Page 33
Story: Empire of Seduction
“There wasn’t really a choice to refuse. Besides, if he’s here, he’ll see we’re doing fine and go back to Toronto sooner.”
That made sense, I supposed. “He said he’s making updates out there. Should we be worried?”
“You going to tell him no?”
Yes, I would. I wasn’t afraid of Vito. “What else don’t I know?”
He stomped his feet and blew on his hands. “Chuck is gone. Vito found him trying to buy drugs off a biker behind the kitchen this morning.”
“What the fuck? Did you know Chuck was using?”
“I caught him taking pills a few times. He said they were for his knee, some injury back in high school. I told him to be careful, but I didn’t know it was this bad.”
“Jesus.” I took another bite of apple and considered the implications of not having a chef. “So we’re canceling the event Saturday night.”
“No.” Mikey grimaced. “Vito’s brother is coming from Rome.”
A low buzzing started in my head then spread to my ears. More D’Agostinos on the grounds wasn’t a good thing. “Vito’s brother happens to be a chef?”
“A chef-in-training.”
“Oh, my god.” I pinched the bridge of my nose between my gloved fingers. “We’re screwed.”
“Vito said his brother is a very good cook. But he has a problem with being told what to do.”
Must run in the family. “Great. Just great. And what if this brother can’t pull off the dinner?”
“Vito said he’d give them their money back and then some.”
So we’d start buying people off. Sure, why not? That made sense. “Any other good news for me?”
“No, that’s it,” Mikey said. “I’ve got the kitchen doing what they can until Vito’s brother arrives.”
“And when will that be?”
“Tonight. And don’t get mad, but I have a favor to ask.”
Instantly, I knew what he was about to ask and my knees locked up tight, like I was preparing for impact. “No, no, no. Come on, Mikey.”
“Please, Mags. You have all that room.”
“Let Vito’s brother stay with Vito in the guest cottage.”
“We can’t. Vito is tearing down the adjoining wall to make one big bedroom.”
“What!” I shoved Mikey’s shoulder. “Why did you say okay to that?” Another lie from Vito. He said he was only putting up blinds and installing an espresso machine.
“Again,” my brother said calmly. “Are you really going to tell him no?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Maggie, don’t cause trouble. We can put up another wall after he leaves. It’s not a big deal.”
It felt like a big deal. But I didn’t want to make any promises regarding Vito, so I changed the topic. “Let the brother take your room. Then you come and stay at the house.”
“You know I hate sleeping out there.” Mikey hadn’t slept in the house much in the last four years. I knew the memories of our parents were painful for him, just like they were for me, but would a few nights kill him?
Mikey smirked at me. “We could give the brother the cottage and Vito could come stay with you.”
That made sense, I supposed. “He said he’s making updates out there. Should we be worried?”
“You going to tell him no?”
Yes, I would. I wasn’t afraid of Vito. “What else don’t I know?”
He stomped his feet and blew on his hands. “Chuck is gone. Vito found him trying to buy drugs off a biker behind the kitchen this morning.”
“What the fuck? Did you know Chuck was using?”
“I caught him taking pills a few times. He said they were for his knee, some injury back in high school. I told him to be careful, but I didn’t know it was this bad.”
“Jesus.” I took another bite of apple and considered the implications of not having a chef. “So we’re canceling the event Saturday night.”
“No.” Mikey grimaced. “Vito’s brother is coming from Rome.”
A low buzzing started in my head then spread to my ears. More D’Agostinos on the grounds wasn’t a good thing. “Vito’s brother happens to be a chef?”
“A chef-in-training.”
“Oh, my god.” I pinched the bridge of my nose between my gloved fingers. “We’re screwed.”
“Vito said his brother is a very good cook. But he has a problem with being told what to do.”
Must run in the family. “Great. Just great. And what if this brother can’t pull off the dinner?”
“Vito said he’d give them their money back and then some.”
So we’d start buying people off. Sure, why not? That made sense. “Any other good news for me?”
“No, that’s it,” Mikey said. “I’ve got the kitchen doing what they can until Vito’s brother arrives.”
“And when will that be?”
“Tonight. And don’t get mad, but I have a favor to ask.”
Instantly, I knew what he was about to ask and my knees locked up tight, like I was preparing for impact. “No, no, no. Come on, Mikey.”
“Please, Mags. You have all that room.”
“Let Vito’s brother stay with Vito in the guest cottage.”
“We can’t. Vito is tearing down the adjoining wall to make one big bedroom.”
“What!” I shoved Mikey’s shoulder. “Why did you say okay to that?” Another lie from Vito. He said he was only putting up blinds and installing an espresso machine.
“Again,” my brother said calmly. “Are you really going to tell him no?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Maggie, don’t cause trouble. We can put up another wall after he leaves. It’s not a big deal.”
It felt like a big deal. But I didn’t want to make any promises regarding Vito, so I changed the topic. “Let the brother take your room. Then you come and stay at the house.”
“You know I hate sleeping out there.” Mikey hadn’t slept in the house much in the last four years. I knew the memories of our parents were painful for him, just like they were for me, but would a few nights kill him?
Mikey smirked at me. “We could give the brother the cottage and Vito could come stay with you.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160