Page 42 of The Twins

“Sure, why not. It’s got the Northern Lights.”

“A wonderful basis for completely uprooting our lives and moving to a foreign country.” He scowls at my sarcasm, drops the plate just in time for me to get pelted with a slice of prime rib. He bites his lips to keep from laughing while I use my cloth napkin to clean up as best I can. “Finland it is. But I won’t fly anything but first-class. I’m to be a mafia wife, I expect luxury.”

He smiles and it transforms his face. Softens him, he looks years younger. Light. Unburdened. “You marry me, I’ll give you anything you want.”

“Just you.” I lean in and kiss him softly, moaning into his mouth when he deepens the kiss.

“We’ll probably have to bring my parents. They’re attached to Arlo.”

I groan and drop back into my seat with a frown. “Just our dads. My mom is crazy, and your mom might try to take me to a séance.” The room silences at our exchange.

Gertie stares at me with narrowed eyes. “One time.”

“I heard that’s all it took to bring evil into your womb.” Steven throws his hand up for a high-five which I return.

My future mother-in-law points her finger at me, “You, that was good. You’ll do nicely in this family. But you…” she turns to her husband, who looks a lot less giddy than he was a moment ago, “Kill. Bill.” Steven swallows hard, as an uneasy hush falls over the dining room.

“Gert. Baby—”

“I will roar. I will rampage. And I will get bloody satisfaction.”

“Now I see the family resemblance.” Harper comments, her eyes flashing between Gertie and Tovah.

Blanche stands up from her seat and saunters, that’s the only word to describe the motion of her hips as she floats to Gertie’s chair on the other side of the table. She runs her hand along Gertie’s back. “Enchantee.” Blanche practically purrs at Gertie’s ear. “You can call me Bloody Satisfaction.”

“Get away from my wife!” Steven yells, throwing his napkin down, pulling his wife from her seat and away from a laughing Blanche, and carrying her over his shoulder out of the room. She gives us all a thumb’s up.

“Our parents are gonna bone,” Tovah tells her twin unnecessarily.

“Yes, thank you for that,” he replies drily.

“I think Masud and I are gonna bone too.”

“Hey, Vandy?” I glance up and smile at Ruthie. “Can Zeppo and I come to Finland with you? We promise not to make it awkward.”

Masud 31.

I love sex. A whole lot. It is completely understandable why people allow this seemingly simple act to rule over their entire existence. I bet it’s not as good as having sex with Tovah. She’s…limber. And inventive.

Alas, we cannot fornicate every second of the day. Which is why we are now walking hand in hand into the entertainment room. Tovah’s cousins are spread out over various pieces of furniture.

Seeing everyone gathered shouldn’t be a big deal, but my chest still tightens. My anxiety is a work in progress, as Tovah puts it. Her hand in mine as she leads me to an open corner of a couch, is enough to keep me anchored though. She urges me to sit down, then she plops down in my lap, curling into me with a light press of her lips to my throat.

We settle in, talking with an exuberant Seril and Moshe sans Shon. They are obviously exhausted but happy to be childless for the night. I use the bathroom after a while. I’m surprised to find Blanche in the hallway waiting for me.

“You were watching?” I swallow hard, but nod. “Every time? I grunt in affirmation. “Did it hurt watching your woman with someone else?” I shake my head. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked for us at the time. “She’s been protecting you,” Blanche continues. “I know her well enough to know she wasn’t hiding you out of shame. She’s a tough bitch, earned the MOABAB title.” She closes the distance between us, her entire body coiling tight. “Now it’s your turn to protect her. Give her the freedom to relax, turn it all off. She doesn’t need to be ON all the time. I know she thinks everyone will fall apart without her supervision…but we all want her to be happy. To be loved like she deserves. Be that for her…or I will give you reason to wish for your past once again, as I will make that pain seem like a minor inconvenience.”

I refuse to smile at her threat. I know she means it to the depths of her soul, but it makes me happy to know that my wife inspires such loyalty from others. “Understood.”

“Good.” Blanche’s body posture softens slightly as she smirks, cocking a hip to the side. “Did you like what you saw?” She turns around, looking at me over her shoulder, “I do a lot of exercises to keep this ass high and tight.”

“You fucked my wife like a champ. Whatever you’re doing at the gym is working.” She spins back, lit up from my praise. “Besides my wife, your ass is easily top 10 I’ve seen.”

She frowns with a sound of outrage. “Top 10?!?”

“Yeah. Well, there was this one guy that tried to fuck over the mishpocheh. A real shame, he had an exceptional set of glutes. I legit bounced a quarter off his cheeks…before shoving a metal pipe between them and hooking it up to 400 amps of electricity.”

Blanche’s expression doesn’t change, but for a small tick at the corner of her eye. “I imagine he found that experience…shocking.”

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