Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Then I open my arms wide and invite them in.
Nandy goes first, heading straight to Irina. They immediately begin whispering. This gives Alvaro a chance to lean into my personal space and growl at me. “We consider Irina a family member.”
“Nice.”
“It’s not nice,” Alvaro sneers. “It’s a warning.”
Then he walks off, also greeting Irina, as I roll my eyes and shut the door.
Just as I turn towards them my phone buzzes again. When I check it, it’s the doorman with another announcement. I look over at Nandy and she smiles, waving fingers at me.
I call the doorman and he picks up on the first ring. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Malone. You have more guests.”
“I’m not expecting more guests.” But then I hear her. The bossy woman running the cash register from the restaurant.
“She says her name is—”
“Yoohoo! It’s Flora-mareeeeeaaahhhh! Irina’s favorite aun-teeee! Nandy was supposed to bring dessert, but she forgot. So I am here to save the day.”
I look over my shoulder at Nandy and she’s looking at me with the very same expression. She gives me another finger wave.
“Fine,” I bark into the phone. “Let her up.” I end the call and walk over to Nandy. “Your… aunt is here? Floramaria?”
“Oh, shit!” She places a hand over her heart, feigning shock. “I forgot dessert. Did she bring it?”
I narrow my eyes at this little liar. “Yes. She’s got your dessert. She’s on her way up.”
“Oh, good.”
“Nandy would forget her head if it wasn’t attached,” the brother jokes.
But Alvaro is a liar too. Nandy doesn’t come across as a woman who forgets anything, let alone her head.
When the hard knock comes, I leave the little group and open it. There she is. The pushy woman who cornered me at the cash register. She’s holding one half of a large platter, the other half being held by another, much older, woman.
“Eason!” Floramaria says, her face bright and eyes sparkling. “Lovely place you have. Can we come in?”
“What the hell kind of dessert requires a giant platter held up by two people? And how the hell could Nandy forget that?”
Floramaria doesn’t answer me. Just walks forward, daring me to stop her.
Then Nandy calls out, “Auntie! Granny! Let me help you.”
I close the door, turn my back, once again readying myself for what’s coming, but my phone buzzes for a third time.
When I look over at Irina, she’s trying not to laugh.
I call down again. “What now?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Malone. It’s just—”
“Just let them all up at once so we can get this over with.” I’m staring at Alvaro when I say this. Then I end the call. “What is going on?”
Every one of them becomes defensive.
“What do you mean?”
“We’re not up to anything.”
“You can’t have dinner without dessert, Eason.”
Outside my door I can hear a commotion, so I just walk over there and pull it open.
I have to admit, they got me. I am taken aback at the crowd in the hallway. A dozen people, at least. “How big is this family?”
There are three older men wearing very nice loose-fitting collared shirts and trousers directly in front of me. Behind them are a couple middle-aged women, all fancy and dressed for a party. And behind them are, I assume, the children. All grown. Somewhere between the ages of twenty and thirty and looking like they just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
“Is this it then? Is this all of ya?”
The man in the middle extends a hand, narrowing his eyes at me. This is when I remember Irina telling me about their connections. Crime family? Cuban mafia? I’m not sure. But seeing them all in a group like this, outside of their busy family restaurant, I can suddenly picture it.
“I’m Romero. Nandy’s father and Irina’s uncle.” There isn’t even a hint of Cuban accent. It’s perfect American English. And it makes sense with a daughter like Nandy.
I shake his hand and dial down my annoyance. There’s no point in objecting to any of this. I started it, anyway. I’m the one who invited Nandy to dinner to prove myself worthy. Might as well just lean in to it at this point.
“These are my brothers Luis and Manuel. And this is my wife, Estafania. And Manuel’s wife, Lisandra.”
There is a pause here. He doesn’t introduce the children. So I just nod my head at the group and open the door, inviting them in.
What else can I do?
As soon as they’re all inside, they rush over to Irina. Surrounding her. Touching her. Questioning her. Begging her to explain.
And this is when I realize, they’re not here for a dinner.
It’s an intervention.
CHAPTER 23
They are all talking at once. I catch the word ‘afraid.’ Then Nandy is questioning me about my accent, and Eason’s accent, and demanding to know how this man can appear out of nowhere and suddenly I’ve moved in with him.