by Ethan Egorov
The old man rattled the ice in the bottom his glass and signaled for the waiter to fill it once more. Trent, still enthralled by his grandfather’s story, signaled for the waiter to refill his own glass of scotch as well. He took several sips then the nodded and the waiter left once again. He then looked at his grandfather who seemed lost in another time and asked, “She found him didn’t she?”
His grandfather smiled thinly at him and said, “In a way. Ya see, Margie was a smart lady and she asked around town about Alessandro until she found the address for his tiny flat. She walked there unattended the following evening. Unfortunately Alessandro was still at the shop when she arrived. Knocking on the door she expected Alessandro to answer, but she found herself standing face to face with Roberto. He stood in the doorway looking at her with his dark hair and deep brown eyes. She asked softly about Alessandro and he told her that he wasn’t there. Despite her best intentions, she couldn’t resist Roberto’s wicked charms and flirtations as he coaxed her inside the apartment for a nightcap. It was a cold winter’s night and the snow had just began falling, covering the city streets in blanket of pure, crisp snow. The magic of the snowy evening and the laughter of a beautiful woman can be quite beautiful, Trent, you remember this.”
“So she just decided to go with Roberto just because he was there? Pfft. It sounds like Alessandro dodged a bullet to me pop pop.”
“Eh… that’s something that we’ll never know. It’s funny how that very moment determined the course of all our futures it seems. Anyway, Margie came in for that nightcap and she was entertained by Roberto. He was a strong man with a sense of humor and seemingly boundless energy. He was polite offered to pour her a drink and he even made certain she was warm enough, taking care to turn up the heat in the tiny flat. When he began rubbing her shoulders against the chill, Margie couldn’t resist her impulses and the heat between them. When Alessandro returned, he heard her soft laughter from outside the door. He quickly keyed himself in the flat. He stood, still covered in blood from the day’s work, only to find Roberto and Margie in bed together in the apartment that he paid for and worked his fingers to the bone to keep. Of course, he had no way of knowing that Margie’s intention that evening was to thank him for his help and offer her heart to him. Sadly though, Alessandro stood with nothing but hurt and hate in his heart after seeing the pair embracing one another.”
“So Roberto fucked him over by stealing his girl. I know what I’d do in that situation. I’d certainly waste no time in beating the fuck out of him. I hope he at least kicked his ass out of their apartment.”
“Oh, Trent. He certainly did that. He was filled with hurt so that very night he sent Roberto and his new lady friend packing. It didn’t matter to Roberto though, see, because he had a place to go since he was now a wealthy socialite’s main squeeze. The pair left together and all Margie did was mumble a weak, ‘sorry,’ to Alessandro as she grabbed her coat and they both left. While Alessandro was filled with hurt and hate he still couldn’t find it in his heart to break his friend’s jaw for the transgression. Instead though he vowed to make Roberto pay in other ways. Once he saved enough to start his own business, he made it a point to try and shut Margie’s restaurant down. When the drug shipments began to make their way into town though, Alessandro’s luck changed. He made his own business, a pawn shop, a front for the trade and his wealth grew immensely. Soon though, Roberto followed suit, using Margie’s business for the same and the former friends became rivals for business and new clients. Roberto and Margie were married in the late spring and at their wedding, Alessandro had even slipped the baker an extra grand to assure that when it was cut, it had coloring inside of it to make it look as if blood oozed down the front of the pristine white icing. It was just the first of many blows landed in their feud. Real blood would be spilled in the future and after the birth of Margie’s first child, things would only escalate.”
“Wow. That’s terrible. I mean, good for Alessandro for finally standing up to Roberto, but damn that’s sad ya know, pop pop.”
“Yup. That’s only the beginning though Trent. What happened next was heinous, but at the same time a lesson in not only irony, but luck. Remember Trent, if luck be a lady, always tell her she’s pretty and feed her chocolates in bed.”
“Hah! That’s smooth pop pop.”
“You’re damned right it is.”
The staff began closing up for the evening and the glowing neon open light was turned off. The owner, Saul Pennini came out, still wearing his chef’s jacket and approached the table. “You know…normally I kick people out when we close, but I consider you old friends, so do you mind if I pull up a chair?”
Trent’s grandfather extended his arms to the man in a quick hug and motioned for him to sit. “Please, sit and have a drink with us! We are celebrating Trent’s birthday tonight. There’s been some sad business affairs that have disrupted our evening though.”
“Oh yeah, trouble?”
“In our family I don’t think there’s ever anything else.”
“Hah! We seem to share our run with bad luck, my friend.”
“I was just about to tell Trent here about our dubious family lineage and how our enemies persist with their grudges.”
“Ah I see. Well I should say this definitely requires a drink for me too.” The jovial owner poured himself a drink and sat beside Trent’s father. He was like a friend of the family and could even be considered an uncle of sorts. Trent could recall many occasions where he would show up at family gatherings or important meetings. Trent focused on the chef’s deft hands as he quickly poured himself a glass of scotch, not once shaking as he filled it almost to the top. He then raised his glass and said, “Pardon my intrusion, please continue. Cheers!”
“Cheers!” The entire table lifted their glasses in the air, toasting once again before Trent’s grandfather continued his story. “Now, Trent where was I?”
“I think you were tell us about how Alessandro took the news about Roberto and Margie’s nuptials.”
“Oh yes… what a sad day for poor Alessandro. He continued to carry that hurt with him through his business ventures and honestly in the beginning he was the one who insisted on continuing to wage war on Roberto and his family. Roberto’s construction and contracting business grew, so of course when Alessandro dipped his foot in the drug trade, Roberto followed suit after his former friend. This is where it gets a bit…twisted though.”
Saul pulled out his cell phone and sent a quick text message to someone then pocketed the device. “Sorry… had to let the wife know where I was. She worries and then I never here the end of it. I swear the woman has kept me going all of these years, but at the same time… sigh. She always sends her regards to you and your family though. She’ll probably want Trent to swing by at some point and collect his obligatory dozen cupcakes for his birthday.”
Trent smiled at the older man’s frustration and then realized that Saul was one of the few people aside from his family that he actually enjoyed having around. Both him and his wife were good people and went out of their way to help out others when they could. Their relationship was one that was built on years of compromise and pure fight. They made marriage look easy and Trent hoped one day he would have a spouse just like Saul’s wife. She definitely kept him on his toes. “I’m sorry…go on and tell your story, pop pop. I’ll sit here and be quiet now.”
“You’ve heard this story many times Saul—“
“Yeah, but you tell it so well.”
“Haha, anyway Trent let’s just say that both men grew to eventually develop a string of different businesses, using their drug capital to invest in other things. When Roberto opened a barber shop, Alessandro would follow by opening a dry cleaners. On and on it went, until one day fortune finally smiled upon Alessandro.”
“Well it couldn’t have been too good otherwise we wouldn’t be sitting here in this predicament.”
“That’s the damned truth, Trent. Anyway, one fine day Alessandro
goes into the cleaners to check up on the place and make certain it’s being ran to his standards. See that’s how we’re a lot different from the Mikkelson’s. They tend to take a business and half-ass it. They don’t care about their total investment, only what can be used for a front. We have always put care into our businesses and enjoyed watching them grow for what they are. I mean… the supply chain from below the border it can dry up any day. For that matter, the other routes from the desert and up north, well there could be issues with those too. I’d like to think that if one day all of that came crashing down, we are smart enough businessmen to still be able to grow and expand upon our existing interests.”
“We most certainly are, pop pop. There’s not a man in this room that couldn’t keep any one of our properties a float should that happen.”
“But… I digress…. Alessandro walks in to the cleaners and he goes into the back room to organize some stock. He sees that everything is in order and the shop seems orderly. There’s one clerk running it so he decides to take a look at the books since he’s at the location. Alessandro takes them to the front counter where he pulls up a stool. He’s meticulously going over the facts and figures when a customer walks in. Now, this woman… she really had it going on. At least I think that’s what the kids today say. She had her dark brown hair with red highlights curled and pulled up delicately under her hat. She struck quite an impressive figure as well. She wore an olive colored dress which clung to her curves and created an hourglass shape for her bust and waist. She had a certain elegance and charm about her as well. Alessandro was certainly struck by her. Even before he saw her the scent of her lavender and jasmine perfume lingered in the air while she stood waiting. When Alessandro looked up from his task, he quickly dropped his pen and the world went still for a few moments.”
“So who was this broad, pop pop?”
“Her name was Charlotte Jones and she was married to a lawyer in the better part of the city. She walked up to the counter and looked at Alessandro curiously. He was still at the point where he was so shaken by her beauty he couldn’t form words. She looked at him wide-eyed with a bit of concern as she began to call for the other clerk to assist her. Before she could get his attention, Alessandro finally spoke up. He smiled shyly at her and asked what she needed help with. They talked for a few moments and she gave him the slip for her husband’s suits. Apparently there was a big trial coming up and he needed all of them cleaned and pressed for a week-long stay in a neighboring city. Charlotte then explained that sometimes trial locations had to be moved due with the intention of receiving less bias in a trial with big headlines. For the first time in a long time, Alessandro cleared his throat and instead of playing the nice guy and waiting on Charlotte to come to him or make the first move he just handed her the receipt and told her his address was on the back. He made it clear to her that after he husband left for business she should pay him a visit.”
The old man stretched and poured himself another glass of scotch. In seeing this, Trent’s father, Antonio, spoke up. “Hey pop, don’t you think you better slow down some?”
“What for? I’m not entirely drunk yet. I can hold my liquor, son. Besides, I’m an old man now if this is my last day, I’d like to spend it as relaxed as possible around my beautiful family.”
“Fine, but you’re a stubborn old man. Don’t blame us when your heart starts giving you trouble again.”
“I’m not finished telling Trent here our story. It’s a damned shame he’s only heard bits and pieces of it up to this point. After all, when we’re gone, it’s going to be up to him to sit in this same spot and do the same thing for his son. I can only hope that he’ll have as interesting of a story to tell about me and you.” Seeing some tension build in the room between Antonio and his father, Trent interjected, “Oh with the two of you I don’t think I’ll have time to tell all of the stories. The kid will be eighteen just by the time we get to this point.”
“Hah! Well I certainly hope you’re right.” The old man took a drink from his newly-filled scotch glass and smiled mischievously at Antonio and Trent. “Anyway Trent, as I was saying, Alessandro finally manned up and went after the pretty girl standing in front of him. Later on that evening, when Alessandro finished up at the dry cleaners he went back to that same tiny apartment he was living in and decided to take a shower. He still had his little luxuries, you see. He’d managed to get the place even warmer that was it was when Roberto lived there and he’d even set up another wingback chair in the corner of the room along with a lamp to read his magazines and newspapers by. It was tiny, yet homey. It was sparse, but it suited Alessandro very well. When he stood at the sink, he’d only pulled on a thin, white tank top and wore nothing but his shorts. He had just put his toothbrush to his mouth when he heard a faint knock on the door. Opening the door he was shocked to find that Charlotte had actually accepted his proposal.
Charlotte had changed into another outfit which seemed far casual, but it was hard to tell with the long black overcoat she wore. There was no bag in her arms and it didn’t appear as if she had another errand to run. She was there just to see him and that scared Alessandro to death. It also excited him to no end. He invited her in and Charlotte didn’t say one word to him. Instead she took the toothbrush from his hand and sat it on the small table in the corner of the living room. She then unbuttoned her overcoat and revealed only the thin black negligee that she wore underneath. Alessandro’s breath hitched in his throat when she wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders and pulled him to her. Alessandro was done for. He looked into her deep amber-colored eyes and let his body relax. She placed her index finger to his bottom lip, daring him not to say one word. They embraced passionately and their lips connected as did their tongues. Their hearts and souls connected after that. Alessandro while continuing to attack Charlotte with kisses, pulled her to his tiny bedroom where they both fell into bed easily. With heated touches and a surge of chemistry they lay together on his full size bed and made passionate love. It was everything Alessandro could hope for and he was overjoyed when Charlotte didn’t immediately leave, instead she stayed with him and ran her fingertips through his jet black hair, watching him fall into a peaceful sleep.”
“So what happened then, pop pop? Did her husband find out that she’d stepped out on him while he was out of town for the trial?”
“Ah well that’s something of a different story, but the only reason Charlotte had considered Alessandro’s offer in the first place was the fact that he had been stepping out on her for months. She caught him cheating with some low-class girls he’d met at a casino one night. He’d been funneling them money on the sly and she’d discovered the missing money while doing their books.”
“So I guess that was karma, huh pop pop?”
“Karma at its finest, Trenton.”
Chapter 3
Before the old man could finish his tale, Saul jumped up from his chair with a shocked expression on his face. “I’m so sorry, I’m going to have to ask you all to leave. I have to lock up unexpectedly.” Saul looked as if he’d seen a ghost and his hands were shaking even though his phone was clutched between white knuckles. “What’s wrong Saul? Is there trouble?!”
“Yes, it’s Lucille.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?! Fuck. Come on boys, let’s go. I’m sure that Saul could use our help.” Saul nodded and let Antonio guide him out of the restaurant to a waiting car. They found it best to go ahead and drive pop pop home, while Antonio and Trent attended to Saul. As he was getting in his car to be driven back to their mansion, the elderly man shouted to his son, “Be sure you tell Trent the rest of the story when things have settled down, do you understand me? It’s important that he know the truth.”
“Don’t worry, pop I will. I know the boy need to hear the truth before he hears any other wild rumors.”
“Exactly. Now you take good care of our Saul.”
“Yes, pop.”
Saul and Antonio slid in the backseat of
the car, while Trent sat in the passenger seat beside the driver. Antonio looked earnestly at Saul and placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure the distressed businessman. “Hey Saul, Lucille’s going to be alright. We’re going to make sure of it. The driver will get us there in no time, I’ve already given him the details. So I need you to focus now. What happened to Lucille?”
“The only message I got was from my sister who happened to be in the area and was dropping off some of Lucille’s Tupperware. She had borrowed some for a work thing and remembered to return them. Well Lucille didn’t answer the door when she knocked so of course she worried. She used her spare key and let herself in. Antonio she just said the Lucille was lying on the floor bleeding and she was getting an ambulance…what if I’m too late. Oh God I pray she knows that I just can’t live without her.”
“Hey. None of that talk now. She’s going to be just fine. If your sister got her an ambulance she’s probably already safe at the hospital. Did you sister say exactly how she was bleeding?”
“She didn’t say. All she said was there was lots of blood.”
The driver weaved expertly in an out of traffic until he reached Saul’s apartment at the end of the city. Of course, there were already police in the lot when they pulled up and Saul jumped out of the car quickly, flagged on either side by both Trent and Antonio. Saul ran up to the front door, but an officer stopped him from entering the building with one arm. “I’m sorry, sir I’m afraid you’ll have to stand back, there’s an active investigation happening right now.”
“Investigation?! What are you talking about. Oh God…Lucille! Where’s my wife?!”
Before Saul could manhandle the officer and shove him out of the way, his sister spotted him in the crowd and ran up to him. She quickly flung her arms around Saul and her eyes were line with tears. “Saul! Oh thank God you’re here. I don’t know what happened. I opened the door and Lucille was just laying there. There was so much blood and I didn’t know what to do so I called 911. I’m sorry Saul… I didn’t know how else to help her.”
