A is for Aiden (Men of ALPHAbet Mountain)

“No moves,” I said. “Just cookies and conversation.”

“Cookies and conversation sound like the title of my sex tape,” she said, giggling and taking another alarmingly large gulp of wine. I laughed and shook my head.

“Sammi, how long have you been drinking?”

She looked beside her, seeming to take inventory of whatever was there.

“Since about… two bottles ago,” she said, then paused. After a moment, she burst into a giggling fit.

“Lord,” I said. “You are not going to make it through a marathon of cooking shows, are you?”

“God no. I was thinking maybe a dumb horror movie or something. Something I cannot pay attention to and won’t miss when I eventually fall asleep.”

“How is your dad?” I asked.

“He’s… good,” she said. There was a trace of something in her voice I didn’t like.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, you know,” she said. “The Business.”

“Ah,” I said.

“Apparently things are complicated now. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is upset about your dad. There’s talk of a war now. Dad’s doing what he can to keep the peace, but you know.”

“Unfortunately, I do.”

I knew far more than I wanted to. Decades and decades of infighting from various families, complicated by encroaching gangs of other ethnicities, meant that turf was expensive now. And it was paid for in blood. But for all the crowing about how they were gentlemen and businessmen and that some of the other gangs were animals, it was one of our own that turned the guns on Dad. Probably the same ones responsible for Mom too.

And if I hadn’t run, I would have joined them.

“Anyway,” Sammi said. “I started piano lessons.”

“Piano lessons?”

“Yup,” she said, as if that was all the explanation needed.

“Sammi, you’re twenty-five. What possessed you to get piano lessons?”

“Well, I didn’t get your genetic disposition to cooking,” she said. “So, I need another trick up my sleeve if I am going to find a man before I hit thirty.”

“What happened to you being a strong, independent woman who didn’t need any man?” I asked.

“I don’t need them,” Sammi said. “I just want to have one around. For purposes.”

“Uh-huh,” I said. “And you think playing them ‘Für Elise’ is going to bring them smashing the door down?”

“Hell no. But playing some Billy Joel covers will turn some heads with the guys that always come over to see Dad.”

“Oh, God, Sammi, what are you doing?” I asked, appalled.

“What?” she said incredulously. “Italian boys are suckers for Billy Joel. I don’t make the rules. Besides, there’s this guy who runs errands for my uncle. He’s like twenty-two, but he has a jaw you could crack rocks on.”

“You always were a sucker for a strong jaw.”

“I know what I like,” she said, shrugging.

“Alright, well, if cooking shows are out, and I am in no mood to watch a slasher, what are we going to watch?”

“I know,” she said.

There was a moment where we just stared at each other, and then I rolled my eyes.

“Titanic,” we said simultaneously. The only difference was inflection. Mine was thoroughly resigned.

“You’ll be asleep twenty minutes in,” I said.

“It’ll be like sleepovers when we were sixteen,” she said. “Come on. Put it on. I know you have the DVD. You stole it from me.”

“It was mine to begin with, Sammi. You stole it from me.” I went into my room to find the bag that had several DVDs I brought with me from home.

“You know how much I love that movie,” she said. “It’s your fault you brought it over to my place and left it. Anything related to that movie in my house for more than twenty-four hours is legally mine. Again, I don’t make the rules.”

“Yes, you do, but I love you anyway,” I said. “I’ll prop you up and start the movie while I make some popcorn. I’ll be right back.”

“Oh, before you do that,” she said. The tone of her voice was back to being weird. I stopped and waited.

“Yes?”

“I don’t want you to freak out,” she said. “But Dad thinks someone’s looking for you. They were asking around, and there’s been some talk. Now, all I know is you are down south, and near some mountains, so if that’s all I know, I can’t imagine anyone else would know more. But keep your eyes open, okay?”

I nodded, doing everything I could not to let her know how nervous I was now.

“I won’t let my guard down,” I said. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“Good,” she said. “Now start the movie. I want to see the Irish dance scene before I pass out.”

I went into work the next day, trying to not think about what Sammi had said. Mostly, I was focused on making a good first impression, and aside from that little moment, the long-distance hangout with Sammi had been good for my soul.

The job was easy, and I settled into it quickly, ringing up purchases and getting to know some of the locals. I tried to acquaint myself with the store so that I would be helpful to customers who came in.