Pretending To Be His

To those who think love is easy...❤️ "Love sometimes appears at the worst time, in the most unexpected way. But that's what makes it so exciting, it's not one bit planned." Chapter 1 - Victoria? "Come on just try it on." My best friend, Brie, prompts, handing me a red dress that looks like it would just fit about next to nothing. I sighed, getting up from my very comfortable position on the couch. Brie sways her hips to 'Best I ever had' by Limi, who's playing on Spotify in the background. Today is my birthday. 25th to be exact. Brie has practically forced me to come to this club opening tonight. She hadn't shut up about it so I said yes to pacify her. "I'll put it on but I can't promise anything", I said, holding the dress in full view in front of my body, looking at myself in the mirror. Brie walks up behind me and laughs with her black maxi dress in hand. "You have a body the shape of an hourglass". She grips my hips and I laugh. "You might as well show it off" She smiles, giggling. "Now go get dressed before we're late." I turned around. "It's a club, it will be open for hours". I point out truthfully. I live in New York. The Big Apple. The City that never sleeps. Most clubs stay open till 5 in the morning. How I know that is because I used to live 2 blocks down from one and I couldn't sleep at all from the screaming and the music coming from it. I eventually had to move because I was going insane from sleeping during the day and being forced to stay awake at night. I hated having to move because I loved that apartment. "No it won't, it's an exclusive club, we have to be there when they open the doors. There's going to be at least a couple hundred people going to it, and not everyone is going to be able to get in."Brie explains by rubbing in her foundation. I sat down on the couch. "Why are so many people going there because there's like 20 clubs within a couple blocks of each other? What's so special about this one? It's just a place where you dance and drink". I started rolling my eyes, leaning back on the couch and looking up at the ceiling. "You say that as if you've ever been to one". Brie teases. I scoff even though it's true. I have never been to any club. I'm a stay-at-home kind of girlie, but Brie, she's so different. She's a party animal and a complete and utter extrovert. I'm the complete opposite to her. Sometimes I think that's why we're so close. If I had my way, I would stay at home today and read romance novels and watch movies. Romance of course. I'm a sucker for romance. I love watching people fall in love. I'll admit, I sometimes cry watching them because I know I'll never get that kind of love. The epic kind of love, where the guy does anything for the girl because he loves her more than anyone and anything in the world. But I love imagining it. However, what I want today isn't going to happen. Brie came over to my apartment after I finished work at the Bloom Café, and went on a whole tangent about how I should live more and do more. She quoted "We're in our 20s, this is the time where we go clubbing, have one night stands, f**k handsome strangers and forget about it and them the next day. This is the time to live. You can watch movies when your married and pregnant in your 30s. But today let's go clubbing, it's your 25th for gods sake." That alone convinced me. I said Yes because I knew she wouldn't stop going on about it and because I know its the truth. I need to get out there and live, so here we are an hour later getting ready - mostly Brie - to go to this club that opens at 7pm. "It's because of the owner" Brie chuckles, turning on her curling iron, before applying mascara. "What do you mean? " I asked, sitting up straighter. Brie turns around closing the lid on her mascara. "I'll tell you once you're in this seat. We both have to be all glammed up if we want to get in." "Okay. " I sighed, getting up. I don't normally wear much makeup. I just put on mascara and lip gloss and call it a day. "Ace de Luca."Brie says once I'm in the seat and applying foundation to my skin.Why does that name sound so familiar? "Does that ring a bell"? She looks down at me. I clear my throat when I figure it out. "Yeah, isn't he in the Italian mafia?" I remember reading his name a few months ago in an article. He and his mafia killed an entire gang in the most brutal of ways. I remember reading about how they carved out gang and symbol tattoos and sending them to their families. How could anyone do that? "Wait," I said, moving my head away from the blender in her hands. "He's the owner? The same Ace de Luca who sent families skins off of their loved ones?" "Yep."Brie replies, popping the p. "I'm not going then." I say, getting getting up." No way in hell am I going to a club which a murderer owns." Brie sighs. "Vic, it's fine, he won't be there anyways. He owns multiple clubs in many different countries. He never showed up for any of the openings, so he most likely won't show up for this one. He's too busy running a mafia."She smirks as if that will make me feel better. When she notices my stern look, she drops it. "Trust me, he won't be there. People go on the off chance that he will." "Why? I mean how has he not gotten caught if he hasn't? The police must be looking for him. " She smiles. "The police are too scared to do s**t. Ace de Luca is a legend around here. No one would dare say his name in vain or they would bare the consequences, and not in a good or normal way". She adds, leading me back to the chair. "He won't be there, I promise. I would say we'd leave if I saw him, but unfortunately, no one knows what he looks like." It's true, no one knows what Ace de Luca looks like. He may as well be a ghost. Brie took my hands. "I promise it's going to be so much fun, and if you really hate it, we can come back here and watch one of your cheesy romantic comedies that you love so much. Deal?" "It's just romance movies, but yes it's a deal."I corrected her, giving in to her wishes. "Yes". She jumps up excitedly "And yeah that's what I meant, romance movies." She claims when she calms down. "There you go" She says, finishing with my makeup. "We look so sexy". She says as she looks at us in the mirror. I chuckle "Yeah we do". "Now go get changed quickly, or we really won't get into the club." "Okay, I'm going."I hurried up the stairs with the red dress in hand.