Maria was no longer annoyed. Now was angry. "That is such macho crap. What does that even mean?" she shouted.

"It means that when it starts to go down on the street, we don't leave until it's finished," Michael said.

"What does that have to do with mattresses? And I've heard it before. Is it from The Guy Book of Stupid Phrases or something?”

"It's from The Godfather" Max, Michael, and Kyle said in unison.

Maria shook her head. "Do all guys see themselves liv- ing out The Godfather?" she said.

"Yes," said the three guys in the car.

Maria shook her head again.

"Look," Michael explained with forced patience. "All guys see themselves as one of the Corleone brothers: Michael, the quiet but brilliant leader of the family, or Sonny, the hotheaded muscle.”

"Max, you don't buy this, do you?" Maria said, looking for a ray of sanity. "You don't think of yourself as Michael?”

"Well, I am… was King, after all," he said.

"I guess that would make you Sonny?" Maria said to Michael.

"If the shoe fits," Michael said.

Rolling her eyes, Maria turned to Kyle. "What about you, Mister Buddha? Tell me you don't think of yourself as… who?”

Kyle's face took on a serious expression. "It's true that Buddhist philosophy gives me a sense of peace that makes the Mafia metaphor a bad fit. On the other hand, it allows me to take a larger view of important issues, making me… if possible… even more like Michael," he concluded with a satisfied grin.

They are all crazy, Maria thought. Then she remembered something about those movies. "Wait, there was another brother, Free… Frey…," she said.

"Fredo," Michael said immediately. "Yeah, no guy sees himself as Fredo. He was the cowardly, loser brother. Plus, he betrayed Michael.”

"Well, I know plenty of Fredos. I've dated many of them," Maria said sourly, shooting Michael a look.