Page 24 of The Great Dating Fake Off
Showtime.
Chapter Seven
Nora
Nonna Gloria looks like Meryl Streep without the laugh lines.
Not Mamma Mia Meryl. Devil Wears Prada Meryl.
And, since Benji and I are now blocked between the bar and this woman, all I can do is stand here and listen to her conversation with Alessia and Sebastian. It’d be rude not to.
Alessia slides a hand across Sebastian’s lower back. “Sebastian, this is my grandmother, Dr. Gloria Mazzelli.”
“You make me sound so stuffy, darling. Gloria is just fine. He’s practically family.”
Practically family. Here I thought Mamma V was ruthless about setting Benji up, but Gloria is trying to bag a BOGO wedding deal for Alessia and Sebastian with that kind of language.
Sebastian extends his hand. Hello, forearms. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Alessia has told me so much about you and your work. Great River is so lucky to have such an esteemed practitioner in the community.”
“Oh my. Aren’t you sweet?” Gloria gives Alessia a polished smile and a nod of affirmation. A big well done from grandma, it would seem. “And you’re in the nonprofit world, correct?”
“I am.”
Alessia rests her head on his shoulder. “His organization supports children, and he’s opening branches all over the country. I hope I’m more like him when I grow up.”
Sebastian lets out a dismissive sound. “Don’t be modest, babe. You built your audiology clinic from the ground up.” The fond, dazzling smile he gives her nearly takes me out at the knees. “I’m proud of you.”
God, he’s good at this. That babe was so smooth it slid down my back.
Gloria’s tone is fond. “I agree with Sebastian. You should never be modest with the business you’ve started. You’re a Mazzelli, darling, keep your head high.”
Alessia and Sebastian exchange a tense smile as Gloria’s focus moves to me and Benji. “And you two are with our wedding as well? The Mazzelli side, I assume?”
We should really all have color-coded name tags to specify which family we’re aligned with. Introducing ourselves feels risky, like simply standing on the wrong side of this room may stoke the embers of the feud.
Alessia is quick to jump in. “This is my friend Nora and her boyfriend, Benji.”
I wave hello, but Benji’s attention has been stolen by a man with a mustache cutting through the crowd.Or, rather, a mustache accessorizing itself with a man. Either way, Colonel Mustard has nothing on this guy.
“Nonno!” Benji smiles so hard the apples of his cheeks nearly touch his eyes. I’ve seen that look of unadulterated joy on his face only once before, and it was when SUNY offered him an adjunct position.
“There’s my boy.” Santino’s polo is emblazoned with flamingos doing yoga.
Benji side-steps me to get to him. “Didn’t think I’d see you until dinner!”
“Thought I’d be fashionably on time.” Santino’s frame is small, but his smile is mighty. “Your hair helped me find you in the crowd—never cut it, nipote, you’ll miss it when it’s gone. I got a cue ball under this hat.”
All his hair migrated south to that mustache, then.
The two share a quick hug that requires Benji to curl his body like an apostrophe to accommodate Santino’s height.
“And hello to the rest.” Santino enthusiastically shakes hands with both Alessia and Sebastian. He tucks that hand in his pocket before bidding Gloria a tiny nod. “Evening, Gloria.”
“Santino.” Gloria’s timbre is ice cold.
“Nonno, I’d like you to meet Nora,” Benji continues, oblivious as ever to the hostility thickening the air.
Benji’s vague introduction leaves a little something to be uncovered. “Hi there! I’m the girlfriend.”
