Indebted to the Mafia King

l

as I clear paper plates and cups off one of the high-top

. “Yes, chryso mou, I know. But your mama was supposed to be done t

ack. I love the night classes I’ve been taking at the community college a few blocks over, but I’m not goi

I turn with my customer service smil

my family under his thumb since they came to America,

He’s always preferred his given name, Gregorio, but he tolerates customers who call hi

ba stops mi

istake. Like one creature,

oozes past the rows of packaged goods to where I stand b

black half-apron arou

hen you smile,” on

ll in nothin’ but the apr

with pain. He hates seeing them treat me like this, but he can’t stop them. Not without consequences. And as humili

macks my butt. I can’t h

her tits pressed up to her chin like that and her ass wagging, I bet you alre

ok at me. I got Mama’s height, which is to say, none at all, but the body of the women on Baba’s side. Even in my high-necked T-shirt, a sports bra, and loose

unter, places his order, and recei

orgie.” He taps on the counter. “Be

they finally leave. I exhale

retches his hands acros

t keep The Greek Corner afloat. His left hand…. I swallow. Back when I was in high school, Baba missed a payment. Frank said he would be kind, since it was Baba’s first. Instead of ta

ay. “You can’t do a

e than usual, chryso mou. He just increased the

is circled in red. Only five days to make the money, or we fi

*

he class. I know he just wants me to do well. I want to do well. I pull out my laptop and peer at the slideshow on the board. We’re still on advanced HTML, whic

ziest thing about this club called Piacere out on Staten Island,”

ette continues, “They’re doing a virginity auction. Apparently, some girls get thousand

reek Corner and how much time I spend with Mama and Baba since Christos disappeared two years ago, I haven’t dated

, right?” the

girl who did it last year. It’s like an an

r brother is enough to lose. I scribble down every detail the girls whisper to each other and start men