Silence in New York - Book One

~Chapter 30~

Salvatore's mother looked Adriana up and down at an agonisingly slow pace. Her eyes practically burning through her in the most intimidating manner. Adriana opened her mouth to say something but closed it again after nothing came out, she was speechless. It was clear his mother had no idea she would be here. How embarrassing. She thought to herself utterly humiliated. Her fingers nervously played with the front of her strapless white dress wishing for someone to finally break the awkward silence.

"Salvatore!" His mother's voice shrieked. "Ho detto, chi è questa?" (I said, who is she?), she repeated turning her attention from Adriana and back to her son who was looking calm and un phased.

"Mamma smetila. E attenta a quello che dici. capisce Italiano". (stop it and be careful what you say, she understands Italian)

His mother remained un phased with the information. She rolled her eyes and stopped the waiter walking by with a tray of champagne. Slowly she took two flutes handing one to the nervous wreck which was Adriana and immediately started to fire away with the questions.
"Come ti chiami?" (What's your name?)

"Adriana" she replied sheepishly taking a sip from the crystal flute. Her lips were parched, she wasn't sure if it was from the long drive or her sudden state of nervousness.

"How old are you?" As if the question wasn't intimidating enough, she looked her up and down suspiciously as if trying to guess her age in her mind.

"Twenty five Signora Abandonato" (Mrs. Abandonato)

"Please, call me Josephine" she corrected her almost immediately.
Just as she was about to open her mouth to continue the very awkward interrogation, they heard Salvatore's father call out to him to come and join the men. Although Salvatore was a little sceptical, his mother practically pushed him towards them eagerly encouraging him to leave the two ladies alone. Perfect. Josephine thought trying to hide her smirk.

"So Josephine" Adriana began once they were alone, "you have a lovely home. Salvo tells me you enjoy entertaining"

"As do you dear"

"Sorry?" She choked on the champagne bubbles in shock. Did she just say that?

"At least I know you're not pregnant" Josephine continued, "you're drinking champagne after all"

Once she recovered from her coughing fit, Adriana took a deep breath and another sip of her champagne. This time though, the sip was more of a large gulp. She needed something stronger to put up with this.

"I assume you're Italian seeing though you understand it. Tell me, what other Italian practices are you following?" Josephine kept her eyes on her knowing full well it was making her an absolute nervous wreck. She was pressing her and did not intend to let up. This woman was on her property which gave her the right to find out everything about her.

"I'm not sure I understand Josephine?"

"Oh don't be coy Adriana. Are you having sex with my son?"

"What? No!" Her response could not have sounded anymore shocking. Was she really asking her these questions? This is why she wanted Salvo away from us.

"Why not?"

"Josephine, I ah, I'm not really comfortable with this..."

"I was not brought on this earth to make you comfortable. Does it look like I honestly care?" She retorted placing her empty champagne flute on the tray of the waiter walking by and reaching for yet another.

"I suppose not..."

"Well then, why are you here even though you're not sleeping with my son?"

Adriana was growing quickly tired of Josephine's antics. What did she even mean by all this? She knew if she responded yes to the original question she would have received a slap in the face, yet answering no wasn't exactly a walk in the park either. Her questions were completely out of line and it was become increasingly harder to respond.
"I'm sorry; does your son bring home random women he sleeps with? I don't know where we're going with this"