Better Be True Read online

  Luke chuckled. “Because they don’t treat you any different than your sister. That’s kinda cool.”

  “Yeah, it is.” Nico tried to get a read on what Luke thought, but his expression gave nothing away. “Sunday we’d probably have brunch with the family and then take the train home. I mean, back here.”

  Funny how he already thought of this as home.

  Luke pulled out his phone and scanned it for a few seconds. “Okay, I’m in, but I have a few conditions.”

  “Conditions? Serious?” The giddy relief was hammered back into a nervous twitch. “What conditions? I didn’t ask for conditions before I helped you out.”

  “Can I help it if you don’t know how to negotiate?” Luke was enjoying the moment a little too much. Nico scowled, and Luke chuckled. “If you’d rather I didn’t go, just say the word.”

  Nico growled. “You seriously want to practice extortion with me? Me? You’re like my Italian padawan that I’m training to be a master. You got nothing on me.”

  “I don’t?” He closed one eye and looked down his nose at Nico.

  Nico glared, but felt his lips twitch into a giveaway grin. “Fine. Let me hear your conditions before I say fuhgeddaboudit.”

  Truth, they’d need to be truly onerous for him to say no.

  “First, time permitting, you show me around New York. I’ve never been.”

  “Okay, but you realize the city is huge and we’re there for less than forty-eight hours.”

  “Fine, promise to show me around where you live.”

  Luke sounded serious, but this was hardly a real condition. “Okay.”

  “Second, I get the window seat on the train. I’ve never taken a train before.”

  Also not a real condition. “Really? Sure. I’ve ridden trains my whole life. You get shotgun.”

  “Third—”

  “Holy fuck. How many conditions do you have?”

  “Third.” He held up three fingers. “You owe me now.”

  “Wait.” Nico crossed his arms and glared at Luke. “How does that work? This is payback for yesterday.”

  “Oh, Nico. So naïve.” Luke rolled his eyes dramatically. “First, you playing my boyfriend for five minutes is not two full days of pretending. More importantly, you didn’t bargain with me first.”

  “As if. So I was supposed to look at Kurt—”

  “Kent,” Luke said.

  “—and Sebastian and say, hold on, I need to bargain with Luke before I do him a huge solid and pretend to be his boyfriend.”

  “Hmm.” Luke finally dropped his seriously expression. “That’s a good point. But this is still way more of a favor than pretending for five minutes.”

  “Fine. I owe you now.”

  “Then we have a deal.” Luke held out his hand. At least he didn’t spit in it first.

  They shook, Luke’s grip warm and strong, and Nico squeezed into the tremors jumping up his arm. They both let go abruptly, and Nico picked up the sponge.

  Luke gently pried the wet sponge free of Nico’s grip. “I’ll do that, you cooked.” He pressed his shoulder against Nico’s and pushed gently. Not enough to force him away, but he shifted with it anyway.

  “Coffee?” Nico opened the cabinet with the grinds. “Or is that your job too?”

  Luke laughed. “It should be, but we’ll have it sooner if you do it.”

  Nico opened the bag and stared inside. The easy way they worked together felt . . . nice. He snuck a peek at Luke. Turning to hide his frown, he scooped coffee into the filter.

  Wrong guy, wrong time. But damn, this was going to make it hard to find the right guy when the time was right.

  Chapter Eight

  Luke

  Face plastered to the window, Luke watched as the train slowly exited Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. The inside of the station looked like something out of a movie. Hell, it had probably been used in a ton of films, it was so grand.

  Too bad the train wasn’t as impressive. The cabin wasn’t awful, but he’d hoped for something like the Orient Express. The 8:16 Northeast Regional was just a train. A mostly empty train.

  Nico had insisted they get up early to get to New York city sooner so he’d have more time to show Luke around. “Don’t want your conditions to go unfulfilled,” he’d said.

  More like he wanted to torture Luke for haggling over the price of his participation.

  He glanced at Nico, who had dressed in tight jeans and a pink button-down shirt. It was the first time since their initial run-in that Luke had seen him in stylish clothes. Nico looked good in them, too. More himself. Comfortable in his own skin.

  The change of outfits on the day they left to visit Nico’s family didn’t escape Luke’s curiosity. Something was going on there.

  Something he wanted to understand.

  “What?” Nico asked, blinking those devastatingly gorgeous eyes.

  Luke shook his head and forced himself to focus on the conductor, gesturing for their tickets.

  After they were punched, Nico patted his forearm and led him to the café car.

  Talk about underwhelming. By that point, Luke already had low expectations, but this was little more than a vending machine that overcharged by a factor of three. He wanted to kiss Nico for insisting they bring coffee from home, because he wasn’t brave enough to try the brown water they were selling. Finally, they settled in for the remaining hour or so to Penn Station.

  If he ignored that he had to pretend he was Nico’s boyfriend, the idea of seeing New York City excited him. For a country boy from Iowa, this was a big deal. Having Nico to guide him made it so much less daunting.

  “You’re just like Isaiah.” Nico’s voice broke Luke’s introspective moment.

  “Huh?” He turned away from the bland New Jersey suburbs that whizzed by. “How’s that?”

  “He stared out the window for most of the trip when I took him to New York.”

  “Do you have a habit of making your roommates pretend to be your boyfriend when you go home?” Luke’s amusement faded quickly when his joke landed like an anvil on Nico’s head.

  “My family never thought he was my boyfriend. I took him to New York for his birthday last year.” Nico gave him a weak smile. “He’d never been either.”

  “Right.” Joking about it turned into a total dick move. He hadn’t meant it that way. “Sorry, I was just kidding.”

  “You’re fine.” It sounded mostly sincere. “Lying to my family doesn’t make me feel good. I keep thinking I should just man up and tell them the truth. Then I remember the last time I was home and single, and I can’t do it.”

  “Dare I ask what happened?”

  “You can totally ask.” Nico sipped, and his eyes glazed over. “Nonna invited Tony Gambrelli to dinner and had the whole family talk me up before they disappeared so we could be alone.”

  “I take it you and Tony weren’t a good match.”

  “He’s a nice guy. We knew each other from around, but neither of us knew what Nonna was up to. And . . .” Nico grimaced. “We’d dated before without our families knowing and it just didn’t work.”

  “Gotcha.” Luke refrained from prying. Just.

  “With Elliott coming, she’d want to be sure I had a ‘plus one’ too. Evidently it’s embarrassing to be single in my family.”

  “Understood. But I thought Elliott would ride with us.”

  “He’s flying.” Nico opened his iPad. “Dumbass.”

  “Huh? I thought you liked him.”

  “I do, but he likes to show off how important he is.”

  Luke shifted in the roomy seat until he half-faced Nico. “Is he? Important, I mean.”

  Nico shut the cover and put the tablet down. “I shouldn’t have said that. Elliott’s family is old money, and the idea of taking a train seemed beneath him.”

  “So why is he a dumbass?”

  “His flight leaves at 10:05 a.m. In order to make that flight, he left about the same time as we did. We’ll be at Penn
Station about twenty minutes before his flight takes off. These seats are way more comfortable than a commuter plane’s—because there is no first class on the short trip from Philly to New York City—and he paid twice what we did for both our tickets combined. Pretty much we’ll have less travel time, have a more comfortable trip, arrive before him. All so he can say he flew.”

  “That does sound stupid.”

  “Yeah, well. He’s not from the city, so he has to learn the hard way.” Nico opened his iPad but didn’t open the lock screen.

  “And what is the ‘hard way?’”

  “Finding us there before he gets to my parents’ house. Commuter planes are noisy and small. I don’t recommend them. Plus, he’s flying to LaGuardia. It’s harder to get to Brooklyn from there than from Penn Station. He probably won’t show up before lunch.”

  Throw in practical to Nico’s list of good qualities. “All things being equal, I’m happier taking the train, since I’ve never been on one.”

  “Not that I want to diminish your experience, but it isn’t that exciting.”

  “No, but it is my first time—and don’t you dare say anything about popping my cherry or how I’m no longer a train virgin.”

  Nico smirked. “Not that I would say such things, but you’re hardly in a position to renegotiate your conditions.”

  “Whatever.” He turned back to the window, trying to act annoyed. Truth was, he and Nico got on way better than he expected. The guy was funny and fun to be with, but he knew when to be serious. Too bad both of them were in a bad place . . .

  Yeah, best not to go there.

  “This might be a bad time to raise this.” Nico didn’t sound one ounce concerned it was a bad time. “Did you want to experience the full Monty of railway travel for your first time, or is the train ride enough stimulus for one day?”

  Luke laughed. “Full Monty of railway travel? What the hell is that?”

  “I’m sure you’re aware, I don’t live at Penn Station.”

  “Really? This new learning amazes me. Tell me more.”

  “Since you asked, the train also doesn’t go all the way to my house.”

  “Shit, there goes my image of this being Amato Railways.”

  “Seriously, if we owned this business, the café would serve real pastries, not whatever those things with the red stuff in the center sealed in plastic bags were. And coffee that didn’t taste like it had been filtered through a train engine.”

  “You’ve clearly tried the coffee.”

  “Hence getting up a few minutes early to make us something drinkable.” He raised his reusable mug. “Now that we’ve establish our train-riding adventure will leave us several miles from our destination, we are left with finding our way to my house. We can take the subway—the full Monty of railway travel—or we can catch an Uber.”

  “I know you want to get home before your future brother-in-law, so I’ll defer to you on this. I wouldn’t want to pick the slower route. You wouldn’t get to gloat.”

  “I’m reasonably sure either mode will get us home first, so I’ll let you pick. Since I know you like to be in control.”

  “And you’re totally submissive? Not buying that.”

  “Actually, I’m a switch hitter.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. Depends on my mood.” The color in Nico’s cheeks deepened. “TMI?”

  “Considering I asked, not sure it could be.” Luke winked. “In the spirit of fair play, I switch hit too.”

  “Um . . . right. Good to know . . . I think.” Nico was so adorably flustered, Luke pressed his luck, just to stretch the moment.

  “I’m feeling in full Monty mode today, let’s take the subway.”

  “Right.” Nico’s cheeks flamed. “Just don’t give everyone a full Monty on the subway, okay?”

  “Of course not.” Luke saved that for the right people.

  Nico

  Nico: We’re off the subway. Will be home in ten.

  Nonna: Ok, gigio. Looking forward to meeting your bello.

  The two-block walk home never felt so short. Bringing Luke along upended him more than anyone else, and it didn’t make sense. They weren’t really dating, so why did it matter if his family liked Luke?

  After a super flirty start to the trip, they’d settled into much calmer conversations. It surprised Nico when the conductor announced Penn Station. Fastest train ride he could remember.

  Luke behaved on the subway, though they both snickered when someone said they were enjoying the full New York experience.

  “This is my block.” He pointed to the Amato’s Bakery van parked just ahead of them. “Though that probably gave it away.”

  “Which one is your house?”

  “Um, technically the third and fourth brownstones are my parents’ house.”

  “Third and fourth? Your family owns them both?”

  “Yeah, and my grandparents own the next two.” Nico opened the gate to let Luke go first. “My great-great-grandfather bought this one first. Over time, my family bought the three next to them.”

  “Holy shit!” Luke’s gaze swept up the front of the house and then moved down the block.

  “Just a heads-up.” Nico stopped with his key out. “The first floor and the basement are semiconnected to my grandparents’ house. The bedrooms are on the second and third floors. People generally wander between the two, so don’t be surprised if my grandparents suddenly show up.”

  “That must take some getting used to.”

  Nico shrugged and slid the key into the lock. “I guess. This is how it’s been since before I was born, so it’s all I know.”

  Nobody was home, at least not in his house. His mother had texted to say his father was at the bakery and she and Elisa had gone out shopping. Nonna, on the other hand, was home.

  He led them down a narrow hallway into a formal dining room. They turned right and entered the huge double kitchen the two families shared. Standing in front of the stove, Nonna stirred a pot. She turned when they entered, and the smile split her face.

  “Nico!” She wiped her hands on her apron and opened her arms.

  Nico put his bag down and bent over to hug his nonna. “You look wonderful.”

  She kissed him twice before cupping his face and staring at him. “My handsome boy. It’s so good to have you home.”

  It was good to be home. Family meant everything to him, and Nonna was the rock of the family. He covered her hands with his. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I always miss you when you’re not here. It’s not the same without you.”

  “Maybe soon, I’ll be back.”

  “Maybe?” She wagged her finger at him. “There is no maybe, Nico.”

  “Yes, Nonna.” He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. Keeping hold of her, he took a half step back. “Nonna, this is Luke.”

  “Welcome, Luke. Rosa Marie Amato.” She opened her arms, and fortunately Luke went with the moment and let her hug him. “You’re taller than I thought you’d be, but that’s good since my Nico is so tall.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Amato. Nico always smiles when he talks about you, so I’m glad to finally meet you.”

  Nonna pinched Luke’s cheek. “He makes me smile too. Come. Sit. Are you hungry?”

  Pulling them both in, she directed them to the table.

  “We’re good. You promised me peppers and eggs for lunch, so I’m going to wait.”

  She frowned and shifted her attention to Luke. “You bought one of those awful things on the train, didn’t you?”

  “No, ma’am. Nico warned me not to try them.”

  “We ate before we left Philadelphia, and before we got on the subway we split a bagel.”

  “Better than train food . . . barely.” She picked up a wooden spoon and returned to the stove. “Go put your bags away and come back. I just put the coffee on. It will be done soon.”

  “Sure.” Nico stood and nodded back the way they’d come. “Did Mama say which room she put Luke in?”


  Nonna turned and eyed them both for a second. “Luke is staying in the guest room next to yours.”

  “Great. Be back in a few minutes.” He snagged the straps to his bag and hustled Luke out of the kitchen.

  Luke

  Coury: How’s the visit with your fake boyfriend’s family?

  Luke: STFU.

  Coury: What? Why you hating on me? Seriously, how’s it going?

  Luke: It’s going.

  Luke pushed his phone into his pocket, still burning with embarrassment. Embarrassment even the fresh garden air couldn’t lessen. He slumped onto a wooden bench and ground his palms against his forehead.

  He’d tried to engage in the family conversation over dinner, but how was he supposed to know Nico’s family pronounced marinara, “madanad?” Or that calling it pasta sauce was borderline insulting to his grandmother? And what the hell was gabagool? Even Elliott knew the right way to say things in the Amato house, and he wasn’t an ounce Italian.

  “Hey.” Nico shut the back door and sat next to Luke, handing him a glass of wine. “Here. It’s a full-bodied zinfandel.”

  “Thanks.” More cluelessness. What made the wine full-bodied? “Sorry.”

  “For what?” Nico set his drink down and gently rubbed Luke’s back. “I thought things went well.”

  The smooth motion soothed some of Luke’s anxiety. He leaned into the massage.

  “Clearly I didn’t study the right things.”

  Nico’s hand paused on his back. “You studied to come here?”

  “Just food stuff. I didn’t want to sound stupid.”

  Nico’s hand drifted up and kneaded the tight muscles in Luke’s neck. “That’s . . . really considerate of you. Thank you.”

  Luke tasted his wine, and Nico removed his hand. Once gone, Luke missed the contact. Not that he could ask Nico to keep doing it. “Yeah, well it didn’t help. I still looked stupid, and your family thinks I’m an idiot.”