Behind The Curtains

Episode One ‎ ‎Eliana ‎ ‎I was sipping mocha at my favorite café, Honey Bunch, curled up in my little seat in the corner with my legs tucked beneath me and my attention fixed on the world outside the window. ‎ ‎Well… ‎ ‎My attention was supposed to be fixed on the world outside. ‎ ‎Instead, I was fantasizing. ‎ ‎Again. ‎ ‎In my little perfect world, I was living in some ridiculously expensive mansion somewhere in Italy, wearing a beautiful black silk ball gown that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe, while my Italian mafia prince stood behind me with one hand possessively wrapped around my waist. ‎ ‎And, of course, I had his unlimited credit card. ‎ ‎Priorities. ‎ ‎I took another sip of my mocha and sighed dreamily. ‎ ‎“Yeah,” I whispered to myself. “That's the life.” ‎ ‎I could practically picture it. ‎ ‎The dark, mysterious man. ‎ ‎The expensive cars. ‎ ‎The black suits. ‎ ‎The dangerous eyes. ‎ ‎The deep maroon voice. ‎ ‎And, obviously, the iconic line. ‎ ‎Touch her and you die. ‎ ‎God. ‎ ‎Why couldn't a mafia prince just randomly see me one day, decide I was his, and whisk me away into some ridiculously dramatic life where I never had to worry about bills again? ‎ ‎Was that really too much to ask? ‎ ‎Apparently. ‎ ‎Because lives like that only existed in books. ‎ ‎And I knew that better than anyone. ‎ ‎Especially considering who my father was. ‎ ‎My father was Daniel Hayes. ‎ ‎Chief of Police. ‎ ‎And I was his only daughter. ‎ ‎Which meant the chances of me ever dating an actual mafia boss were approximately— ‎ ‎Zero. ‎ ‎Actually, less than zero. ‎ ‎If my father ever found out I was dating someone remotely connected to organized crime, he'd probably have the entire police department surrounding the poor man before he even had the chance to introduce himself. ‎ ‎I groaned. ‎ ‎“Forget it, Eliana.” ‎ ‎I finished the last sip of my mocha and looked at the time. ‎ ‎My eyes widened. ‎ ‎“Oh, shit.” ‎ ‎Work. ‎ ‎I hurriedly grabbed my bag, stood from my little corner seat, and pushed my chair back into place. ‎ ‎“Well, off to work,” I muttered. ‎ ‎And just like that, my imaginary mafia life disappeared. ‎ ‎Back to reality. ‎ ‎Back to work. ‎ ‎Back to being the daughter of the Chief of Police. ‎ ‎And definitely back to not having an Italian mafia prince. ‎ ‎Tragic. ‎ ‎∞∞∞ ‎ ‎I had barely sat down at my desk when Isabelle appeared beside me. ‎ ‎And when I say appeared, I mean she practically bounced into my personal space with enough energy to power the entire office. ‎ ‎“Hey, hey!” ‎ ‎I looked up. ‎ ‎She was smiling. ‎ ‎Actually, no. ‎ ‎Smiling wasn't the right word. ‎ ‎She was glowing. ‎ ‎“Hey,” I replied. ‎ ‎She tilted her head. ‎ ‎“Why are you so gloomy today?” ‎ ‎I blinked. ‎ ‎“I'm not gloomy.” ‎ ‎“You look gloomy.” ‎ ‎“I look normal.” ‎ ‎“You look like someone stole your puppy.” ‎ ‎“I don't have a puppy.” ‎ ‎“Exactly. That's why you're sad.” ‎ ‎I stared at her. ‎ ‎She stared back. ‎ ‎I sighed. ‎ ‎“Because I realized I'm never going to find love like the kind in books.” ‎ ‎Isabelle's expression immediately softened. ‎ ‎She dropped into the empty chair beside my desk. ‎ ‎“You and me both, girl.” ‎ ‎I smiled. ‎ ‎“Thank you.” ‎ ‎“Honestly, where are all the men with dark hair, deep voices, questionable morals, and an unhealthy obsession with one woman?” ‎ ‎“Exactly!” ‎ ‎We stared at each other for a second. ‎ ‎Then Isabelle shrugged. ‎ ‎“Anyway, let's go out tonight.” ‎ ‎I raised an eyebrow. ‎ ‎“Out where?” ‎ ‎“Somewhere fun.” ‎ ‎“That's not a location.” ‎ ‎“It's a concept.” ‎ ‎I gave her a look. ‎ ‎She rolled her eyes. ‎ ‎“Come on, Eliana. You need to let loose a little.” ‎ ‎“I let loose.” ‎ ‎“When?” ‎ ‎I opened my mouth. ‎ ‎Nothing came out. ‎ ‎Isabelle pointed at me triumphantly. ‎ ‎“Exactly.” ‎ ‎I exhaled. ‎ ‎“Fine.” ‎ ‎Her eyes widened. ‎ ‎“Really?” ‎ ‎“Yes.” ‎ ‎She squealed so loudly that several people across the office immediately looked over. ‎ ‎“Girl!” ‎ ‎“Shh!” ‎ ‎“Sorry!” ‎ ‎Everyone went back to their work. ‎ ‎Isabelle lowered her voice. ‎ ‎“I'll pick you up at eight.” ‎ ‎“Okay.” ‎ ‎“And dress sexy as hell tonight.” ‎ ‎I gave her a skeptical look. ‎ ‎“Yeah, sure.” ‎ ‎She either didn't hear the sarcasm or simply chose to ignore it. ‎ ‎She laughed, grabbed her bag, and disappeared. ‎ ‎I watched her walk away, the faint clicking of her heels slowly fading down the hallway. ‎ ‎I shook my head. ‎ ‎This was going to be a disaster. ‎ ‎And somehow, I already knew it.