table. I cringed at the thought of my potential new bosses seeing me on a first date with a guy I barely knew. I was happy that my table was in a different room. I pleasantly said hello and told them it was nice to see them again. They introduced me to their dining partners, Gino RighettiRighetti Righetti and Cal Zamboni of Righetti Brothers’ Development Corporation. At first glance, Gino and Cal looked like they stepped right out of an old-school mob movie with Cal being the heavy hand and Gino being the Mafia Don.
Cal was younger, probably in his early thirties, but had quite the receding hairline. He was large, had no neck, and was unusually hairy. His bushy eyebrows and enormous size made him appear fairly scary-looking.
Gino was strikingly handsome and in good physical shape. He had slicked back his dark hair and doused his body in a nice-smelling cologne. He was very polished-looking, sporting an expensive Italian suit. There was a darkness behind his deep brown eyes, which seemed to examine me from head to toe, trying to figure out if I was someone that could be trusted. I noticed they both wore gargantuan-sized pinky rings. They were cordial enough, though.
Mr. Coglione introduced me as the new municipal clerk. I was speechless. I hadn’t been notified that I gotten the job. I wasn’t sure what to say. I smiled widely at him and said, “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.” Marc told me they had to make it official next week with a vote at the board meeting, and that they would call me on Monday to discuss salary. I shook his and Mr. Paparazzo’s hands, saying I looked forward to working with them. I told Gino and Cal that it was nice to meet them, then left to meet Kris in the other dining room.
I found Kris and Kris, Jr. seated at a table in the back of the second dining area. Kris was even dreamier than I had remembered. His dark brown hair and mesmerizing hazel eyes. That boyish grin and perfect body. I had to tell myself to calm down and act normal. I noticed Kris had brought a bottle of wine with him. Federici’s was a B.Y.O.B. restaurant and I thought it was thoughtful of him, since he knew I was becoming sort of a wine aficionado in recent years. I felt like a giddy little girl from the moment I saw him.
He stood up and pulled out my chair and I took a seat at the table. What a gentleman , I thought. “Hello, little man,” I said to Kris, Jr.
“I’m not a man ; I’m a boy,” Kris said, correcting me.
“But you look so grown up; are you sure?” I asked.
He looked at his dad and said, “I all growed up now.”
“You certainly are growed up now,” Kris said with a smile.
I announced my good news about the job almost immediately.
“A toast is in order!” Kris exclaimed. He uncorked the wine bottle and poured two glasses. We made small talk and munched on the Italian bread while we waited for the waitress to take our order. During the meal, we became engrossed in conversation. I gazed deep into Kris’s eyes, then nervously glanced away. It was then that I realized that Kris, Jr. was gone from the table.
“Where did he go?’ I asked.
Kris looked around, then lifted the tablecloth to get a view of what was hidden underneath.
“Kristof, get out from under the t able,” Kris scolded.
Instead of listening to his father, Kris, Jr. grabbed the edge of the tablecloth and yanked as hard as he could. The wine and food went flying. I was covered in zinfandel, Kris was covered in marinara, and the floor was covered in glass shards.
“Kristof!” Kris yelled through his clenched teeth.
Kris, Jr. ran out from under the table and down the aisle of booths. He grabbed a random tablecloth from a booth seated with an elderly couple. Faster than Kris could grab him, he yanked it. The old lady was suddenly covered in putenesca and the dishes and glassware shattered on the floor. Kris chased his son, but the little boy was way too fast. He went to a third table, and crash ! It happened