CHAPTER 13
Bethany
I hadn't eaten such great food in a long time. The Sciotti family certainly knew how to put a wonderful meal together, and much to my surprise, I found myself having the time of my life. It was weird; I had totally not been expecting this at all. In fact, since Ben had mentioned that he wanted me to attend a big family gathering with him, I had been dreading it. I'd imagined a family of scowling men and mute women, afraid to speak lest they offend their violent, gangster husbands. I thought it would be a morose, serious affair that would be as boring as it would be intimidating. I had been totally wrong.
Ben's family had been like the happy, lively, loud Italian families I had always imagined – the ones who were not mobsters, of course. In fact, they were so joyful and vivacious that I had to wonder if these people were at all connected with the mob and organized crime. It seemed so hard to believe that all of the men in this family were members of the mafia; they were so laid-back and relaxed that I found myself just settling in with ease.
In fact, I was finding myself more content and happy than I had been in years. I had always loved family gatherings, but we hadn't really had many of those for many years in my family. When my mother had gotten together with Sal, he had made sure that she gradually became more and more estranged from her family until eventually we hardly ever saw them anymore – which was yet another reason for me to loathe that man.
Now, it almost felt like the old days, when we would have big get-togethers with all my uncles and aunts and cousins and just have a big, happy, fun-filled time.
Ben excused himself from the table, and I couldn't resist sneaking a glance at him. He looked exceptionally handsome today, and I had to admit that I was finding the way he interacted with his family – which happened with such ease, and yet such dignity at the same time – very attractive. I still didn't feel ready to allow things between him and me to become physical just yet, but despite everything, I couldn't deny that I was warming up to him.
A short while after he excused himself, his mother also excused herself from the table. I suspected that she probably wanted to have a word with Ben in private – most likely about me. And that was fine, really. I had been getting along quite well with his mother and had found her to be remarkably like my own mother, despite their very diverse backgrounds and circumstances. Ben got his seriousness from his father, who was clearly the patriarch of the family, while his mother had a very cheerful disposition, and seemed to enjoy laughing a lot – and I found her laughter to be very infectious, and as soon as she got going, I got going too.
And she seemed to love my jokes as well, which was great; not everyone “got” my sense of humor, but Ben's mother, Sophia, apparently not only “got” it, but loved it!
After Sophia had left the table, Ben's youngest brother, Stefano, walked over and took a seat next to me while everyone else was involved in lively conversations.
“You enjoying yourself, Bethany?” he asked.
“I sure am,” I replied. “It's been such a pleasure meeting all of you. I must make sure to tell Ben what a lovely family he has.”
Stefano smiled.
“We're a close bunch, yeah. And as you can see, we love having a good laugh. We always have, ever since we were kids.”
“Can I ask you something?” I asked him.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“What was Ben like as a kid?”
Stefano chuckled before answering.
“Oh, old Benito – that's what we used to call him, 'old Benito' - on account of the fact that even as a kid, he was always so serious. Me, I was the joker, and Primo, even though he was the oldest, he didn't seem to act like it. He was more into comic books and nerdy stuff, and Ben soon grew bigger and stronger than him, even though there was a two-year age difference between 'em. So, Ben was the natural leader. He's always been that way. Solemn, motivated, very focused. But as you've seen today, he does know how to relax and have a good time, and boy does he like to laugh!”
“I know,” I said with a smile. “It's been quite a change to see him in a situation like this. He really does enjoy laughing a lot, doesn't he?”
“He sure does. Even though we called him 'old Benito' when he was a kid, he wasn't always serious. He used to play some real funny practical jokes sometimes, ya know.”
“Like what?”
“Oh man, he was naughty, real naughty! At school once, he flushed this cherry bomb down the boy's toilets, man, that thing blew out all the plumbing in the school bathrooms! We thought it was hilarious, but when our dad found out what Ben did, he wasn't very amused.”
“It seems like Ben gets a lot of his nature from his dad, huh?”
“Oh yeah. Ben definitely took after dad in a big way. I guess from an early age he knew he was gonna be the one who would, you know, run the family one day.”
I felt a sudden sense of unease as I thought about that. With all of this laughter and these smiles, it had been easy to forget that I was involved with a mafia family.
“So, how come you're still running that diner?” asked Stefano suddenly. “When are you gonna close it down and become a real Sciotti woman?”
This was strange – I hadn't mentioned my diner to Stefano at all, much less mentioned it to anyone else at this table. How had he known about it? And why did it seem like there was already a plan in place for me to close the diner in order to become a “real Sciotti woman” - whatever that entailed?
“Um, I'm not sure what you mean,” I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. “A 'real Sciotti woman'?”
He smiled.
“Look at my ma, look at Primo's wife, and my wife. They don't work – they stay at home and take care of the house and the kids. You know – very traditional. That's the role that women in this family play. And when you marry Ben, you'll need to fall into line. You gotta be like my wife, like Primo's wife. Like my ma. That's just how it is in this family.”
Before I could answer or comment, Ben poked his head through the door and gestured with his head towards the northern part of the house. It seemed to be a signal that all of the men in the family understood, Stefano included. They all got up and excused themselves from the table, leaving the women there.
As they exited the room, I was left feeling rather troubled about the whole thing – how had Stefano known about the diner? And why did it seem that it was expected that I would stop running it and close it down? I had made it very clear to Ben that I intended to keep the diner, and to keep running it.
I expected that I wouldn't get answers soon. I thought perhaps it would be best for me to leave it alone for the time being.
After the men had left, Sophia came back in from the kitchen, bringing some extra dessert.
“The boys are gonna be hungry when they come back,” she said with a smile as she sat down in the now-empty seat next to me. “So, I thought I'd bring in something extra.”
“Looks delicious,” I remarked, feeling much more at ease now that I was in her company. “Too bad I can't fit anything else in!”
“And nor should you,” she said. “You've got a beautiful figure, you wouldn't wanna spoil it!”
I laughed.
“Thanks, Sophia. You look stunning yourself, by the way. I can see where the Sciotti boys get their good looks.”
“Ah, I was a dancer in my younger years, you know that?” she remarked. “Yeah, that's where Roberto, Ben's father, first saw me. I was dancing in a contest, and after I had performed, he just came up to me and told me, 'you know, you're about the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and you dance like music is in your blood. I'm gonna make you my wife one day, I promise you that.' That's what he said to me, first words he ever spoke to me.”
“Really?” I exclaimed. “That's the first thing he ever said to you?”
“It was well over forty years ago, but I remember it clear as day. How dapper he looked in his suit, how his eyes sparkled in the light. He was – and still is – such a good-looking man. And I laughed at him when he said those words to me, I thought that he couldn't possibly be serious – but he was. He took me out on a date two days later, we were engaged six months after that, and then exactly a year after the day he first met me, we were married. And we've been happily in love ever since then.”
“You sound like a very lucky woman, Sophia,” I remarked. “Most marriages don't last four years, let alone forty. And even those that do, I feel like the love dies out soon after the bliss of the honeymoon phase is over.”
She nodded.
“You're right. I've seen it all too often among my friends and relatives – even in this family.”
As she said this, she shot a disapproving glance across at Primo's wife, who looked bored and uncomfortable. “But,” she continued, “if you're with the right person, that person who gets your heart beating a little faster every time you see him, that person who always gives you little compliments and makes you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, even when you get to be as old as I am, then you know that love will last.”
I smiled – I could see that she wasn't making any of this up. This was how things really were with her and her husband.
“You really are very lucky,” I said.
“And you will be too, Bethany. Ben takes after his father – when his heart is really set on a woman, he'll love her with everything he's got. Just like his dad. And I get the feeling that Ben really, really likes you. He honestly does, I can see it.”
I blushed.
“He's... he's a good man. A great man. I'm lucky to have met him.”
“And I think he's lucky to have met you,” she said. “He's been involved, in the past, with some really... unsuitable... women. Women who I didn't approve of at all, who Roberto didn't approve of either. We've wanted him to settle down for a long time now, you know. He needs a good woman who can take care of him, that's what he needs. And when I saw you, I knew – there's the woman who can take care of my boy. You've got a good heart, Bethany. No, a beautiful heart. After talking to you today, I feel like you're just perfect for my Ben. And I suspect that Roberto feels the same. You'll be welcomed into this family with open arms, I can tell you that.”
I smiled and felt a surge of emotion rush through me. It had been so, so long since I had felt anything like this – being accepted into a family, being part of a family, having a wonderful time with people who were all part of one close-knit group.
“Thank you, Sophia,” I said, struggling to contain my emotion. “That means a lot to me – it really does.”
The rest of the day went really well – we continued to talk and laugh, and played some board games and then went home feeling full and content. I was hoping to get to talk to Ben, to have some time to bond closer with him and get to know him better – but he had to leave shortly after we got home – more business meetings.
Still, for the first time in a long time, I went to bed with a smile on my face. Things were looking up... Things were looking up.
THE NEXT DAY
“We outta coffee!” shouted Manny from the kitchen of the diner.
“What? But I thought I put it on the delivery list!” I replied.
“Well, ain't nobody delivered no coffee!” replied Manny from the back. “Flour, yes, bagels, yes, waffle mix, yes, chocolate syrup, yes – but coffee, no. We're out!”
“Dammit!” I cursed. “And more customers are gonna be coming in for the mid-morning rush. Alright, I'll get some delivered pronto.”
I had an idea. I picked up my phone and called Tino, who, as usual, was parked just up the street, keeping watch over the diner.
“Yeah?” he said as he answered the call.
“Tino, I need a favor.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
“There's a very specific brand of Colombian coffee we use here. There's a store about ten minutes away where you can get it. It's kind of an emergency, could you drive on over there and get me some?”
“Uh, I ain't supposed to leave my post for any reason, you know.”
“It'll just be for a few minutes. Please, Tino, we can't get it delivered any other way, and the delivery guy this morning forgot it. We're gonna have a ton of customers coming in real soon, and without that coffee half of them are gonna leave.”
“Are you sure there ain't no other way you can get this stuff?”
“There really isn't, not unless I wait two hours – and I don't have two hours. I have fifteen minutes at most. Please, Tino, you gotta help.”
“Alright, alright. I'll go. Tell me the brand, how much you want and where the store is, and I'll go now.”
“Thanks, Tino.”
I told him what to get and where to get it, and saw the black SUV pulling out from its familiar spot. Thank goodness – we were saved.
“Someone's gonna deliver the coffee shortly Manny!” I called out, yelling to him over the noise of whatever he was making in the back.
“Sure thing Miss Verde, good to hear!” he replied. “We gon' need that shortly! Customers gon' be comin' in for our special coffee, an' we don' wanna disappoint 'em, no sirree!”
I chuckled; Manny's high spirits always kept me in a good mood while working.
Just then, there was a knock on the back door. Why would anyone be knocking on the back door now? I wasn't expecting any deliveries, and Tino had only just left; there was no way he could have gotten back so quickly. I walked to the back entrance to investigate. As I walked into the back room, there was another knock.
“Who is it?” I asked cautiously.
“Police. Open up.”
I looked through the peephole I had gotten installed after the first time the CM guys had ambushed me from the back. Sure enough, standing outside was a cop. He was African American, not an unusual occurrence in this neighborhood, but the fact he was at the back entrance was. I wasn’t sure why he hadn’t just used the front door. I opened the door but kept the security chain on.
“What's this about, officer?” I asked.
“I'm gonna need you to step outside, ma'am,” he replied gruffly.
“Well, can you tell me what's going on first? Or maybe come around to the front door?”
“I said step outside, now!” he demanded angrily, putting his hand on the pistol holstered at his hip.
“Alright, alright, I'm coming,” I said.
I undid the chain and then opened the door. He reached in, grabbed my blouse and yanked me out, and then threw me violently to the ground. For a few moments, I lay there trying to catch my breath, stunned and shocked by the unexpected attack. I couldn't speak; the wind had been knocked out of me when I hit the pavement.
I heard the door being shut behind me, and then I heard a familiar voice – a scarily familiar voice: Tyrese Wilson.
“The cop costume works every time,” he rasped. “Nice acting, Jimbo. She really thought you was a cop!”
The “cop” laughed.
“Stupid bitch. They always fall for it.”
I looked up and saw Tyrese, dressed in his usual tacky street gear and garish jewelry, standing over me, scowling mockingly at me.
“Get her over there, by those trash cans, where nobody from the street can see. Then we'll have a little fun, you and me and this pretty little bitch.”
“You... you can't...” I managed to gasp as air finally came back into my lungs. “Don't... touch... me...”
“Don't touch you or what?” Tyrese growled. “What you gon' do, huh? You think your boy, Sciotti, can help you? He ain't here, and neither is that big dumb gorilla he's got guardin' you. You out here all by yo' self, sweet thing – and now we gon' have some fun.”
The two of them grabbed me, one taking my right arm and one taking my left, and started dragging me over to a pile of trash cans. Terror started pumping through my veins, and I screamed out.
“Help! Someone help me! He—”
A swift kick to my face silenced me, and I tasted blood pooling up in my mouth as pain throbbed through my jaw.
“Shut the fuck up, bitch!” Tyrese barked, “or I'll do a lot worse to you than just kick yo' damn teeth in!”
They threw me behind the trash cans, and then they both leered down at me.
“Now, now we gon' have a real good time, you and me and my boy here,” Tyrese said. “And ain't nobody gon' stop us.”
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the alley, and both men froze with shock.
“I'm gon' stop y'all, ya damn no good bunch a' street hoods!”
I looked up and saw Manny standing in the doorway, a smoking revolver gripped in his hands.
“You, you old kitchen rat!” Tyrese rumbled. “Get the fuck outta here before you get hurt, grandpa! I thought we done beat some sense into you last time. Guess we need ta give ya another lesson.”
“I don't think so, asshole,” Manny snarled in return. “You think I ain't capped nobody before? Uncle Sam sent me to Vietnam when I was nineteen years old, boy! I don' killed mo' people than any two-bit street thug like you, an' if y'all don't run away real soon, I'mma add your names to the list a' enemies I don' sent to meet th’er maker! Now get the hell outta here befo' I put a bullet in each a yo' thick skulls!”
Tyrese glared down at me.
“You're lucky bitch, real lucky. But next time, you're dead. And you too, Grandpa – next time I see you, you're dead.”
“Talk is cheap, hoodrat. Now run along befo' you get hurt,” replied Manny.
Tyrese and the fake cop ran away, disappearing around the far corner of the alley. Manny ran over and helped me up.
“Are you alright, Miss Verde?” he said, looking worried. “Yo' lip is bleedin', looks like a bad cut, a real bad cut.”
I gingerly touched my lip and a surge of pain shot through me. I pulled my finger back and saw that it was wet with blood. Luckily my teeth were okay though.
“It's just a split lip,” I said to him. “Otherwise, I'm fine. And where the heck did you get that gun?”
“Oh, it's an old thing I've had fo' years,” he said as he helped me up. “Used to carry it when I was a much younger man livin' in a much rougher 'hood. Started carryin' it again after those thugs jumped me a couple weeks ago. Good thing I was carryin' it today, huh?”
“Very good thing, yes.”
“Come on, let's get you back inside and get that lip cleaned up.”
“Thanks, Manny,” I said as he helped me back inside.
I made sure to lock the door securely behind me.
“I'll take care a' the customers out front,” said Manny. “I can handle things for a while. You go upstairs to your apartment and clean yo' self up.”
“Thanks, Manny. You really saved my life back there,” I said, and gave him a quick, tight hug.
“Just doin' the right thing, Miss Verde,” he said. “You like family ta' me. I dunno what I'd do if anything happened to ya. And those damn thugs – I'll be damned if I let em' lay they damn greasy fingers on ya.”
“Thanks again, Manny. I really owe you one.”
“Alright, alright, enough a' that,” he said with a smile. “Go on, mid-morning rush is gon' start soon, and you gotta get yo' self cleaned up befo' then. Hurry, upstairs, now!”
I nodded and went upstairs, still pretty shaken from the experience. The eerie, mostly-vacant apartment that had once been my home only amplified the feeling of unease. Still, there wasn't time to sit and dwell on this. I went to the bathroom, which was mostly empty but did have a first-aid kit that I'd left there, and got to work cleaning up the wound. Eventually, I got it cleaned up, and it stopped bleeding. It remained very swollen though and was impossible to conceal. Still, what could I do? There were customers there waiting to be served.
I headed downstairs, and as I got to the front of the diner, Tino walked in, holding the coffee I'd asked him to get. He noticed my swollen lip immediately and rushed over to me.
“What the hell happened?” he asked.
“Tyrese,” I said. “He tried to ambush me after you left.”
“Are you alright? What did he do?”
I told him everything that had happened, and as I spoke a dark look of anger came across his face.
“I'm gonna tell Benito about this right now,” he said. “And when he hears about it, he's gonna be pissed – real pissed. And then... we're gonna get that bastard. We're gonna get that scumbag, Tyrese, I promise you that. He ain't gonna get away with this.”