table ready. Enzo, would you be so kind as to let the boys know that dinner is ready? I'll interrogate you while we eat." She shot a bland look in my direction before turning sneaky eyes that glimmered with mischief back to Enzo.
"Sure thing, Mrs. Hicks," Enzo said, smooth as ever. He kissed my temple, lingering for just a moment past what was appropriate.
"Sadie!" Nina whispered with a hiss as she rounded the table and came over to draw me away from the door. "Who was that?"
"I already told you. His name is Enzo," I said, turning my back to the mess in the kitchen. If I couldn't see it, then it might not bother me so much.
Even I knew that was bullshit.
"I know that," she said. "But how do you know him? Where did you meet?" she asked.
"Have you gotten a piece of that ass?" Joy asked. "I could bounce quarters off it."
"Joy!" Mom laughed. "Of course she has. A man does not look at a woman the way he looks at Sadie unless he has sampled the merchandise and loved it."
"Mama!" I shrieked. "Can we please not talk about my sex life? Don't be weird."
"Last I knew, you had sworn off men after Patrick proved what a useless shit he was," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Forgive me for being curious, since it hasn't even been 10 days since I've seen you. Does he want kids?"
Deciding to just ignore them all in favor of moving to clean the kitchen, I made for the sink and the pile of dishes inside it. "Leave that. We'll clean after dinner," Mama said, grabbing one of the bowls off the counter and setting it on a pan holder on the table.
"If you're going to stand here and question me relentlessly, I might as well get some of it done now," I snapped, my patience fraying at the edges to begin with. Not wanting to come out and admit that the mess bothered me put me at a distinct disadvantage.
Enzo and the others entered through the kitchen door, lured in by the smell of the food and Enzo's warning that dinner was ready. Realistically, I knew that he must have suffered his own interrogation because it didn't take five minutes to tell a bunch of men they could eat. In my experience, they moved pretty quickly once they knew food was on the table.
With a sigh, I turned the water off and set the last of the three mixing bowls I'd washed on the rack to dry. Plastering a fake smile on my face, I spun away from it and made for the table like nothing was wrong. The smile felt brittle, like it was suddenly at risk of cracking when I'd kept it in place for so many years without fault. Enzo made me vulnerable. He made it harder to keep lying to people I knew loved me.
Because for the first time I felt accepted and had to wonder if they would take me as I was too.
His gaze went to the sink behind me, watching as I forced myself to ignore it, with a sympathetic smile on his face. Moving to take a seat with my back to the kitchen, I watched as Enzo hurried to pull out my chair. Ever the perfect gentleman, at least when he had clothes on. Mom sighed in happiness at the move.
Like a sign that he was worthy of me. Because he pulled out my chair. If she knew the filthy things he liked to do to me, she might not be so supportive. Though, given how casual she was about acknowledging my sex life, that may not be entirely true.
Gross.
I shuddered, shaking my head quickly when Enzo gave me a curious look. He took his seat next to me, tucking himself in. "These are stunning plates," he said. "Are they Filipino?"
"A local artist made them, but she was from Japan and that culture influences her art," she said, a bright smile transforming her face as she sat at one end of the table. Dad took the seat next to Enzo, grinning at Mama's pleased face.
"See, Oscar? Some men can appreciate art."
"Woman, he's just humoring you so you'll like him," Dad laughed. "Like I did with your mother in the beginning. Let's hope he doesn't refer to you as the she-devil as soon as they leave."
"You never called my mother a she-devil," Mama said, her voice trailing off as she thought back.