“Good thing you’re here tonight then. We might share it with you.” He held up the dish. “Momma Joe’s lasagna.”
“Josephina Steel?” I asked.
“Best cook in the world,” Ricco smiled. “Let me know when it’s done. I’ll be out front if you need me.”
He walked out and Xavier removed the wrapping and popped the dish in the microwave.
“Your mom cooks for all of your employees?”
“Yeah. She and my brothers took off for Italy after Thanksgiving. I stayed as long as I could. Felt like I was dying over there.” He pulled out a chair. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.”
I smiled and looked around. “Before the hurricane this was a restaurant. Italian of course. My father and mother bought it when he retired from the Navy. We set up roots my sophomore year. Never stayed in one place long and honestly it never bothered me. Three brothers and two of the best parents in the world.” He stopped and looked around. I thought I saw something different in his eyes and then he chuckled. “Anyway, Dad died and the building was destroyed. We’re a blue collar family too. We would have lost everything if Momma hadn’t turned this place into a tattoo shop. We all worked here together. Busted our ass and built up a name. Never got rich but we lived well you know.”
“I’m sorry about your father.” I reached over and held his hand.
He looked down and then rubbed his thumb across the back of mine and then sat back in his chair and linked his hands behind his neck.
“As I was saying, we never had a lot but we had enough. Lots of shit happened, bad shit, but we survived. My parents met in Italy when he was stationed there. Insta-love. Her family was very wealthy and forbid her to marry him but she didn’t care. She walked away from it all for my Dad. Her family disowned her. No matter how tough things got Dad would never even think about asking for her families’ help. Never. When my Momma Joe’s Mom died we inherited a fuck load of money, and a business. Momma said no, Jase and Cyrus persuaded her otherwise. I took off for a year and traveled Europe on my own dime. I never wanted all that. I wanted this. I wanted to work, be creative, and make it on my own. I know Dad wouldn’t be pissed but I can’t say he wouldn’t be disappointed. I didn’t want to be part of that disappointment.”
He was looking at the ceiling and seemed lost in thought. Then he sat forward.
“We hid it from the world. No one connected a bunch of tattooed, pierced, fuck ups to Steel Incorporated. We all did shifts here still. Ricco and Kat, the managers knew, but they’re like family so it was cool. Then some stupid fucking picture goes viral and we are all over the news. No connections to Steel, yet, but there are reporters that hang out here waiting for a glimpse at us.”
“Why? I don’t get it.”
“Cause we are hot, tattooed bad boys Taelyn. Eligible bachelors. It’s fucking stupid but we all took off to put distance between us and the media circus. Momma is so hell bent that I’m gonna get my heart broken by some money grubbing female if that connection is made that she almost forbid me to come back. Crazy fucked up shit isn’t it?” He laughed.
“No, that’s what family does. I think its sweet she is worried about your heart.”
He stood up and pulled the pan out of the microwave using his sleeves as pot holders.
“Not sweet. She’s cock blocking me. Telling me to be careful. I swear to you I can’t do the shit I used to and that kills me. I just wanna go out and drink and dance and fuck you know?” He turned around and handed me a plate of lasagna.
I took the plate. “Thanks. Xavier that’s not what you want. You said the other day that you wanted to find the people who use those escapes and help them achieve their dreams and goals.”
He laughed. “Yeah, if their life sucks but mine doesn’t.” He sat down and took a bite. “Fuck me. This shit almost gets me hard. Stop pushing it around and take a bite. I swear you’ll be sneaking in here to raid the freezer too.”
The door opened. “What the hell man did you forget me?”
“Ricco stop being a bitch, your plate’s on the counter.”