Page 10 of Ciao, Amore

Her intention was to say hello, maybe shake his hand. She wasn’t prepared for it when he slid his arm around her shoulders, his long fingers hot on her bare flesh. And God, there it was again, that sea salt-and-sage smell, as though he’d spent his afternoon sailing off City Island. His long arm was heavy and comforting like a blanket, and his heartbeat thumped rapidly against her, as fast as her own.

Then he pressed a kiss to her cheek, and his lips were so soft, his warm, minty-sweet breath skimming her temple. In contrast, his dark stubble was ticklish, and she flushed.

“Come sta, bella?” he murmured close to her ear with a grin.

Okay, she knew this was practice for their big stage debut with his family, but he was doing a little too well with the romantic boyfriend routine. But when she tried pulling away, he slid his arm around her waist, keeping her tethered to his side with a large, possessive hand. Maybe that was a good thing, because her legs had gone to jelly by then.

“I’m awesome. Have you met everyone?” she finally squeaked.

“Let me see if I can remember,” Nico said. Then he indicated each person as he named them one by one, from her father to her brothers. “And last but not least, Kiki, the cutest baby in the world. But don’t tell my nieces and nephews I said that."

They laughed. Nico’s arm was still around her, the rumble of his mirth vibrating through her, but she didn’t want to move, not yet, not when he turned and smiled into her eyes, and she nearly drowned in his. This was the closest she’d been to him yet, close enough to see the green flecks radiating from his irises. When she was snapped out of her daze by Terri’s grip on her arm, he nodded graciously, allowing her to leave his side.

Terri drew her into the dining room, with its old-fashioned wainscoting and rose-patterned teal wallpaper. The sisters used to love hiding under the long cherrywood table when they were little, playing with their dolls for hours. The table was already set for dinner with a simple white cotton tablecloth. Didi had put out the “good” knives and forks instead of the everyday set from the local big-box store.

“D. You didn’t tell me you guys were seriously dating,” Terri said in a low, fast voice.

“We’re not.”

“Then what’s with the kissy-kissy ‘ciao, bella?’ thing?” Terri made air kisses and pinched her butt.

Dani tossed her hands up. “I don’t know why he’s doing that. We’re telling his family we’re dating, but we weren’t supposed to be faking it aroundy’all. We’re just two friends going to spend a few weeks together in a romantic Italian villa, that’s all.”

Her sister snorted. “Listen, that looked real to me. And you guys look good together.”

“It’s not all about looks. He’s really cool to talk to, but I’m not sure we’re compatible. And I am not living in the Bronx.”

“Oh God, your Unicorn Wish List again? Had to have a high-paying, suit-wearing job, had to own at least a two-bedroom condo in Manhattan—inthiseconomy—had to be hot and over six foot tall, had to drink wine instead of beer.” Terri’s sarcasm was as thick as good whipped cream. She clapped her hands for emphasis with each syllable: “U-ni-corn. Nobody’s that perfect.”

“Oh my God, why do you and Jade keep saying I’m asking for perfection? All I wanted was someone established so we wouldn’t have to struggle like Mami and Papi did when they got married and came to America.”

Terri paused, lifting her hands to concede the point. Their father was a high school principal and their mother a teacher; they’d heard about how difficult it had been just to get that far.

“If you meet the right person, you build your shit together. Ken and I aren’t rich, but we’re doing okay. All the other crap about what he drinks, what he wears, and all that shi-shi stuff are ‘likes,’ not ‘needs.’ He’s got the essentials, doesn’t he? He’s supporting himself, and you guys match otherwise. He’s tall, you’re tall. He’s smart, you’re smart-mouthed. Forget about faking it. I think you should really go for it.”

Dani shook her head with exasperation.

“Year Zero is done. And I don’t care if he is six foot two with muscles and a tight ass and loves movies. Yes, he flirts with me, but he’s super friendly with everybody, that’s all.” Dani’s shrug was weak. She was busy trying to ignore the imprint of his warmth along her side.

“And this is the year of saying, Fuck it, Why Not? So…fuck it, why not?Fuck it, why not? Fuck it, why not?” Terri started chanting it softly, shaking her hips and snapping her fingers in an impromptu dance.

Then suddenly, their mother was standing there, staring at them with her face half disapproving, half smiling. In her lilting Antillano accent, she demanded to know, “What are you girls doing in here, singing and dancing? Terri, your baby is looking for boobie. But before you go, show me your dance so I can do some moves.”

After a while, her father came through, busy retrieving the box containing his most beloved domino set from the china cabinet.

“Papi, no,” Dani cried when he rushed back out to the living room with it under his arm, a familiar zealous gleam in his eyes. She turned back to her sister and her mother with pleading eyes. “Help?”

“Nico is on his own now. God rest his soul,” Didi sighed with a shake of her curly, short-cropped dyed-blond afro, hoop earrings swinging. “Dani, help me finish getting the food ready.”

Reluctantly, Dani went to assist. They were havingkeshi yena,made old-school with leaf-wrapped spicy chicken and vegetables, served with creole sauce. Rice and fried plantain rounded out the meal, along with the salad. Nico had told her he was a foodie. She fervently hoped he would like these dishes from their home island.

Dinner was almost ready when she heard a ruckus coming from the living room. She rushed in to see how Nico was faring—if he was even still alive. Her mouth dropped to see him laughing and pumping his fist. Ken, who sat across from him and was his partner, was also smiling. Andrew was gazing at the tiles with his hand over his mouth and his dark-brown skin glistening with sweat, while his partner Rahim kept murmuring, “Yo…yo…” repeatedly. Al sat on the couch, looking on and laughing.

Rahim looked up at Dani and said, “Sis. Seriously. Where are y’all finding these dudes who know how to play dominoes? Oh my God.” He rubbed his short braids with his hands and laughed with disbelief.

“That’s how we do it in the BX, baby,” Nico exclaimed with a wickedly joyful laugh.

He rose halfway and reached over the table to force Ken to slap his hand while her father

---