Armando Lazzari - Dinner With The Mafia

“Yes, of course. But I like to go back and reread it sometimes to revisit my adolescence,” said Ben, trying not to sound pathetic. He made a gesture sliding his right hand over his left like a plane taking off into the wild blue yonder, and left it at that. Susan didn't seem to grasp the concept of his gesture, but accepted his explanation.

“All right then, seeing as you already have plans for the evening, I won't invite you up for a drink.”

Ben almost fainted right there on the spot and had to force the lump in his throat not to explode into a hacking cough. “To tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind something to drink. As long as it wouldn't be any trouble.”

He tried to regroup and pull himself together with a mix of prayer and curses merging in his brain, while Susan blessed him with brilliant smile.

Bursting with energy, he felt like a toy bouncing up the stairs to her apartment.

Just before he was about to walk into her house, he heard a very familiar voice calling his name from faraway. “Ben! Hey Ben!”

He turned around and saw Esposito's big, red face, even more heated than usual from running.

“Esposito? What happened?”

He leaned on the railing, wheezing and gasping for air while trying not to fall on the ground. Ben carefully helped him sit down on one of the steps, waiting for him to catch his breath enough to speak.

When he was finally able to talk, Esposito had some worrisome news. “Your uncle … is sick.”

“What happened? Which uncle?”

As strange as it seemed, the question was legitimate, given that he worked for Carmine D'Abbate, as well as Joe Santini.

“Uncle Joe… a heart attack…” More or less what would have happened to Esposito if he had run another ten yards. Ben recalled all the times he had told him to eat better and smoke less, if not just give up the cigarettes entirely. And now he found himself distressed for his poor uncle.

“Where is he now? In the hospital?” asked Ben.

Gulping air, Esposito flapped his hands to reassure him. “He's out of danger. Luckily, Doctor Vick was a guest at dinner and gave him some medicine. But you know how your uncle is. He's lying on the bed and absolutely refuses to go to the hospital. Maybe you could convince him.”

“Stubborn old man!” Ben ran his hands through his hair, trying to figure a way out of the situation: with his uncle in bed, seriously ill on one hand and Susan more or less available on the other, he had no choice, given the severity of the situation. With a sorry look, he half-smiled at Susan, shrugged his shoulders and took his leave. “Susan, my Uncle Joe is like a father to me. I'm sorry…”

“Are you kidding? What are you waiting for? Let me know how he is.”

He thanked her, got Esposito on his feet and left her watching them go from her front steps.

Esposito's car wasn't far, just distant enough for him to give him a good earful. “Where the hell were you? Do you ever look at your cell phone? I've been looking for you for hours and…”

Joe Santini's apartment: in the bedroom

“Valerio Esposito called. He found your nephew just in time and he's bringing him here now.”

Joe, standing in front of the window, tied his robe closed after he took the last puff off of his cigar. “Good. Spray some perfume around here and get me a damned mint. I didn't even have to hide out like this when I was fourteen years old!”

In the room with Joe was Doctor Vick, Carmine and the Vitiellos brothers, Joe's two trusted body guards.

“I'm sorry, Joe, but we're forced to go ahead with the plan ahead of time. It all happened so fast and this was the first idea that came to mind. We had to step in before Ben went upstairs to the girl's place and did irreparable damage.” Joe snorted at Carmine's excuses.

“Ya, ya, I just don't get why I have to play the part of the sick one. Why couldn't it have been that whacko, Johnny? He's the one who's gonna have a heart attack before me! All right, it's too late now to back out. Let's get on with the show. Did you find the hooker?”

“We called Platy's brothel. Says Lola's with an important client. Some senator, but she'll do her best to get her here on time.”

Grumbling like a grouchy bear, he climbed under the sheets, ready to play his part. “I hope so for her sake. Look what we have to do for family.”

When Ben precipitated into his uncle's room, Lola was already present, standing off by herself, simulating worry and distress.

“Uncle Joe, are you ok?” He delicately took Joe's hand and crouched down, touching heads with him.

Joe's reproachful look hovered over the other men in the room as if to say: “look how I'm made to pay for the love of this dear boy”.

He gave Ben a light pat on the back, an invitation to look at him. “I'm better now… a lot better, thank you.”

Ben searched for the right words. Words that would scold, but not be too harsh. “I hope that this terrible attack has taught you not to overindulge. You're not twenty years old anymore and you have to learn to respect your body. It's important to take care of yourself, mostly when…”

With a lost and resigned look on his face, Joe suddenly nodded, emphasizing his nephew's truth in silence, while he continued with an unending tirade.

Ben knew his uncle very well, especially his adversity to hospitals. His long preamble was only the introduction to this heavy topic. “…obviously, every precaution would prove to be unsubstantiated by experts in the field…”

He paused to evaluate his uncle's reaction, who seemed to either not understand what he was talking about, or that more likely he wouldn't give in without a fight.

“…we think, and the doctor will confirm this, that you should have some tests done in a place that's a little more appropriate than this bedroom. If you want, tomorrow I can take you to the hospital for…”

The forbidden word had been spoken, confirmed by the reaction of everyone's fear. “Forget it! I've already told you a million times. I will never set foot in one of those slaughterhouses, even if it means I die today in this bed!”

“But Uncle Joe. Think about it. In the hospital they have everything available to treat you. You have to admit, nobody can do anything for you here. Why are you behaving like a child?”

Ben was crestfallen by his uncle's unwavering stubbornness. But more than stubborn, Joe had an instinctive fear that if a healthy man is able to, he should choose to avoid places of sufferance.

A female voice chimed in among the men, like the sun breaking through the clouds. “I, too, refused hospital care just like him; all that commotion and chaos! There is an alternative, you know. I have a doctor friend who has a private clinic. He would get all the attention he deserves, plus any extra services. Just like a home away from home.”

Lola stepped into the center of the room, startling everyone. Her beauty, striking in itself, was enhanced by the head-turning evening attire she was wearing: a fiery red dress decorated with sequins, highlighted by a generous cleavage – maybe not a blessing from Mother Nature, but still quite hypnotizing. The vertiginous slit at the side of her dress offered a view of two very long and shapely legs, drawing attention to how the gown clung to her derriere. And last, but not least, they gazed contemplatively at the lovely features of her face.

Her sea-blue eyes, shaped like a feline's, were lit up like two sapphires and set off by the lens of her delicate glasses. Framing her glowing and almost unnaturally radiant face, was her long, wavy golden blonde hair.

Everyone gawked, each immersed in his own personal fantasy. Lola, perfectly aware of the reactions that she provoked, bestowed upon them with a dazzling smile.