Free Awakening the Mobster by Amy Rachiele

good?” Troy asks. “I’ll work on not being an ass.” Troy gives me sad, puppy dog eyes.
    I smile. “Yeah, we’re good.”
    “Great, let me make it up to you. Jake and I want to take you all out to dinner and a movie. Ladies pick.”
    “That’s nice, but let me check with everyone,” I say.
    “Come on, Chewbacca paid for lunch. Let me do this.”
    Vito’s door flies open, he’s got tired-but-hasn’t-slept written all over him. “Aw! Boohoo, you’re sorry. Wah wah... You’re lucky you apologized. Now let me fuckin’ sleep!”
    “Don’t you have little furry people to save on a planet far, far, away?” Troy asks mockingly. Vito slams his door shut.
    Troy yells to the closed door, “And you really need to work on your fake crying! I didn’t believe you for a second!”
    Back in my suite, Jake and Erin are watching T.V. and talking. Antonio is on his phone in the corner. He hangs up when he sees us.
    “Troy and Jake want to take us out tonight,” I announce.
    “Oh yeah, where?” Antonio asks. Erin and Jake look over at me.
    “Dinner and a movie.”
    “It’s ladies pick because I’m an asshole,” Troy says with mirth.
    “Well then, it will always be ladies pick, because you’ll always be an asshole,” Antonio quips back. He walks over to me and gives me a peck on the lips. “Whatever the girls want is fine with me?”
    We meet Troy and Jake at a restaurant just outside South Bend. Italian food is out because I didn’t want Vito keeling over in horror over it’s less-than-authentic taste and presentation.
    We go to a burger place. It’s one of those that offer at least twenty different toppings and types of burgers. The menu is huge. We are all crowded around a round table by the bar.
    I am sitting next to Antonio. His hand is stroking my leg while his other one is holding his menu. Little tingles shoot up and down my thigh. I silently hope that we can be alone again tonight. I glance at him. His dark eyes immediately find mine. We are both hyper-aware of each other.
    Troy’s on the other side of me talking, but it takes a minute for it to register.
    “Huh, what?” I ask turning his way. Antonio silently laughs.
    “I asked if you are coming to class again tomorrow?”
    Vito breaks in, “Tonio, please tell me you don’t have to go anywhere tomorrow.”
    “No, I’m good.”
    Jake is sitting next to Erin and says, “You could come to Western Civ. with me tomorrow if you want?”
    “No, she can’t.” Vito says quickly.
    “Yes, I can,” Erin says.
    “Uh...no. You. Can’t.” Vito says back harshly.
    “Yes. I. Can!” Erin flips back.
    “Whoa, enough,” Antonio says. “Sorry Jake. One of us has to be with them at all times. Vito went today to class. I’ll go tomorrow.”
    Erin sits back and pouts at Antonio’s words.
    Jake leans in and whispers in her ear. A big smile crosses her face and she laughs. My sister is clearly enjoying the attention.
    Without warning, Vito reaches out and jerks Jake away from her. A stunned Jake asks, “Dude, what is your problem?”
    “Whatever you need to say to her can be said in front of all of us.” Vito lets him go.
    “I was just jokin’ with her. I was asking if she was a princess that escaped from her castle with her guards. Geez! Get a grip.”
    Vito looks back at his menu stone-faced. What is with him? He is so intense. I thought Antonio was, but Vito might even surpass him.
    Everyone is quiet. Antonio breaks the silence by announcing that he’s having the Texas burger.
    “Yeah, that sounds good, but I think I’m having the Bleu Cheese one,” I say. “What are you going to have, Erin?”
    “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask Vito what I can have?” Erin says childishly, trying to make a point. And I kind of can’t blame her. She seems to be trying to pull herself out of her funk, but Vito is really making it a struggle for her.
    Vito doesn’t miss a beat, “You’re having the All-American minus the onions. If you’re a