Page 45 of Shutout
“Bambino, you are too skinny!” she exclaims when it’s my turn.
I know for a fact that I am not skinny. I could eat the whole kitchen if they let me. “How are you, Mrs. Cassiano?”
“Busy.” She puts her hands on her hips. “Trying to convince that son of mine to come visit his elderly mother for the holidays. Apparently he has ‘a game’ before Thanksgiving.”
Ah, she’s talking about Max. The fact that she made quote marks with her fingers before ‘a game’ is funny. She doesn’t care at all that her youngest son is the hottest forward in the league.
Grinning, I say, “Give me two years and I’ll make his life on ice so miserable, he’ll want to escape home for the holidays.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” But by the way she’s smiling, I can tell she doesn’t believe anyone can take her son down. Would that I could have a mother like her. “What can I get you, bambino?”
“Extra large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese,” I say, pausing for her to key it into the computer. “And also one Olivia special.”
Her eyes lift from the screen. “Well. It’s been a while.”
“I know.” I stuff my hands in my pockets, trying to appear nonchalant. Even though everyone in this town knows that Liv and I weren’t speaking. In fact, I’m surprised her brother hasn’t already called me to warn me off. I don’t think Aran ever liked me much.
He’ll find out after tonight, though. Because Mrs. Cassiano will tell Max, who will tell his wife, Luz, who will tell her younger brother without a doubt. I’m sure Aran will rant about the little shit who’s back in his sister’s life to his wife, Maddie.She might mention it in passing to her mom, and Mrs. Berkley, being Lee’s teacher, might end up passing the message along to my father through my half-brother.
I wonder if this is enough to get him to talk with me. After all, he’s never liked Liv either. But he’s a man of incredibly bad taste, otherwise he wouldn’t have married my mother.
I’m ridiculously jolly as I pay for two ginormous boxes of piping hot pizza and drive off to Liv’s address. It’s in an apartment complex smack between campus and Romano’s, which I don’t think is a coincidence. I balance the pizzas expertly as I climb up the stairs until I find her door.
After ringing the doorbell, I shout, “Extremely hot delivery!”
It gets Liv opening the door in record time. “Oh my gosh, you dork! You’re going to bother people.”
“Please, grandma. It’s only nine.”
Liv moves aside and opens the door wider. “Shoes off, please. Or Mina will kill you.”
“Is she around?” I ask as I walk in, trying not to visibly react at the vanilla scent that clings to Liv’s skin.
“Yeah, she’s taking a shower right now.”
I will not show disappointment that we’re not alone, no sire.
As she takes the two boxes so I can remove my shoes, I mutter, “Crap, I hope she likes the two options I got.”
“It’s okay. I’ve seen her eat pig’s intestines. This is very pedestrian in comparison.” Her voice twinkles with a chuckle and…
I immediately feel better. Like magic.
Kyle who? Falcons whomst?
I wipe the clown’s grin off my face the second Liv turns, before she can see it. As she lowers the boxes on the coffee table, I force myself to take some more steps out of theentrance and into the actual apartment. The first area my attention goes to is the kitchen.
“So this is where the magic happens, huh?” Is that pile of dirty dishes in the sink all the stuff she used for the latest video?
But she’s not wearing that nice little top anymore. She’s in a grey St. Cloud sweatshirt that would fit two of me, and leggings. I’m severely overdressed, but I can somewhat fix that.
“What magic?” she asks, looking up at me now that she’s sitting on the carpet, while I undo my tie.
“Your videos,” I say, my eyes fixed on hers. “I’ve been a fan from the beginning, but I’m really enjoying the rocker domestic queen collection.”
“It’s not a collection.” She blinks slowly. “I think this is it for me.”
Yeah, I agree. Although I’m not sure we’d be talking about the same thing.
