Chapter 55: Lunchmeat and Leftovers

Once inside the house in daylight, Julianna admitted to herself that being there wasn’t that bad. She trailed Richie into the kitchen, which was largely unchanged from how she remembered it. She took comfort at the familiarity of it. “Hey guys,” she said as she came into the kitchen. “Rich and I are making lunch.”

To their credit, neither Tico nor Dave made a big deal about Julianna being in the house. “Thank God,” Tico said, dramatically. “We’re nearly starving.”

“Can it, drama queen,” Julianna said, her head buried in the fridge.

Tico looked at Richie and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if everything was OK. Richie nodded and smiled.

“OK,” Julianna said, coming out of the icebox. “You’ve got pretty slim pickin’s here, boys. I could only find lunchmeat and leftovers. What the hell have you been doing for food since you came back?”

Dave answered. “Lunchmeat and leftovers, mostly,” he said with a straight face, making Julianna laugh.

Julianna shook her head. “Boys, what am I going to do with you?”

“You can start by feeding us,” Jon said, with a playful wink, “and we can go from there.”

“In your dreams, sweetheart,” Julianna threw back at him. She looked at the other two men. “I simply can’t feed you with what’s in this house,” she said, disapprovingly. “My larder is just as bare. Let me think.” Julianna paced around a little, touching this and that, reacquainting herself with the kitchen she grew up with. She snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it. Boys, get your shoes and get in the truck. We’re going to Francesca’s.”

“You’re going to get your grandmother to cook for us?” Richie asked.

“No, you goof, we’ll raid Daddy’s kitchen. The restaurant is closed today, and he’s there cooking for tonight; we can be his guinea pigs. He won’t mind.” She looked around, exasperated that nobody was moving,

“Do I have to light a fire under your asses? Let’s go!” she ordered. “I thought you were starving!”

Jon and David hastened to comply with Julianna’s order. Tico hung back, and waited for the others to leave. Richie caught his eye before he left the room. Tico just smiled. He gave Julianna a big hug, and whispered in her ear, “Welcome back, little sister.”

Julianna, with tears in her eyes, hugged him back. “Thanks, Teek.”

Everyone piled into the truck and set off for the restaurant. The half hour trip took no time at all, since everyone was joking and laughing. Jon was driving, with Dave in the passenger seat. There were only two other seats, so Julianna had to sit on Richie’s lap, which was fine by her. She was so grateful to these men for just accepting her, warts and all, into their lives. The least she could do is repay them with some of the best food that would ever cross their palates.

“I gotta warn you,” Julianna said. “There could be a couple random cousins hanging around helping. I’ll ask them to be discreet, but they’re young,” she paused dramatically, “and they’re girls.”

“How young?” Jon asked with a sly smile in his voice.

Julianna reached forward to smack Jon on the back of the head. “Too young for you, buddy. They may call you The Kidd, but you’re way too old for these girls.” Julianna emphasized ‘way’.

“Jesus, Julianna,” Jon complained, checking his reflection in the mirror. “I’m not all that old. And watch the hair. I do have a reputation to protect, you know.”

Julianna snickered. “You are such a prima donna,” she said in a snooty voice. Julianna looked at Richie with mischief in her eyes. Richie nodded, and she leaned forward, put both hands in Jon’s hair, stopping for a moment to savor the feel of it, and mussed it up. Julianna collapsed back against Richie in a fit of contagious giggles. Soon, all of them were laughing.

“Son of a bitch! What was that for?” Jon was laughing too hard for the epithet to have any sting. If anything, his outburst only made them laugh harder.

“Stop,” Tico said, wiping tears from his eyes. “You’re gonna make me piss my pants!”

“Not in my truck you don’t,” Richie said. “Tie a knot in it.”

“Show me how, asshole,” Tico retorted.

“Screw you, T,” Richie said.

“That the best you’ve got Sambora?” Dave called from the front seat. “I expected better from you.”

“I’m weak from hunger. I’ll think of something better later.”

“GUYS!” Julianna had to yell to be heard over the insults and taunts being traded among them. “Zip it. We’re here.”

They parked around back, and Julianna used her keys to open the kitchen door. “Hi Daddy!” she called, as she led the guys into the large space. The kitchen was set up like a standard restaurant kitchen, with large sinks lined up along one wall, an industrial sized dishwasher, huge Sub-Zero refrigerators, walk in freezers, and miles of stainless-steel counters. The Viking stoves had pot racks hanging over them, loaded with beautiful stainless and copper pots. One of the counters had stools lined up in front of it.

The smells of fresh bread and bubbling sauce and Italian spices hit them dead on, and had all of the guys salivating. Tico groaned, and David even rubbed his hands together with glee.

“Julianna! What a pleasant surprise!” Riley turned from the stove at the sound of the door opening. He hurried over to give his daughter a kiss. “What brings you here in the middle of the afternoon? With friends, no less?”

“Daddy, these are Rich’s band mates Jon, Tico, and David.” Each man shook hands with Riley.

“Ah yes,” Riley said. “Dev told me about these new friends of yours. Big-time rock stars, huh?” The four of them nodded unselfconsciously. Riley shrugged. “No matter. Dev said you were good people, and in the end, it’s who you are, not what you do to make a living, that matters.” He poured each of them a glass of an excellent Cabernet, and went back to stirring something delicious-smelling on the stove. “So my darling daughter,” Riley said, “what’s up?”

Julianna indicated the four men. “These guys here are renting the house, and they are doing your kitchen shame by filling the refrigerator there with nothing but lunchmeat and leftovers.”

Riley made a dramatic gasp, making them all laugh. “That’s terrible,” he said, a horrified expression on his face. “Julianna, you must evict them immediately. It’s bad karma to be in that kitchen and not treat it properly.”

Julianna laughed. “Daddy, I’ve already properly chastised them. I’ve brought them here to be your tasters – for whatever you’re preparing for tonight.”

“Ach, girl, you think my fares need to be sampled before they are served?” He gestured haughtily toward the door. “Away with you!” Riley faked indignation well.

Julianna joined the improvisation. Not for nothing did she take drama classes as part of her curriculum. “But, Daddy, these men are starving! Look at them.” She went to each in turn and walked around them, turning them this way and that. She looked at her father. “There’s not a decent lump on any of them! Clearly they haven’t had a good meal in weeks! You can’t be so callous as to turn your back on their plight.”

Jon laughed at their antics, and chimed in. “I’ll have you know young lady, that many, many people have admired the lump I sit on,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with it.” He turned around and stuck the lump in question out. He turned his head to glance at it. “In fact,” he said, “I’d say it’s more than decent.”

Tico took up the conversation. “It’s true. I’ve spent most of my life looking at it. It’s not bad, and that’s a straight guy’s perspective.” He turned and lined his lump up next to Jon’s. “Mine isn’t bad, either.”

Riley laughed loud and hard. “Alright,” he said to Tico, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “You have earned you and your friends a meal.” He shook his head. “Honestly, not a humble one in the bunch, is there?”

“Nope,” Julianna answered. Slipping a look at Richie, she added, “But, after more than 20 years, I think they’re entitled, don’t you?” Richie spit out the wine he was drinking, choking back a laugh as he heard his words thrown back in his face. “Daddy, what are you making?” Julianna asked, changing the subject. “It smells to die for.”

“It smells to kill for,” Dave amended, looking at his friends through squinty eyes. “Take notice, boys,” he said, making them laugh.

Riley shook his head. “Julianna, I’ll only tell you if your friends promise to stay with us for dinner.”

Julianna looked warily at the guys. “Uh, Daddy…” She had just started speaking when Jon interrupted.

“Mr. Cavanaugh, it would be our great pleasure to stay for dinner.” He nodded at Julianna’s questioning look. “Rich has assured us that your family are all good people. We’d be honored to join your family tonight, right guys?”

Nods and grunts were the response. They would probably agree to wear ladies’ clothing if they could eat what they were smelling, Julianna thought. Riley considered Jon’s words. Julianna laughed. “Daddy, they’ll stay, they’ll stay. For the love of God, man, feed them!”

While Riley was dishing out heavy potato gnocchi and ladling on the sauce, Teresa chose that moment to sweep into the kitchen. Her expression changed from surprise to pleasure as she saw her daughter holding court in the kitchen. “Cara! How lovely to see you!” She crossed to her daughter and wrapped her in an embrace, taking the time to whisper in her ear, “Mama told me everything, but you look OK, so I’ll leave it for now.” Teresa turned to Richie. “And Riccardo! How nice you came back to us. Are these your famous friends? The ones you play with?”

The ones in question were all sitting at the counter, shoveling food into their mouths like they hadn’t eaten in months. Richie shook his head at their lack of manners. He introduced each of them, but none had given more than a nod in acknowledgement. “They are, Signora, and I apologize for their abysmal manners.” Behind Teresa’s back, Tico flipped him off. Richie ignored him and continued. “Julianna brought us here because we are putting the kitchen in the house to shame, and have nothing decent to eat. Your husband has graciously invited us to stay dinner.”

“He threatened not to feed us, actually, unless we agreed,” David said, his mouth full of pasta.

Teresa laughed, and crossed to David. She put a soft hand on his shoulder. “You eat like my Salvatore: with gusto and with pleasure. Of course you will stay!” she said, indignant at the thought that they would not. “But, really, are you sure? You know that Maddie and her cousins will not stop staring at you or pestering you to play.”

Jon approached Teresa, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles. “Signora, it is the very least we can do to repay your hospitality.” He looked at her with his sparkling blue eyes and wide, white smile, and Teresa blushed.

Julianna laughed, shaking her head. She just didn’t get it. “Watch it, Jon. Daddy has a very large cleaver and two walk in freezers.”

Riley laughed at his daughter. “Julianna, a pretty young face may turn your Mama’s head, but her heart and soul belong to me.”

“They do at that, cara mia,” Teresa said, looking adoringly at her husband. “They do at that.”