I am in extended family hell.
Nonna has invited her younger sister for dinner, who came with her two children (both of whom are my parents’ age), and we’ve also got their kids here. I didn’t approve any of this—Nonna simply announced they were all coming this morning. I was pretty annoyed. Just because Nonna is a social butterfly, that doesn’t mean I want to be. Why won’t she just let me wallow in my own loneliness and misery?
Then again, it’s her apartment, so what can I say?
I’ve spent the entire afternoon cooking. I’ve got three pots going on the stove, while my cousin Nick is running his mouth off and also getting in my way.
“I wanna see the great chef at work,” Nick says.
I shoot him a look. “I don’t usually have an audience.” “Right. Isn’t it great?”
Nick is a couple of years younger than me, with greasy, close cropped black hair, a perpetual five o’clock shadow, and a New York accent several orders thicker than mine. He was a cop for several years, but I heard from the Mascolo grapevine that he left the force.
“Well, it smells good,” Nick says. “Your boyfriend is a lucky guy.” I stare down into the pot of red sauce. “I don’t have a boyfriend.” “No? Weren’t you always with that Joe guy? The doctor?”
“Joel,” I mumble. “And… we broke up.”
“Aw, that sucks. Sorry.” He pulls a face. “My girl dumped me a few months ago. But I always say, the best way to get over someone is to get under someone new. Am I right?”
“Maybe,” I sigh.
I still haven’t called Dean. I’ve picked up his card a hundred times, but I never manage to dial that number. And now it’s been long enough that I worry he’s moved on. A guy like that doesn’t stay single long.
But he is taking good care of Nonna. She’s had a few appointments with him, and he’s basically acting as her primary care doctor, since he’s the only one she’ll see. He even convinced her to take a medication for her blood pressure.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
“…and the business seems to be picking up, but a lot of it is word of mouth, ya know?” Nick is saying.
I lift my eyes. “Huh?”
Nick pauses mid-sentence and laughs. “You okay there? You seem a little spaced.”
“I’m fine. Sorry.”
“I was just saying,” Nick says, “being a private detective is great work when I can get clients. But it’s been slow so far. So if you got any friends who need someone investigated…”
My heart leaps in my chest. “You investigate people?”
He grins at me, showing off his one gold incisor. Classy. “You got someone you need investigated, cousin?”
I chew on my lip. I’ve had a bad feeling about Olive from the moment I first laid eyes on her. There’s something… off about her. I don’t have any proof aside from a gut feeling, but I just can’t shake it. I know there’s something going on with her. I’m not imagining it.
Also, if I have Olive investigated and she’s clean, it will help me to move on.
“Yes,” I say. “I do. But… I can’t really afford…”
“Hey, we’re family.” Nick holds up his hands. “I wouldn’t charge you nothing. But if you think I do a good job, you spread the word. We got a deal?”
I nod. “Deal.”
“Okay, so who’s the broad you want me investigating?” “How do you know it’s a woman?”
“Just a feeling I got. Am I right?” “You’re right.”
And then I tell Nick everything. It’s difficult, because it’s not like Nick is the most sensitive guy on the block. But if he can help me, he’s got to have all the information.
On his part, he’s a real professional. He gets out a mini-pad from his jacket and scribbles down all the information I tell him. He doesn’t crack a smile or make any smartass comments. Little Nico’s really grown up.
Except right as we’re wrapping things up, Nonna walks into the kitchen.
“What is going on here?” she demands to know. “What are you talking about?”
I duck my head down. “Nothing.”
“Is this about Jo-el and his silly girlfriend?” she asks. “No,” I say quickly, although Nick’s face gives it away.
“This has gone too far!” Nonna rants. She gets up in my face, pointing a wrinkled finger at me. “That wonderful Dr. Dino wants to take you out, but you only obsess about Jo-el. I have had enough! Enough!”
She glares at Nick, who cowers by the refrigerator. “And you do not encourage this. She needs to move on!”
With those words, she spins on her heel and marches out of the kitchen. Leaving me and Nick in awkward silence.
“Uh,” he says.
“I’m sorry about that,” I mumble.
“Not the craziest outburst I’ve ever seen in this family. Don’t worry.”
“She’s probably right.” I lower the burner before my sauce gets scalded. “Everything I told you… just forget it. I need to move on.”
“You sure? Because I’ll still do it.” He grins at me. “I’m not afraid of Aunt Angela.”
I lean against the counter, considering his offer. I’ve been so paranoid when it comes to Olive, maybe hearing she’s clean is just what I need to move on. Nonna’s wrong about this one.
“Okay,” I say. “Do it.”
