4

Ruggerio

“What do you think about this one?”

I look over to my sister’s phone while eating and shrug my shoulders.

“This one is nice too!”

She groans as I return to my plate.

“I know thaaat! But which one is nicer?”

“Which one do you like more?”

She swipes back a few pictures before she beams up at me.

“This one, but in pink.”

“Pink? I’m not putting that order through.”

She gasps, about to throw a tantrum.

“But daddy said you would!”

I chuckle as my mother walks through our dining room with flowers in her arms. She must have freshly cut them in the garden.

“Elisabetta, let your brother eat in peace!”

She disappears out of the room still cursing in Italian about how my sister would end up giving me a bad stomach by stressing me out while eating. Elisabetta groans again and gets out of her chair pouting.

“I’ll call Alfredo tonight. Get you your pink Urus.”

My heart bleeds at the sole thought of it but is quickly mended as she hugs me like the whirlwind she is.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Elisabetta!”

My mother’s shouting has her jerk up and run out of the room. I laugh and continue to dig in as my phone chimes.

Frank: Got the tickets.

Ruggerio: Nice!

Frank: We will be Willy Grumple and Max Flores.

Ruggerio: No way!

I laugh at my best friend's extraordinary talent at making up fake idiotic names that will surely blow our covers soon. As if a Grumple and a Flores unknown to the host would spend 30k to get into the party of the year. And as soon as we will get discovered my grandfather will have my head on a plate. Good thing this is one of those stupid masked balls and even better, women at those gatherings are wild. It’s like they get a kick out of flirting in masks. I normally play big with my name to capture them. They usually find their way into my bed all by themselves when they hear my name. Unfortunately, a few beauties are hard to get rid of afterwards, but there is nothing I couldn’t manage. Coming from a family with hot-tempered women and choleric men, I’m used to way worse than any scene a woman could put me through. This is why I like this party at no end. I get to flirt with beautiful women and win them over without having to play my family’s joker. I can partly be myself and my kick is to win them over with my charms, even with a name like Willy Grumple.

My father walks in still wearing his sunglasses. His casual attire shows me that he was out for a ride with his old timer. Others jog in the morning, and he drives a convertible Ferrari Maranello. He says it’s his leisure since he passed everything down to me. That doesn’t keep him from sticking his nose into my work or giving unsolicited advice though.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the office already?”

I lower my gaze at the newspaper in front of me, even if I’ve already read it.

“Frank is going to pick me up in about an hour. Our meetings don’t start before noon.”

I take a sip of my coffee as I add.

“Also, I had a long night at the office yesterday, so I supposed it would be alright.”

He just grunts disapprovingly as he takes off his sunglasses to throw them on the table before he sits down.

“Your brother will be back in two days. Maybe you could pick him up from the airport?”

“I don’t think I would find the time.”

“I’m sure that if you look into your agenda again, you will be able to make a bit of space for your brother.”

Getting up to escape this conversation, I give in.

“Sure, I’ll see what I can do.” I don’t wait for his answer and walk out of the kitchen. Passing the living space and the dusting maids, I get on the terrace behind the house that faces the big and colorful garden my mother cares for like a child of hers. Taking a seat in a lounge chair, I light my cigarette.

I have to stop to pass by to eat breakfast here, but my mother would give me an earful about that.