smiling nervously at Ricky and Joey DiDinato. Vivi had agonized over whether to take Anthony’s suggestion, precisely because the brothers DiDinato were the priciest contractors of the lot. But then she’d remembered Natalie telling her price was no object. When she’d mentioned the estimate to Natalie before contacting the brothers, Natalie’s impatient response had been, “Yes, yes, whatever you want,” her aversion to managing the myriad details clear. Yet now that it was actually time to sign the contract, Natalie was balking.
Joey DiDinato, a squat man with a pair of tattooed biceps that rivaled Popeye’s and a face that looked like it had been flattened by a shovel, raised an unruly eyebrow. “We got a problem here, ladies?”
“No,” said Vivi.
“Yes,” Natalie countered, glaring at her. “This estimate seems very high to me.”
“Compared to what?” asked Ricky DiDinato, whose physique matched his brother’s but whose leathery face boasted more contour.
“Others we’ve received,” said Natalie.
Joey snorted through his bulldog nose. “Hire the others, then.” He started to rise from his folding chair, but Vivi waved him back down.
“Please,” she said frantically. “Can you just wait one minute while I talk to my sister in private?”
“Sure.” He stood again. “Me and Ricky’ll go get a samwich. We’ll be back in ten.”
“Thank you,” Vivi said as the men sauntered out of the empty candy store, their irritation obvious.
“‘Samwich’?” Natalie repeated disdainfully as they closed the door. “Can you believe—”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Natalie’s mouth tightened. “I beg your pardon?”
“I told you what hiring the brothers would cost. You said it was fine. Now, all of a sudden, it’s not fine?”
Natalie smoothed the front of her trousers. “Vivi, doesn’t this estimate seem high to you? I mean, really.”
“We agreed we wanted the best, Natalie. These brothers are supposed to be the best.”
“According to whom?”
Vivi gestured across the street. “According to Anthony Dante.”
“The Gravy Man?” Natalie hooted. “Oh, yes, I’m sure he steered you in the right direction!”
“What do you mean?” Vivi asked crossly.
Natalie looked at her like she was a simpleton. “Did it never cross your mind that he recommended the DiDinato brothers because they’re the worst?”
Vivi shook her head in disbelief. No, it hadn’t crossed her mind. Anthony Dante was an arrogant jackass—a jackass who’d yet to track her down bearing one of his own culinary creations, she noted with some satisfaction—but devious? He didn’t seem the type.
“I don’t think he would do that, Natalie.”
“Did you even double check and ask them if they worked on Dante’s?” Natalie questioned.
“There was no reason to. When they gave me a list of references, Anthony’s name was on it.”
“Maybe they’re in league together.”
“Natalie, listen to yourself. What you’re saying is crazy.”
“Maybe to you, but—” She broke off.
Vivi approached her with concern. “What is it, sweet girl? Why are you so upset?”
“I don’t know.” Natalie seemed anxious. “Sometimes I wonder if we haven’t made a huge mistake, moving here without thinking things through.”
“We did think things through,” Vivi pointed out tersely. She was not about to let Natalie rewrite history just because she was experiencing a moment of doubt.
“Are you sure?” Natalie asked, sounding desperate for reassurance.
“More sure than I’ve ever been in my life,” Vivi declared. She wasn’t just saying it; with each passing day, she felt more confident in her surroundings. The people in Bensonhurst were so nice! They were hardworking, down to earth, and utterly without pretension—so different from so many of the people Vivi encountered when she moved from Avignon to Paris. She was starting to feel at home here, happy she’d chosen to live where she’d be
Joey DiDinato, a squat man with a pair of tattooed biceps that rivaled Popeye’s and a face that looked like it had been flattened by a shovel, raised an unruly eyebrow. “We got a problem here, ladies?”
“No,” said Vivi.
“Yes,” Natalie countered, glaring at her. “This estimate seems very high to me.”
“Compared to what?” asked Ricky DiDinato, whose physique matched his brother’s but whose leathery face boasted more contour.
“Others we’ve received,” said Natalie.
Joey snorted through his bulldog nose. “Hire the others, then.” He started to rise from his folding chair, but Vivi waved him back down.
“Please,” she said frantically. “Can you just wait one minute while I talk to my sister in private?”
“Sure.” He stood again. “Me and Ricky’ll go get a samwich. We’ll be back in ten.”
“Thank you,” Vivi said as the men sauntered out of the empty candy store, their irritation obvious.
“‘Samwich’?” Natalie repeated disdainfully as they closed the door. “Can you believe—”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Natalie’s mouth tightened. “I beg your pardon?”
“I told you what hiring the brothers would cost. You said it was fine. Now, all of a sudden, it’s not fine?”
Natalie smoothed the front of her trousers. “Vivi, doesn’t this estimate seem high to you? I mean, really.”
“We agreed we wanted the best, Natalie. These brothers are supposed to be the best.”
“According to whom?”
Vivi gestured across the street. “According to Anthony Dante.”
“The Gravy Man?” Natalie hooted. “Oh, yes, I’m sure he steered you in the right direction!”
“What do you mean?” Vivi asked crossly.
Natalie looked at her like she was a simpleton. “Did it never cross your mind that he recommended the DiDinato brothers because they’re the worst?”
Vivi shook her head in disbelief. No, it hadn’t crossed her mind. Anthony Dante was an arrogant jackass—a jackass who’d yet to track her down bearing one of his own culinary creations, she noted with some satisfaction—but devious? He didn’t seem the type.
“I don’t think he would do that, Natalie.”
“Did you even double check and ask them if they worked on Dante’s?” Natalie questioned.
“There was no reason to. When they gave me a list of references, Anthony’s name was on it.”
“Maybe they’re in league together.”
“Natalie, listen to yourself. What you’re saying is crazy.”
“Maybe to you, but—” She broke off.
Vivi approached her with concern. “What is it, sweet girl? Why are you so upset?”
“I don’t know.” Natalie seemed anxious. “Sometimes I wonder if we haven’t made a huge mistake, moving here without thinking things through.”
“We did think things through,” Vivi pointed out tersely. She was not about to let Natalie rewrite history just because she was experiencing a moment of doubt.
“Are you sure?” Natalie asked, sounding desperate for reassurance.
“More sure than I’ve ever been in my life,” Vivi declared. She wasn’t just saying it; with each passing day, she felt more confident in her surroundings. The people in Bensonhurst were so nice! They were hardworking, down to earth, and utterly without pretension—so different from so many of the people Vivi encountered when she moved from Avignon to Paris. She was starting to feel at home here, happy she’d chosen to live where she’d be
Similar Books
