Justin

That Wednesday after I ran into Lani at the train station I had a lunch date with my dad and even though I was swamped with work I was not about to miss something that only comes around every few months. As I got off the elevator that lead into the living room of my father’s penthouse on the Upper West Side I heard my step-mom in the kitchen yelling into the phone.

“Hey Jonathan, what’s going on in there?” I glanced over at my 15 year old brother who was vegged out on the couch with his friend Mark playing PS3.

“Who knows? People from Dad’s office have been calling all day looking for him.” He shot me this look hinting to what he was referring to, without outright saying it.

“Great. Where’s Steve?”

“Baseball practice then he’s staying at Peter’s to study for their competition.”

“Alright. Hey Mark, how are you doing?” I acknowledged Jonathan’s best friend before walking into the kitchen to see what was up.

“Hey Lisa, what’s going on? Is there a problem?” I kissed her on the cheek and sat down on a stool in the kitchen.

“Is there a problem? Your father’s idiot soldiers went and fucked with everyone and now people are plotting on your dad.”

“Fucked with everyone meaning what?”

“Well for one, a few of his guys went into, unauthorized by him, Giovanni’s clubs throughout Manhattan and Jersey and killed a few of their men, took about 5 grand in drugs and 10 grand in cash. Not to mention those same guys did just about the same thing to the Brodsky’s Laundromats across the Tri-state area.”

“So how is this Dad’s fault?”

“It’s not but these men can’t be found and everyone is looking for your father for answers.”

“So where is he?”

“Who knows Justin? Don’t get involved please, the last thing I need is your mother calling me up from down in Memphis cussing me out because you’re trying to play hero and got hurt. He'll show up eventually, don't try to get in contact with him, please. Shouldn’t you be at work right now anyways?”

“I won’t Lisa. I had a lunch date with Pop, but I guess that’s not happening. Just tell him to call me when you get in touch with him.”

“Okay, and Justin?” She called my name as I was pressing the down button on the elevator.

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you take Jonathan and Mark out? It’s nice out today, they’ve been playing that thing all morning.” I looked over at the two faces that were now turned on me. I nodded towards the upstairs of the penthouse and the two of them got up and got ready to go out.

My father doesn’t really participate in the most legit line of work and it wasn’t unusual that Lisa was walking around nervously because of some shit he’s gotten himself into. I never really got involved with the business; I didn’t really grow up around my father and I didn’t find out that he was in the Mafia until about 6 years ago when we started having a relationship again, I guess that’s why my mom divorced him and moved me down to Memphis when I was only a baby.

If it were up to me my dad would have a normal 9-5 job, but I guess I can’t really complain about the ‘job’ that he has considering it pays for a lot of the shit that I have, starting with the condo on Park Avenue and my BMW. I don’t ask where the money comes from that he gives me; like a good little boy I take it and shut up. I’m lucky to have a father because from the little I get involved with the business, I understand that it’s unusual that mob bosses kids know their father, he’s either dead or too concerned with his family’s well being to be around them.

The three of us were making our way around Times Square about to head into ESPN Zone when I heard a familiar voice come from behind me. I quickly turned around and was met with Lani’s out of control curls. Is it possible to be so sexy when you’re so laid back? I looked her up and down and took in her ripped jeans and wife beater, god damn every time I saw her she got even more tempting, I knew at that point that I had to try harder to get to her. But I wasn’t expecting to see her with someone though, because every time we ran into each other she was alone (not that I had seen her very much at that point).

“No, I’m serious Rae. Some shit is about to pop off and I don’t want to be around for it to happen. I’m thinking it’s time for vacation somewhere far away from here. Are you down?” She was talking to someone on the phone while holding hands with a tall guy with spiky hair; he was nowhere near as good looking as me though.

“Nothing is going to happen Lani, stop being so dramatic. Get off the phone with her, we’re about to see her in like 10 minutes. Can’t you two wait to discuss family business when I’m gone?” She rolled her eyes playfully at her male friend and continued to talk to whoever was on the other line.

“I know Rae. Daddy means business, you should have seen his face when Victor showed up to the house. I’m surprised Uncle Diego doesn’t know about all of this going on.” Her friend grabbed her phone from her ear with his free hand and told the person on the line bye before hanging it up and placing it inside her shoulder bag.

“Ciao bella.” Lani peered at me over her large Chanel sunglasses and rolled her eyes, this time seriously. Her friend looked on with a tight jaw and a scowl on his face. Be scared bitch.

“I’m not Italian, you can stop.”

“Really, because the words tattooed on your wrist say otherwise. Or are you just fascinated with the Italian language?” She glanced down at her exposed wrist and then looked over at her boy band wannabe.

"I’m Dominic.” He held out his right hand for me to shake it. I looked at it for a moment and then decided to just take it and shut up; my mom always told me to kill em’ with kindness. I’d kill him alright, when I took his girl.

“Justin.”

“Are you stalking me? Manhattan is a pretty big place with a lot of people and somehow I’ve been running into you a lot. The jig is up Justin, leave me alone.”

“Don’t flatter yourself Lani. Well, it was nice seeing you but I’ve got to head into lunch with my brother. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again.” I reached out to hug her, despite the fact she was clinging onto Dominic’s hand.

“Meglio essere invidiati che compiatiti. Am I right?” She stared at me in disbelief as I grabbed Jon and Mark and headed into the restaurant.

“Who was that Jay?” My little brother was fascinated as we sat down at a table. I don’t blame him.

“Just some girl. She’s no one special, you know how I am Jon.”

“Some girl? She was fine as fuck. Who was that guy with her?” I opened up my menu and looked at the options of food.

“I’m assuming her boyfriend. And watch your damn mouth, I don’t want your mom spazzing on me because you’re trying to grow up way too fast."

“Who the fuck was that Melania?” I was going to kill him next time I saw him. Who the hell rubs all up on people when they’re with someone?

“Some guy that comes into the bar a lot.”

“Whatever, I'm not going to be mad if you date him or something. How did he know what your tattoo said?” Oh shit, he heard that?

“I'm upset that you would think I'd go for his type. I don’t know how he read it Dominic. Can we save the 21 questions for another time?” I glanced up at him as we stopped at a crosswalk to wait for the light to change. He leaned down (we have a significant height difference) and kissed me lightly on the lips and then smiled.

“Good. You better not be fucking him Lani.” I ignored his comment and crossed the street in the direction of Rae’s job.

Dominic isn’t my boyfriend if that’s what you’re wondering. We met when I was in 6th grade and he was in 8th when I bumped into him on my first day of middle school. He was this popular ‘upperclassmen’ and I was this puny little, under developed 12 year old but we became really close after that day once we realized he didn’t live too far from me(how cliché, right?). We started to date when I was in 7th grade and he had just entered high school. Dom was my first everything, he was my first best friend, my first boyfriend, and my first love to name a few.

We stayed together throughout high school and college (for him of course) and then broke up two years earlier when I moved to New York and he moved out to Denver to stay with his mom before she died (she was real sick with cancer). Oh, and you know how I said Rae was the only person who knew about my family? I guess I lied, because Dominic pretty much figured it out back in high school when he came over and saw the abundance of “uncles” that were sitting in the living room discussing things with my dad. He understood that everything was top secret though so it was never really a worry in my family that Dom would rat anyone out. Well, not if he knew what was good for him.

My dad adores Dominic, even if he made smart ass comments about me being alone with him. He knows that I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life but the both of us were at two different places. Daddy always said that he knew from the day I came home and said I made a friend at school that Dominic and I were destined to be together, I wish that were the case because my life would be so much easier right now.

“What’s going on with you and Dom?” Rae and I had just gotten back to our apartment from dropping Dominic off at Grand Central when she asked me the infamous Dominic question.

“The usual. Both of us know the other’s feelings but it just won’t work out right now, we’re both at different places in life. You know how it’s always been Rae.” She came into our living room carrying two bottles of Corona and the Chinese food we just picked up. I turned on the Plasma TV that was hung on the wall opposite the couch and started to dig in the food.

“You two just need to get married, have babies, and move in together in that big ass house of his and get that shit over it. I want some god babies, and shit all of us know you’re going to be first to have kids.”

“Are you kidding me Rae? Daddy would kill me if I turned up pregnant without being established, even if it were Dom’s baby.”

“Yeah right chica, what have you been smoking? Tio Giovanni loves Dom and wouldn’t care if you guys decided to have some beautiful Giordano offspring, and they would be beautiful because of Dom. And besides, you may not be established right now but Dommy boy is. For fucks sake at only 26 he owns three restaurants and that house his parents left him when they passed. Girl you are loca if you aren’t going to jump on that shit. If you aren’t going to tie that boy down let me. Shit, and I'l turn him out in the process.”

“Shut up Larissa.” Just as she was going to respond our intercom started to buzz.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you I was having a few friends over to watch some movies. I hope you don’t mind I know you’re stressing about family shit.” I took a big bite of my egg roll and waved my hand to let her know I didn’t care. She pressed the button to let them into the building and opened the door to wait for them.

“Hola chica.” I got up from my spot on the couch and went into the kitchen to put my food away when I heard the familiar busted ass Spanish that I heard a week earlier.

“Melania where the hell did you go?” I came out of the kitchen and met eyes with Justin and a shorter male who were sitting on the couch I just previously occupied. Great