Page 14 of Bride Unwanted

“But first, we have to get pizza, so you will stop pestering me.”

Her lips pout, but I know she is hungry. Sex will be lackluster unless I get some food in her. My performance would suffer as well. So food before fun.

Pressing the button to open the front door, I extend my hand toward the opening.

“Ladies first,” I say in the most gentlemanly way I can muster.

She nods, like a queen accepting a curtsy, and walks through and out to the car. I open her door for her and offer my hand to help her inside. I close the door behind her and walk around and climb in myself.

The ride to the pizzeria that a friend of mine owns won’t take long, as it isn’t too far away. I used to eat there as a kid almost every day after school. His dad owned it then, a capo to my old man. His old man has been in prison now for eight years.

He took the fall for a coke shipment and got sentenced to ten to fifteen years. Now his son, Joey, runs the place. As soon as we walk in, I hear a yell from the back near the ovens.

“Oooh, hey, Talon,” Joey calls. “I haven’t seen you in a hundred years, it feels like. Come, give me a hug.”

We give each other a stiff embrace. Breaking away, I look around and feel at home. This place hasn’t changed in twenty years.

“Hey, Joey, meet my wife, Callie,” I say, beaming with pride.

“Wife? When the hell did that happen?” he asks with wide eyes.

I take a minute and explain everything to him. After giving him the brief version of events, he shakes his head in amazement.

“I never thought I’d see the day you’d settle down.” He chuckles.

The comment brings a smile to my face as well. My father would agree.

“Listen, Callie wanted to have the best pizza in town. So obviously, I brought her here. We’ll be in the corner. Just send out some of your best stuff for her to try.”

“Of course, anything you want, it’s on the house. I’ll grab you some drinks.”

Nodding at him, I take Callie’s hand and lead her to our table. Taking the seat with my back to the wall so I can see the whole restaurant.

“My grandfather used to do that,” Callie says.

“What? Be friends with a dude who runs a pizza shop?” I tease.

“No.” She laughs. “Sit with his back to the wall. He was in Vietnam. Did you serve?”

“No. It’s just the nature of my business. It makes me on edge sometimes.”

It wasn’t really a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth. A truth I planned on telling her after my vacation. That her husband was in line to take over the biggest crime family in New York.

That being paranoid is something that keeps you alive. Joey comes over and saves me from further questioning with some beer for me and wine for her. He also brings a few slices of pizza out and sits them on the table.

“Thanks, Joey.”

“No problem, Boss,” Joey returns.

A confused look comes over Callie’s face and before she can consider his comment anymore, I bring out her gift.

“I need you to go to the bathroom and put these on,” I say, more of a statement than a request.

She takes the small box from me and opens it. She immediately turns red and looks up at me.

“You want me to change my panties…now?” she whispers.

“Those aren’t just panties,” I say, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. “Those are vibrating panties. They will stimulate your clit. I want you good and wet by the time we get home. Now go put them on.”

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