by Serena Light
"And?"
"And his 23-year-old daughter,"
A thick silence settled over the room like a blanket of tension. Neither of the men moved nor spoke for a moment. Salvatore rubbed at his temples as his Consigliere stared at him with a mask of indifference. The older man took a moment to allow the words to settle before he leaned forward, interlacing his fingers and resting his elbows on his knees.
"Mr. Lombardi wants you to export his business with your dealing in return for 10% of the total income and his daughter?"
"A "political merger" is what he called it,"
"A political merger? Like...an arranged marriage?"
"Yes."
"Well, as your Consigliere, it seems rather beneficial. If something were to happen to him then his Mafia would be handed over to his male successor, but given that he doesn't have one, it would be passed on to his son-in-law. Which means you bargained for 35% and instead get 100% with a 10% bonus."
"And as my father?" Salvatore stood from his seat and made his way towards the other chair.
"As your father..." Arcangelo rubbed a hand over his face uncertainly. "I am not sure."
"Because as your father I want what is best for you, and I had always hoped that you would fall in love and marry that woman. However, given that such a beneficial opportunity has presented itself, it is worth contemplation. From a Mafia stand-point, it's advantageous to your expansion, but from a father's point of view, it looks a lot like an arranged marriage in a household that believed in love. And since this is a marriage, this is a life-long commitment, Salvatore, what's to say you two will get along and make it work? Does the girl even know of this arrangement? Was it done by her consent? There are a lot of questions which need to be taken into consideration before you make your decision."
The two lapsed into silence once more as Salvatore scratched his chin in thought.
"I see your point." He stood from his seat, followed by his father. "I understand."
"You do?" Arcangelo looked at him skeptically, sighing when he noticed the devious glint of an idea forming in his eyes.
"Yes." Salvatore made his way over to the door. "Sorry for the short notice, but we're done."
"Alright," Arcangelo stepped out alongside his son. "So we're good?"
"Yes, give my love to mom."
"Will do,"
The following morning, Salvatore dressed in black slacks with a white button-up under his sky blue blazer. Eating breakfast in the sunroom, he informed Tazio to bring around his car, wanting to get one errand done with before he officially started the day.
Finishing his coffee, he settled behind the wheel of his black Maserati. Revving the engine, he was soon leaving dust in his wake as the car flew down the street. It didn't take long for him to arrive at his destination, men patrolling the grounds as Salvatore stepped out of the car, purposefully making his way into the manor. He found the dining room within minutes and marched into the open doorway, the older man sitting alone at the table with a lemon pastry before him and Mr. Lombardi choked on his coffee at the sight of him.
"Mr. Regnante!" He gasped in surprise, standing up from his seat to greet him. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?"
"I agree." The man looking taken aback before him. "Under two conditions,"
"Those being?" Mr. Lombardi stepped back, taken off guard by the suddenness of this all.
"One, it is done with her knowledge and she is not forced into this, two, I will personally draft our deal. Don't worry it's all doable."
"That can be arranged."
"Inform her right now,"
"Oh. She's...asleep."
"Wake her." Salvatore side-stepped the older man and settled down in one of the dining chairs, leaving Mr. Lombardi to stand with an open mouth before coming out of his stupor, sending one of the maids to get her.
They waited in silence as the shorter man paced the room, stopping when the maid returned to inform that his daughter was on her way downstairs. Nodding, Salvatore stood from his seat, making his way behind the swinging door of the kitchen, hiding behind the surface as he heard the shuffling of feet.
"Why are you waking me so early?" Her groggy voice asked her father as Salvatore listened in silence, dismissing the staff with a wave of his hand.
"Come, sit down, sweetheart." Her father pulled back a chair. "I need to talk to you about something."
"That being?"
"Well, you see, pumpkin, yesterday I met with Mr. Regnante for a negotiation,"
"Okay, and?" Her voice sounded clearly irritated to be woken at 6:40 to be informed about yesterday's events.
"And well, in that negotiation, we agreed you'll marry him."
A silence followed those words.
"I...I don't...I don't understand..." Salvatore heard her voice trail behind the door, "You-you want me to marry who?"
"The Boss of the Regnante Mafia," Her father repeated patiently.
"Isn't that guy...Old?" Salvatore heard the uncertainty in her voice.
"No, bunny, the guy you are thinking of was his predecessors, his father,"
"So you want me, to marry that guy's son?"
"Yes, pumpkin, I want you to marry the current Mafia Boss."
"Why...Why are you asking me? I mean if I'm being given away as some part of a deal, why ask me? You would have never asked." The resentment seeping through.
"Nicole, I'm asking you because he refused to agree if you were forced into this, he wants you to make an 'informed decision'."
Heaving a heavy breath, Salvatore pushed himself away from the wooden surface, the immediate clause of his conditions being fulfilled leaving him to walk out the side door, making his way to the front of the house and settling in his car before driving off to his company. Ready to get the day started.
Salvatore stood before the window of his CEO office, staring out at the skyline view provided from his vantage point as he turned the Rubix cube in his hands and a Bluetooth earpiece fitted into his ear.
"Yes, I understand your concerns, Mr. Giovanni." Salvatore turned the cube in his hand, his gaze out the window. "But I cannot help you with your situation."
"Why not? Because Armamentarium develops weaponry, it does not buy it. I cannot accept your offer." With that he pressed a button on the device, ending the call before turning around at the clearing of someone's throat.
"We found the guy, sir." His Capo and COO, Piero, settled into the seat before his Blackwood table. "Marco is dealing with the interrogations as we speak."
Salvatore looked down at the blueprint laid out on his table, marking certain point and writing comments in the corners as he nodded to Piero's words.
"Let me know what you find out." The device in his ear beeped again as he pressed down on the button while Piero walked out the office with a nod.
"Um..." A voice spoke uncertainly at his silence. "Hello?"
"Yes?"
"Is this...uh...Mr. Regnante?"
"This is him." Salvatore continued to make notes in the margins, shuffling the papers on his desk. "Who is this?"
"Well...err...Mr. Regnante, this is Nicole? Nicole Lombardi?"
Instantly his pencil stopped over the page as he straightened, picking up the Rubix cube once more.
"How can I help you, Ms. Lombardi?" He walked back to the window, turning the sides of the cube in his hand.
"I've been told we're to get married?"
"You've been asked for your consent to the arrangement, Ms. Lombardi."
"Was this your idea, mister?"
"It was actually proposed by your father." Salvatore stretched his neck, feeling tired from the day's work and sighed knowing he had more than half the day to go. "Seeing it as a beneficial proposition, I agreed under the condition that you consent to it on your own free will."
"I see..."
"Have I answered all your questions-?"
"-How old are you?" She spoke at the same time he did. "You're not...like...a 50-year-old graying and baldi
ng man, are you?"
"I am not..." He spoke slowly, unable to keep his amusement from seeping through his voice. "I'm 28, with a head full of monotone hair if that's any consolidation,"
"So...you're like 4-years older than me..." Nicole trailed with thoughtfulness.
"Isn't it 5?" He inquired calmly. "Given that, you're 23,"
"Oh, no, I'm actually turning 24 in a few days,"
"I see." He responded, feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket as he took it out, looking down at the message. "If I have satisfied your curiosity, I am-"
"- I actually have one more question, Mr. Regnante."
"Please, do go ahead."
"Would it be possible to meet you before I decide?"
A smirk overcame Salvatore's features as a chuckle escaped past his lips. Turning back to his desk he flipped through his planner looking for an opening.
"Is your father invited to the charity luncheon hosted by Ferrari?"
"I...I can find out."
"It's a luncheon on Saturday, we can meet there." He closed his planner. "If your father is not, inform the bouncer that you're invited under my reference."
"So, on Saturday?"
"Yes, Ms. Lombardi, that is if you don't have any plans for the day" Salvatore pulled on his blazer and grabbed his essentials from the table.
"I can clear my day."
"I'll keep an eye out for you on the occasion then."
"As will I,"
Chapter III: First Encounters
The closet doors stood open with more clothes strewn out than inside; littering the room and the bed with a young man seated in the corner, watching the clothes flying out one by one.
"What am I supposed to wear!?" The girl pulled out a red dress, standing before the full-length mirror before throwing it onto the bed. "This is the worst birthday ever!"
Her brown tresses were all over the place as her green eyes looked around her hopelessly.
"Happy birthday?" The boy in her corner spoke timidly as she glared at him. "I'll help you."
"Please." She flopped onto her clothes. "The lunch is in a few hours and I couldn't sleep all night because of the anxiety."
"I'm coming with you, right?" The boy mixed and matched a silk blouse with leather pants before shaking his head. "To the lunch, I mean."
"Of course, Luca," The girl stood up, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "I need the moral support of my best friend, and besides, who knows, maybe we'll find someone for you."
"I hope so, Nicole."
Both spend some time matching outfits before deciding they weren't fit for the occasion. Heaving a breath, Nicole stepped away from the mess, pulling her hair out of the pony just to put it back up again. A sudden knock on her bedroom door had her give a startled jump before she went and opened it, her guard standing before her with a sleek velvet box in hand.
"This arrived for you, madam." He held out the rectangle for her as she took it inside, closing the door behind her.
"Who was it?"
"I got something." Nicole walked towards him, pulling it open as both of them gaped in shock at the contents.
The velvet box housed a four chain pearl and gold choker, a single note residing beside it.
"Happy 24th. Hope you enjoy. SR," Luca read out loud, "Sabrina Ricci?"
"No, I don't think so; I don't know that girl well enough for her to buy me a pearl choker." Nicole pulled the necklace out of its hold and held it against her neck, feeling the cold stones against her warm skin.
"Oh my God!" Luca clapped with a gasp. "I know exactly what you can wear!"
Nicole didn't get a chance to ask what, before he was shoving a short navy blue dress in her hands and sending her off into the shower. Getting washed, she put on the form-fitted pencil skirt dress. Combing and blow-drying her hair, she did her makeup to be simple and elegant with winged eyeliner, highlight and blush, and nude lipstick. Once she pulled on the nude stilettos, she turned towards her best friend who had changed into a two-piece black suit with a green tie, his auburn hair pushed out of his black eyes.
"What do you think?" Nicole spun around.
"Hold on." Luca walked over to the necklace before picking it up and fixing it around her neck. "Now you're good."
Standing in front of her mirror, Nicole gathered all her hair together and looked at herself.
"How about I tie them up?" She turned to Luca.
"Yes, if you want to terrify people with your round face and big ears," Her best friends puffed out his cheek before stumbling back when she hit him on the chest with her clutch, allowing her hair to fall down her shoulders.
Fixing the front of her dress, she looped her arm through Luca's before they both made their way downstairs to her father. Getting into the Lexus, they drove off to the venue of the charity lunch.
"How do you feel?" Nicole's father placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nervous?"
"A little." She nodded, fidgeting with her freshly manicured hands. "What does he look like?"
"Well, Mr. Regnante is old, but not too old. Rather muscular, but then also not too muscular. Tall, but not too tall. Youngish?"
"Is he a walking talking juxtaposition?" Luca called from the front seat.
"Really dad?"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Her father shrugged. "It's difficult to describe the man."
Leaning back with resignation, Nicole waited to arrive at their destination. Once they arrived at their venue, they all stepped inside, seeing men dressed in immaculate suits and women in elegant dresses, all of them bustling about, talking and laughing with glasses of champagne in hand.
"Why don't you two wait here, I'll find him." Mr. Lombardi suggested as he disappeared into the crowd.
"Well, that might take some time." Nicole looped her arm through Luca's. "How about we look for your girl?"
"Sure."
Both of them split up and looked around at the people, taking mental notes and observing them before walking away with disinterest. One particular beauty caught Nicole's eye as she looked around for Luca, seeing his back at the bar. Shaking her head, she made her way over to him and kept sight of the girl before placing a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention.
"How about that girl in the off-shoulder blush dress?" She leaned her back against the bar counter, hearing Luca shuffle beside her. "The one with the three gentlemen. Blue eyes, brown hair, diamond necklace."
"By the looks of it, she's married and pregnant," A deep and husky voice spoke beside her, the stranger's voice having Nicole jump in shock before looking up at him.
She noticed that the man wore a three-piece pinstriped black suit with a blood-red tie and was leaning against the counter, looking at whom she was referring to. He had an angular long face with a smirk sported on his lips as his rich blue eyes shone with amusement, his black hair combed back. And he was most definitely nowhere close to her best friend.
"What-what makes you say that?" Nicole stood straighter in defiance, crossing her arms over her chest and watched the man turn his gaze back towards the woman.
"Simple, the fact that she is wearing a wedding ring and has a baby bump." The man shrugged beside her. "She also appears to be an extrovert with quite a knack for photography."
"Okay, and how do you know that?"
"Her ease of conversation and the way her eyes are taking everything in." He took a sip of his scotch. "I'm good at reading people."
"Okay, how about that woman?" Nicole pointed towards a young woman with chestnut brown hair and blue eyes, standing with a few people and laughing. "What about her?"
"Married with kids, doctor, runner and very particular about cleanliness and organization."
"How do you-?"
"-The man in the grey suit is standing extremely close to her to be an acquaintance. Both have matching rings on their fingers. Wide hips which only come from childbirth and the runner part I know from the fact that she has slim and toned calves." The man pointed out. "Particular about cleanliness and organization b
ecause her entire outfit is coordinated and even though she's drinking champagne, she is holding it with a tissue in hand, meaning she doesn't want to touch anything that has been in public use. I also know that she's a doctor because I overheard them talk about a medical procedure. As I said, I'm good at reading people."
"Yeah, right. Of course, you're that good at reading people." Nicole scoffed sarcastically looking around at the crowd. "How about the dark-haired guy in the navy blue suit? The one flirting with the girl in orange?"
"Player, armed, roughly your age. Commitment issues, an outdoor field of work but good at heart." The man put away his finished glass of scotch, standing to his full height, surprising Nicole at how tall he actually was, seemingly 6'2-6'3. "I know because he is flirting with that woman now, but he had handed his number to two other women before her and had gone off with a different one 15 minutes ago. The commitment issue is evident after this information. Armed due to the bulge in the fall of his jacket and the way he is constantly reaching inside as if to assure himself it's still there. Outdoor work by the tan and goodhearted by the eyes."
Nicole looked at the man skeptically, turning towards him as she noticed the enigmatic aura surrounding him.
"You know, typically by now I would have had a drink in my hand." She gave him a flirtatious smile.
"What would you like?" The man smirked, looking at her as if though he knew something she didn't. "By the way, that's a beautiful necklace you're wearing."
"Thank you." Nicole touched the pearls around her neck. "And I'll have whatever you're having."
"Two scotch on rocks," He informed the bartender. "Would you like me to read you?"
"Let's see." She chuckled, picking up the glass that was handed to her.
Taking a step back, the man gave her a once-over before a smirk overcame his features, a certain knowledge shining in his eyes.
"24, Mafia daughter, here with your father and a Giovanni. I am going to say you are waiting for someone, and not for the people you came here with, but someone else, someone who has you on edge and anxious, a possible political merger by the way you've dressed to impress. You'd rather be anywhere than here and you're looking for a distraction." He downed his drink as Nicole looked at him with wide eyes. "I know mafia affiliations when I see them, and you're clearly a Mafia Boss's daughter. I saw you walk in with two men, the older one clearly your father and the other was Luca Giovanni, the youngest son of Maso Giovanni – the auburn hair and black eyes are a trademark of their family – your best friend I'm assuming, here for moral support. And I know you're waiting for someone because your father has been walking around in search for someone and your eyes have been darting around since the moment you mistook me for Luca, also the nervousness and anxiety is evident by your constant foot tapping. So, am I right, or am I right?"