derstood her but knew when she spoke Italian someone was either about to get something good or get in trouble,” I laughed a little, and then I knew my face sobered, thinking about her, about my Dad.
“I ordered us the lasagna. The lasagna here is to die for.” Tommy tried to change the subject, “The only lasagna better was my mother’s. She never passed the recipe on before she died but my sister Tessa does pretty good.”
“I think my Mom was the only Italian woman in the world who couldn’t cook,” I said, smiling, but Dad could cook. Between my Dad and Rose, I’d learned to cook, too. Dad had shown me how to make meals seemingly from nothing. When the fridge and pantry had been nearly bare at times he’d come up with gourmet concoctions and I’d watch and had started to make suggestions for spices or additions to the meals based on what I could find in the cupboard or freezer. We joked that we could make anything taste gourmet with a little of Dad’s secret spice blend.
The waiter brought warm bread and an antipasto platter. It smelled mouth-watering and for the first time in days I was actually hungry. It all tasted as good as it smelled, “Oh, this is so good!” I exclaimed and Tommy looked happy. He kind of smiled like ice cream parlor guy, looking insanely attractive. He wore jeans but with a black button down dress shirt today under a blazer and the top few buttons were down and I could see a little of his chest. There was a thick silver chain on his neck with a crucifix of about 2 inches long on it. I felt a pang in my gut, reminding me that it was just wishful thinking that this wasn’t what I was pretending it was, that this wasn’t a real date with that guy that I’d daydreamed about. After it was over he wouldn’t walk me to my door at my new apartment and kiss me goodnight before we’d go our separate ways. If only. If only after tonight I could dream about our second date. I’d call my friends and we’d talk about the date for hours. If only…
Tommy
Watching her eat was a beautiful thing. She seemed carefree and she was eating, which was good, as Sarah had complained that she’d barely eaten anything since arriving. She was talkative, too, nothing too in-depth but we conversed about the food, the restaurant, and the mood was light. But staring into her dessert, she started to take on the look of someone with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
My phone rang just before I delved into my dessert. I answered.
“Tommy! We’ve got a huge problem. Huge!” it was Luciana, my sister.
“Is it the baby?” I exclaimed into the phone. Tia looked up at me from her tiramisu.
“No, we have a big problem because I’ve just heard the news, news that did not come from you. You’re engaged! I’m going to punch you in the nuts for letting me find out from someone else. How could you?”
I let out a little huff, “Seriously, Luc?”
“Yes, seriously! Q’uest que fuck, Tommy?”
“It’s not official yet so no nut-punching, alright? I’m not alone,” I answered, “Tia and I are out for dinner. I’ll call you later.”
“Bring her Sunday for dinner to Pop’s. We need to meet her. I’ve got Tess here. She agrees.”
“That was already part of the plan.” I answered, “Gotta go.”
Tia was looking at me curiously. I shrugged, “My sisters just found out about you. They’re anxious to meet you. Sunday there’s dinner at my Pop’s. We’re expected. You get to have the whole Ferrano experience all at once.” I rolled my eyes.
Her eyes widened fractionally, then she said, “Tell me about them.”
“Well, there’s Contessa - Tessa, she’s, ah, 22, has 2 boys, aged 1 and almost 3. There’s Dario - Dare, you met him, he’s 24 and single, then there’s Luciana, Luc, she’s 22 also, she and Tess are like 10 months apart, and is pregnant with her 3rd. She has 2 year old twin girls.”
“Uncle Tommy? You’re the oldest?”
I smirked at her, feeling a twinge at my name on her lips. That might’ve been the first time she’d said it. “That’s me. Thomas Vincent Ferrano Jr. 29. The three of them are my half siblings. Pop remarried after my Mother died. That marriage didn’t last though, so he got married again. That didn’t last either. Now he’s on wife #4. Lisa is the same age as Dare. She’s good friends with the girls.”
Tia winced.
“Yeah. That didn’t go over well at first. Everyone’s over it. Pop’s a real ladies’ man.”
She shuffled uneasily in her seat. I looked at her curiously.
“I’m so full.” she said, putting her fork down.
I signaled for the waiter to bring the bill, “Wanna take a walk? Walk off all these carbs?”
“Great idea,” she smiled at me. Her smile seemed genuine. She was a damn fine actress so far. This was good to know.
Five minutes up the road we pulled into the parking lot for the beach. It was close to sunset and the weather was perfect for a stroll. As she got out of the car I grabbed her hand and held it as we walked. We got to the sand and she stopped, reached for and then held onto my shoulder, and then pulled the strap off an ankle, let that shoe drop off, and then let go of me to get the other shoe off. She bent and looped the straps around her index finger to carry them and I grabbed her free hand again and kissed each of her knuckles.
She looked up at me and smiled, “Thanks for dinner, Tommy.”
My name again. Another twinge. And that smile seemed real. I felt a pang of annoyance that it seemed so real. I think I must’ve frowned at her because she swallowed hard and chewed her bottom lip and looked down. I took a few steadying breaths to push my pissed off attitude away, I lifted my necklace out of my shirt and fingered the crucifix on it as we walked in silence. I caught a look on her face that made me realize I was squeezing her hand too tight. I loosened it and her expression softened.
A tiny fur ball of a golden retriever puppy bounded right up to her and started licking her calves. She let go of my hand and dropped to her knees, dropping her shoes and pulling the pup into her lap, “Oh my gooooodness!” The dog licked at the air, furiously, wanting to lick her face. She held him back at arm’s length but giggled. A kid, probably around 10, ran up to us with a leash in his hand and it still had the collar attached to it. Obviously the pup had squirmed right out of his collar.