8. ADRIANA
ADRIANA
I sat at the kitchen table with Angela and Lucy. Lucy had already made herself at home, fixing each of us one of her famous dirty martinis. She drank them like water, much like Angela’s constant need for cigarettes. I preferred to keep things in moderation.
Her cigarette delicately held between her fingers, Angela leaned forward with a sly grin. “So, Adriana…I heard through the grapevine that Joey’s been helping you and Antonio out while your car’s in the shop.”
Lucy grinned, sipping her martini. “That’s awfully kind of him.”
“Yeah,” I said, trying to hide how flustered they were making me. “I guess it is nice of him to help out. I could take care of things on my own, but he insisted on helping me.”
Angela exchanged a knowing look with Lucy. “Let me guess. He just happened to be there at the right moment, like some kind of brooding, Staten Island knight?”
“ Oh, Adriana, let me rescue you from your car troubles with my strong, capable hands and ridiculously handsome good looks ,” Lucy said, her voice dripping with a mock tone .
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You two are ridiculous. He offered to help because he was driving by, and the nearest pay phone was miles up the road.”
“Did he happen to drive by, or was he keeping tabs?” Angela asked. “You know Joey has always had his ways with the ladies.”
No, I don’t know his way with the ladies. And I don’t want to know.
Lucy smirked. “He probably saw you and thought, perfect, here’s my chance to play the hero . He likes that kind of thing.”
I crossed my arms, feigning innocence. “He’s just being a gentleman.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Angela gushed, “of course he’s a gentleman. They all are when they want something.”
“Trust me, we’ve known Joey our entire lives.” Lucy laughed. “Women fall for him all the time.”
“Not me,” I said back.
Angela eyed me, tilting her head like she wasn’t buying my words. “No? Not even a little? Not even when he flashed that million-dollar smile your way? Oh, you know the one I’m talking about!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I didn’t have a thing for Joey, and he sure as hell didn’t have a thing for me. He was attractive. Charming, even. But that’s where I drew the line.
Lucy smirked. “Joey doesn’t help just anyone. He’s picky, you know.”
“Maybe he’s just being polite,” I said, trying desperately to maintain a straight face.
Angela laughed. “Joey? Polite?”
“Come on, Adriana. Be honest. You can tell us. We’re your friends.”
“There’s nothing going on between us,” I said, grinning despite myself.
“Liar.” Angela grinned back.
“I’m not some homewrecker. I’ve been there, and I’d never do that to another woman,” I said. I was vaguely aware that Joey had a girlfriend.
“Homewrecker?” Lucy scoffed. “Oh, please. You’re the whole package, and Joey knows it.”
“Joey’s with Renee,” I replied. I hadn’t heard this from Joey himself, but from Mr. Davidson. He warned me to “watch out”—not for Joey, but for Renee. He said she could be “vengeful, vindictive,” and I knew better than to cross a woman like that. Especially with the secret I was keeping.
“It’s more of an arrangement than a relationship,” Angela said.
“An arrangement?” Lucy echoed. “She’s practically holding the man hostage.”
“How do you two know all this?” I asked. I should stay out of his personal life, but it seemed only fair considering he continued to insert himself in my life.
“Because we know Joey—and Renee,” Angela said. “And let me tell you, he doesn’t love her.”
I could hardly help the warmth that crept up my cheeks, nor could I shake the lingering thought of Joey. Did I really like him? Part of me resisted the idea, but another part couldn’t deny that something about him drew me in. His sharp, confident, disarming smile was hard to ignore, especially how he’d smiled the day he’d helped me with my car. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to confront what those thoughts meant. It felt too complicated, and I wasn’t looking for complications. But every time I caught myself thinking about him, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to our interactions than just a gentleman’s gesture.
Later that evening, as I was preparing dinner, I heard Joey’s car pull into the carport. Moments later, the front door burst open, and Antonio ran inside, beaming with excitement. It was a joy I hadn’t seen in so long, and it warmed my heart .
“Ma! Guess what? Joey’s taking me to a Yankees game on Saturday!” he shouted towards me.
My eyes met Joey’s, standing behind Antonio at the front door. “A Yankees game? You’re taking him to a game?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “figured the kid could use a little fun. Don’t worry, I got it all covered—tickets, snacks, the whole shebang.”
“Joey, I don’t know…” I said, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. The thought of Antonio being so far away in a large crowd made me uneasy. Anything could go wrong; by anything, I meant someone could recognize him, and our quiet, peaceful life would be blown. “He’s never been to a stadium before. It’s crowded—anything could happen.”
“Ma, please! Joey said it’s a rite of passage!”
“Go wash up for dinner. We’ll talk about this later,” I told Antonio. He hesitated, looking at me and then at Joey before marching towards his bedroom.
“Joey, I don’t think this is a good idea. I mean, I hardly know you. I can’t let my thirteen-year-old son go off to the city with a strange man that we hardly know.” I sighed, turning my attention to Joey.
He leaned against the wall, a strikingly handsome figure in his crisp, navy suit paired with a white shirt and a neatly knotted tie. His dark hair was slicked back with pomade, faint streaks of gray just beginning to show. I knew it was wrong to think of him this way—let alone blatantly checking him out.
Joey exhaled sharply, pushing off the wall as he fixed his gaze on me. “Adriana, I get it—you don’t know me. But people get to know each other by spending time together. Everyone knows who I am. Nobody is going to let me run off with your son. It’s just a ballgame. I’ll be with him the whole time—he’ll be safe with me.”
I wanted to trust Joey. And a big part of me felt like I could, but the other small part, the nagging voice of guilt in my head, was making it nearly impossible.
“Adriana, I’m not gonna let anything happen to him. The kid’s gonna have the time of his life. You’ve got my word, and I don’t go back on my word.”
I hesitated, but I couldn’t bring myself to ruin this for Antonio. He was so excited about the chance to go to a Yankees game. He needed to experience things children his age experience.
“Look, I get it—you’re protective. But you can’t keep him in a bubble forever. He deserves this—a memory he’ll never forget,” Joey said with a smile. Oh, that smile. Angela and Lucy were right—it could make any woman weak. But I couldn’t afford to be weak, especially not for a man like Joey.
“Why are you doing this, Joey? You barely know us,” I said, searching his face for answers. “And don’t you dare say it’s because you want to get to know us. Because I’m not stupid and I know you want something else.”
He tried to hold back the smirk threatening to break through. “You’ve got a good boy. Maybe I just see a little of myself in him. He loves the Yankees—I do, too. And let’s not forget, you already trusted me enough to pick him up and bring him home while your car’s in the shop. I’m not taking him far. Besides, anybody on the East Coast knows who Joey Romano is. I’m not a kidnapper, Adriana. I don’t hurt women or kids.”
I studied him, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, my lips pressed into a firm line. Everyone seemed to know who Joey Romano was—everyone but me. And my gut told me that men like him, like most men, only wanted one thing. He wasn’t going to butter me up with a smooth smile and easy charm. I’d escaped one man already, and I’d be damned if I let another take advantage of me.
“If anything goes wrong?—”
Joey’s grin stretched wider than I’d ever seen. “Nothing’s gonna go wrong. Scout’s honor,” he said, holding up three fingers in a mock salute, his tone light, almost teasing.
I smirked, arching an eyebrow at him. “Somehow, I doubt you were ever a Boy Scout.”
Joey laughed softly, and I realized it was the first time I’d ever heard him laugh. Suddenly, I wanted to hear it again and again. “You got me there. But hey, trust me on this one, okay?”
“Okay,” I reluctantly smiled, “but you’d better bring him back in one piece.”
“One piece? You drive a hard bargain, Adriana.” He smirked. I shook my head, a small laugh escaping my lips momentarily. Our eyes lingered a bit longer until Antonio emerged from his bedroom.
“So?” he asked with a grin. “What’d she say?”
“Be ready by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday,” Joey announced, causing Antonio to wrap his arms around my waist and squeeze tightly.
Men like Joey Romano were trouble. Smooth talkers with easy smiles and sharp suits, the kind of men who took what they wanted. I’d already lived that once. I wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.