Omerta

Chapter 6

         I asked Maria Luciano if I could tend to her garden as something to do. She told me she's never stepped foot on that dirt and that the gardeners tended to those things. She said I was free to do what I wanted though. I decided I would start today. I told Maria about it and she got excited and told me she'd join me, which confused me because she said she doesn't garden. Then I understood when I saw her coming outside to 'join me'. 

She was in a large sun hat and had a margarita glass in her hand. Sliding on her big sunglasses she walked the cobbled path and stood over me while I knelt in the dirt. "The roses need pruning," she informed me. "I know," I nodded. 

"Do you think we should add a veggie garden? Oh, we could grow our own tomatoes" she said enthusiastically. The woman was harmless but spoiled and privileged. She acted like a child at times, but maybe that's just her clinging to her youth.

        She was sure to keep her body tight and her cheekbones high, and what she couldn't maintain with plastic she used makeup to conceal. "We could. I wouldn't mind planting a box further back that way for veggies specifically" I agreed. It would give me a task to complete and keep me busy. "I'll have to set something up for us to go shopping for supplies'' she nodded to herself before taking a sip of her cold drink. 

She could've at least asked if I wanted water, but Maria was in her own world.

"What are you two lovely ladies up to?" I heard a man's voice ask. When I looked up I saw it was Vincent. He wasn't dressed in a suit today. He was in casual wear and it looked good on him. Vincent is handsome, but his brother is hotter. I couldn't tell if his tattoos were the plus, but even just comparing faces Nicolas was the better looking brother. I kept that opinion to myself. 

"Oh hi baby" Maria hugged her son's arm. He laughed when he saw her apparel and drink. "I'm gardening. She's...chaperoning," I answered him. He chuckled at that.

        "Why the hell are you in the dirt?" a second voice asked. I had still been kneeling there to prune the bushel of roses. Nicolas looked down at me like I was shit on his shoe. "She's tending to the garden," his mother stated whimsically. "We have people we pay to do that" he reminded her. "I like it," I cut him off. It was really none of his business. "You look cute in those little gardening gloves," Vincent winked. His brother rolled his eyes. "We're going to plant vegetables," Maria announced. "You are, ma?" Vincent challenged his mother. 

"Well no, she is, but I'm going to go pick out which seeds I want her to plant. She said we could get a garden box. What exactly is that sweetie?" she asked me, clueless.

"Oh, I just meant we could make a wooden box type thing where we'd put in its own source of soil, so it wouldn't interfere with the garden. It's easy," I told her. "See," she said to her boys. "You know how to build?" Vincent looked surprised. "Not exactly. I'll YouTube it," I shrugged. That got a laugh out of him. Nico wasn't paying attention. 

        "Beautiful and resourceful. A killer combination" Vincent smirked at me. "She's betrothed. Don't waste your time on flirting," Nico chimed in. Vin looked at him in confusion and I stared at him with the deadliest glare. "What's he mean?" Vincent asked me. "Nothing," I waved him off and stood, deciding to shift to a different rose bush that was farther from these two. The two of them started talking in Italian while walking away, and I'm sure it had something to do with Nico's stupid comment.

        I was finally at peace when all of them left the yard. I tended to the roses and watered the rest of the other flowers around the path and beside the gazebo. I started mapping out where I would place our veggie box. It wouldn't need to be huge. I decided on an unused corner just off the outer edge of the garden where they would still catch sun. Too close to the trees and it'd become too shady. I hoped Maria meant it when she said she'd arrange for me to go shopping for some new seeds and things.