Chapter Nineteen #2
I brush past her with our bags in hand. She takes hers, so I can press my thumb to the fingerprint scanner by the front door.
The door unlocks with a beep, and once inside, I immediately turn to the security panel on the wall to disarm the security system.
I forgot how warm my parents like to keep it, so the thermostat by the kitchen is the next stop.
I turn to face Appa, who is studying the interior of my childhood home. “You grew up here?” Appa asks. It’s been renovated over the years—decorated with new furniture—but the Italian bones remain.
“Yeah, I’ll show you to my room.” I lead her upstairs, and as soon as I open the door to my childhood bedroom, I can already feel her judging my old knickknacks and posters. “Before you say anything, I was a nerd in high school.”
Appa shakes her head with a small smile on her lips. “My room in Georgia would also be embarrassing. Where can I set this?” She gestures to her bag.
“Oh, I’ll get it.”
I take her bag and set both of ours on the bench in front of my bed. In this moment, I’m glad my parents upgraded it to a king when I came back from college. Although I never expected to have Appa in it with me.
After freshening up from the long drive, I take Appa on a walk over to the stables, so she can meet the horses. “You know, I still don’t believe the mob doesn’t have a small part in this,” she says.
I laugh through my nose and reach for her hand to tangle my fingers with hers. “We’re really not mafia. Don’t worry.”
“Hmm, but isn’t that exactly what someone related to the mafia would say?” Appa asks.
“Look, my nonno allegedly had ties to the mob in Italy, but he left for a reason and didn’t stay in New York when he and Nonna got there. Happy?”
Appa stops walking. “Wait, what? So, you are mafia?”
I shake my head. “No, he left it in Italy back in the fifties. Allegedly. That was always his favorite word. The story goes that when Nonna got pregnant with my dad, who’s the oldest, they came to the US, where it seemed safer and more promising.
” We continue walking down the dirt path as the horses’ neighs get louder.
“My nonno saw the crime in New York City and heard Napa was up and coming, so they took a train here and never looked back. Land in Napa was cheap, so they were able to snag this property and bought more as they made money,” I explain.
“It’s crazy that he was in the mob. Are we safe here?”
“Of course, babe. He left cleanly back then and changed our last name when they got to Ellis Island.”
Appa blinks. “What was it originally?”
I smirk at her. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” I joke.
“That’s not funny, Robby. I’m still not convinced that this isn’t a weird cult of Escalades and red wine.”
I laugh again. “Honestly, I don’t know what it was. Only Nonna would know, and she’d never say.”
“Hmm, a likely story, but I’ll move on. I think it’s really cool that you have so much family history and know about your heritage. I only know that I’m Southern with European ancestors.”
“Well, I do, too, but both my parents can trace their lineage back. My dad to Italy and my mom to Poland.”
“So, does everyone get along? Your dad and his siblings…and your grandma?”
“Oh, yeah. I mean, they’re loud and on top of each other, and my uncles all sound like my dad. I think my aunts get on each other’s nerves, but that’s family, right?”
Appa looks toward the stables and sighs. My nose picks up the sweet, dry hay as we get closer. “I don’t know. It’s becoming so obvious how fucked up my family is. I always knew it was dysfunctional, but this is a new perspective.”
I drape my arm over her shoulder and hug her to my side. “I’m sorry, baby.”
I introduce Appa to the horses, and we feed them carrots from our palms. The velvety ends of their noses tickle my skin.
But I mostly watch Appa in her realm with the horses, laughing warmly when one of them bumps into her with his long nose.
I don’t know how to explain it, but she’s the missing piece of Napa.
Listing my house in LA for sale and moving back where I belong doesn’t sound bad.
We could have our happily ever after here.
Please follow me back, Appa.
I clear my throat. “My mom said she made us a lasagna. We just need to bake it. Enzo might pop by to steal some, but want to go swimming or hit the hot tub after dinner?” I say after she gets well acquainted with the horses.
Appa pets the nose of the only Clydesdale we have. “That sounds great. I love this guy.” She’s referring to the horse, but I’d like to think she meant me.
“He loves you, too,” I murmur and join her in petting the soft nose of the beautiful creature. His neighbor neighs at me. “Don’t start with me, Orzo,” I say to the loud horse in a joking way. Appa giggles, eyes brightening.
Her sunshine is even brighter here.
“What’s the Clydesdale’s name?”
“Mac…short for macaroni.”
She blinks at me and then bursts out laughing. The sound echoes in the rafters. “Are they all named after pasta?”
“Yeah, blame it on us when we were little. It stuck.”
She beams and pets Mac’s nose again. “I love it.”
“If you’re down, want to go pick out a bottle of vino for tonight?” I ask.
“Of course, that feels like a very Napa thing to do.”
It’s a short walk over to the winery part of the property, and Appa’s eyes are huge again as she takes in the barrels that are aging. The smell of wood fills this place from them, and it brings me back to my childhood. I haven’t been inside the winery for a long time.
“I think any of these are ready.” I gesture to a wall of corked new wine bottles that are used for wine tastings. The wine we sell is crated elsewhere, but I thought she’d like to pick out her own bottle.
“If I say wow one more time,” she jokes.
“I know. We could almost turn it into a drinking game.”
“Which is the one we had last weekend with your fettuccine that was super good?” she asks, browsing the bottles. I reach past her and retrieve one.
“I believe it was this dessert one. Should be good with lasagna.” I shrug.
The lasagna bakes for a while. Long enough that we could have had some fun, but we end up piled onto each other on one of the big couches in the living room and relax while the smell of a baking lasagna fills the house.
And after dinner, we change into our swimsuits.
I swear this girl is testing me when she pulls on red bikini bottoms that have a thong in the back.
We head to the backyard where there is an in-ground pool and adjoining hot tub.
I turn the dial to start the hot tub, and the pale blue water turns white and frothy with bubbles instantly.
We step into the hot tub with our plastic wineglasses freshly topped off.
Appa teased me when I swapped our glasses for plastic, but I told her she could ask my cousin—Enzo’s younger brother—why we don’t bring glass outside by the pool after he had to get stitches in his foot.
“Should I be offended you brought me up here while your whole family is away?” Appa asks, setting her plastic wineglass on the concrete edge behind her.
“No. You should be relieved.” I take a sip from mine and set it next to hers. “I thought coming here the first time would be overwhelming enough, and my family would make it even crazier. I love them, but like I said, so on top of each other.”
“Mm, that’s an idea.”
She moves from her seat in the bubbling hot water to straddle my lap and brings her glossy lips down to kiss my neck.
“What a segue,” I tease, placing my hands on the bare skin her bikini bottoms leave exposed. I hook a couple of my fingers under the fabric and pull it away from her skin. “Just so you know, my parents have security cameras out here.”
“Fine, but I don’t think they’ll see these.
” She moves the triangular cups of her string bikini to the sides to reveal her perfectly perky tits to me, but she doesn’t let me look long.
She quickly leans in and presses her lips to mine.
Her chest squishes against mine, her peaked nipples brushing my pierced ones.
My hands slide up her back instinctively, slipping under the thin string holding her tiny top together.
“Hope this isn’t making a bad first impression on your parents,” she jokes.
“No, they’re pretty thrilled I brought a girl home even if they’re not here.
” I cup the side of her head and bring her lips back to mine.
She reaches down between us, grabbing my erection through my swim trunks.
I let out an involuntary groan and break away from her lips.
“I’ll fuck you, but not here,” I whisper into her ear.
“Let’s go upstairs then…with more wine,” she mumbles as I kiss her neck.
Quickly returning to my old room, I sit back against the headboard after dropping my trunks and rest my forearms on the pillows beside me.
Appa stands in front of the bench and reaches behind her neck to untie the knot there.
The triangular fabric covering her chest falls, making a soft thud on the hardwood floor.
I curl my finger at her. “Come here,” I whisper.
A devilish smile plays on her lips as Appa crawls up the bed to me.
She plants herself in my lap again, and her wet bikini bottoms moisten my bare lap.
“Wet enough, baby?” I ask, untying the knots on each side of her hips simultaneously, and it feels like my damn birthday.
Her bikini bottoms join the matching top, residing somewhere on the floor.
“You tell me.” She lifts her hips, and I hold the base of my cock steady for her to lower herself onto. Appa fully seats herself on me, letting out a deep moan as she takes my full length with zero hesitation.
“Holy shit,” I groan. I lean down and kiss the warm, creamy skin of her tits, using my tongue to tease her taut nipples. “I used to picture this…you in this bed with my dick between your legs. And I’m never letting you go.”
“Manifest much?”
Before I can answer, she silences me with a kiss, barging her tongue into my mouth to find mine. Her lips taste like wine, and they might make me drunk.
You have no fucking idea, Appa.
Just a few years ago, I masturbated obsessively for weeks in this very bedroom to the fantasy of fucking her, but now, it’s finally happening. She doesn’t let me fantasize for long as her moans pull me out of the memory of how much I wallowed after graduation.
“Fuck, I love your dick,” she cries out, throwing her head back.
She squeezes her muscles around me, sinking back down on my length, and I know she’s on the brink of coming hard. “You’re about to take some serious come if you keep doing that,” I warn.
Appa laughs out, making her whole body vibrate all the way to my balls-deep cock. “Good, I’ll always take it.”
I’ll remember that, baby girl.