Chapter 28
ENZO
My office is mostly quiet except for the soft hum of voices that carries every once in a while, as everyone continues to work. Things have been super busy since I walked in here this morning.
My desk is filled with papers that need to be attended to, arranged in different piles in order of importance, just waiting for me to get through them.
I pick up my phone and dial my receptionist, who answers right away. “Send Gary into my office.”
A moment later, there’s a knock on my office door. “Come in,” I call out.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” Gary asks when he steps into my office.
“Take these up to legal,” I tell him, handing him a folder that contains the set of papers I was working on. “Tell them to redraft the contract with all the changes I’ve made.”
“Yes, sir,” he says, scurrying out the door.
Silence returns, and I’m just about to grab another stack of papers when my cell phone rings. I quickly pick it up from my desk to see my father’s name on the screen.
“Hey, Dad. What’s going on? Now is not a good time, I’m in the middle of—”
“Oh, yes. I’m sure you’re in the middle of playing catch-up on all the work you’ve missed while being gone for a week or so,” he tells me.
“How did… never mind,” I mutter.
“You’ll never believe where I’m currently sitting right now,” he says, and I let out a sigh, knowing he won’t let me get off the phone until he eventually says what it is he called for.
“All right. I’ll bite. Where are you?”
“You’re a little shit, you know that?” he asks, humor lacing his voice.
“What did I do?” I ask, groaning over the line. I mean, it could be a million things, you know?
“What did I do?” my father mimics, trying to sound like me, while his scoff is heard over the line.
“I’ll tell you what you did! I’m currently sitting in your home office after having just met your very pregnant wife.
At least now I know why you were so interested in Salvatore’s wedding.
” I can almost see him giving me an eye roll through the phone.
“Ah shit,” I groan. I think my wife might kill me for this ambush, especially since I'm not there with her. Though, to be fair, I had no idea that my parents were going to stop by the penthouse.
“Yep. Shit is about correct. You got married! I’m hurt you didn’t invite us to your wedding,” he says, sounding fake hurt.
“I was going to tell you guys soon,” I try to placate the man.
“Yeah, when?” he questions.
“Last week we were a little busy—” I say, but then he cuts me off.
“I’m sure you were.” He snickers. “And to think if your mother didn’t miss you and decided that enough was enough by coming to see you at the penthouse, then we never would have known.”
“I was busy,” I defend.
“Let me give you a little tip. Next time you want to keep a secret from your mother, make sure you still remember to go see her and act normal,” he reminds me.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. I forgot how Ma gets when she doesn’t see me for a while.
Anyway, I was going to tell you guys when I had the PR stuff ready to go, and obviously before I announced it, which is all done as of this morning.
I don’t want her father coming after her, but knowing how dumb the asshole is, I’m sure he will,” I mutter over the line.
“Hey, I’m just fucking with you, son. I’m happy for you. I just can’t believe you stole her from Salvatore. I really should have seen this coming. That asshole will try coming after you as well,” he says, laughing his ass off.
“I’m glad you find your only son going off to war funny,” I grumble.
“Eh. I’m not worried. You’ve trained well,” he says, voice filled with confidence in my abilities.
“I know. And of course, I had to steal her away. She’s carrying my child,” I glance down at my left hand, where my ring is sitting, and can’t help the cheesy smile that crosses my face, letting go of all the day’s headache for a moment.
“Is this baby really yours?” he asks, and I get why he needs to know, since I haven’t told him anything yet.
“Yes. And can you make sure that piece of information doesn’t get leaked?
Bernardo doesn’t know she’s carrying my child, and I think it’s safer for her this way.
He just thinks she hooked up with someone random,” I tell my dad.
Aria and I had this conversation, and she told me she held out not giving him a name and instead told him it was with someone random because he would have killed her if he knew it was my baby she’s carrying.
“When did all of this happen?”
“A few months ago,” I confess.
“You sneaky little shit! Had us worried about you never getting married or giving us a grandchild, all the while you were busy knocking the girl up.” He laughs. “She’s very beautiful. How that ugly fuck Bernardo created such a beauty baffles me.”
“Hey, eyes off my wife, old man,” I grumble, while he just begins laughing again.
“Is this what you really want?” he asks after he’s done laughing, his tone carrying a serious note now.
“Yes. She’s everything I didn’t even know I wanted. She and the baby,” I tell him honestly.
“Then I’m happy for you, son. Your mother and I both are,” he says, the love he has for me coating his voice. “By the way, she’s with your mother in the living room, and they’re planning a big party for Saturday.”
“Oh, dear God, no!” I groan. “You couldn’t tell her no?”
“Hey, I’m not about to piss off my wife and face the consequences alone.” He snickers.
“Thanks for no help at all.” I scoff.
“You’re welcome.” He chuckles.
“I’ll be home soon,” I tell him.
“See you later,” he says before hanging up. I look up my PR firm’s number in my contacts and call my publicist.
“Hello, Mr. Andretti. Calling again so soon. What else can I help you with?”
“I want the marriage announcement to go out so it can hit the pages in the morning,” I order.
“Consider it done,” she tells me before hanging up.
I call Dorothy next and tell her not to make dinner because I’ll be picking something up. A few hours later, I grab my jacket and head out the door, leaving the rest of the work for tomorrow.
I grab dinner and dessert for all of us on my way home since I already texted Dad and told him to stay for dinner.
Aldo helps me carry up all the bags, and when we get to the door, Bruno and Umberto help take everything into the kitchen before I dismiss them for the day.
I see Giana in the kitchen, and I hand her a bag. “Dinner’s in here for you.”
“Thanks,” she says, sitting down at the table.
“Hey, guys,” I say, walking into the living room and going to sit right next to my wife, pulling her into my arms and kissing her.
“How was spending the day with my parents?” I whisper.
“Amazing! I love them,” she tells me, a happy and serene smile lighting up her face.
“I’m glad,” I tell her before turning to my parents. “I brought dinner.”
We all head toward the dining room and eat together. The conversation flows, and we’re all having a good time. There’s genuine happiness on my wife’s face as she talks with my parents, and I see the same reflected on theirs. That is all that matters to me at the moment.