Page 36 of The Pretender

Deo squeezes my knee under the table, a beautiful, soft smile on his lips. After years of zero luck, I definitely landed on my feet meeting him. At least I can actually be helpful and not just take advantage of his kindness.

After scooping the dessert onto my plate, I take my first bite of tiramisu, and I’m literally stunned. It has a completely different flavor profile from the traditional recipe, but damn, is it good.

“This is amazing,” I murmur, taking another bite of the silky cream. “So light.”

Deo’s mom beams. “I made it this way for Brogan. When they were little, they hated coffee.”

“Now I can’t live without it.” Brogan chuckles as they take a bite. “I think this version is better than the original though. Still to this day.”

“It’s the best, Mamma,” Nantes says.

She nods, smiling at her son. She’s a beautiful woman, and it’s very evident where Deo got his delicate features. Nantes looks more like his father, with a stronger nose and sharp jaw, and Guiliano looks like a good mix of both parents.

Brogan doesn’t look like either parent, but it could be hard to tell with all the piercings and dark eyeliner.

“And don’t you worry, Deo,” his mom says. “Tomorrow I’m making limoncello bars.”

Deo gasps as his face lights up. “Really, Mamma?”

“Of course. I didn’t have enough time today.”

Deo leans over to brush his arm against mine. “Limoncello bars are my favorite dessert.”

“Looking forward to trying it.”

Deo’s mom waves to get his attention. “Make a list of what you want from the grocery store. I’ll go in the morning.”

“You don’t have to.” Deo smiles at me. “We’re going into Madison for a few things. We can pick up groceries.”

“How you doing for money, kiddo?” Larry asks.

“I’m fine, Dad.”

“I have us covered,” I say, drawing everyone’s eyes to me. “It’s the least I can do for the hospitality I’ve been given.”

With their elbow on the table, Brogan props their chin on their palm, gazing at me with a dopey smile. “Such chivalry. Are you for real?”

For real?

“Brogan, stop.” Deo sounds slightly annoyed. “Just because he’s a decent guy that I happened to snag doesn’t mean he’s not sincere.”

Brogan holds up both hands in mock surrender. “No shade, cuz. I’m happy for you. It’s not every day you meet a man with old-school manners, that’s all.”

Everyone is silent for a few awkward moments. Deo scoops some more dessert onto his spoon, glances at me, then sets the spoon back down on his plate.

“I guess I’ll rip the bandage off and address the situation.”

I reach over to hold his hand, offering my silent support.

“Obviously, when I left home I had big plans for my life on the East Coast. It started off promising enough. I made a few friends, had a tiny apartment but it was in a decent neighborhood, and things were good. Exciting. For a while.”

He glances at me before he continues.

“But it’s a competitive environment. For every job or position open, there’s hundreds of qualified people who want it. I ended up at a company where things were going really well, but I made a mistake in judgment that bit me in the ass.”

“What happened?” Nantes asks.

Deo’s cheeks pink with embarrassment, so I squeeze his hand in hopes of offering encouragement.