One Night Stand with My Husband's Brother

CHAPTER 5

We decided to meet at the bar last night. He came wearing a polo shirt and jeans. He had already ordered two beers when I arrived. He handed me one of the beers and said,"A beer for the prettiest girl at the bar."

"Thank you," I replied before sitting across from him. I couldn't help but notice that he had huge bags under his eyes and looked tired. "So, what do you have to tell me?"

"I bet you know who I am," Giovanni said.

"Oh, you mean the fact that you're Giovanni Cordopatri? I found out this morning. And if you think that knowing who you are changes anything for me... Well, you just got promoted from jerk-liar guy to jerk-liar-rich guy."

"Mia... I'm sorry," Giovanni apologized once more.

"No, don't say that word again. You made me read that 250 times, and I'm not willing to sit in this bar and hear it one more time," I said, getting up, annoyed. What a waste of time. "If you don't have anything else to tell me..."

"My grandfather found out I was gay when I was 12," Giovanni revealed calmly. I stared at him for a moment and then sat back down. "He forced me to attend military school in England with my brother. I stayed there until I turned 21, and I swear I tried to change who I am. I wanted to be the person my grandfather desires, but I'm not like that. My brother Massimo is everything he always wanted, but he's irresponsible and wants nothing to do with the family business, except for the money transfers religiously made by my grandfather. And about that night we met... I had argued with my grandfather after one of the countless dinners he insisted on hosting."

"Wow, it must be tough going to dinner..." I mocked, receiving a sharp look from Giovanni.

"Mia, I'm serious. These dinners are just excuses for my grandfather to introduce me to his friends' daughters."

"Other mafiosos, you mean," I reinforced, wanting to make sure I understood what he was telling me. He nodded, confirming it. "During the argument, he threatened to disown me if I didn't bring a companion."

"I've dedicated my life to the family, and just because I don't have a companion, he decided to cast me aside. I mean, I do have a companion... a partner. His name is Pablo. He understands my situation and has always been very discreet about our involvement. Anyway, Pablo is perfect for me, but he's not the ideal person for my grandfather."

"So, you decided to find someone ideal. I just need someone to present to my grandfather, even if the girl is not from the underworld..." Giovanni continued, looking down.

"A woman who is not a mobster? Would he accept that?"

"Deep down, my grandfather just wants me to get married and give him grandchildren. After all, that's the purpose of marriage in the mafia: we marry and have as many children as possible to keep the family going," Giovanni explained, looking at me. "In any case, I just wanted to find someone to take some of the pressure off me from my grandfather."

"And then you decided to come to a bar and pick the first crazy girl who showed interest in you?"

"I convinced myself it wouldn't be difficult... I just needed someone physically attractive, and the rest would take care of itself. I just needed to find the prettiest girl at the bar, and everything would be solved. Then I saw you at the bar, the prettiest girl at the bar, with your huge smile. I thought all I had to do was take you to bed. That night would be all about s*x, and afterward, I'd propose to you to be my girlfriend. You would never suspect anything, and I would be free from my grandfather. But you're a good person, Mia. A very nice, funny, and friendly girl... I couldn't do it. I couldn't do that to you. You deserved more... You deserve more. So, I apologize because I know you didn't deserve the way that night ended. Going home with a gay guy. I understand your anger, your frustration..."

"You think I'm angry because you're gay?" I questioned, shocked.

"Isn't that why?"

"No, I'm angry because you lied to me. Sure, I was expecting a night of casual s*x and all that. But, Giovanni, I wouldn't have minded going home and laughing with a gay guy. As long as you were honest with me like you are now."

"You don't understand... I can't tell this to just anyone... Because of who I am."

"Why are you telling me all this now?" I asked, nervously.

"Because now I know that you know who I am, and yet you haven't told anyone about my s****l orientation."

"Why would I? It's none of my business."

"Well, you're a gossip columnist, and I'm the biggest scoop for your newspaper," Giovanni replied before taking another sip of his beer.

"Look, don't worry, okay? Your secret is safe with me," I said, getting up.

"I hope so, Mirela Campos de Sá," Giovanni said, making me look at him, surprised. He smiled and continued, "I know everything about you. You're Brazilian, and just like your parents, you came to the country illegally through the border. You lived in Miami. Despite telling everyone that your parents are dead, your mother, Emília Pereira Campos, still works as a cleaner, and your father, José de Sá, is a gardener. You, to have a better chance, decided to bury your roots and your name. You took your parents' savings, claiming you got into Harvard, and handed it to a fraudster who made new documents for you. You stopped being Mirela Campos de Sá and became Mia Fraga, an orphan born in northern Michigan."

Yes, everything that came out of Giovanni's mouth was true. It was a truth that I hadn't thought about in years, and sometimes I even believed in the life I invented for myself. However, one thing he didn't mention was that I took my parents' savings with their consent. They knew it was the only chance we had. If one-day immigration caught them, I would be protected and able to help them. This truth I hadn't told anyone, not even Susan, because it could put them on the immigration radar, and that was the last thing I needed at the moment.

Now, because of one night with Giovanni Cordopatri, our lives were in danger.

"I also know that you came to New York to become an investigative journalist and ended up in a job you hate but fight for a sensational story to impress your boss and get promoted," Giovanni continued while caressing the bottle's mouth with his fingers. "And I was your story, and yet it never occurred to you to rat me out, and that's why I admire you. Look, I need someone to confide in and trust... and I found you. I know you didn't want to see me in this way, but I'd like to know if we could be friends?"

"Friends? Is that how you make friends? By threatening them?" I questioned, irritated.

"No, only when I genuinely appreciate someone's friendship," Giovanni replied as if finding it all amusing.

"Really? I did you a favor, and you want to return the same and never repeat what you found out to anyone. So, we'll be even, and I'll stay out of your way, and you stay out of mine," I proposed, serious.

"But if I do that, I'll lose your friendship, Mirela. And I want your friendship. I need your friendship, and you need mine."

"What kind of friendship are you looking to have with me, Mr. Cordopatri?"

"With benefits," Giovanni replied before taking another sip of his beer. Then he smiled and said, "Not s****l benefits, of course. I'll keep your family off the immigration radar, and you'll become my 'intimate' friend."

"By intimate friend, you mean fake girlfriend?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at Giovanni.

"Yes. Of course, we can become real friends during this time. I'd love to have a friend like you, Mirela."

I stared at him for a few moments. His eyes told me he was sincere, and my heart told me it could be good for both of us. He extended his hand towards me and said:

"Friends?"

"Friends," I replied, gripping it firmly.

And that's how my friendship with Giovanni Cordopatri began.