Ask her out already
Chapter 21
Ask Her Out Already
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The kind of silence that should've been studied by scientists.
Possibly feared by governments.
Definitely feared by Lorenzo Vitale.
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Because somehow...
Someway...
One of his captains had managed to create a situation more dangerous than a gunfight.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Amara sat behind her desk.
Watching him.
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The smile threatening the corner of her mouth was the problem.
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A very serious problem.
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Because she looked entertained.
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Lorenzo preferred when she looked annoyed.
Annoyed was manageable.
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Entertained was dangerous.
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Very dangerous.
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"You've been talking about me?"
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The question came softly.
Calmly.
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Which somehow made it worse.
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Much worse.
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Lorenzo considered lying.
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Briefly.
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Professionally.
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Then immediately discarded the idea.
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Because Amara would know.
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The woman could identify heart disease from photographs.
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A lie wouldn't survive thirty seconds.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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"Maybe."
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Silence.
Immediate silence.
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The smile grew.
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The traitor.
The complete traitor.
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"Maybe."
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Amara repeated the word.
Slowly.
Carefully.
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Like she was examining a specimen.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Lorenzo rubbed a hand across his face.
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Immediately.
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The universal sign of a man abandoned by his employees.
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"They exaggerate."
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The answer came quickly.
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Unfortunately...
It wasn't entirely true.
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Amara noticed.
Of course she did.
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The woman leaned back in her chair.
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Comfortable.
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Dangerous.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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"So you've been talking about me."
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It wasn't a question.
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The realization annoyed him.
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A little.
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Maybe more than a little.
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"Occasionally."
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Silence.
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Amara laughed.
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Actually laughed.
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The sound hit him directly in the chest.
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Again.
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A recurring problem.
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A very serious problem.
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"Occasionally."
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The surgeon removed her glasses.
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A dangerous sign.
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Very dangerous.
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"Your captain sounded traumatized."
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The betrayal.
The accurate-observation betrayal.
Undefeated.
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Lorenzo looked toward the ceiling.
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Briefly.
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As if asking God why he'd hired idiots.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Then something unexpected happened.
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Amara smiled.
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Not the terrifying smile.
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Not the sarcastic smile.
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Not the professional smile.
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Just Amara.
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Warm.
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Genuine.
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Beautiful.
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Dangerous.
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Very dangerous.
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And suddenly...
Lorenzo stopped caring about the embarrassment.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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"What do you tell them?"
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The question caught him off guard.
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Completely.
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Silence.
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Amara waited.
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Patiently.
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The way surgeons waited for confessions.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Lorenzo stared at her.
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Then sighed.
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Immediately.
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The universal sound of surrender.
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Again.
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A concerning trend.
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"The truth."
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Silence.
Immediate silence.
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Amara blinked.
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Once.
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Slowly.
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"The truth?"
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The mafia don nodded.
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"You saved my people."
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A pause.
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"You're brilliant."
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Another.
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"You built an empire by yourself."
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Another.
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"You're terrifying."
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Silence.
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The compliment should've ended there.
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It didn't.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Lorenzo held her gaze.
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Completely.
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Honestly.
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Dangerously.
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"And you're the first person I've met in years who doesn't want something from me."
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Silence.
Absolute silence.
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The room became very still.
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Because that one...
That one was real.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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Amara looked away first.
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A tactical retreat.
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Nothing more.
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Absolutely nothing more.
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Yet her chest felt strangely tight.
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The betrayal.
The emotional betrayal.
Undefeated.
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Because she understood exactly what he meant.
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People always wanted something.
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Money.
Recognition.
Access.
Favors.
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The genius.
The surgeon.
The success.
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Rarely Amara.
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Just Amara.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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The silence stretched.
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Neither seemed eager to break it.
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Then Lorenzo stood.
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Immediately.
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Amara frowned.
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"What are you doing?"
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The mafia don adjusted his jacket.
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The movement calm.
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Deliberate.
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Dangerous.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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"I'm fixing a problem."
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Silence.
Immediate silence.
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The surgeon narrowed her eyes.
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"What problem?"
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Lorenzo smiled.
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Slowly.
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Warmly.
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The smile reserved only for her.
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A realization she was trying very hard not to think about.
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Very hard.
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Then he walked around her desk.
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Silence.
Absolute silence.
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Amara's pulse betrayed her.
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Immediately.
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The biological betrayal.
Undefeated.
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Lorenzo stopped directly in front of her.
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Close.
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Not too close.
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Just enough.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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The city stretched beyond the office windows.
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Cars moved.
People lived their lives.
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Completely unaware that Lorenzo Vitale was doing something more terrifying than starting a war.
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He was asking a woman out.
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The mafia don looked directly into her eyes.
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No games.
No strategy.
No manipulation.
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Just honesty.
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For once.
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"Amara."
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Silence.
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She hated how much she liked hearing her name from him.
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A serious problem.
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A very serious problem.
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"I'd like to take you on a real date."
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Silence.
Absolute silence.
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Not a business meeting.
Not a gala.
Not dinner after a shooting.
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A date.
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A real one.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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The room became perfectly still.
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Because somehow...
The question felt bigger than it should.
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More important.
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More dangerous.
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Amara stared.
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Then stared harder.
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Because she knew the answer.
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Immediately.
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The problem was that Lorenzo probably knew it too.
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The traitor.
The complete traitor.
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Finally...
Slowly...
Dangerously...
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Dr. Amara Queen smiled.
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And Lorenzo realized he was about to become the happiest man in Chicago.
End Chapter 21