervous, even if it was stupid to feel so. We were past the introductions and getting to know each other. I knew Garon all my life and we shared the bed every night, so why was my stomach in knots over a simple night out?
By lunch time I decided that I needed to talk it over, so I called Grazia.
“Pina, is everything alright?”
“Yes.” I sighed. “Garon wants to take me out to dinner tonight.” My tone was not at all matching what I was saying.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I don’t know. Is it?” I exhaled. Maybe I was making too big of a deal of something so simple. “This is the first time we’re actually going out together and I feel so nervous about it.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t my brother in bed with you right now?”
“He left to meet with Guido.”
“The point is, you two share so much already. Pina, he knew you all your life, you literally have no secrets from him, and you already have intimacy. You’re just not used to it.” She said into the phone.
“You and Salvatore make it look so easy.”
