Chapter 4 - The Man Behind the Name
Three days later, I found Salvatore Bellini sitting alone in the hospital cafeteria.
That alone was strange.
Men like him didn’t sit under fluorescent lights drinking terrible coffee.
I walked past.
He spoke without looking up.
“Claire Bennett.”
I stopped.
“Do all Bellinis memorize my name?”
“Only the interesting ones.”
“That’s not comforting.”
He gestured toward the chair.
I remained standing.
“What do you want?”
“To thank you.”
“For what?”
“Not being impressed by my son.”
I sat.
“Most people are afraid of him.”
“So was I.”
Salvatore looked surprised.
“You didn’t show it.”
“Fear and obedience aren’t the same thing.”
He nodded slowly.
“You remind me of my wife.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“The highest one I give.”
I studied him.
“Where is she?”
His face changed.
“She died eight years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She was a nurse.”
That surprised me.
“Really?”
“At St. Gabriel.”
I looked around.
“This hospital?”
“Yes.”
He took a sip of coffee.
“She worked nights in oncology.”
Suddenly, his reaction to Marco made more sense.
“She would’ve hated what he did,” I said.
Salvatore smiled sadly.
“She would’ve dragged him out by his ear.”
“I would’ve paid to see that.”
“So would I.”
He became serious.
“Marco grew up with too many people saying yes.”
“That usually ends badly.”
“I’m beginning to notice.”
I leaned back.
“So what happens now?”
“To him?”
“Yes.”
“He works.”
I laughed.
Salvatore didn’t.
“You’re serious?”
“My wife used to volunteer at a family shelter connected to this hospital.”
“And?”
“Marco will spend the next six months funding and working there.”
I stared at him.
“Marco Bellini?”
“He can carry boxes.”
“He wears shoes that cost more than my car.”
“He can carry expensive boxes.”
I smiled.
Salvatore stood.
“Doctor Cole is a good man.”
I looked at him.
“Where did that come from?”
“He defended himself without trying to punish Marco afterward.”
“That’s Nathan.”
Salvatore watched me for a moment.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“You’re matchmaking now?”
“I’m sixty-two. I need hobbies.”
I laughed despite myself.
He walked away.
That evening, Nathan and I stood outside Rachel’s room.
“You had coffee with Salvatore Bellini?”
“I did not have coffee with him.”
“You sat at his table.”
“That’s legally different.”
Nathan smiled.
“Did he threaten you?”
“No.”
“Offer you money?”
“No.”
“What did he want?”
“To talk about Marco.”
Nathan shook his head.
“That family is complicated.”
“Tell me about it.”
He looked at me.
“Dinner?”
I blinked.
“What?”
“Dinner.”
“You’re asking me out?”
“I’ve been trying for six months.”
“No, you haven’t.”
“Yes, I have.”
“When?”
“When I brought you coffee.”
“You bring everyone coffee.”
“When I offered to drive you home.”
“It was raining.”
“When I asked if you wanted to go to a jazz bar.”
“I thought the residents were going.”
“They weren’t.”
I stared at him.
Nathan sighed.
“I’m apparently terrible at this.”
“Yes.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“Dinner?”
I smiled.
“Ask me after our shift.”
His face brightened.
“That’s a yes?”
“It’s a ‘survive the next six hours first.’”
He nodded.
“I can work with that.”
Behind us, Rachel’s voice called out.
“I heard all of that!”
May you like
Nathan closed his eyes.
I started laughing.
