Chapter 20
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
LUCIO
“I got the shots,” Daphne says as she rounds the bar and heads toward the middle of the room.
We’re cleaning up, readying the bar for tomorrow’s service. The bar was busy tonight. More crowded than we’ve been in a long time.
“I’m exhausted,” Delilah says, wiping off the last table.
“It’s Saturday night. We can’t go yet.” Daphne sets down the bottle of vodka, along with a plate of cut-up lemons and sugar. “I’m putting my foot down and requiring us to do a team-building activity.”
Angelo raises an eyebrow and glances in my direction. “It’s my last weekend without the kids,” he says like he’s justifying something.
“That’s exactly why you deserve to get shit-faced,” Daphne tells him and motions toward the table.
“We have a new employee, and this will be great for team building and morale.” When I groan, Daphne stalks across the room and grabs me by the hand.
“We could all use a little downtime before the shitshow starts.”
She’s referring to my father. As soon as word got out that he was going to be released from prison soon, people started showing up in droves to get a glimpse of the local mafioso.
Delilah walks toward us, sitting down first and slipping off her shoes to rub her heels. “My feet are killing me,” she says and makes a noise so close to the one she makes when I slip my cock inside her, I almost go rock hard. “We have time for a drink, Lucio, don’t we?”
“One hour,” I say and take the seat next to her.
“Come on, everyone.” Daphne claps her hands. “And I mean everyone.”
“What’s your team-building activity?” Angelo asks, knowing it’s useless to argue with her.
“Two Truths and a Lie.” She smiles and stares down at us. “It’s the best way to get to know each other.”
I don’t know how this will help anything. Most of us grew up together, and there isn’t much we don’t know about each other.
“This might be your dumbest idea yet,” Angelo grumbles.
Daphne sits down, ignoring our brother’s grumpy mood and starts to pour the shots. “We have a new employee. Wouldn’t it be nice to get to know her a little better?”
“I’m all about a drink to unwind, Daph, but shots are a little much,” Michelle says as she takes the seat next to Daphne and pulls the glass in front of her.
“You’re not a lightweight. Stop complaining.”
Everyone’s finally seated except for Vinnie. He’s not here. Not like he ever is, but it’s his final weekend home before he returns to school to finish out the spring semester.
Delilah places her hand on my leg and rests her face in her other palm. “I’ve never played this,” she admits.
“Oh, girl. It’s easy. You come up with two truths and a lie about yourself. You tell the table, and we have to guess which one is the lie.”
“Where’s the drink come in?” Delilah asks, staring at a shot glass filled with vodka.
“If you guess wrong, you gotta drink.”
“I’m a human lie detector.” Delilah smiles. “Prepare to get slaughtered.”
“You got a lot of shit talk for a little girl,” Angelo teases.
“I can see why you two work so well.” His gaze bounces between the two of us.
“I’ll go first.” The table gives him their full attention.
“I lost my virginity at fourteen, I was once with a woman twenty years older than myself, and I haven’t been touched by a woman in two years. ”
I raise an eyebrow. I know his first two are true, which means the last one is his lie. He’s been with someone, which is surprising because he hasn’t bothered to mention it to anyone.
Delilah tips her head to the side, studying my brother’s face. “That’s easy. The last one’s your lie,” she answers like she’s known him his entire life.
“Why d’you think that?” Angelo asks, leaning back in his chair.
“There’s no way you’ve been celibate for two years. You’re not grouchy enough. I mean, you’re intense and everything, but not near enough for that to be true.”
The entire table bursts out laughing. Daphne suddenly stops and slams her palms down on the table. “Wait.” She turns and gawks at him. “Who have you been seeing behind our backs?”
“None of your business,” he says before downing the shot and grimacing. “You don’t need to know everything about my life.” I catch the subtle glance he gives Michelle from across the table, but I don’t say a word because it’s none of my business who my brother is sleeping with.
“Delilah, it’s your turn,” Daphne says, but her voice isn’t as cheery as it was only a minute ago.
Daphne hates not being in the loop. She’s used to having her nose so far up in our business that the revelation has to sting.
“So, wait. You slept with a woman twenty years older than you?” Delilah looks shocked. “Who was that?”
“Mrs. Kinsey,” I answer for him because all the guys had a turn with her as we grew up.
“Who?” The tiny lines between Daphne’s eyebrows deepen. “Who the hell is that?”
“It’s a dude thing, little sister.” Angelo pats her on the shoulder, and she stiffens.
“The old lady from down the street?”
“She wasn’t so old back then,” Angelo says.
Mrs. Kinsey was a widow in her forties, but damn if she didn’t look a day older than thirty back then. The boys in the neighborhood knew about her and her wild sexual appetite.
“You banged her, man?” I ask Angelo because I couldn’t do it. I tried, God how I tried, but she didn’t do it for me.
“I let her blow me.” He smirks.
“Today her ass would end up in jail.” Daphne turns toward Delilah, already a little hot under the collar. “Go.” She waves her hand.
“I speak three languages, I met Brad Pitt, and I was once arrested.”
“Shut the fuck up, you met Brad Pitt?” Daphne says quickly with wide eyes. “Tell me everything.”
Delilah laughs and pushes Daphne’s drink in front of her. “Drink up.”
“Fuck. Seriously?” Daphne’s lip snarls as she takes the shot glass. “What the hell were you arrested for?”
I’m just as shocked as everyone to hear the news. I never pegged Delilah for someone with an arrest record. I’d been booked into County more than once, but I was a minor and had a bad temper.
“Public nudity.” Delilah smiles.
There’s not a sound in the room, and everyone’s staring at the prim and proper Delilah Miles.
“You can’t just say that and not explain,” I tell Delilah, and I am fascinated once again by my girl.
The entire table is just as interested as I am. We all have our opinions on Delilah, and so far, every single thing we assumed about her has been wrong.
“It’s no big deal. It was freshman year in college, pledge week.” Delilah sits up straight and twists the shot glass between her fingertips. “The sisters in the sorority thought I was a stuck-up prude.”
“Shocking.” Michelle giggles.
“Shut it,” Delilah tells her like she’s been here for years. As far as I can tell, the girls bonded the night they went out, but thankfully, Carmen and Colleen haven’t decided to come around. “Anyway, as part of my initiation, I had to run across the football field naked during warmups.”
“Impressive.” Daphne waggles her eyebrows. “Never knew you had it in you.”
“I hadn’t planned on the security guards practically tackling me on the fifty-yard line and being hauled out of the stadium in handcuffs.”
Daphne downs the shot and clears her throat, not bothering with the lemon or sugar. “Okay.” She pauses, and I can almost see the wheels spinning in her head. “I once puked on a guy in the middle of having sex, I’ve never seen The Notebook, and I hate when guys call me baby.”
I rub my hand down my face, hating everything about playing this game with my sister. The last thing I want to know about is her sex life. I like to pretend she’s celibate, preferring to live like a nun than the wild child she’s always been.
“Easy,” Michelle says as she starts to laugh. “You’ve never seen The Notebook.”
“You’re not allowed to play when it’s my turn,” Daphne tells her, pointing her skinny little finger in Michelle’s face. “You know all my secrets.”
“Wait, you puked on someone while you were doing it?” Delilah’s mouth is hanging open.
“Move on. I’ll go,” I say because I’ve learned way too much already, and I don’t want the gory details.
“I once danced for money, I’ve never done drugs, and I have never lied to Ma.”
“What about me?” Ma says as she walks down the staircase, scaring the shit out of all of us.
“Lucio says he’s never lied to you,” Angelo tells her, throwing his hand in my direction.
“That’s some bullshit,” Ma says, ending my round of Two Truths and a Lie.
“You dance?” Delilah’s eyes light up as she looks at me. “Like a stripper?”
“Don’t lie, man. You did that shit more than once.” Angelo’s so quick to throw me under the bus.
“I was young.”
Delilah squeezes my leg and winks. “I want to see your act later.”
“Baby.” I lean over and touch her cheek. “I’ll show you what I got anytime.”
“I’m gagging,” Daphne says and pretends to hurl on the floor next to her.
“I’m done. I want to get Lulu home and my girls to bed.” I stand and hold my hand out for Delilah.
“Damn, I wanted to play,” Ma tells me, giving me puppy-dog eyes like they’re going to work on me.
“I’m already scared enough after tonight. My heart can’t take much more.” Delilah’s laughing as she takes my hand, and I help her up. “You guys play. I’m sure it’ll be enlightening.”
“Nope. I gotta go. I have a date,” Daphne says suddenly.
“Me too,” Angelo stands, and so does Michelle, leaving Ma sitting there alone.
“One o’clock tomorrow. Don’t be late,” Ma calls out as we head in opposite directions.
“I’ll grab Lulu. Wait down here for me,” I tell Delilah before kissing her on the lips.
I’m halfway up the stairs when I hear my mom tell Delilah, “Once when I was younger and much more flexible, Santino would…”
I cover my ears, taking the steps faster because no way in hell do I want to hear the rest of that sentence. There’s such a thing as too much information, and tonight, I’ve already hit my limit.