Post by silent.lullaby on Jul 12, 2010 11:11:04 GMT -5
//We Run This Town//Chapter 025// What Happens In Italy (Part Two)
I told Lucia to cover for me, and I told my parents I was going to spend the night at her house. Instead I used my credit card (okay, it was one of my father’s he’d convinced one of his bank men to put in my name) to check into a hotel and I threw my bag on one of the beds. Then I waited. I plugged my phone into the wall and waited for it to ring. Who knows if it would, he might not call or text again for another week.
I brushed a hand through my hair and laid back on the bed my knees down dangling off the bed. No, he’d call. He’d call soon, Jack was an impatient man. What if it wasn’t Jack though, what if I had it wrong? No, it had to be Jack. It had to be.
***
“It’s beautiful,” Jack said brushing my hair from my neck before planting a hot kiss on the skin he’d just exposed.
“Thanks,” I said with a smile as I dabbed some more red acrylic on my canvas.
“Let me take you out tonight,” Jack insisted, “I know a nice, quiet bistro with a great selection of food, and drinks. And there is a Gelato stop just a short walk away.”
“That does sound nice,” I said taking a step back from my completed piece.
“So you’ll come with me?”
“Anywhere, anytime baby!” Westly said hugging Jack from behind, earning a look of ferociousness from Jack, and laughter from me. “Kidding dude, you’re not my type, though little Lili,” he said grabbing my hand and kissing it.
“Oh West! I just knew you loved me,” I said over dramatically letting him kiss my hand as I put my free hand against my forehead with a sigh.
I don’t think I ever seen Jack as mad as at that moment.
I went off to tell Gran not to pick me up, that I was going out with a friend. Of course she wanted details, and I told her I’d tell her when I got back.
When I came back Westly looked miserable, and was shooting nervous looks around. He looked genuinely frighted. I wanted to ask what was wrong but Jack got to me, “lets get moving,” he looked in a much better mood than before, “don’t want it to get crowded while we are dilly-dallying.”
I told myself I’d talk to Westly the next day, “see you West!” I shouted across the room as Jack led me out.
It wasn’t the first time Jack and I had gone out, we’d kissed, made out, but something was off with Jack. Or maybe I just felt that way because I was worried about Westly. I shook it off as we entered the bistro. It was quiet, a vast selection of sandwiches and sodas. There was another couple and an elderly man, but other than that it was empty. We each ordered and sat down. Jack held my hand and I smiled at him. We talked about family, his was as large as mine. “Italian families,” he said like it explained everything.
“I can’t believe you also have ties in Rochester,” I replied as our plates were set in front of us. “It’s strange.”
“Or a sign,” he said.
Yes, it had been a sign. Only I didn’t read it right.
I smiled and we ate, we drank our sodas, he paid and we went out of the store. He took my hand in his and we walked together talking about whatever came to mind before we headed out into the Gelato store, I got chocolate, nothing wrong with the defaults. He got something I couldn’t pronounce, it looked like vanilla with caramel or something. He took my hand again and I tried to keep up with eating it, Gelato melts faster than ice cream. I licked some off my hand as we walked down to the sea front and sat on a bench side by side.
It was romantic.
I was young, and it was romantic. I was gone in love with this guy I hardly knew.
I turned and kissed him tasting his Gelato flavour on his tongue.
***
The phone ringing revived me from my memories and I sat up quickly.
“Lilianna, Lilianna, where did you go? You aren’t home like a good little girl.” The voice was synthesised but I could hear the accent.
“Jack, are you done with this taunting. It bores me.” I said falsifying confidence I didn’t have.
“So, you finally figured it out.” I heard his voice, synthesiser gone. Jack’s voice. I had been right.
“Of course I did,” I replied. He laughed like it was a joke. “What do you want?”
“You.” He replied. “Dead.” My heart pounded in my chest. “And that’s just for starters. Then the rest of the Lombardi’s, then the DeLuca’s, then the Walker’s and then McKnight. I want your fucking mafia rule to end. I’m taking back my family’s rights, I’m taking back the Italian and New York mafia. Maybe I’ll start with Grandma?”
“No you won’t,” I replied calmer than I felt. “Your disposable phone still has a local number or the ringer on my phone would have been different if you were long distance. You’re here. In New York.”
Laugher rang once more. “Smart girl, you still hanging out with that detective’s kid? Gavin Burke?”
I snorted, “as if, he’s my tutor, a lousy one at that.” I hoped he believed my lies. What if he didn’t? What if he thought that Gavin was helping me?
“You’re trying to hard with your lies Lilianna.” He told me, “if he was lousy, you wouldn’t have bothered to go to the tutoring sessions with what is suppose to be your sworn enemy.”
“Fine, he’s smart, just a dickhead.”
“A better attempt Lilianna, but still... I think I should pay him a little visit.”
“Don’t you dare.”
I could just about hear the smile in his voice. “I dare.” And he hung up.