As they sat in the living room of their bosses’ home, Robby couldn’t believe how nervous he was.  But he was nervous as hell.  The idea that he had to face Sal, and explain to him that everything he knew about him was a lie, was a conversation he dreaded having.  Even Curtis wasn’t his usually bubbly self.  Even Curtis seemed unsettled.

“He’ll be down any moment,” Gemma said after making sure Lucky was safely tucked away in the nursery.  “Would you guys care for something to drink?”

They looked at each other.  “No, we’re good,” Robby said.  “Thanks, Mrs. Jabrini.”  Curtis grinned.  Robby couldn’t believe he said that.  “I mean, Mrs. Gabrini.”

Gemma looked at Robby.  “He’s not a monster, guys,” she said.  “Relax.  He is, in the end, a very fair man.”

“I agree,” Robby said.  “I’m counting on it, in fact.”

Gemma looked at her secretary.  “But Curtis, of course, disagrees.”

“I see what I see, and what I see is concerning.  But we’ll see!”

Gemma laughed.  That Curtis!

They sat together and small-talk, and Gemma could tell both men were uneasy.  But it was a conversation that needed to be had.  That was, in her estimation, long overdue.  But when Sal, now dressed in a pair of slacks and a polo shirt, finally came downstairs, even Gemma felt some kind of way.  If Sal went sideways on her, and lost his temper, this get-together could go all kinds of ways wrong.

Robby and Curtis rose to their feet when Sal entered the living area.  “Have a seat,” Sal said, and sat down on the sofa beside Gemma.  Robby and Curtis sat back down in the two wing-backed chairs in front of them.

When nobody would speak, Gemma spoke up.  “I asked Robby and Curtis to come by the house today,” she said mainly to Sal, “because I feel we need to clear the air.”

Sal didn’t respond.  But Robby spoke up.  “I appreciate you allowing us to come today,” he said to Gemma, “because I do need to say something.”  He looked at Sal.  “To you, Boss,” he said.

Sal was uncomfortable.  This was so out of his comfort zone that he wanted to get up and leave.  But he couldn’t.  He owed it to Robby to at least hear him out.

“I’m gay, sir,” Robby said.  “I should have told you a long time ago, but I didn’t.”

“Why didn’t you, Robby?” Gemma asked.  If they were going to be honest, they had to be honest, she felt.  Get it all out now.

“I was afraid of his reaction,” Robby admitted.  “We come from a different world.  My lifestyle is not readily embraced in our world.”

All eyes were on Sal.

“You hear what he’s saying, Sal?” Gemma asked.

“I hear him,” Sal said.  “But what do you want from me?” he asked Robby.  “What the fuck you want from me?”

“Sal,” said Gemma.

“No, I just wanna know what he expects me to say.”

“I used to want tolerance,” Robby said.  “Now I want acceptance.  I want to be able to be who I am without any fear of retribution.”

“You’ll have no problem from me,” Sal said.  “But it’s not just about me.  It’s about my organization.  And I have to protect my people.”

“I understand that, sir,” Robby said.  “And you know I wouldn’t do anything to harm the family.  You know that.”

Sal didn’t respond, but he knew it.

“I just don’t want any blowback,” Gemma said.  “Robby has been honest with us, and he should be able to do his job without fear, or intimidation, or anything else.”

“Hear hear,” Curtis said.

Sal gave Curtis a hard look, which made Curtis give him a sidelong, did I stutter look in return, and then Sal looked at Robby.  “What do you want from me?” he asked him.

“I need to know that you’ll have my back.  I need to know that my job isn’t in jeopardy.”

“Your job as my underboss?” Sal asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“What the fuck you asking me that for?  Didn’t you hear what I said?  I told you my organization came first.  You know what kind of guys I recruit.  And you’re asking me about your job?  What do you think, Robby?”

“I think my job may be in danger,” Robby said.

“It is,” Sal said.

Robby’s heart dropped.  “Sal!” Gemma said, surprised by his response, as Curtis gave Sal the nastiest of looks.  A little racist just like I said, he thought.

“It is,” Sal added, “if I had no say so about it.  But, as you know, I have a lot to say about it.”

Robby felt hope again.

“And what are you saying?” Gemma asked him.

“I’m saying Robby will remain as my underboss.”

Curtis was surprised.

Robby smiled.  “Thank you, sir.”

“Don’t thank me,” Sal said.  “It’s not going to be easy.  There’s going to be guys who will not like it.”

Robby nodded.  “Yes, sir.”

“There are guys who will give you a hard-ass time.”

“Yes, sir, I agree, sir.”

“If you thought they were gunning for your job before this shit came out, wait until it comes out.  Those fuckers are going to go into overdrive trying to get you dethroned.”

Robby knew it too.  “Understood,” he said.

“But,” Sal said, and then exhaled, “I have the final say.  Nobody runs my organization but me.  And you’re in.  Keep doing your job, and don’t let your personal life get entangled in that job, and you’ll stay in.  But if shit goes sideways, and it becomes all about this . . .  lifestyle of yours, I’m not having it.  You hear me?  I’m not putting up with your personal shit no more than I put up with my other men and their personal shit.  If you try to make it all about people respecting your choices and all of that liberal bullcrap, then you’re out.  They don’t have to respect shit about it.  All they have to do is do their job.  All you have to do is do your job.  If you do that, none of your asses will have any problem with me.”

Then Sal rose to his feet.  All of them rose with him.

“Thank you, sir,” Robby said, heartfelt.

Sal didn’t respond to that.  It was enough that he made himself plain.  He left the room.

But Curtis was not satisfied.  He thought Sal was condescending and arrogant and mean as a motherfuck.  He looked at Robby.  “But what does that mean?” he asked him.  “If it becomes about this, he said.  If it becomes about what?”

“He said my lifestyle,” Robby said.

“So he’s saying that if you live your life without lying, he’ll have a problem with that?”

“He’s saying,” Gemma said, “that he’s running an organization, Curtis, that can’t be distracted.  Not by him.  Not by Robby.  Not by anyone.  That’s what he means.”

“But,” Curtis said, and then shook his head.  He was openly gay, and nobody was going to try and curb his enthusiasm.  “Oh, okay,” he decided to say.  “I think.”

Gemma smiled and was about to escort the boys to the front door.

“But what about me, Mrs. Gabrini?” Curtis asked, as they began to head that way.

Gemma turned around.  “What about you?” she asked.

“Is my job safe, too?”

“No,” Gemma said.  “And it has nothing to do with your orientation.  It has everything to do with you.  Just you.”

Robby was upset.  “But what did he do?” he asked.

Curtis laughed.  “She’s joking,” he said to Robby.  But then his smile left, and he looked at Gemma.  “You are joking.  Right?” he asked.

Gemma laughed.  “Right, boy,” she said.  “You know your job is safe!”

And they all laughed the laugh of a party that wasn’t really a party, but a tension release.