Chapter Two
Marcello
Theater Girl
Seventeen years old and standing on the street corner with my friends, I knew I could do better than this. I didn”t belong in the petty crime world.
Romeo, Altoni, and E-Smooth were deep into the drug game, selling to their usual customers. I wasn’t involved in their dealings. My father, Ramani DeLuca, had drilled into me that petty dealing was beneath us and that our family’s name alone was worth billions.
My father introduced me to his connections and encouraged a relationship with my older cousin, Vito Deluca, who was the capo of Columbus, Georgia. When Vito and I didn’t forge the close bond he expected, my father then teamed me up with some DeLucas closer to my age. But the interactions always felt forced, so I stuck close to those who made me feel most comfortable.
Even though I hung with Romeo, Altoni, and E-Smooth, I knew we had differences. They were less fortunate than I was. I didn’t have to hustle for clothes; I wore the hottest brands. I didn’t have to hustle for food; our maid cooked three hot meals and provided snacks every day.
I wanted for nothing, and my father made sure I understood the dangers of committing petty crimes, of losing my freedom to jail or my life to a hater. Even while I was on the street corner hanging with my friends in the grimiest parts of town, I knew my father had men within eyeshot, making sure nothing happened to me.
One day, everything changed. My father could protect me from most things, but there was one thing he couldn’t guard my heart from. Her.
The girl coming out of the theater across the street from where me and the guys hung out daily was going to change my life. I knew as much just from looking at her.
She walked to the edge of the street and stood there, only a few feet away from me. She had an air of elegance that was impossible to ignore, a presence that seemed to command the very air around her.
Her skin, a deep and rich shade of mahogany, gleamed under the falling sun, smooth and flawless as polished ebony. Her eyes were dark and intense, framed by a cascade of thick, natural curls that framed her face like a halo. They were the kind of eyes that seemed to hold secrets, deep pools of mystery and warmth that drew you in and made you want to uncover every story they held.
Her high cheekbones gave her an almost regal appearance, accentuated by a pair of delicate, pearl-studded earrings. Her full lips, naturally curved into a subtle, enigmatic smile, had a softness that made my heart race. She carried herself with a grace that spoke of strength and resilience, her posture straight and poised, as if she were fully aware of her own worth.
But it wasn”t just her physical beauty that captivated me. There was something in the way she carried herself, a quiet confidence mixed with an underlying vulnerability, that set her apart from anyone I had ever met. She moved with a fluidity and elegance that was almost otherworldly, her presence both commanding and inviting.
As she glanced my way, our eyes met for the briefest of moments, and I felt a jolt of electricity course through me. In that instant, I knew that this girl was meant to be mine. There was something about her that made me want to know her, to understand her, to be close to her. I couldn”t explain it, but I had to find out what it was about her that had turned my world upside down in a single glance.
“Yo, Marcello, why you always coming around here to hang out around the time theater practice lets out?” E-Smooth broke into my thoughts.
“Yeah, man, you got a date or something?” Altoni chimed in, laughing.
“None of your business,” I shot back, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice and my eyes on the girl. “Just like the view.”
“The view, huh?” Romeo said, raising an eyebrow. “More like a particular view, I’d say.”
“You could say that.” I gazed back at the beautiful girl just as her glowing dark curls caught the late afternoon light, making her look almost ethereal.
My heart raced, and I took a deep breath, gathering all my courage.
Not many things made me nervous, but something about going over to talk to her made me feel anxious, like I was about to make a life-changing decision.
“Here we go,” I muttered to myself, taking a step towards her. I had decided that it was time to stop watching my girl. It was time to claim her.
“Marcello, where you going, man?” Romeo called out, but I didn’t turn back.
I walked towards her, my heart pounding in my chest. She was talking to a friend, laughing, her smile lighting up her face. I waited until her friend left before I approached her.
“Hi,” I said, my voice carrying a little extra base.
She turned to look at me, her eyes widening slightly. “Hi,” she replied, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
“I’m Marcello,” I said, extending my hand. “I see you around here a lot.”
She stared at my hand, then took it ambivalently for a quick shake, releasing it too soon for my liking. “I’m… uh, I’m Lanay. And yeah, I guess we do keep ending up here at about the same time.”
So, she had noticed me. Interesting.
Feeling a little more at ease, I pointed at the theater arts building and asked, “You like theater?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I have practice at the theater every day, so I would say I like it. What about you? What brings you here?”
“I just like the area,” I said, shrugging. “It’s a nice place to hang out.”
She stared at me pensively, and I felt my heart skip a beat. “Yeah, it is a nice place to hang out if you’re involved in the theater. It’s the best part of this area. Otherwise, hanging out in this neighborhood could be for not so good reasons. So, what brings you out to this block?”
I glance over at my boys who are engrossed in a conversation. “My friends live close by, so I come over to hang out with them, but today, I’m here to see you. “
“Me? Really?” she asked with a curious smile, her eyes twinkling with a mixture of surprise and amusement. Her response suggested she wasn”t used to being caught off guard.
I chuckled. “Yeah, why not you?”
“Why not me? Good question. You’ve got me there.” She blushed. “Are you in high school or something? I haven’t seen you at Columbus High.” Her words were playful, but they carried a hint of genuine interest.
“Yes, I’m a senior,” I replied, shifting my weight slightly. “But I don’t go to Columbus High.”
Her eyebrows lifted with interest. “Where do you go?”
“Langley Prep, where I’m preparing to start my own business like my father.”
“Sounds interesting,” she said, leaning in a bit closer, her curiosity clearly piqued. “What kind of business?”
“Mostly car sales,” I said, choosing my words carefully. I didn”t want to delve into the complexities of our family operations. “It’s our family business.”
“Family…” she repeated softly, almost to herself. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment, as if she was processing the word. There was a subtle shift in her expression, a flicker of something deeper, perhaps a connection or a memory.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her fingers nervously playing with the strap of her gym bag. It was as if the word “family” had opened a door to a room she wasn’t comfortable being in.
Desperate to steer the conversation to something lighter, I forced a smile and said, “Hey, have you tried that new coffee place on the corner? I hear they have the best lattes in town.”
Her eyes met mine again, the tension easing slightly as she caught onto the change in subject. “No, I haven’t,” she replied, her voice softening. “But I’ve been meaning to. I’m a sucker for a good latte.”
“We should check it out together sometime, then,” I suggested, hoping to bring back the lightness of our earlier conversation.
Her smile returned, tentative but genuine. “I’d like that, Marcello.”
As we continued to chat about coffee and other mundane things, I kept an eye on her, making sure the discomfort had fully left her. I wanted to be someone she could relax around, someone she could trust. The fleeting glimpse into her discomfort had only deepened my interest in her. She was a mystery I was determined to unravel, piece by piece, with patience and care.
We talked for a while longer, and I found myself getting lost in her words, her laughter, her scent, her vibes. Her very essence was different from anyone I’d ever met, and I knew I had to see her again.
The loud honking of a horn brought me out of my thoughts.
“That’s my ride,” she said, shrugging. “I guess I have to go.”
The driver inside the beat-up Chevy, a hulking older man with a stern expression, leaned out of the window. He pressed his elbow into the car’s horn, the harsh sound echoing down the street.
“Lanay, come on!” he yelled, his eyes piercing through me with a look that sent a clear message: stay away.
Lanay flinched slightly, her smile faltering as she glanced back at me. “That’s my uncle James,” she said, her voice tinged with unease. “He’s... um, protective.”
I took a step forward, trying to keep my composure under the intense scrutiny of her uncle. “I’ll walk you to the car,” I offered.
She shook her head quickly. “That’s not the best idea, Marcello.”
I reached out to touch her hand. “Then, I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“I’ll be back tomorrow. So, yeah,” she agreed, and with that, she turned and walked to her car, leaving me standing there feeling lost without her already.
I watched as she hurried to the Chevy, her uncle’s gaze never leaving me and mine never leaving Lanay. She opened the door and slipped inside, giving me a quick, apologetic smile before they drove off. I stood there, the noise of the street fading into the background as I replayed the encounter in my mind.
I didn’t know the complicated girl who flinched at the mention of family, but I knew she was worth every bit of persistence that led up to the moment I introduced myself to her. And that included receiving a glare of insanity from her uncle.
As I watched the Chevy disappear around the corner, I knew one thing for certain: I had to find a way to make her mine.
I didn’t notice Altoni, E-Smooth, and Romeo approaching until they were almost on top of me.
“Yo, Marcello!” Altoni’s voice snapped me out of my reverie.
I turn to see him grinning broadly, with E-Smooth and Romeo right behind him.
Altoni, always the joker, nudged E-Smooth and pointed a thumb in my direction. “Looks like someone’s got a crush on the theater girl.”
E-Smooth laughed, his deep voice rumbling as he folded his arms. “Man, you should’ve seen your face when she walked off. Like a kid who just dropped his ice cream.”
“Ha, yeah!” Romeo chimed in, his tone light and teasing. “We were just talking about it. Never seen you so shook over a girl, Marcello. What’s her name again?”
I shook my head at their banter. “You guys are hilarious. And my girl’s name is none of your business.”
“None of our business, huh?” Romeo raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. “Unless we decide to make her our business. You know, with a little friendly competition.”
I scowled. “Yeah, we could have a friendly competition over her. If you’re ready for your life to end, that is.”
“Oh, damn, DeLuca is serious,” E-Smooth joked, clapping me on the shoulder. “Don’t wanna mess with a man’s girl when he’s like this. She’s got him twisted already.”
Romeo chuckled, his eyes glinting mischievously. “Yeah, Marcello. I was just messing with you. We’re players out here in these streets. You’re supposed to be the one doing the head-turning, not the other way around.”
I laughed off their jokes, but I was serious when I said, “Don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing. And as long as no one gets in my way, joking or not, there will be no problem.”
Altoni shook his head, still chuckling. “Alright, lover boy. Just make sure you remember who you are. Don’t go soft on us.”
“Never that,” I assured him, my voice firm. “But trust me, this one... she’s the one.”
The teasing continued for a few more moments before the conversation shifted to our master plan to become self-made millionaires after graduation. Since my father had the know-how of the luxury car business, starting a dealership was high on the list.
But even as we talked business, my thoughts kept drifting back to Lanay. I’d never been one to believe in love at first sight, but after meeting her, I was starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe, it was real.