apartment. Before I slid across the vinyl seats toward the door, Robert leaned closer and kissed me softly, perfectly, again. I opened the door and waved goodbye, and I intended to slip into the building unannounced. The cab roared away when the light changed green. The wind was picking up, and I felt a few drops of icy cold rain. All I needed to do was slip past Tony and I was home free. I walked briskly, pulling up the collar of my coat. As I turned a corner, someone darted toward me with an umbrella.
“Keep outta the fuckin’ rain!” Tony snapped at me as he popped open a large black umbrella.
“You scared me.” Nearly jumped out of my skin was more like it.
“Imagine how I felt, my cousin goin’ missing on me.”
“I wasn’t missing,” I hissed at him.
He just walked beside me, his jaw tensing and untensing. Where was Lady Di when I needed her?
“Good night, Tony.” I smiled at him when we got to my building, trying to get him out of his foul mood.
He just grunted, closed the umbrella and darted across the street to my uncle’s Lincoln Town Car.
Tele-phone.
Tele-graph.
Tele-mobster.
I gave it until early morning before my entire clan was buzzing with the news.
And before I was called to a sit-down with my grandfather over ditching my cousin.
Chapter 5
Office Memorandum: United States Government
TO: David Cameron
FROM: Mark Petrocelli, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation
SUBJECT: Wiretap report, Angelo Marcello, Marcello’s restaurant, Brooklyn, New York
DATE: Monday, October 10
7:10 p.m.
Angelo Marcello: Teddi! How are you, angel?
Theresa Gallo (Marcello’s granddaughter): Fine, Poppy.
Angelo Marcello: Look here, what do I have?
Theresa Gallo: Poppy, I’m getting a little too old for the silver-dollar-from-the-ear trick.
Angelo Marcello: I know. Indulge an old man.
Theresa Gallo: A hundred-dollar bill from behind the ear? Poppy…you’re crazy.
Angelo Marcello: Take it.
Theresa Gallo: Poppy…please…
Angelo Marcello: You want to deny me a little happiness? Buy yourself a little something. Or you and Diana go out for a nice dinner on me. Si capisce!
Theresa Gallo: Fine, Poppy. I love you.
Angelo Marcello: I love you, too. So why you wanna gimme agita?
Theresa Gallo: I give you agita?
Angelo Marcello: Yes. Like you don’t know…
Theresa Gallo: Here we go…
Angelo Marcello: It’s true, Teddi. Why would you go out of your way to deceive your family when we only have your best interests at heart?
Theresa Gallo: Poppy, I don’t expect you to understand this, but I didn’t ask to be in the…in the family, if you get my drift.
Angelo Marcello: What do you mean? Everyone has a family.
Theresa Gallo: Oh…so this is going to be one of those days. You know what I mean, you wily old Italian. The… family.
Angelo Marcello: Teddi Bear, I’m surprised at you. Family. I’m an honest businessman. I’m a restaurateur.
Theresa Gallo: I know, I know. So am I. But in your case…a meatball isn’t always a meat-ball. Restaurateur… And I’m sure Uncle Sonny is an honest waste-management executive.
Angelo Marcello: Agita, Teddi. You’re so fresh.
Theresa Gallo: Yeah, well, it’s a family trait.
Angelo Marcello: What is?
Theresa Gallo: My feistiness. I got it from you. But look, Poppy, seriously, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to go out on one date without looking over my shoulder and seeing an entire contingency of overprotective Italians watching my back.
Angelo Marcello: (Sighs.) I never should have let you move to the city. And buy that restaurant. You’re changing, Theresa.
Theresa Gallo: Of course I’m changing. I’m growing up. I am grown-up. I’m twenty-six, Poppy. And don’t call me Theresa. I’m still your Teddi Bear. No matter how grown up I am.
Angelo Marcello: You got me wrapped around that little pinkie finger of yours. From the first time I laid eyes on you, a tiny bundle home from the hospital. All
“Keep outta the fuckin’ rain!” Tony snapped at me as he popped open a large black umbrella.
“You scared me.” Nearly jumped out of my skin was more like it.
“Imagine how I felt, my cousin goin’ missing on me.”
“I wasn’t missing,” I hissed at him.
He just walked beside me, his jaw tensing and untensing. Where was Lady Di when I needed her?
“Good night, Tony.” I smiled at him when we got to my building, trying to get him out of his foul mood.
He just grunted, closed the umbrella and darted across the street to my uncle’s Lincoln Town Car.
Tele-phone.
Tele-graph.
Tele-mobster.
I gave it until early morning before my entire clan was buzzing with the news.
And before I was called to a sit-down with my grandfather over ditching my cousin.
Chapter 5
Office Memorandum: United States Government
TO: David Cameron
FROM: Mark Petrocelli, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation
SUBJECT: Wiretap report, Angelo Marcello, Marcello’s restaurant, Brooklyn, New York
DATE: Monday, October 10
7:10 p.m.
Angelo Marcello: Teddi! How are you, angel?
Theresa Gallo (Marcello’s granddaughter): Fine, Poppy.
Angelo Marcello: Look here, what do I have?
Theresa Gallo: Poppy, I’m getting a little too old for the silver-dollar-from-the-ear trick.
Angelo Marcello: I know. Indulge an old man.
Theresa Gallo: A hundred-dollar bill from behind the ear? Poppy…you’re crazy.
Angelo Marcello: Take it.
Theresa Gallo: Poppy…please…
Angelo Marcello: You want to deny me a little happiness? Buy yourself a little something. Or you and Diana go out for a nice dinner on me. Si capisce!
Theresa Gallo: Fine, Poppy. I love you.
Angelo Marcello: I love you, too. So why you wanna gimme agita?
Theresa Gallo: I give you agita?
Angelo Marcello: Yes. Like you don’t know…
Theresa Gallo: Here we go…
Angelo Marcello: It’s true, Teddi. Why would you go out of your way to deceive your family when we only have your best interests at heart?
Theresa Gallo: Poppy, I don’t expect you to understand this, but I didn’t ask to be in the…in the family, if you get my drift.
Angelo Marcello: What do you mean? Everyone has a family.
Theresa Gallo: Oh…so this is going to be one of those days. You know what I mean, you wily old Italian. The… family.
Angelo Marcello: Teddi Bear, I’m surprised at you. Family. I’m an honest businessman. I’m a restaurateur.
Theresa Gallo: I know, I know. So am I. But in your case…a meatball isn’t always a meat-ball. Restaurateur… And I’m sure Uncle Sonny is an honest waste-management executive.
Angelo Marcello: Agita, Teddi. You’re so fresh.
Theresa Gallo: Yeah, well, it’s a family trait.
Angelo Marcello: What is?
Theresa Gallo: My feistiness. I got it from you. But look, Poppy, seriously, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to go out on one date without looking over my shoulder and seeing an entire contingency of overprotective Italians watching my back.
Angelo Marcello: (Sighs.) I never should have let you move to the city. And buy that restaurant. You’re changing, Theresa.
Theresa Gallo: Of course I’m changing. I’m growing up. I am grown-up. I’m twenty-six, Poppy. And don’t call me Theresa. I’m still your Teddi Bear. No matter how grown up I am.
Angelo Marcello: You got me wrapped around that little pinkie finger of yours. From the first time I laid eyes on you, a tiny bundle home from the hospital. All
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