< Second Chance for the Mafia Prince
Match Part II
“Do you know what the hell is happening?” Ernst asked as Thisbe ran off after the group leaving him with Gulliver and January.
“I believe, Ernst, in the same way that the very first time I ever laid eyes on January, my brother saw you across the parking lot and had a very visceral and real reaction to you as a being. According to my father, he felt the same thing with my mother. It’s apparently something which happens to the Crane men.”
“But I’m not gay.” Ernst repeated as he couldn’t tear his eyes off the man who was now on his knees with the kids making them squeal with laughter. “Am I?” he looked to January in utter confusion.
“I don’t know. Have you ever kissed a boy and liked it?”
“No.”
“Never crushed on a man?”
“No.”
“You’re a scientist right?” Gulliver asked Ernst and watched the man nod in disbelief. “Then do what a scientist does. Start looking at the data.”
1/7
18:37
“What data? I’m a straight man who just had a,” he waved at
< Match Part II
Lucky Draw
the man who was clearly at ease with the situation he’d created, “I don’t even know how to describe him or what happened.”
“It’s a reckoning.” Gulliver said seriously and clapped him on the back like they were old friends. “You are going to be my brother, Ernst.”
“I’m not gay.”
“Maybe, maybe not. How many women have you dated?”
“One. My wife. I met her in college. I was a nerd so the girls in high school weren’t climbing the walls to get to me.”
“You need to experiment. When you jerk off, do you think of girls or?”
“Gulliver!” she slapped at him. “That is inappropriate.”
“Just the release,” Ernst said with a shrug.
“Bullshit.” Gulliver said with a laugh. “You need to sort it out.”
“I don’t even know what to say.”
“How about,” January said softly, “we just start out by
spending a day with the kids and getting to know everyone. If
you
find yourself attracted to him, then be the scientist and 2/7, don’t ignore the data like Gulliver said.”
18:37
Lucky Draw
< Match Part II
“This is the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced, and I once watched my ex–wife and her lover kill someone in cold blood and got thrown into witness protection for it.”
“Oh, that’s going to be a good story to tell your future husband, Ernst.” Gulliver was laughing his head off.
“Why are you enjoying this so much?”
“Because Ernst, my friend, my brother,” Gulliver laughed, “my wife was flirting with you in the hopes to move on from me with you. You are now a very taken man, whether you realize it yet or not. My competition is now family and family don’t fuck family over.”
“Gulliver, you’re being an ass.
وو
“I’m happy as a pig in shit.” Gulliver grinned as they
approached the group. “Hey guys! Lets go look at the animals. The picnic will be ready by one. We all ready?”
“Yes!”
Darwin looked at his dad with amazement. “This family is loud.”
Ernst nodded as he locked eyes with Glenn, who was looking at him with a hungry smirk. “It is very loud and outspoken.”
3/7
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< Match Part II
Lucky Draw
Mitsos approached and looked at Darwin seriously, “in our house at home, it’s quiet. When we’re all together it’s very loud but at home, my dad knows I don’t like crowds a bunch. He helps me with all my homework too. He keeps me safe. He said it’s okay to be quiet when everyone else is loud.”
“My house is quiet too, but Kaylee makes me happy when she’s there. She makes it fun. She’s my very bestest friend.”
“Kaylee brings the noise,” January laughed as she ruffled Darwin’s hair, “but you bring the quiet and it all balances out.”
“Balance is good.” Glenn rose from his kneeling position. “But sometimes disruption is good too. Shake things up.” He looked at the man approaching in the distance. “There’s Ford! We’re going to have all the animal details nobody needed.”
January watched as Ford slapped Gulliver on the back and then gave Glenn a sideways bro–hug which seemed to set Ernst’s teeth on edge. She leaned to Gulliver, “did Ford and Glenn ever?”
“Nope.” He laughed at her question. “Interesting though how your buddy seemed to think that too though and I don’t think he likes it.”
“Is Ford gay?”
1
18:37
“Ford is as hetero as I am and that’s saying something.” He chuckled, “rumor has it, my grandfather once dabbled but you
< Match Part II
Lucky Draw
know the Greeks in ancient times were a wild bunch.”
“Oh my god,” she snorted as she elbowed him in the ribs.
“Mom! Let’s go!” Kaylee had the hands of both boys in each of hers and they were happily following her.
“Ford, this is Ernst,” Glenn introduced them. “Ford is my best friend. Gully and I share him actually. He knows all my deepest secrets. He’ll be the best man when I marry you.”
Ford choked on his spit. “What the fuck?” He looked at Glenn in disbelief. “Not you too. Not that weird mumbo jumbo shit your father talks about?”
“He’s mine, Ford. He simply needs to accept it.”
Ford extended his hand to Ernst, “let me tell you. These men in the family are all scientists. Engineers. Mathematicians. All of their weird mumbo jumbo defies anything I’ve studied o‘‘ than they are like some of the animals we’ll be looking at toy in the zoo.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mates for life.”
“Mates for life?” Ernst asked quietly.
o cheating. No looking sideways. Til death do you part.
18:37
<Match Part II
Lucky Draw
Jealous as shit too.” He dropped an arm over Thisbe’s shoulder. “Looks like we’re the last of a dying breed.”
“Don’t touch me Ford. I don’t know where you slept last night with those nasty fingers.” Thisbe shook him off.
Glenn smiled and waved his hand forward, “the children are waiting for us, Ernst. Let’s go join our boys.”
January watched as Ernst seemed to be moving on autopilot.
“You look sad.” Gulliver commented as they took up the rear of
the group.
“Not sad. Concerned. I know what that feels like. I lost myself in it. I don’t know whether to pity him or celebrate for him. When it’s good, it’s good but when it goes sideways, it hurts.”
“Well, the good thing with men like the Raptis men is that we are all very smart and we learn our lessons very well. have nothing to fear from me and Glenn has learned from my mistakes. Your friend is in good hands. So are you.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so.”
She slipped her hand in his and nodded, “I’m trusting you,
Gulliver.”
18:37
6/7
.00
Lucky Draw
< Match Part II
“I know my love.” He chuckled, “I can’t wait to tell my father. He’s going to lose his mind. Glenn finally met his match.”
רוד
18:37
January didn’t pull her hand away from Gulliver as he linked their hands together and strolled behind the exuberant group.
“Poor Ernst looks like he’s been smacked upside the head with a shovel.”
She shook her head at Gulliver’s comment as she watched the father of her daughter’s best friend sneaking surreptitious glances at Glenn who was currently swinging Kaylee and Mitsos off his arms promising Darwin he was next.
“That reminds me of when Glenn and Ford were throwing them in the air yesterday. Glenn is very strong.”
“I’m stronger.”
“It’s not all a competition, Gulliver.”
“Life is absolutely a competition especially when you have family like mine.” He corrected with a laugh. “Glenn and I are only eighteen months apart. We have been fighting and competing over everything from grades to video games since he came out of the womb. Thisbe is younger than us, so she missed out on a lot of it, but Ford has been my best friend since the cradle too. Glenn tried to poach him from me, and we ended up sharing him. However, and I say this with all the love in the world for both of them, I’m the best and they both come7
n
thind danan
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