“Oh, she is,” Carmen blurted. “Big time.”
“Even better. I like Barsetti women.”
She was still uneasy.
“Is it really that big of a deal? Could we just try and see what happens?” I tried not to be offended, especially since I’d threatened her family a few times in the past.
“Why do you want to have lunch with my cousin so bad?”
“I don’t. It would just be easier if I could tag along.” And if Vanessa liked me, she could vouch for me with Bones. I was putting all my chips into one pile, hoping that my bet was right and Carmen would stay with me. It would be nice to have someone besides Carmen in my corner.
Carmen finally agreed to it. “Alright. I guess we can try…”
We went to a bistro a few blocks away, and Vanessa was already there. Wearing a gray sweater that was loose on her arms and with her hair pulled back, she reminded me of her father, Crow. They both had the same olive skin and green eyes. Carmen looked a little different from her father, inherited more of her mother’s traits.
Vanessa looked at me then turned away. But then she did a double take, her eyes snapping wide open in shock. She turned to Carmen, her eyes narrowing like she couldn’t believe what she was looking at.
This should be fun.
Carmen arrived at the table first. “Hey, so—”
“Oh my god, is that him?” Vanessa stood up and completely ignored me, not caring that I could overhear her since she was talking pretty loudly.
“Uh, yeah,” Carmen said. “I—”
Vanessa waved her closer so they could talk in semi-private, but her voice was so expressive that their conversation was still audible. “Jesus Christ, he’s gorgeous.”
I tried not to grin.
“I know,” Carmen whispered. “I told you that.”
“Well, you should have emphasized a little more,” Vanessa hissed back. “And secondly, why the hell did you bring him here?”
“I thought we could all have lunch together.”
“Are you crazy?” There was really no point for them to speak in private because I could hear every word. Vanessa was too excited, scared, and freaked out to speak at a whisper. “If Griffin finds out about this, he’s gonna go ballistic. He was already ballistic, but now he’s psychotic with his son inside my belly.”
“I know, but he wanted to get to know you,” Carmen said back.
“My husband hates him,” Vanessa whispered but not low enough. “And since I’m married to him, I have to take his side.”
“But I’m your cousin,” Carmen reminded her. “And when everyone hated Griffin and refused to give him a chance, I saw past that and gave him a chance. I trusted your instincts and saw the way he loved you. I didn’t care what my parents said about him or how your parents felt about him. I gave him a clean slate. I would hope you would do the same for me…”
Guilt spread across Vanessa’s face once she heard her cousin’s speech. She didn’t have a single argument against it because there was nothing she could say to that.
I loved the way Carmen stood up for me.
Vanessa finally gave a nod. “You’re right…”
“Thank you,” Carmen said.
Vanessa sighed then walked up to me. “I’m sorry about that. I just—”
“Please, don’t.” I extended my hand. “Bosco. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Vanessa.”
Vanessa forced a smile as she shook my hand. “You too.”
“And congratulations on your son.” I gave her a playful smile, letting her know I overheard every single word they’d exchanged.
Her hand went over her stomach. “Thank you…”
We sat together at the table, and I pulled Carmen’s chair out for her, not to put on a show, but because I already treated her like a queen. My hand rested on the back of her chair, and I looked at the menu.
It was tense at first, the silence louder than the sounds of people in the restaurant. Vanessa stared at Carmen with the same look of discomfort on her face, and Carmen was still as a statue. Neither one of them looked at the menu.
“Beautiful, what are you getting?” I asked, trying to lighten the sour mood.
“I always get the ravioli.” She gave an explanation for why she didn’t look at her menu.
“You get the same thing as well?” I asked Vanessa.
“Lasagna,” Vanessa said. “And fries. That’s what he’s been craving.”
“There are worse things,” Carmen said. “Like pickles dipped in peanut butter.”
Vanessa chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so. Thank goodness he likes fried potatoes. I already liked those anyway.”
“What are you getting, babe?” Carmen asked me.
I tried not to smile at the nickname. “A salad.”
She shot me a venomous glare.
I chuckled. “Kidding. I’m getting the lunch special.”
Carmen withdrew her claws. “Good.”
“What’s that about?” Vanessa asked.
“Bosco only eats fish, vegetables, and boring garbage all the time.” Carmen rolled her eyes. “It’s torture living with him sometimes. The food is bad, but the sex is good…so it balances out.”