“You and your dad dance really well.”
“He’s my favorite dance partner,” I admit.
“Daddy’s girl,” he says, rubbing his thumb across my beauty mark. “I can see it all over his face.”
“Yeah, my brothers and sisters rag on me all the time. Tell me that because I’m the baby, I have it easy, and my parents treat me differently.” I shrug.
When the Marc Anthony song begins playing, I grab his hand. “Come on. I asked Felix to play this so we can dance. It’s a good song for you to learn how to salsa.”
“I can’t watch you shake those hips if we dance,” he whispers into my ear.
“No, but you can get away with having your hands all over me in the presence of my entire family.”
“When you say it like that, I’m down, but go easy on me because I’ve never danced to this music.”
Dancing with Massimo is more like counting steps, which is expected, considering it’s his first time. But it doesn’t matter—he’s indulging me, smiling, and moving energetically to the beat of the music. And if he’s uncomfortable, he hides it well. Besides, he’s enjoying being handsy with me.
“I’m terrible at this salsa thing,” he says, laughing.
“Yeah, you are. But it’s okay; you’ll learn the more you do it.” I look into his eyes, hoping he can see that mine are telling him I want him to stick around.
CHAPTER 7
Loyalty
MASSIMO
Two Months Later
“HAVE YOU THOUGHT ANY more about coming to work at my place?” I ask Lena as we back out of her driveway. We spent the night here last night because we were at her brother’s house in Newton until late. We’re driving into the city to my apartment so I can get dressed because we’re going out to dinner later for my birthday, which was earlier this week. Stella and Lena wanted to do something more elaborate since I turned thirty, but I asked them to please not make a big deal of it. We compromised and decided to have dinner with my parents, siblings, and some of the guys.
“I think it would be weird,” she proclaims. “You’d be my boss. I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“Well, yes, but it wouldn’t be like that. You know we’re starting to talk about opening the second restaurant. Hopefully, by the end of this year, we can find a location for it and have it open next summer. I want you to be the bar manager for both.”
“I’d still be working for you.”
“Technically, yes, but I see it more as you’d be working with me. I want you to run both of them with me. Create signature drinks, train staff. That kind of stuff.”
“I do like the idea of that. But I’ve also been thinking about my future. Do I really want to bartend for the long haul?”
“What are you thinking about doing?”
“Not sure, really. As a kid, I always thought I’d be a lawyer. Some days I think I want to go back to school. Other days, not so much,” she says, turning away from me, staring out the window as she twirls one of her ringlets with her left hand.
“That’s incredible, Lena. I can see you doing that. Then we’d have a lawyer in the family.” She glances over at me and raises an eyebrow at my proclamation. Lena is observant and intuitive, reserved yet feisty, passionate, and persistent. I can totally see her being a lawyer.
“Tell me more about why you’re thinking about law school.”
“I remember growing up, my parents needed a lawyer, and he came to the house. I was twelve, and I had to translate for them to help them understand. I was so entranced by him. He sounded really smart. I asked him if he liked being a lawyer, and he told me he did. When I asked him why, he said he learned something new every day because the law lives and breathes, which makes it ever-changing. I never forgot that. Ever since then, law school is an idea that has lived in the back of my mind.” Lena’s eyes are upturned to match her grin.
“I never would’ve thought of the law like that. That’s a pretty cool way to see it.”
“That’s why it stuck with me. Anyway, I’d have to take the LSAT and apply, so we’ll see.” She lifts her shoulder in uncertainty. “I have to be mentally prepared to do it, really want it; otherwise, I’ll be miserable.”
“Think about it. If you decide to work with me and eventually go to law school, we’ll make it work. You know I’ll support you.”
“You just want the pleasure of saying you’re my boss.” She smacks my leg and giggles.
“I do like to boss you around!” I wink at her and grasp her hand, curling my fingers with hers.
“Happy Birthday, Massimo!” Everyone says in unison after I blow out the candles on the cake.
Dinner is at my friend’s restaurant in the North End. He recently hired a pastry chef from Italy, who has been getting praise for the outstanding desserts offered. The cake he made for me was ridiculously good, with layered strawberries and cream. Later tonight, we’re going to a club because Lena and Stella said they feel like going dancing. I’m not much into clubs anymore, but I have a hard time saying no to my girls.
When we’re ready to leave the restaurant, Rocco drives our parents home even though it’s just a few blocks away. It’s twenty-two degrees outside and windy, so Lena and Stella stay behind while I get the Jeep. We’ll pick Rocco up and drive over to Element, the city’s hottest nightclub. Dom, Nick, Benny, and his girl will meet us at the club.
Rocco’s friend is the manager at Element, thankfully, because the line stretches down the block when we arrive. It’s shocking to see some of the women waiting in line with no jackets, short skirts, and open shoes as if it were the middle of summer.
Once inside, we check our coats and take the stairs up to the fourth floor, which is the main floor of the club. Element is actually a restaurant and club, with the first three floors being dining rooms and the top two being the nightclub. The fifth floor overlooks the fourth-floor bar and dance area, so the space up there tends to be more crowded. The DJ booth is perched in a private balcony overlooking the entire club. Tonight, she has the crowd going wild with electronic music pumping through the speakers.
The place is packed, bodies one next to the other as we shoulder our way through the throngs of people toward the bar. As I part the crowd, I have Lena’s hand grasped firmly in mine; behind her are Stella and Rocco. Lena is looking around for Luci, who said she was meeting us here after she finished work. Since Luci bartends at a few different places around the city, she rarely gets to come out with us, so I was surprised to hear she would be here.
She’ll be meeting my friends for the first time, although she’s met Stella a few times already when Stella has hung out with Lena. Dom and Nick are already at the bar when we get there, and Benny and his girl are off to the side in their own world, dancing.
I’m waiting for the bartender to take my order when I hear Lena greet Luci behind me. Lena’s face lights up now that Luci is here. I order us lemon drop shots because Lena doesn’t like to mix her alcohol, and she’ll only do shots if they’re vodka based.