Page 142 of La Dolce Vita

Apple Grove, Virginia - USA

"That was good eating, baby." Lorenzo burped, then patted his tummy.

Marietta laughed. He cracked her up. She winked and forked some more of her homemade mashed potatoes in her mouth with a sexy smile. When she glanced over to Giovanni's plate, she noticed it was clean too. She arched an eyebrow and met his stare.

She waited.

"Brava! Molto bene. Very tasty,grazie, Marietta," Giovanni said.

"Prego, Don Giovanni," she said with a curt nod.

"Where did you learn to cook like this? All you had was some potatoes, eggs, butter, milk, and chicken cutlets." Mirabella said.

"I had a few vegetables and some flour too. Enough to make dinner for two days. When you've had to survive on very little, you learn how to make a masterpiece out of nothing."

"Why did you have to survive on very little?" Giovanni asked.

Marietta shrugged. "Not much work for a sixteen-year-old runaway on the streets of Chicago. Just a lot of trouble to get into."

"She's something else. Strong, good cook, good wife.Tu sei l'unico per me--you're the only one for me." Lorenzo said and kissed his fingers before tossing the love into the air. Marietta leaned in and kissed her husband. It was a little long on the tongue and pornographic, with the licking and simulated moans of orgasmic pleasure. Mirabella cleared her throat.

"What, Miss Priss? He's my man; I can give him some tongue action when I want to," Marietta said.

"Yeah, but I'd like to finish eating first, please." Mirabella shuddered.

"Fine. We will have a proper dinner conversation. Let's start with this town and you?"

Mirabella looked up from her dinner. Her fork froze above her plate.

"Why did you leave this palace and go out into the big dangerous world?"

Everyone looked to Mirabella. She ate a few bites and drank her lemonade before she cleared her throat and spoke. "I was seventeen, almost eighteen. I did what most kids that age do. I left," Mirabella said and then looked at her watch. "I feel weird. Tired. Look at that sun," she gestured her head toward the window. "It's still early. It's only seven. "

"If we were home it would be midnight," Giovanni said. "It's gonna take some time to adjust."

"I feel fine," Lorenzo said as he cleaned his teeth with his tongue. "Wish I had some desert, though."

"What time is this party for you tomorrow,Bella?" Giovanni asked.

"Minnie said the cookout would start at two," Mirabella answered. "It's a party for all of us, not just me. Word travels fast in this town. Everyone is coming. So many people want to meet you," she pointed at Marietta.

"Me? Why me?"

"You're the long lost daughter finally coming home," Giovanni said.

"Consider yourself the guest of honor," Mirabella teased.

It made Marietta feel good. She loved the attention. However, she still felt a bit troubled by how her sister avoided the subject of talking about her past here in Apple Grove. There was a knock at the door. Marietta glanced up.

"I'll get it. Probably a cousin or two coming by to see us. We can expect visits and phone calls." Mirabella pushed away from the table and left to answer the door. Marietta reached for the pitcher of lemonade. Minnie had made them a fresh pitcher before they arrived and it was so good it was almost gone.

"Uhm, Giovanni, these men are here..."

Marietta looked up. Two men walked in. One was short; one was tall. Both looked mean and Italian. The tall one wore dark sunglasses and had thick curly hair with a mustache so thick it covered his top lip. The short one was clean shaven and had no facial hair. But his tan was so dark it didn't look natural. He wore a shiny grey suit with a black silk shirt and kept it unbuttoned. Gold chains were around his neck and many gold rings adorned his fingers. His diamond gold watch caught Marietta's eye. She'd seen his kind before. She dealt with men like him in Chicago.

"Giovanni!Che piacere vederti! " The short one said and opened his arms.

A confused Mirabella stepped back. Giovanni stood, and so did Lorenzo. Marietta wasn't sure what to make of the reunion, as their men hesitated at first and didn't return the warm greeting. But Giovanni softened. He walked over and greeted the man in a friendly manner. And then without a word to his wife and Marietta, he told them in Italian they would speak outside.

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