Chapter 1 #2
She rips away from me. It’s ok for her to tug me along but I’m not allowed to do the same to her. “Let me talk to your boss. Now.”
“Little girl, go,” the guard growls, towering over her.
The door opens and a man stands there – one that is achingly handsome. Tall and broad shouldered with dark hair. Classic good looks like out of a movie.
“Sean, just let the girl in to complain. She won’t go away otherwise.” He motions at me and Susanna to enter.
Sean doesn’t look like he wants to listen but he moves aside after a moment. Susanna gives him a smug look before entering the office.
The boss settles himself back behind his desk. “What is the problem?”
“Your bartender sucks. He isn’t doing his job. You need to fire him.”
“And you’ve taken it upon yourself to make this happen instead of enjoying the party going on out there?”
“Yes. When someone gets on my nerves, I make sure they know it.”
The man chuckles before settling his eyes onto me. “And you know? Do you do the same?”
Before I can answer, Susanna steps in front of me. “What she does isn’t of your concern. Just deal with your bartender.”
The boss raises his eyebrows, clearly surprised by Susanna’s bluntness. “I’ll make sure my bartender is doing his job. But you girls should be running along now. You don’t want to get yourselves in trouble.”
Susanna crosses her arms. “How would we get into trouble? We’re just voicing a complaint.”
“Because you’ve entered into my office. That’s a dangerous place to be.”
“And who even are you?”
“I’m Luca Moretti.”
The name doesn’t ring a bell. Judging from Susanna’s shrug, she doesn’t know who he is either.
Luca smirks. “It’s probably for the best you girls don’t know who I am. Now, run along.”
“Don’t talk to us like we’re children. We’re adults.”
“You wouldn’t have been let in here otherwise.
But it’s obvious you can’t drink from the stamps on your hands, which tells me that you used your real IDs and not fake ones.
Which also tells me that there’s an innocence about both of you.
A naivete. So if you know what’s best for you, you’re going to go back out there and leave my office. I have work to do.”
“I’ll only leave if you personally give us drinks.”
“Susanna,” I murmur, tugging on her arm. “Drop it.”
“No. Not until I’ve gotten something to drink.”
Luca sighs. “You’re a powerhouse, little girl. Fine. You win.” He walks over to the door and motions at Sean. “Make sure these girls are given something to drink. Soda. No alcohol. And make sure they don’t come to bother me again.” He turns back to us. “Happy?”
Susanna prances over to him. “Very. Thank you.”
He sets his intense eyes onto me. They’re a dark brown but they’re ones I could get lost into forever. “You’re not as bold as your friend is.”
“She’s my sister,” Susanna explains. “Come along, Nina.”
I follow behind Susanna when Luca gently sets his hand on my arm. I jerk away.
“Do you do everything your friend tells you to do?” he asks.
Susanna gives him an annoyed look before grabbing my arm and dragging me from the room. Sean leads us back to the bar and grabs the back of the bartender’s jacket and speaks low to him. Within just a moment, the bartender is serving me and Susanna a soda each.
“Thank you,” Susanna says, taking a big sip of her drink. “Ah. That’s the best tasting soda I’ve ever had.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Because I earned it. Now, let’s dance.” She leaves her full glass behind and pulls me onto the dance floor. All that work and she barely even took a drink of it.
“Susanna, I’m getting tired,” I admit, swaying back and forth.
“How are you tired? We just got here.”
“Because you made us talk to the boss. You always make such a big show out of everything. It’s tiring.”
“Sorry for being a good sister. I got us drinks, didn’t I?”
“I never asked you to do that.”
“So what? I’m your sister. I know what’s best for you. Now, let’s dance.”
But I’m pulling away when she tries to grab my hands. “I want to go home now, Susanna.”
“Well, I want to stay. You’re not going to leave me by myself here, are you?”
Of course not and she knows it. So, I push down my sigh and force myself to dance with Susanna.
After a few minutes, I feel eyes on me. Looking over Susanna’s shoulder, I see that man – Luca Moretti – standing in the hallway entrance, his eyes right onto me.
I can’t make out his expression. A cross between excitement and darkness. It doesn’t make any sense to me.
He doesn’t look away. Does he know something I don’t?
I tug on Susanna’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“No.”
“Susanna. Let’s go. It’s been a few hours already. What if Mom wakes up? What if Alek comes by and finds us missing? We’ll be in big trouble. Let’s go.”
“No.”
“I’m the older sister here and I’m putting my foot down. Let’s go.”
That finally makes Susanna listen to me. “Fine,” she grumbles. “But you are a party pooper and I don’t like you.”
“Likewise.”
We finally head for the entrance but before we leave, I look back over my shoulder and find Luca watching me still. When I leave the club, I can still feel his eyes imprinted into my back.
Susanna and I make it back home without any problems. Our mom, Maria, doesn’t wake up at all. No one will know we snuck out tonight to have some fun.
Susanna gives me a surprise hug. She’s not one for doing it too much. “Thank you for at least going out with me tonight.”
“Of course.” I pull away from her. “But you should know that you put me in an uncomfortable spot tonight and I’m not happy with you about it.”
She rolls her eyes. Everything with Susanna is dramatic. “Whatever. I’m going to bed.”
I manage to fall asleep despite my pounding heart but I can’t get Luca’s eyes out of my mind, even after sleep takes me. His eyes are still on my mind the following day when I eat breakfast and even when I head over to Alek’s house to spend time with Katya.
At twenty-three, Katya is a fully actualized adult whereas I’m just becoming one. But I do know that she was emotionally stunted due to trauma in her life that she has now overcome.
Katya welcomes me inside. “Hey, Nina. I thought we could spend some time outside on the patio. Alek has a guest over.”
“Oh? Who?”
“I’m not sure. Some man. Alek hasn’t really told me much.”
Before Katya and I can head for the backyard, we’re intercepted by Alek coming into the foyer. It’s always nice to see my surrogate father figure. But what shocks me to my core is not the sight of Alek.
No. It’s the man behind Alek.
Because that man is Luca Moretti himself.