CHAPTER SIX
“I need you to have my back, Jimmy. If you tell Daddy it’s a good idea, then he’ll consider it because he respects you.”
“Sophie said she’ll back you,” Jimmy said. “You don’t need me too.”
“I told him,” Sophia said.
They were in the dining room having breakfast. Their parents’ chef, who runs one of the five-star restaurants downstairs, brought up a spread that was far more than any of them could ever eat.
But Carmine was giving it a good go. “And stop eating like there’s no tomorrow, boy. Dang, Carmine,” she added.
“I’ll stop eating like there’s no tomorrow when Jimmy stop behaving as if he’s Switzerland.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” It was Reno. He and Trina were walking into the dining hall when Carmine made that statement.
When their children saw them, they all inwardly smiled.
Reno was dressed in his always super-expensive suit that looked crisp and fresh that morning but was going to look slept-in and well-worn by the time Reno finished with it at the end of the day.
Trina, by contrast, wore a pristine peach-colored tweed above-the-knee skirt suit that looked stitched on it fit so well.
And it would look that way all day long.
On the surface they didn’t match at all. Despite his best efforts, Reno had mob written all over him while Trina, with the stylish prescription eyeglasses she now had to wear more than just for reading, looked more like a college professor than the owner of a huge chain of luxury boutiques.
But Jimmy knew it wasn’t just the clothes that gave them that odd couple vibe.
They fought like cats and dogs ever since he first met them.
Reno didn’t know he existed until he was a teenager, but from the day he walked into their home they would fight and fight and then somehow make it work.
Somehow they made dysfunction functional.
“What are you yelling at my baby about?” Trina asked as they walked in.
“I’m not a baby, Mother,” Carmine pointed out.
“He eats like he’s Ethiopian,” Sophia said.
Reno frowned. “What’s with all this talk of countries? First Switzerland. Now Ethiopia.”
“Switzerland is supposed to be neutral,” said Sophia. “Jimmy was acting as if he was neutral. And I only said Ethiopia because Carmine is eating like he’s starving to death.”
“Then say that,” said Reno. “All Ethiopians aren’t starving to death, what are you stupid? It’s a historic country. The great Moses from the Bible had an Ethiopian wife, so put some respect on that country.”
Everybody looked at Reno with shock in their eyes.
“What you just said about Moses is correct, Father,” said a surprised Carmine. “But how would you know that?”
Trina and Jimmy laughed.
“Very funny,” said Reno.
“And I didn’t mean to be disrespectful of an entire country, Daddy,” said Sophia. “I just meant he’s eating like he’s starving to death.”
“They shouldn’t bring all this food and not expect people to eat it,” Carmine shot back.
“True that,” said Reno as he sat down.
Trina was Jimmy’s stepmother, but because he was biracial just like Trina’s biological children Dommi, Sophia, and Carmine were, he was often mistaken as her biological son too.
Since his mother died a long time ago, he never felt the need to correct the misperception.
He loved and respected Trina above any woman alive.
That was why, when he saw that his father had taken a seat without bothering to ensure Trina had a seat, Jimmy hopped up to hold the chair for his stepmother to sit down.
“Thank you so much, Jimmy,” Trina said as she sat and looked over at Reno. “You are such a gentleman. Your father could learn a lot from you.”
“What learn? You don’t be complaining when you’re spending my money,” Reno said as he began putting food on his plate from the trays on the table.
All three children looked at Trina for a response. She never let Reno get away with anything. But she didn’t say a word.
“You’re going to let that stand?” asked Sophia.
“Let what stand?” asked Trina as she began putting food on her plate too.
“Daddy said you don’t complain while you’re spending his money. But you have your own money to spend.”
Reno gave a one-syllable chuckle that made them all look at Trina. “Well Ma?” asked Jimmy.
“He’s not wrong,” Trina said.
That response surprised them all. “What does that mean?” Jimmy asked her.
“Champagne’s Clothing Boutiques have been struggling just like many businesses in this recession. Unless they’re colossal businesses like your father’s. We’ve been bleeding money. That’s just a fact. If it wasn’t for Reno we’d be out of business already.”
“Really?” Even Sophia was surprised to hear it.
“Your father’s money has been keeping the doors open for over a year now.
I wanted to give up on that dream six months ago with all the money we’ve lost year over year, but he wouldn’t let me.
He said if I hold on, I may be able to see my way to the other side. So we’re holding on. But just barely.”
‘What about Uncle Sal?” asked Jimmy. “He’s rich like Pop. He’s not pinching in too?”
“I haven’t even told Gemma the state of our financial affairs yet, so you know I’m not about to tell Sal.
Gemma’s a busy attorney. She’s more of a silent partner now that her law firm keeps expanding.
She leaves the running of the business in my hands.
I guess I’ve been too embarrassed to tell her that I’ve run it in the ground. ”
Reno placed his hand on her hand. “You’re doing better than most people would have done in similar circumstances,” he said and squeezed her hand.
Trina reached over to touch his hand for his kind gesture, but he had already removed it.
But that was Reno: a romantic he was not!
But he’d never know how much his encouragement meant to her.
And although Reno was oblivious to the fact that he had removed his hand before Trina could squeeze back, their children weren’t. Jimmy and Sophia glanced at each other.
“When she first opened Champagne’s,” Reno continued talking, “she wouldn’t listen to a word I had to say. She and Gemma knew it all. They didn’t know shit, but they thought they knew it all.”
“But I listen now,” Trina said. “You’re the best businessman in America hands down.”
“What America?” asked Reno. “Who in this world got me beat?”
The children laughed. Jimmy shook his head. “You are so modest, Pop!”
“Modesty don’t get you nothing but a good lay,” Reno said, and Trina and Jimmy were floored.
“Reno!” Trina yelled.
“Pop!” Jimmy yelled. “There’s a child at this table.”
“What child?”
“This child,” said Carmine. “Although I fail to see what you mean. Modesty is a virtue, and not in any sexual context either.”
“Okay that’s enough,” said Trina. “Just knock it off! Besides, don’t you have classes to get to, Carmine?”
“Yes, and I’ll get to them. I always do.”
“You wanted to take your very expensive private school classes online this semester, and we agreed as a test. If your grades drop even one letter, that’s it. That’s over.”
“They won’t drop, Ma,” Sophia reminded her. “This is Carmine we’re talking about. Carmine can do that school work in his sleep. I heard they’re talking about allowing him to skip all the way to the twelfth grade.”
Reno shook his head. “And they tried to stop my ass from going to the second grade when I was a kid. And they’re trying to throw him to the twelfth? I’ll be damn. That’s full circle right there.”
“Go get online and get to work, Carmine,” said Trina. “He’s not skipping anything until he learns better time management. Which he hasn’t learned yet. Now get to work.”
Carmine wanted to object, but he knew his parents. “Yes ma’am,” he said, got up, and left the table.
“I’ve got to run too,” Sophia said as she got up and left as well.
Reno looked at Jimmy. “Where’s your daughter? Where’s Madison?”
“I told you, Pop, she was in Florida visiting Glo. I haven’t spoken to her this morning yet. You talked to Dommi yet?”
Reno frowned. “What’s with me and Dommi talking? No. He’s got my number. I don’t have time to be running his ass down. Why you so concerned about that?”
“I’m not concerned like that, but I think you ought to call him, Pop.”
“I told him,” said Trina. “Being a sheriff is not easy.”
“In that little town? Give me a break,” said Reno. Then his phone rang. He looked at the Caller ID, saw that it was his casino security chief. “What now? Already? I’m on my way,” Reno said and ended the call. Then he grabbed a slice of bacon and stood up.
“What is it?” Jimmy asked him.
“Two cocksuckers fighting in my casino.”
“This time of morning?” Jimmy asked as Trina’s phone buzzed with a text message too.
“Yes, this time of morning. They’ve been on a drunk all night. They’re trying to tear up the place.” Reno gave Trina a kiss in the mouth, gave Jimmy a kiss on his head, and was about to leave until he saw the look on Trina’s face as she read her text message.
“What?” Reno asked her.
But she was engrossed in that text message. He and Jimmy looked at each other.
Then suddenly Trina got up from the table as she threw her phone in her briefcase.
“What’s happened?” a now concerned Reno asked her.
“Just an um … just a problem with the inventory at the boutique. I’d better get over there.” She kissed Reno on the mouth as if she had forgotten he’d already kissed her, and she hurried out.
“But you haven’t even eaten yet?” Reno yelled after her.
“I’ll eat at Champagne’s,” Trina yelled back as she hurried for the exit.
“What the,” Reno said as he looked at Jimmy.
“Don’t look at me,” Jimmy said as he stood up to leave. “And don’t you have a crisis of your own downstairs?”
“What crisis?” Reno asked with a frown on his face.
“The one you just mentioned to us. The all-night drunk that’s tearing up the place as we speak? Remember that?”
“Oh right!” Reno began hurrying out too.
But Trina, not that casino, was on his mind.