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Tony Soprano had lived a hard life, from the downtrodden streets of Newark to the high life of North Caldwell; every step had been a challenge. Nevertheless, this meeting with New York's new boss, Arthur "The Aardvark" Read, would be his most treacherous trial thus far.
He sat in a booth at Carmine's, a mobster-owned restaurant on Mulberry Street, sipping espresso and trying not to look nervous. He'd already taken the precaution of ordering a glass of wine. It was one thing to get caught up in a war between the families over a piece of land in New Jersey, but it was another to have your own son killed for it. The only way he could have gotten through that was by drinking enough wine to numb himself.
Carmine's was packed tonight. Tony spotted many faces he recognized: wiseguys, capos, consiglieri, and their wives. Some were dressed like they were going out on the town, others more casually. Everyone seemed relaxed. Tony wondered if the meeting was just a formality or whether something big was being planned. He couldn't imagine why the bosses would be getting together now unless they wanted to settle some scores.
A waitress came over to take his order. He asked for an omelet with extra cheese. When she left, Tony leaned back and looked around the room. The place was filled with familiar faces, all of them part of the same organization. They all knew each other and trusted each other. If there was a traitor among them, he wouldn't have lasted long.
Tony took another sip of wine. This was a good place to hide, a neutral zone where no one could attack him without drawing attention to themselves. There were plenty of witnesses here who would testify that he hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, he was a hero for helping to stop the war between the Bonannos and the Persicos.
The waitress returned with his food. As she set the plate down in front of him, she smiled and said, "You're a lucky man, Tony."
He looked up at her. She was young, probably in her early twenties, and attractive. Her blond hair fell loosely about her shoulders, framing her face. Her eyes were blue, her cheeks flushed from the heat of the kitchen. Tony felt himself responding to her, but then he remembered that he was married. His wife, she was probably crying for junior right now.
She walked away, leaving him alone with his meal. He picked up his fork and started eating. He needed to keep his strength up.
Tony glanced at the door, wondering how much longer he'd have to wait. Then he heard someone call his name. He looked up and saw a tall, heavyset man coming toward him. He wore a dark suit, and his head was shaved. His face was pockmarked, his eyes hidden behind thick glasses. He looked like a college professor, except that he didn't seem to know how to smile.