“He’s the only one,” Tre answered for Franko. “Because we still call him Pat.”
Franko’s little attempt to be badass at college had backfired since junior year. Instead of getting his frat house buddies to call him Pappa Thumbs like he’d asked, they used the much tamer abbreviation, Pat, as a nickname.
“Serves you right, Pat.” I couldn’t resist the dig.
“Try calling me that to my face, bro. I’ll take you to school with my fists like back when we were kids.”
“I’m just quaking in my boots right now, Pat.”
“Is Dominic with you? I couldn’t get a hold of him either.”
“He’s back in Chicago. Anyway, what time is your flight getting in?”
“Before noon.”
“I should be back at the condo by then.”
“Don’t worry. I brought my keys.”
“Cool.”
“What kind of entertainment did you line up for us?”
“Who the hell do I look like, your VIP amenities manager?”
“We need a hookup for tonight, bro. Tre’s got needs.”
“Been there and done that already. Not doing it again. Not with Tre’s strip club fetish, Clive’s drinking, and your all out bad behavior. Not all at once. Hell no. Plus you’re all minors. There’s no place for nineteen-year-old kids where I hang out, so keep your under-aged asses out of trouble when you get up here.”
“I’ll phone Victor or Jeff myself, douche face,” Franko muttered. “They’re my peeps too.”
“Good luck with that.” I arrived at Victor’s office building. “All right, I got things to do. See you punks later.”
Chapter Four
Paige
I was excited and anxious.
Not a good combination for someone like me.
After neatening up my makeup, I took another look in the restroom mirror. I was on the main floor of the building, waiting for my interview, and had taken Sophia’s advice by switching into her stylish designer boots and removing my winter coat. Even with all this extra work, I had fifteen minutes to spare before my interview. Everything was in place. I was as ready as I’d ever be, and showing up a little early never hurt anyone.
Glancing down my body one last time, I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat, straightened up, and headed for the elevator. Every step I made without my poor, inexperienced ankles buckling or giving way was a small victory. Each click of my heels was part of a silent prayer to the shoe Gods that I wouldn’t fall flat on my face between now and getting into the interview room.
I was doing great.
Until I wasn’t.
Shit. I blinked a few times to make sure my eyes weren’t fooling me when I made it to the elevator bay. What was she doing here? Just as I asked myself the question inwardly, her head turned in my direction—probably at the sound of these loud ass heels—and she smiled.
I got to her side, grabbed her arm and half-dragged her away from the elevator bay to a quiet corner.
“What the hell are you doing here, Soph?” I asked, keeping my voice down. These all-marble lobbies with vaulted ceilings had a way of making sound carry. I had no way of knowing who could be a potential boss, manager or co-worker, so I didn’t want us to be noticed.
A tall order for identical twins.
“I could ask you the same thing.” She looked me up and down, and gave me a nod of approval. “Damn, you almost look better than me in my clothes, girl.”
“Don’t avoid the question,” I demanded. “Why are you here?”
“Maybe if you didn’t run off like a bat out of hell this morning, you’d already know.”
“Will you just stop with the runaround and tell me?”
Sophia clicked her tongue. “Jesus, Paige. You’re letting the adrenaline get to your head. I’m supposed to meet someone here.”
“Here? At the Neville Tower?”
“Yep.”
“What floor?”
“Twenty-sixth.”
I released her arm and reared back. “What? That’s where I have my interview.”
“No way. Really? It’s a small world. Who are you meeting?”
“An executive assistant who’s hopefully going to be my next manager. Zoe Castleman.”
“Okay, well that’s good, because I’ve got my meeting with Victor Neville.”
“You’re meeting Victor Neville, of Neville Industries? He’s a top VP, and he’s Zoe Castleman’s boss. Which means he’s potentially my boss’s boss. And you’re meeting him in a t-shirt and jeans!”
“Hey, I dressed it up with this cute little cardigan.”
I rolled my eyes. “Wait, why are you meeting him?”
“Were you even listening to me this morning? My agent put me onto a gig for a retreat out west. Hosted by Victor Neville. He wants to meet me in person before he makes a decision.”
“A DJ gig. You’re meeting a VP of one of the top conglomerates in America…for a DJ gig?” I shook my head at the irony of it all. “This is just…unbelievable.”
“I’m not sure I like whatever you’re insinuating. Why is it so shocking?”
“I don’t mean it the way you think. It’s just that…forget it. It’s fine.”
“No, no,” Sophia said, her voice at a higher volume than before. “I want to hear what you were going to say so spill it.”
“I’m not arguing with you right now, Soph.”
“Tell me. Whatever you meant to say, it’s clearly bugging you. Get it off your chest now so you don’t end up walking into that interview more nervous than ever.”
I took a breath. “Fine. What I was going to say was, as usual, everything awesome falls in your lap, while I can’t stop spinning my wheels and getting nowhere. It’s not jealousy…you know that, right? I’m proud of how far you’ve progressed, really I am. I just don’t know why I can’t make the same headway, you know?” My voice was shaking by the time I’d let her in on my longstanding exasperation, so I stopped myself from admitting anything more.
Sophia ran a hand up and down my shoulder and smiled sweetly. “Don’t give up, Paige. You’ve worked hard. It’ll happen for you too. Trust me. I have a feeling about today too. This whole deal of the two of us going up to Neville Industries at the same time…I think it’s a good thing. Come on. Remember what Mom used to say? Head up and shoulders back. We’ve got a double date with destiny.”
By the time we were at the elevators again, I felt more confident than ever. Paige took my outdoor winter boots and stuffed them into her massive shoulder bag as we rode up the elevator together. I didn’t even need another puff on my inhaler. I could thank Sophia for that small blessing.
“Are you going to be all right?” she asked when we got off at the twenty-sixth floor.
I closed my eyes briefly, took a breath, and thought maybe. That was a pretty encouraging notion. “Yes, I think so, because you’re here. I’m sorry I gave you a hard time just now. You’ve always been there for me—”
“Okay, chill out with the heartwarming chick flick moment, sis. We can get all dramatic later, after you kill it on this interview. Let’s get in there.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t go in separately?”
Paige waved me off. “And miss out on an opportunity to get some heads turning? Hell no.” She hooked her arm in mine, and now she was the one dragging me through the extra-wide mahogany doors of the Neville Industries Strategic Planning department.
She sashayed her hips up to the reception desk inside, hardly acknowledging the amazed expression on the face of the blonde woman on the phone. “Good morning,” she started, without waiting for the receptionist to hang up from her call. “Would you be a doll and let Zoe Castleman know that Paige Bianchi is here for her interview? Also, I’m Sophia Bianchi, and Victor Neville is waiting for me.”
The receptionist put whoever she was speaking to on hold when she heard the name Victor Neville, and started clicking away on her desktop computer. “I see you both on the schedule, la
dies. Miss Bianchi…” she giggled. “I mean Miss Sophia Bianchi, as you both have the same last name…Mr. Neville will see you now. I’ll take you to his office.” She looked over at me with her eyebrows raised. “Have a seat, Miss Paige. Miss Castleman will be out to get you shortly.”
Sophia gave me a wink. “I’ll text you later,” she said, then she mouthed the words ‘good luck’ before following the receptionist through the second set of double doors.
Feeling a lot more upbeat than expected, I made my way over to the overstuffed leather sofa in the waiting area. I’d barely taken a seat when the ding of the elevators outside got my attention. I hadn’t noticed any other offices on the floor, so I kept my eyes glued to the door Sophia and I had just walked in. I had to try really hard to force my jaw from dropping to the floor when I saw him.
Yes.
Small world.
Way too small.
Chapter Five
Angelo
Second chances were possible after all, after feeling like I was hit by a bolt of lightning when I saw her. I wouldn’t miss this one. No way in hell.
“Well, well. Nice to see you again, Paige.”
“Hi. Um…are you following me or something?” she asked, tilting her head as she stared up at me from the sofa.
My eyebrows shot up. “Under normal circumstances, I’d take that as a slight against my reputation.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Looking down at her pretty face awash with curiosity made my cock stir. It could have had something to do with the fact that she was at the perfect height at the moment.
“Thanks. It’s been quite the morning for strange coincidences. So, do you work here?”
“No, I’m meeting a friend.” I took a seat next to her to get my mind off of the thought of her head bobbing up and down my length, or my hand gripped onto her hair as she took me deeper down her throat. The image had my dick pressing against my fly. Yes, sitting was a smart idea. “How about you?”
“I’m here for an interview.”
“Very nice. I’m sure you don’t need any luck at all.”
She smiled and turned her body slightly to look at me. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure we haven’t met before today?” I asked, still unable to shake the déjà vu from this morning.
“Positive, but… I wouldn’t be surprised if you know my sister, Sophia.”
“I’m not sure I remember anyone by that name.”
“How about DJ Sophie B? Does that ring a bell?”
That was when it hit me. “From Club Horizon up in the meatpacking district?”
“That would be her.”
“That’s your sister?”
“Yes. She’s in with Mr. Neville now. Let me guess, is he your friend?”
“He is.”
She nodded and turned away. “Please don’t tell me you’ve dated my sister,” she whispered under her breath, probably hoping I wouldn’t hear.
“I haven’t.”
She snapped her neck back to face me again. “I didn’t think you’d hear that.”
“I’ve got damned good hearing.”
“Making a note of that tidbit.”
“Good,” I told her.
“She’s in with him now, if you need to get to that meeting.”
“I believe Vic can handle it. Right now, I’m more interested in DJ Sophie B’s sister. Paige B, I’m guessing?”
“You could say that. Sure. Paige B.”
“Also a DJ?”
“Not quite.”
“You’re not very forthcoming, are you?”
“Have you forgotten that we’re in the middle of New York City? Most people wouldn’t have given you a second of conversation.”
“But we’re not most people. Plus we seem to already have a lot in common.”
She gave me a bemused look, but was a lot more relaxed than at the coffee house when her sexy, very fuckable lips finally curled up into a shy smile. “Like?”
“We both have discriminating tastes in coffee. We’re sitting in the same office. You know your way around a good suit. I know your sister. How much more do you want?”
She didn’t get a chance to answer the question.
“Good morning, Mr. Salvatore,” Victor’s receptionist greeted me. “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. Mr. Neville said to send you in when you arrive.”
“Thank you. Michelle, was it?”
She laughed nervously. “It’s Marie, Mr. Salvatore.”
“Right. Thanks, Marie. I’ll be right in.” Before I got to my feet, I took my phone out of my breast pocket and swiped it on, turning the screen around. I passed it to Paige. “How would you like to put your phone number in here, so we have one more thing in common?”
The corners of her brilliant green eyes creased when she smiled this time. She took the phone. “And what did you think you’d do with my number exactly, Mr. Salvatore?”
“Put it to use when I call you sometime soon about dinner?”
Her eyebrows lifted as she held my gaze. “You got me there. I didn’t think you’d be that direct.”
I leaned forward and let my face hover an inch from her ear to whisper, “I’ve never been afraid to ask for what I want. Something tells me you would like that a lot about me. You’ll see for yourself when you get to know me better.”
Paige breathed out a moan. She didn’t have an answer to what I said. She just added her name, and tapped in her phone number before passing the phone back to me.
“Thanks, Miss Paige B.,” I told her, finally getting up. “Don’t be surprised when you do hear from me.”
“I’ll try to contain my shock,” she answered, clearing her throat.
“I’m sure you will. Have a good interview, Paige.”
Chapter Six
Angelo
It was when the receptionist led me into Victor’s office that I realized why Paige was so familiar. She had a doppelganger of a sister in DJ Sophie B.
She turned her chair that faced Victor’s desk. “How’s it going, Angelo?” she asked.
“Good,” I answered. “Okay now it makes sense. I don’t think I’ve seen you in what, three years?”
“Try last week at the Olaris Lounge.”
“Right. I swung by there with a few friends. You saw me? You should have come by and said hello.”
“I see a lot from my vantage point when I’m doing my DJ thing. And no, the job doesn’t lend itself to very much circulating.”
“Makes sense.”
“How are your brothers?” she asked.
“Good. Dominic’s busy managing some things in Chicago. Franko’s flying into town later today.”
“That’s great. Tell them hi for me.” Sophia leaned forward in her chair. “Let’s get this meeting over with, gentlemen. I made an exception coming over here this early, you know? I usually don’t get out of bed before one in the afternoon. Nightclub DJ hours and all.”
“Hold on a sec.” I pointed back at the door to the reception area. “You’ve been holding out on me. What do you go by now, Sophie or Sophia?”
“Whatever you feel like.”
“You and Paige look exactly alike.”
“Yeah…that happens a lot with identical twins,” she teased.
“Oh, okay. I didn’t realize.”
“How the hell could you forget?”
Shit.
No wonder Paige had spent all that time checking out my suit. I’d forgotten that Sophia’s late father was the infamous mob tailor, Ricky ‘Stitch’ Bianchi. And the nickname ‘Stitch’ had nothing to do with his sewing talents. Back in the old days when my father’s businesses were a bit more on the shady side, he had said that Stitch would use creative ways to get some of the family contraband across state lines—with cadavers.
“I wouldn’t have, if your aunt didn’t cut you girls off all those years ago.”
“She had her reasons. When was the last time you saw Paige befo
re today?”
“I honestly don’t remember. It would have to be before…well, you know. Ten years is a long time.”
“So today is the first time you’re seeing her?”
“Yes…” I turned to Victor. “Oh, before I forget. Vic, make sure you hire her sister, Paige. She’s interviewing for…I didn’t get what job, but whatever it is, hire her.”
Sophia gave me the nod. “Yeah Vic. Hire my sister.”
Vic did a mock salute, then flipped me the finger. “I don’t have a problem with that, in principle, but I have only one rule around here when it comes to my friends and my employees, Angelo.”
“And what is it?”
“Keep the fuck away from the merchandise.”
Sophia held up a hand, shaking a finger at him. “Dude, that’s my family you’re dissing.”
Victor grinned. “Trust me, I was protecting her from lady-killer over there. But you know Angelo already, so I’ll leave it at that.”
“Smart move, bud. You should know better than to start with the trash-talking so early in the morning.” I took a seat on the sofa at the other end of the room. This was not a serious meeting, so I had no intentions of getting too formal by sitting with Sophia and Victor. “What’s the score, Vic? Have you hired our DJ yet?”
“I was waiting for your input.”
“That’s why you wanted me to come here?” I chuckled. “Since when do you hold back on decision-making for anyone’s benefit?”
“True, but Carter and the guys will kick my ass if I screw up our weekend entertainment. At least if you’re here when I hire some of the entertainment, they can bust your balls too.”
“I should have known, you son of a bitch. Just so you’re aware, as it’s your first time planning the retreat, they have awfully low expectations when it comes to your party-planning skills. Whatever you deliver will impress the fuck out of the guys. So when DJ Sophie B shows up, they’ll know you outdid yourself for at least one item on the checklist.”
“Hmmm. Since you put it that way,” he turned to Sophia, “you’re hired.”
Sophia swiveled her chair so she could look at both of us. “I haven’t told you my rates yet.”
Club Prive: Un-Leashed (Kindle Worlds Novella) (A Bad Boy Crime Family Romance Book 1) Page 2