eleven
1190 Words
Marco
ANGER BUBBLES WITHIN ME, heating my whole body. One instruction. One simple instruction, and she cannot follow it.
Hand make a machine to simulate her sleeping?
Easy.
Stay at the house with her child?
Impossible! And how dare you ask such a preposterous thing of her.
Her fuckin logic is warped, and I can't seem I bend enough to comprehend it.
Sergio text me.
Coming up via PE. ETA seconds.
Right on time, my office doors burst open, slamming the piece of wood damn near of the hinges.
And her mother named her Angel, I thought bitterly.
"Marco I don't know your middle or last name-"
"Romano." I bite back a grin. "My last name is Romano."
She stops for a moment, taking this information in.
"Thank you for that. Where was I? Yes. Marco Romano, why have I been brought to here?"
Grammatically incorrect. How the hell-I'm a foreigner and I know that's wrong!
"You have been brought to here," Cazzo that sounds wrong too, "Because you have an attention span of una passerotta. A sparrow."
"Why do you say that?"
Glancing down, I clench my jaw. "Because within five seconds of me telling you to stay home, you left." I gritted out.
She starts getting in her defensive/defiant stance, where she's the opposite of everything I say.
"I didn't forget. I simply ignored you."
My eyes flit to the car seat where Seraphina sleeps.
Finally I notice Sergio, standing awkwardly to the side, watching Angel closely, as if she were going to attack me out of no where.
He might be right...
"Sergio, you are dismissed. Thank you for delivering the girls safely to me."
With a respectful nod, he leaves. I'll never tell him this, but I love that guy, don't know what I'd do without him. He's been around for nearly a decade, and he's stuck by me.
He's loyal, and nothing more admirable than a loyal man.
"Marco, are you listening?"
"Of course, Fatina. Of course."
"No you weren't. You're mad at me. You don't call me Fatina when you're mad at me. You call me Angel."
My eyes snap to hers those eyes captivating me so succinctly.
How did she catch me in a lie?
"Angel," I bite out, "You're performing pirouettes on my last nerve. Get off it."
Lavender sparks, sensing a challenge. Only she would view this as challenge.
"Oh, yeah?"
I refuse to respond. She's being childish right now, and I am not playing into it.
She can argue with herself.
"Marco?"
"Marco?"
"Marco I just want work! I'm sorry I'm left, but I need to be independent and take care of my daughter."
See how easy that was, Fatina? So easy, why not start with that?
"I understand. If you'd have told me that, we would be having this conversation. Where do you want to work?"
"It doesn't really matter to me, but I'd like to work in graphic design."
I nod, not looking up.
"Send me your resume and I will forward it to a friend. You will start as an intern work your way, Va bene?"
(Okay?)
"Thank you Marco!" She jumps into my arms, startling me.
"Prego."
(You're welcome.)
"There is one issue though?"
"Che cosa?"
"Seraphina."
(What?)
"Leave her with me."
"But-"
"Hush. Leave her with me. She won't go to anyone else anyway."
She nods, still on my lap her arms around my neck. My gaze flits down to her plump lips.
Merda...
"Go home, get ready, come back here. By the time you get back, you'll have job."
Gifting me with one more smile, she hops out of lap, grazie Dio, and picks up Seraphina.
"Just give her to me, and come back with her diaper bag. Deal?"
She nods happily, a butterfly of doubt floating over the surface of her eyes. She kisses Sera's head, then puts her in my arms.
"Thank you so much, Marco. I will pay you back."
Determination is clear in her eyes, so I let it go.
Sera is cradled in one hand, while I talk through my new Bluetooth, and sign off some projects with the other.
"Luciano, no."
"Amico, yes."
Luciano and have been buddies for a while but he was bigger in Cosa Nostra than I was and I didn't and still don't mind.
He heads the Vitale Familiga, took over for his father. He was born to be a Don, it's who he is.
I on the other hand, just grew up in a mass of violence, Salvatore Genovese and I grew up in the same neighborhood.
He left before I did, next thing I know pops up in the States. The Genovese ruled our part of Italy with an iron fist. Benito Genovese....
Everyone's glad he's out of power.
So I grew up with two now Mafia Dons, and a friend who ran the drug game like a f*****g candy crush.
I've always been surrounded by criminals. Murder, death, torture, rape, these things... I've been nearly desensitized to these things.
So naturally, I erred on the wrong side of the law. Until I didn't. But now Luciano wants me to hunt this mystic puttana and track her-
I don't have time for that s**t!
"I'm busy. Very busy, right now amico mio. If I wasn't, I might be inclined to help you but I don't have time."
I frown at the contract. "Kevin, take this contract back, shred it and fire whoever drafted it."
Apparently I'm a f*****g idiota who can't read.
"Look, I don't ask for many favors, but she is...important to me. Help me amico, and I will give you whatever you want."
I sigh irritated, mentally glancing at my calendar.
The Design firm is open from 9-5 so I'll have Seraphina for that amount of time. I have contracts that need to be approved, I'm backed up on work-
"Why can't you do it?"
"I don't want anyone to know. You know how this Business is."
"Fine. I'll set her up here in Chicago."
"Grazie, amico. Molti Grazie. I will pay you back."
"Lo so."
(I know)
I hang up, just as Seraphina starts to stir. Her little nose scrunches up, ready to cry.
"Shh, can you be quiet for Marco, he is very busy piccola."
With a unsatisfied sniffle she pouts her lips quivering. Putting the pen down, I sigh, lifting her up.
Her little feet dangle, her fists rest on my hand.
"Why are you so fussy? I What's wrong?"
She can't talk, idiota.
"Are you wet?" Uncomfortably I check her diaper. Nope.
"Hm...sleepy?"
Her lavender eyes blink back at me.
"Hungry?"
I offer my hand and she starts sucking on it. Hungry it is.
"I don't have any milk for you here, piccola."
"Kevin." I intercom my assistant.
"Yes Mr. Romano?"
"I need you to go to Wal-Mart, get a bottle, a pack of Huggies diapers, small I guess, some formula and a microwave."
Something's missing...
"Oh, and a blanket. I don't care how much it costs, but if you get it right I'll give you a raise."
"...y-yes sir, right away sir."
"Thank you Kevin."
- Writer
