Page 107 of Because I Need You
“Isn’t that up your alley, Marchetti?” I looked at Rocco. Even though he was deep in the gambling ring, he also practically owned the private sanitation company that picked up the garbage in places the city didn’t, not because the city couldn’t, but because the Marchetti family struck a deal with them early on and stiff-armed them into it and even though his father was still somewhat involved, Rocco had practically taken over.
“A lot of those guys are paid by us on the side. I don’t think going against them is in our best interest.”
“So, what, you’re going to turn down the contract?” I asked.
“It might start another war if they don’t,” Dean said.
“So, to be clear, you think he should turn it down?” Dominic asked, seemingly as confused as I was.
“I think he should take it and take the guys we’re already paying with him. Offer them the incentives they’re asking the city for,” Dean said.
“Smart.”
“So, I guess that’s settled,” Dom said, looking at Rocco, who looked like he was still thinking about it.
When we finished discussing, we walked over to the bar and sat in the couches, everyone grabbing a drink to sip on. It was like this every week. We’d meet, talk business, then drink and talk shit. It was still better than the therapist my sisters dragged me to. Well, Catalina dragged me, Emma, and Loren to see the therapist, and had given Dean, Dominic, and Rocco his card as well. She said we all needed serious help. She included herself in that category, so we couldn’t even be offended by it. What I liked was that we didn’t talk about our feelings. Not really, anyway. We just talked. And talked. And talked. And Jeremy (our therapist) listened, took notes, listened some more. We didn’t get into details, of course. We mostly talked about our fucked-up parents.
“I’m out.” I stood up after finishing my ginger beer.
“Such a lightweight these days,” Dom said, shaking his head. This kid, I swear.
I threw up a peace sign and headed to the door, where Nico was waiting for me, and asked him to drive me to Cat and Loren’s place. After all the shit I went through with her wedding present, I was going to give her the deed and the keys. It wasn’t finished. It was nowhere near finished. We’d stalled construction more times than I could count, but if I’ve learned anything these last few years, it’s that you just have to do the thing, whatever that thing is. The doorman opened the door for me, and I waved at the guy sitting behind the counter as I let myself up. I rang the doorbell, and she opened the door with her phone pressed to her ear, her eyes going wide when she saw it was me. My heart did that thing it did when anything that involved Isabel was happening because I knew, I knew, she was talking to her.
“’Kay, I gotta go. See you tomorrow,” she said with a smile, hitting the end button and taking a step back to let me in. “I thought you were with Loren?”
“I was.”
“So, where is he?”
“Still at the place.”
That’s what we called it — The Place — because we had no other name for it and that one somehow made sense. It was just another reason I employed women. I was sure my sister could come up with a better name, but it didn’t matter. It was just a place.
“Interesting.” She eyed me suspiciously. “What’s in your hand?”
“Ah.” I smiled, handing it over. “Your wedding gift.”
“Didn’t you get me money?” she frowned, opening the envelope, eyes still on me. “I could swear you gave us money.”
“I did. Open the fucking thing.”
“Why are you giving me a second wedding gift? Is Loren going to propose again or something?”
“Why the fuck would he do that?” I shot her a look.
“Some people do that. They propose to their partner every year, or every few years or they do this thing where they have a little ceremony and say their vows again.”
“Who are these people?” I blinked. “They sound like idiots.”
She rolled her eyes and took the paper out of the envelope. “You’re giving me an old theater?” She paused and kept reading, then glanced up at me. “I’m very confused right now.”
“It was an old theater. It now has new flooring, new roofing, new plumbing. It still needs a lot of work. There needs to be a stage, and better box seats that the ones currently there, because, who wants to go to a ballet and not sit up there?”
As it slowly dawned on her, Catalina started blinking back tears. She swallowed and whispered, “You got me my own ballet theater?”
“I figured you deserved it.”
“Gio.” She shook her head, openly crying now, then laughed and punched me in the arm before pulling me into a hug. “I hate you for this.”
