Page 183 of The Slayer
“Mmm,” she agreed with a hum and then turned to Chuito, but he dodged her before she could kiss him. “What?”
“I know where your mouth’s been,” Chuito said with a glare.
“Oh, please.” She looked genuinely insulted. “I don’t do that the first time. I didn’t even do it for Fernan, and he had three months to earn it.”
Chuito just rolled his eyes in response, and his mother grabbed him and kissed his cheek before he could pull away.
“Don’t be kissinghimanytime soon, though,” she added as she walked away.
Marcos laughed and then added, “Why do they kiss each other? That’s so weird to me. It’s not just brothers. It’s associates. They’re in my shop all the time. They all do it. They kiss the other guys in their crew. Can you imagine walking up and kissing Luis’s cheek when he came over? I mean, our people hug. We’re not gringos. We’re affectionate, but the Italians—” He held up a hand to Chuito’s mother. “You see what a handshake is to them.”
“It’s a European thing,” his mother offered as she started to pick up the kitchen.
“They’re not European, though,” Marcos argued. “They’re from New York. They’ve been in this country a long time. I’m telling you, I watch them; it’s part of being in the mafia. They have to kiss each other. In public. Have you kissed them, Chu?”
Chuito held up his hand, because Tino kissed him all the fucking time. Nova did it too. He was sort of immune to it.
“Their people are European. It carries over. It’s not a big deal.” She put a stack of dishes in the sink. “I like Italians.”
Marcos laughed again. “We noticed.”
“They dress so nice. They smell nice,” she went on as she gave Marcos another smile. “They do all sorts of nice things.”
“Mamá, no,” Chuito said with a glare.
She rolled her eyes. “Why are you so uptight? What’s the big deal?”
“He’s in the mafia,” Chuito pointed out. “Heisthe mafia.”
“So?” She frowned at them. “What does that have to do with me?”
Chuito opened his mouth in disbelief and then looked to Marcos, who shrugged at her as if he didn’t know either.
“Really?” Chuito barked at the two of them.
“I’m not going to do it again. It was just for fun,” she said as she walked around the bar to the kitchen and patted Chuito’s shoulder affectionately. “I love you, dito.”
“Yeah, whatever,” he said dismissively. “Love me so much you fuck my associates. Next you’ll be in bed with Luis.”
“Ay Dios mio.” She gave Chuito a horrified look. “I practically raised him.”
Chuito held up his hand. “Luis is the same age as Nova. It’s the same thing.”
“No, it’s not. Nova has old eyes. Old soul. Older than mine. They’re sad eyes,” she said as she walked into the living room.
Chuito paused at that, remembering long ago trying to explain that mentality to Alaine. That age did not equal life experience. That numbers meant nothing when they lived the lives they did.
“Look at this. On my couch,” his mother said from the living room.
“Maybe it’s a European thing,” Chuito called out, because he knew what she was bitching about.
“I sit on that couch. This chica didn’t even put a shirt on before she passed out. She’s sleeping on him like he’s stuffed with feathers.”
That got Marcos’s attention. He walked into the living room and was silent until he came back and gave Chuito a disgusted look. “Score two for the Italians,” he mumbled as he picked up his coffee again. “Why are they always ahead?”
Chuito shrugged.
“I was never that young and stupid.Never. I would never,” his mother said as she came back into the kitchen with more dishes. “Sharing a man. I need to talk to those girls.”
