Page 53 of His Tesoro

“Aww, big, strong Mafia man hurt himself,” Sienna said. And then we both burst out laughing.

Eventually, we ordered food—sushi, which I’d never tried—and made our way into Sienna’s apartment. Her home was similar to Matteo’s, just smaller, and it felt cozier and more lived-in. There were collections of art on most of the walls, and all the furniture had bright pillows and blankets. I was sure Matteo didn’t want me changing anything in his apartment, but maybe I could eventually ask Sienna to help me pick a few things to personalize my bedroom.

Angelo went down to the lobby to get the sushi delivery, and Romeo poured us glasses of sake. Angelo returned with an armload of bags, and I raised an eyebrow at the copious amount of trays they arranged on the dining room table.

“How are we going to eat this much?” I asked.

“You think it’s enough? I feel like I should have ordered more,” Sienna said.

I laughed, but then realized she was serious. The sushi did look good. Mila had always wanted to try some. I took a picture of the table to send to her later.

We sat down at the table and Romeo moved my wheelchair off to the side.

“To Sofiya’s new wheelchair,” Sienna said, holding up her glass of sake. We all toasted, and I took a sip. The drink was cool and crisp with an edge of sweetness, and I decided I liked it. I rarely drank, never having much access or interest in alcohol.

“Okay, start with this,” Sienna said, using her chopsticks to put a colorful piece of sushi on my plate. “Put the ginger on top with some wasabi and then dip it in soy sauce.”

“And then I just eat it in one bite?”

“Yep,” Romeo said, popping his fourth piece into his mouth.

“Alright.” I clumsily picked it up with my chopsticks and popped it in my mouth, chewing slowly.

“Well?” Sienna stared at me expectantly.

“That was good.” My voice came out suspiciously high-pitched.

Angelo laughed. “You really are the worst liar.”

“That’s okay,” Sienna said, putting two new pieces on my plate. “That’s why we got a selection. This is spicy tuna and then this is a California roll. They’re better for beginners.”

I took several sips of sake to get rid of the taste of the first roll and braced myself before picking up the spicy tuna roll. The first one had truly been disgusting, and the second was just as bad. I wasn’t a huge fan of seafood in general, and something about the texture of the sushi was really not for me.

I smiled at Sienna once I’d swallowed the two new pieces she’d given me, but based on her expression, it must have come out as a grimace.

“I’m sorry,” I said, taking another long drink of sake. “It might not be for me.”

“We’re going to find one that you like,” Sienna said, full of determination as she put another selection on my plate. Angelo and Romeo gave me sympathetic looks.

After consuming more sushi than I’d ever dreamed of or wanted, Sienna put one last piece on my plate, looking absolutely defeated.

“Okay, this is a vegetarian roll. It has cucumber and avocado. You have to like this one.”

I dipped it in soy sauce and put the whole thing in my mouth, chewing slowly.

“Well?” Romeo asked.

I swallowed. “I don’t think I like seaweed.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re hopeless,” Sienna said.

I grinned. “Completely.”

“Do you want me to order something else?” Angelo asked.

“Absolutely not,” I said. “Sienna’s practically force-fed me my bodyweight in sushi.”

She sniffed. “I’m not sure how I can be friends with someone who has such an unrefined palate.”

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