Page 37 of Tito

She motioned to the table that had three chairs sitting at it. “How did he know?”

“Know what?” I asked.

She pointed at the table.

On it was a tray with a pitcher of what looked like iced tea, four glasses and a small ice bucket.

“Max,” Julianna said.

Romeo smirked. “Well, I’m thirsty.

I let out a sigh and explained it, “I think he listens and then he improvises. A butler who supplies everyone’s needs.”

“Or this is a part of what you were saying,” Valencia suggested.

“Yes, it is sort of creepy, if you stop to think about it,” Romeo said. “But he’s been doing that for as long as I canremember. I just always thought Zia told him what we were going to do, or when we had friends coming.”

“I did too,” Julianna said. “Like when I would arrive for a meeting with your dad, he would have my favorite soda waiting in the study where I was to meet with Stephano. I mean it could be that Stephano always told him I was coming, I guess?”

“See?” Romeo shook his head at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Now you got my woman doing it.”

Julianna laughed. “Well, I am a lawyer and always loved mysteries, remember, babe?”

Romeo nodded. “Yeah, I know. You love all those shows too. CSI, Law and Order. But now he’s got you in on this whole Max is a monster idea.” He chuckled.

“Oh, careful now,” I joked. “I never said that!”

He shook his head and asked, “So what were you saying? He never ages, he never shows any emotion. Just what exactly would he be then?”

“A vampire?” Valencia suggested.

I looked over at her. “No, he’s out in the daytime.”

“Yeah, but outinthe house, right?” Julianna stated as she opened her laptop.

I looked back and forth at the twins. “No…”

“Yeah, I have to agree with Tito,” Romeo said. “I think we would have noticed if he was sucking us dry as we slept!” He then laughed.

Julianna tisked as she typed on her keyboard.

Valencia laughed too. “Yeah, that would be a huge secret that wouldn’t stay hidden for what, how long?”

I shrugged. “Since before any of us were born?”

“Your dad said he came when he and your mom got married, right?” Julianna stared at her laptop.

“That’s what he said,” Romeo replied. “So let me see, Luca is thirty-seven. So thirty eight. So yeah, maybe forty years ago.” He paused as if to think about it, then added, “Wow.”

“Max looks to be about thirty seven or eight himself,” Valencia stated in a small voice.

“See?” I raised my hands up. “So was he a twelve-year old when he first arrived?”

We all stared at each other because this reasoning made everything I’d said come to life again as logical, despite my mom laughing at me.