Sundresses and blue blazers ruled the scene and Jake felt grossly underdressed in his polo shirt and knee-length shorts. He reminded himself to have a word with Kate. Next time he wanted a little more detail of what he was getting himself into. Small groups mingled around glass-top tables talking about vacations in Tuscany, the real estate market in Honolulu, and bank accounts in New Zealand that were paying eight percent interest. He had never been to a tie-only barbecue, and if the first fifteen minutes were any indication, he would live comfortably not having to attend another.
Kate’s father cornered Jake on his way back from the bathroom. Kate was on the deck, her ear being bent by an elderly aunt who had already repeated herself twice. Mr. Sorrentino seized the opportunity to lay down the rules, mano a mano, as only a father can do.
“Kate tells me that you are in grad school at American University.”
“Yes sir. I am getting my Masters in English Literature.”
“What do you do with a degree in English Literature?”
“I don’t know yet. Maybe teach. Maybe get involved with a non-profit in D.C.”
It wasn’t the answer Mr. Sorrentino was hoping for. He hated to hear anyone say, “I don’t know” when it pertained to their future. He was equally offended by the term “non-profit.”
“What does your father do?”
“He’s in international business…importing, exporting.”
“Sales?” Mr. Sorrentino said in more of a statement than a question.
“No, he is the CEO and President.”
“Based in Washington?”
“Incorporated in Delaware, headquartered in D.C. The company has offices on both coasts and facilities overseas.”
“Tell me about your family.”
Jake balked. It was a question he didn’t like.
“I have a small family. Most of them live in the Portland area. I have an uncle in town.”
“Any chance you will follow in your father’s footsteps?”
“In business?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know,” Jake answered.
Mr. Sorrentino swallowed at the resurfacing of his least favorite expression. He hated to think about his daughter dating anyone, but especially a young man without a plan. Change your mind later, but for God’s sake have some idea what you want to do with yourself.
“I’m working at his company this summer.”
“Learning the ropes?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
With the word “guess,” Mr. Sorrentino had heard enough. Jake needed some direction. Something definitive. One of the problems with young kids these days. Mr. Sorrentino feared for the future of the country.
Jake just wanted to get away from his girlfriend’s father. Mr. Sorrentino asked questions with a stare so intense it was as if he were making inquiries directly to your soul. His gaze burned through Jake’s eyes and penetrated his skin. Every question was loaded. Jake didn’t like the man.
“May I ask about your profession, Mr. Sorrentino?”
“Sure, Jake. I’m mostly retired now. My business interests lie in real estate, construction, waste removal, imported produce, restaurants.”
“How is the waste removal business?”
“There is never a shortage of waste, Jake. Never met a person who didn’t produce any, and the population keeps growing.”
“True enough.”
Jake chalked up Mr. Sorrentino’s condescending attitude to natural arrogance and an overbearing nature when it came to his daughter. Jake wanted nothing more than to tell Mr. Sorrentino a couple of things. First and foremost was that, indeed, he was giving it to Mr. Sorrentino’s only daughter and enjoying it immensely, thank you very much.
He wondered if the details about caring for his mother over the last eighteen months would wipe the smug look off Mr. Sorrentino’s face. The all-nighters, the trips to the doctors, learning how to give injections with the skill of a seasoned nurse. Do that for a year and a half and see if you come out of it with a life plan. Life changes and having a plan guarantees nothing. Jake knew the words would be lost on Kate’s father. He was a hard-ass, and a scary one at that.
“It was good speaking with you, Jake,” Mr. Sorrentino said. “And let us conclude this conversation on a constructive, positive note.”
“Please,” Jake answered.
“There are two things I will not tolerate as a father to my daughter. Number one is infidelity. If I catch you cheating on my daughter, I will cut your balls off and feed them to the dogs. Number two—if I catch you lying to me or my daughter, the same thing will happen to your tongue. Understood?”
Jake looked at the madman in front of him. “Sounds pretty straight forward to me,” he answered. “But remember this, Mr. Sorrentino: for every man who cheats there is a woman cheating as well. And for every man who lies there are at least an equal number of women lying. Men just can’t hide it as well. The chance of me breaking Kate’s heart is equal to the chance that she will break mine.”
“Just so we know where we stand,” Mr. Sorrentino answered as if he hadn’t heard Jake’s short soapbox sermon.
Kate knocked on the glass door and her father changed from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde.
“How are my two favorite guys?” she asked, opening the door.
“Just getting to know one another, right Jake?” Mr. Sorrentino said.
“Right.”
“Dad, if you don’t mind, I want to steal Jake from you. Aunt Theresa wants to meet him.”
“He’s all yours,” Mr. Sorrentino said with a sadistic twinkle in his eye aimed in Jake’s direction. With Kate’s father in mind, Jake chalked one up in the “cons column.”
Jake and Kate stepped outside. His uneasiness didn’t go unnoticed. They may not have been dating long, but both were already good at knowing what the other was thinking.
“Kate, we need to talk.”
“Sure, Jake. But first I want you to meet Aunt Theresa.” A quick smile and light handshake later, Aunt Theresa turned to Kate. “Very handsome.”
“I know,” Kate said, pulling Jake away.
Hand-in-hand they turned from Aunt Theresa straight into a human wall. Three broad-shouldered men stood abreast, creating a barrier that would require a less-than-subtle change in direction.
“Hi, Tony,” Kate said, looking upward.
“Introduce us to your new friend,” Tony said, standing between two massive sides of beef known as the Castello brothers.
“Tony, this is Jake. Jake this is Tony. He’s a friend of the family and a business associate of my father.”
“Nice to meet you, Jake,” Tony said, squeezing Jake’s hand until the bones in his knuckles rubbed each other.
“And these other two guys are Eddie and Mike Castello,” Kate said. “People call them brothers, but they are really cousins. My aunt raised both of them.”
“As far as you are concerned, we are brothers,” Mike said, shaking Jake’s hand with a reasonable grip. Eddie stuck out his tree trunk arm and grunted something only Mike understood. They may have been cousins, but they had the mannerisms of two people who were raised under the same roof. A house where the family didn’t speak.
“For what it is worth, you don’t look like brothers,” Jake said.
“That’s because they’re not,” Tony added, as if he had solved a mystery.
“Well, I guess that’s why.”
“Jake, I expect you to treat Kate right. She is like my kid sister.”