but I haven’t had the time in the past year or so. What with the whole running-for-my-life thing,” he said wryly, downing the rest of his champagne. “Every story I told you was true, Isla. Matter fact, the star of your favorite one is,” he pointed at the kid’s table, “right over there.”
I turned to see a girl no older than twelve in a Volcom T-shirt, hot pink skirt and checkered socks. “Is that Gianna?” I smiled, waving when she caught my eye.
“My mini-me,” Jesse grinned, waving her over. In a flash, she bolted from the other kids, running to our table and slamming into Jesse with a force that nearly toppled his chair. “Easy!” he laughed as she scooted him halfway off his seat to take her own. “Gia, I want you to meet a friend of mine. This is Isla,” Jesse said, taking her hand and offering it to me when she simply sat there for a moment, still overcome by her giggles.
“You’re prettier than his last girlfriend,” she said as we shook hands.
I lifted an eyebrow. “Am I now?”
“She was a crazy person!”
“Gia, that’s not nice,” Jesse said, though he turned to me and mouthed “ she was a crazy person .”
“Good to know. So, Gianna, I hear you’re a pretty awesome skateboarder now.”
“Not as good as Jesse. We built a ramp in the basement though. How did you guys meet?”
I blinked, trying to process the rapid topic changes. Jesse palmed her head like a basketball and wiggled it from side to side. “Excuse her,” he said as she laughed hysterically. “The kids in her grade are starting to couple up and she just got her first boyfriend, so she’s extra curious about dating.” He grinned when Gianna snapped her head to him with eyes that asked, “ Who told you? ” “I still talked to your mom while I was gone, Gia. I know about everything, kiddo, down to the fight with Jen Massi’s brother,” he said, holding a firm stare. But then at the same time, they broke into big twin smiles and bumped fists. “Good job. That kid’s a fuckin’ punk.”
Gianna beamed for exactly two seconds before pressing on with hyper curiosity. “Wait, so how did you guys meet? Actually! Actually. I changed my mind. How… did you know you liked her?” Her eyes, a shade lighter than Jesse’s, gleamed as she looked up at him. I lifted an eyebrow and played along.
“Interesting question. How did you know you liked me, Jesse?”
He laughed and shrugged, nonchalant. “Well, I’m not gonna bullshit you, Gia, I took one look at her and I thought she was really pretty but no guy should like you just for that, so make sure this Robbie character is dating you because you’re pretty and badass, alright?” With a solemn nod from Gianna, he continued. “Anyway, I also liked that Isla and I had a lot in common. I found out she ran track in high school and hey, I ran track in high school. She used to teach fifth graders and what do you know, my fifth grade teacher was my favorite one ever. So that’s nice, right?”
Gianna looked unimpressed. “That’s it?”
“No. There are a few other things we have in common but I can’t tell you those till you’re older. But I can tell you that Isla also had a little sister she loved as much as I love Uncle Stefan.”
I flinched at the mention of Stefan, staring in shock at Jesse’s ability to mention him so casually. I stared at him as Gianna wrinkled her nose.
“Where is Uncle Stefan?”
“Traveling,” Jesse said flatly. The answer seemed to suffice. “Hey, Gia, do me a favor, alright? Go in the kitchen and ask Carla if she can make that tiramisu we like. You know she makes it with more love when you ask,” he said, sending her off with a pat on the back. He took his time to return his eyes to me.
“Couple questions,” I said when he finally did.
“Figured.”
“One – does your family know about… Stefan?” I whispered.
“The ones who need to
I turned to see a girl no older than twelve in a Volcom T-shirt, hot pink skirt and checkered socks. “Is that Gianna?” I smiled, waving when she caught my eye.
“My mini-me,” Jesse grinned, waving her over. In a flash, she bolted from the other kids, running to our table and slamming into Jesse with a force that nearly toppled his chair. “Easy!” he laughed as she scooted him halfway off his seat to take her own. “Gia, I want you to meet a friend of mine. This is Isla,” Jesse said, taking her hand and offering it to me when she simply sat there for a moment, still overcome by her giggles.
“You’re prettier than his last girlfriend,” she said as we shook hands.
I lifted an eyebrow. “Am I now?”
“She was a crazy person!”
“Gia, that’s not nice,” Jesse said, though he turned to me and mouthed “ she was a crazy person .”
“Good to know. So, Gianna, I hear you’re a pretty awesome skateboarder now.”
“Not as good as Jesse. We built a ramp in the basement though. How did you guys meet?”
I blinked, trying to process the rapid topic changes. Jesse palmed her head like a basketball and wiggled it from side to side. “Excuse her,” he said as she laughed hysterically. “The kids in her grade are starting to couple up and she just got her first boyfriend, so she’s extra curious about dating.” He grinned when Gianna snapped her head to him with eyes that asked, “ Who told you? ” “I still talked to your mom while I was gone, Gia. I know about everything, kiddo, down to the fight with Jen Massi’s brother,” he said, holding a firm stare. But then at the same time, they broke into big twin smiles and bumped fists. “Good job. That kid’s a fuckin’ punk.”
Gianna beamed for exactly two seconds before pressing on with hyper curiosity. “Wait, so how did you guys meet? Actually! Actually. I changed my mind. How… did you know you liked her?” Her eyes, a shade lighter than Jesse’s, gleamed as she looked up at him. I lifted an eyebrow and played along.
“Interesting question. How did you know you liked me, Jesse?”
He laughed and shrugged, nonchalant. “Well, I’m not gonna bullshit you, Gia, I took one look at her and I thought she was really pretty but no guy should like you just for that, so make sure this Robbie character is dating you because you’re pretty and badass, alright?” With a solemn nod from Gianna, he continued. “Anyway, I also liked that Isla and I had a lot in common. I found out she ran track in high school and hey, I ran track in high school. She used to teach fifth graders and what do you know, my fifth grade teacher was my favorite one ever. So that’s nice, right?”
Gianna looked unimpressed. “That’s it?”
“No. There are a few other things we have in common but I can’t tell you those till you’re older. But I can tell you that Isla also had a little sister she loved as much as I love Uncle Stefan.”
I flinched at the mention of Stefan, staring in shock at Jesse’s ability to mention him so casually. I stared at him as Gianna wrinkled her nose.
“Where is Uncle Stefan?”
“Traveling,” Jesse said flatly. The answer seemed to suffice. “Hey, Gia, do me a favor, alright? Go in the kitchen and ask Carla if she can make that tiramisu we like. You know she makes it with more love when you ask,” he said, sending her off with a pat on the back. He took his time to return his eyes to me.
“Couple questions,” I said when he finally did.
“Figured.”
“One – does your family know about… Stefan?” I whispered.
“The ones who need to
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