My brother chooses the seat directly across from Heather, his eyes never wavering from her face. I don’t notice where everyone else lands.
My heart feels as if it’s going to burst right through my chest. The tension is so thick in the air that it’s making it hard to breath. I’m unable to relax, waiting for the bomb to drop.
My father and Heather don’t seem to notice. He’s talking to her eagerly. He almost seems…happy. Who is this man?
“You need to eat more. You are too skinny,” he says to Heather, motioning to the food around the table.
A crimson blush streaks across Heathers cheeks, as she looks down at her plate which is already piled with food. I nudge her playfully with my elbow.
“I am sorry your adorable little girl could not join us tonight. I would very much like to see her again. Next time, of course, she will come,” my father says.
“She has a daughter,” Stefano scoffs.
“Yes, very lovely child. She made me laugh,” my father states.
“You laughed!” My brother says, shocked. He looks back at Heather almost angrily.
I was worried about subjecting Emma to my family. Worried that something would happen that would scar her for life. Things seem to be going pretty smoothly, though. Perhaps my fears were unwarranted.
As dinner comes to an end, I feel myself starting to relax. My father suggests that we move into the smoking room for after dinner drinks. Of course, we all oblige.
My father forgoes his usual chair, instead choosing to sit next to Heather on the sofa. He continues his bombardment of her with more questions about Emma. This is a side of him that I’ve never seen before, it’s both delightful and unnerving all at the same time.
Even my brother seems to be on his best behavior with my father present. He wouldn’t dare outright sabotage me in front of our father. He knows better. Maybe everything will be alright after all.
I settle in next to Heather, enjoying the feel of her body pressed next to mine. Holding her hand in mine, I trace circles along the lines on her palm, as a feeling of contentment settles over me.
Is this really how it could be? With my father so obviously accepting of her, would it actually be possible to let this turn into something more, something real?
Fifteen
Heather
Smoke billows all around us and I cough lightly. Rafaela pulls me close and rubs my back for good measure, whispering to me that she hopes the cigars are the only thing making me uncomfortable. Dinner with the family went better than I could have imagined, but the night isn’t over yet.
Though Salvatore was kind and asked innocent questions about Emma, the rest of Rafaela’s family seems serious. Is it me they don’t like, or the fact that their relative is dating another woman? Nonetheless, I try my hardest to fit in and stay positive.
I clasp my full wine glass and look to Rafaela for reassurance that I’m doing alright. She nods, a sexy smirk gracing her face. “I’m so glad I got to meet all of you, and dinner was wonderful.”
Salvatore smiles warmly and brings my free hand to his lips. “The pleasure is all ours my dear.” A phone rings in the distance, and Salvatore seems to perk up at the unusual ringtone.
“You should get that father, it might be one of our associates.” Stefano’s lips are curled into a frown as he enters the room, and a feeling of uneasiness washes over me. Of all Rafaela’s relatives, he makes me the most uneasy.
Salvatore nods, raising one last toast to a successful night before bowing out gracefully. The remaining few look awkwardly around, not knowing what else to say in the patriarch’s absence. Finally, Apollo and Daniella arrive and stand protectively beside Stefano.
“Sit down, why don’t you? We’re all family.” Rafaela tries to remain calm but I catch her fist clenching against her seat.
“Don’t mind if we do.” Daniella sits right beside me, making it a point to brush against my thigh as she settles into the couch cushions.
As Apollo addresses me he flanks Stefano, who decides to sit on the other side of Rafaela. She doesn’t seem too pleased. “So Heather, tell us more about yourself.”
With a smile and a good attitude, I gratify them with a kind response. “Of course! What would you like to know?”
“Too easy.” I hear Apollo chuckle under his breath, and Rafaela narrows her eyes.
“Calm down dear cousin we’re just trying to get to know your lovely girlfriend better.” Daniella picks up a bottle of red wine and pours more in my glass, though it’s already full.
Though she’s on edge, Rafaela nods. “Fine.”