"Are you going to shut that down?" Kenny asked, his gaze going to the bar where Scott and Jenny were getting the second round.
Her hand was on his arm and she was batting her eyelashes and laughing her ass off. His back was to me, so I couldn't see what he was doing and they were too far away to hear. Just the same, it was pissing me off. The conclusions my mind was drawing was so out there that he might as well have been making out with her.
"Shut what down?" I said, pretending not to see as rage brought with it shallow breaths.
"He wouldn't do anything. Not with your sister," Kenny tried to reassure me.
Him putting it out there nearly made me throw the glass in my hand across the room.
"I don't fucking care. They're adults. Adults can fuck whoever they want," I yelled, raising the glass to my lips, then slamming it back down on the table when I found it empty. "Dammit, how hard is it to buy a couple of drinks?"
I looked back to the bar to see what the hold up was. Jenny had spilled at least one of the drinks all over her chest and Scott was helping her clean up by getting her napkins.
"Oh for fuck's sake," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Looks like you finally figured it out," said Kenny with pity in his eyes.
"Figured what out?" I asked absentmindedly, now full on staring at her unbuttoning her shirt and flashing him her bra as she dabbed at her chest.
"What I've been telling you all along. You're in love with him, Stace," said Kenny.
And when I looked back at Kenny to deny it like I always did, I found that the pity was still there in his eyes and my insides were churning, destroying my resolve. I felt sick to my stomach.
"I need air," I said, jumping out of my seat and stomping out of the bar. "Where's a Cuban cigar when you need one?"
Pacing up and down, I tried to regain my composure, breathing deeply.
"I don't fall for men. They fall for me. Dammit, I like being alone," I said to myself.
And only then did the truth hit me. I hadn't been alone in a very long time. Not with Scott as my friend.
"Fuck me," I cursed.
Before I could spiral any further, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Welcoming the distraction, I answered without checking who it was.
"Hello," I said.
"Ciao bambina," said Luca's voice.
"How did you get this number?" I asked stupidly, like he wasn't a newly minted don.
"How did you like my gifts?" he countered.
His deep, Italian accent was a surprisingly welcome change. So much so, that I found I wasn't even angry at him for what he'd done. After all, he was just being himself. A powerful don that had to have everything his way. In that moment, I remembered the boy I grew up with. The one I played with every time Don Marcus came over to talk business with Don Angelo. I found knowing that being a dick was simply in his nature disarming. All of my anger was reserved for Scott.
"You're a very generous man, Luca, but I don't think you can win me over," I said, answering him honestly.
"Because of him?" Luca answered.
"Because of me," I said.
"I only wanted you to be comfortable in your home and to have time with your family. Family is very important to people like us," he said, sounding sincere.
"Thank you. Right now I want to bitch slap Jenny and drag her back to where she came from, but thank you," I said, trying not to lose my cool again.
Seeing Jenny again was a beautiful gift. Or at least it should have been. Fifteen years was a long time to feel like you didn't have family. Every time I thought about looking them up after seeing them seven years ago, I remembered that they had gotten away from the life. I had no right to take that from them by showing up on their doorstep.
And every time this fact left me devastated, Scott was there to take care of me. My angry brain wouldn't allow me to fixate on that for too long.
After a lull in the conversation, Luca spoke again.
"Speaking of family, will I see you at the wake?" he asked, his voice filled with hope.
Luca didn't know it, but if I went, it would be with my own agenda.
"Yes," I decided. "I'll be there."
"For the record, I was serious about still wanting to marry you. Getting out, your life with him, it's a fantasy, bambina. Me? I'm reality," he said, sounding like he pitied me.
There was too much of that going around. It was getting on my nerves.
"Goodbye Luca," I said, unwilling to acknowledge that what he said was in fact my biggest fear.
"Ciao bella," he said, ending the call.
When I had calmed myself down enough to re-enter the bar, I found our table empty. Scott, Kenny and Jenny were all at another table with Marlene and three other women, presumably her friends.
I made it just in time to hear Scott slap Kenny's back and say, "Kenny's an idiot. He accidentally deleted your number and now he's agonizing over it."
"I wouldn't say agonizing," said Kenny.
"He would, he's in agony, because he really likes you. Despite his clumsy fingers, Kenny really is the best. If you're into it, would you mind giving him your number again? I'll save it myself this time," Scott finished.
We all held our breaths for the five seconds it took Marlene to say, "Sure."
"Yes," Kenny yelled, pumping his fists into the air. "I mean that's cool," he said, turning into a plank. "Please don't change your mind."
Coming in with the save once again, Scott said, "He's not cool, but he's cute" and then held out Kenny's phone to Marlene, who took it with a smile.
Kenny saying I was in love with Scott went round and round in my head as I watched this play out, all my anger instantly evaporating. This was the Scott women fell for. Confident, a little goofy, crazy hot and so down to earth you couldn't say no if you wanted to.
I went up to Scott once he was done talking to Marlene and said, "Can we talk?"
"Sure," he said, handing me my drink before taking my other hand in his and leading me away from Kenny and the other women.
I couldn't help sneaking a glance at Jenny while we walked. She did not look happy. Something about the whole situation didn't sit right with me. Had she been trying to antagonize me since the moment she met me? But why would she do that? She didn't even know me.
"You're going, aren't you? To see him?" Scott asked me, his voice resigned and defeated.
"It's a wake, Scott. He's an old friend," I said, unable to tell him the whole painful truth.
"What about the apartment, Stacy? Old friends don't buy you a home," said Scott. "He's an old friend that's trying to fuck you."
"Scott," Jenny screamed from the other side of the bar. "Want to help me get the next round?" she asked, blowing him a kiss.
Scott closed his eyes in frustration.
"Get Kenny to help you, Jenny," Scott yelled back.
And the anger was back.
"So what if he is? You're such a hypocrite. There's certainly one of Luca's gifts that you don't seem to mind one bit," I said, downing my drink in one shot.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, following my eyes back to Jenny.
"Nothing," I said, letting go of his hand, mad at myself because apparently Kenny was right.
I had caught feelings. Maybe if I really thought about it, they've always been there. As much as I hated to admit it, even to myself, I couldn't watch Scott hook up with yet another girl that wasn't me, much less my sister.
"Stacy, whatever you think is happening here—" Scott reached under the t
able to take my hand again, but I pulled back.
"She's drunk. Get her home safe," I said, my voice coming out hoarse.