Blood Always

20

Sometimes it was good to be king. During our exchange, Carlotta had retrieved the main course, setting dishes on the table. “We have so many blessings in our lives recently, I say we focus on those. I’ve got two of my babies getting married soon, and that means wedding dress shopping!” She clapped her hands excitedly. “I want all of us girls to go—is there a day this week that works?” When I glanced back at Maria, she looked like someone had spit in her wine. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to laugh out loud. “I could leave work early on Wednesday,” Alessia offered. Sofia chimed in next. “I’m working from home, so whenever works for me.” All eyes turned to Maria. “I … uh … guess Wednesday … um. f**k. Sure.” Totally unfazed by Maria’s lack of enthusiasm, Carlotta squealed. The women spent the next half hour discussing gown styles, floral arrangements, and possible venues for Sofia’s wedding. I’d agreed at my lunch with Enzo to host Maria’s and my wedding at the Hampton estate, so that matter was already settled. Carlotta did the majority of the talking, but I got the sense that was a customary tradition in the Genovese house. Each individual played their role—Maria was the silent observer. A predator, ever vigilant and scheming. But I was the bigger bad—the lion to her lynx—and I was closing in for the kill. OceanofPDF.com Chapter 7 Maria “Who invited Giada?” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at Alessia when I spotted our cousin enter the bridal boutique. The two women were inseparable, so the question was redundant. “No one,” Alessia shot back in a hissed whisper. “Giada invites herself. Why does it matter to you anyway? It’s not like you’re planning some memorable bonding experience this afternoon.” “It matters because she and both those sisters of hers never shut up. Growing up in their house had to have been like living in an aviary.” Alessia rolled her eyes, but she wasn’t all that annoyed. It was just our dynamic. She was the good girl who followed every rule, and I was the rulebreaker who failed to see the point. We were born on opposite ends of the spectrum, dissimilar in every way. She spread honey, hoping to win people over; I doused them in vinegar, praying they’d stay away. I wouldn’t say I was friends with either of my sisters, but if there was any tenuous relationship with one, it would be Sofia. I saw pieces of myself in her. She was quieter, more calculating. Until recently, I had assumed she was a rule follower, too, but it seemed we were even more alike than I’d realized. My littlest sister had a taste for the darker parts of life. I welcomed her into the shadows. Together, the four of us were a motley crew. Three mismatched sisters and a mother who could have walked off the set of Real Housewives of New Jersey. Buckle your seatbelts Kleinfeld Bridal, the Genovese women are about to put you to the test. “Oh my gawwwwd! This is so freaking exciting!” Giada dropped her small suitcase of a purse and plopped down on the kidney-shaped sofa beside Alessia. “Have I missed anything? Who’s going first?” Yeah, you missed your invitation. Oh wait, you didn’t get one. “You haven’t missed anything,” Mom said, perched on the edge of her seat. “Our appointment isn’t for ten more minutes; the girl who’ll be helping us is finishing up with someone else.” “Perfect! There are two things we need to discuss before we get started. First, Maria. What. The. f**k? Since when did you start dating Matteo De Luca?” Giada and my sisters all turned to me with expectant looks. I did my best deer-in-the-headlights impression before glaring at my mother for help, but she just shrugged. “Actually, it was kind of a whirlwind romance.” Sofia’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t comment. “That’s crazy!” Giada continued. “I know you keep to yourself, but I felt like we would have known if you were close to getting engaged to someone.” I grinned at her mischievously. “Trust me, G. People don’t know anything about me unless I want them to know.” She rolled her eyes and thankfully moved on. “Next on the agenda—my birthday is coming up, and I was hoping to do a girls’ trip. Now that we have two weddings on the calendar, I was thinking we could kill a whole flock of birds with one stone and do a Vegas birthday/bachelorette party! You three with me, Camilla, and Val—sorry Auntie Lotta, no moms allowed.” She turned from Mom and flashed a beaming smile at the rest of us. “What do you say?” Oh, hell no. “I’m totally in,” said Alessia; at the same time, Sofia chirped, “absolutely!” As one, they all turned to me, eyes round with excitement and pleading. “Oh, I don’t think so. My wedding is coming up soon—there’s hardly any time for a trip. You guys go. You’ll have a better time without me anyway.” I tried to flee faster than a cat in a bath. “Maria Genovese.” Sofia’s voice lashed at my heels. “We have never, not once, done something as three adult sisters. Now things are changing, and we may not get many more opportunities. You’re going to do this for me, if for no other reason. Understood?” Well, f**k.

This was a no-win situation. Say no, and I would be forever known as the bottom cheerleader who let the pyramid fall. Say yes, and I was in for a long weekend of estrogen overload. If I did the math, saying yes yielded a short-term punishment with the offset of lots of alcohol. Saying no would put me on their eternal s**t list, without any naked men or alcohol. “Fine.” I waved my hand in the air, signifying my surrender. All four women, my mother included, threw their hands in the air and whooped with joy, just in time for our bridal attendant to arrive with a tray full of bubbling champagne. Perfect. It was looking more and more like alcohol was going to be the only way I’d survive this debacle. “Hey ladies! My name is Stephanie. Sorry for the delay, but I’m all yours now. I hear we have two brides in the family?” She was cotton candy and jelly beans all rolled into one, and I may have thrown up a little in my mouth. I raised my hand. “Champagne.” “This must be one of our lucky ladies,” she sang as she brought over the tray of liquid tranquilizer. “What’s your name, honey?” It’s certainly not Honey. “Maria.” My lips were a thin line of protest. “Well, Maria, how about we get started with you? Tell me a little about what style you’re looking for.”