THE BLACK SEA | Gay Novel

Ch 5

"How come you never introduced us to your son, Don Basilio?" One of my father's obnoxious friends asked, God! No wonder my mom was trying to save me from this life.

My dad chuckled and placed his hand on my back, so I stepped in to fill in the blank, "I had other priorities," I answered vaguely, hoping he'd not ask any further questions.

Instead, a female friend of my father's, cladded in too many diamonds, looking kind of desperate to prove her riches, stepping a little closer to my father, she asked "Like what?"

"I don't know, maybe finishing my education," I say nonchalantly, most of the people in the mafia world are not that keen on education, on the contrary, they find most people with education to be arrogant and obnoxious, they prefer that you work for the family and gain the "work experience" that you need, that's why I wasn't surprised when my father's friends laughed about this, going on and on about how it's a waste of time and money.

"What did you major in?" Asked one of my father's friends who had been quietly observing the interactions.

"Right now I'm doing my doctorate in business administration," I answer his question honestly, making my father uncomfortably quiet, and his other friends gobsmacked.

"What's the point anyways? It's just a piece of paper," the woman on my father's side voiced her unnecessary thoughts again.

"Well, it has helped make my business and investments very successful," I again replied, taking note of Rosario's presence beside me.

"You seem very passionate about your studies," the quiet friend stated.

"I am, it was my mother's wish for me to finish my education before she passed away," I said, putting an end to any argumentative questions.

"You must be very proud of your son, Don Basilio," the quiet friend stated again.

The woman by my father's side, answers for my father while she rubs her hand up and down my father's arm, "of course, after all the money Don Basilio spent on his education, he better take after his father."

This strikes a nerve, and it must be the nerve connecting between my brain and my mouth because I don't stop myself from putting everyone in their place, "that's not true," I say getting their attention, "I paid for my own education, I don't accept things just because they're being handed to me," I take a dig at all of them, even Rosario who was a bystander, "and I take after my mother" this time taking a dig at my father.

My father chuckles and removes the woman's hand away, he pats my shoulder, "to answer your question, Don Giovanni, yes I'm very proud of him, and yes he does take after my late wife, she was very smart after all, and never took things for granted". My father said trying to lighten the tension in the group.

I scoff internally, such a hypocrite, after all, he was like his friends, he didn't want me to study.

Don Giovanni smiles and nods his head, satisfied with my father's answer, then he turns his attention to Rosario, "You're very lucky to have a smart and strong-willed person as your partner Rosario," I feel a hand slither around my waist, bringing me closer in his arms, I standstill.

"I'm very lucky indeed," Rosario smirks.

The woman who had been standing by my father's side and rubbing herself on him, finally had the decency to leave, and instead came a younger-looking woman who now stood by Don Giovanni's side, "are you planning on having kids together?" She asked, her tone too sweet to be real.

I look at Rosario who happens to look at me, with him? No! Sorry, mom, I love you, but I'm not following in your footsteps.

"..." both of us don't say anything and my father redirects the question to a different topic.