Handcuffed To The Mafia Boss

Chapter One

Having chosen a life of glamour for myself and a profession that many stay away from very well knowing that most don't make it to the big screens, I think I would call myself considerably fortunate.

I never had to struggle between auditions, and I landed my first big role only one month after deciding to do films. I was a theatre student otherwise. The role wasn't 'big' yet per say, but I had gotten casted opposite an A-list actor. And by my favourite director.

As we were days away from wrapping up the film, I stood by the shore after filming for the day. The wind was pleasant and I loved the way the scent of salt lingered in the air, and as I watched the water tides splash across the sand and retrace, I took in a deep breath. I was days away from my last theatre show for a long time. I was retiring as a theatre actress.

And I couldn't help but take a moment to self-reflect and be grateful for all that the stage had given me, until my co-actor's familiar voice filled in, startling me. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I may have flinched in my place, before gulping to calm my nerves. In the last three and a half months of shooting, my co-actor had almost never talked to me outside scripted lines. 

"Yes.. yes it is. It's...splendid." I answer, my eyes flickering back to the skies.

"What are you talking about, again?" He asked, scrunching his nose, leaning a bit to my side to hear it better. There was a good couple feet between us, but I was sure what I said was audible enough.

"The sky?" I answered, but it sounded more like a question.

"Oh," he raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment. "I was talking about my shoes, but sure, the sky looks good too."

I controlled the urge to roll my eyes as my gaze flickered to his thousand dollar shoes stamping the golden sand imprudently and I then looked away. This was Michael Geller, my co-star. All the rumours and newspaper articles about his self-obsessed nature were so true.

I shake my head to myself. "Have a good day, Sir," I say, ready to walk back indoors and then home.

"Sir?" He questioned, making me pause. "What made you want to call me that?"

"You're.. I.. uh.." I flustered. He was not much elder to me, but he was an A-list actor, unlike me.

Instead of waiting for any further explanations, he chuckled. "Good day to you too, ma'am."

I just nodded timidly with a smile, not knowing what else to say as I walked back inside as fast as I could. I went into my vanity to collect my phone and bag, and was only walking out of the set when I ran into someone else. 

"You're still here?" Sia's grey eyes looked at me with warmth and curiosity. God, she was so kind. Sia Brooks– the writer of the book on which this movie was based. She was also the script-writer, and although she was living in Paris, had only flown to Chicago for the movie's shoot– much like all of us.

"Yeah," I answered. She'd become a good friend in the few days that she had been around for.

"Nervous?" She asked, effortlessly reading my expressions. I really was this readable, huh? And I acted for a living. The irony.

"I am," I mumble. I was a natural actor on stage, been doing that most my life, but for my last ever theatre show.. I was nervous. Very nervous.

"What of? The last show blues or something in particular?"

"It's the critic's reviews, actually," I tell her.

"And I thought you didn't give a care about what they had to tell you?" She raised an eyebrow, crossing her hands in front of her chest.

"I usually don't, but again... last show. I want nothing but good words to be out there."

"As there will be," She pressed her eyes in re-assurance. "If not, I'll have someone pay them to write good words."

"Geez." I chuckle, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

She just laughs. "You'll do great. Even with the critics."

"Thank you," I reply with a grin as we fall in line, walking out of the set together. "I don't even want to check what the theatre audience capacity is capped at this time."

"You will," she replies knowingly.

I sigh. "I don't want to." 

"Five bucks tell me you will. Buy me a coffee on your way here if you check it."

"Deal." I smile.

"And God, get some sleep. You're going to get dark circles because of the stress and let's not give the make up artists more work than she already has covering the acne because of how much you eat out these days." She added in a fake bossy tone. Oh, did I forget to add? She was also the assistant producer of the movie.

"You sure know how to flatter another girl, don't you?" I huff. "Besides, don't think there's any sleep coming in today anyway. I might just watch movies all night."

"Movies all night? Only because I'm the best friend ever, I'll do you a favour then..." she pauses and I watch as her hands dig into her bag, and she removes out two pieces of paper and hands it to me. Reluctantly, I take it. "These are concert tickets, backstage passes," She tells me, "A friend is playing. He gave it to me and since I can't make it, might as well be you. They're two if you have a plus one."

"You know I don't. But thanks." I say, shoving them into my bag without having a second look. "Don't think Jeff would want me out there a night before the movie premieres, but I'll try." It was a lie. I wasn't going, and Sia knew that too.

"Jeff?" She asked.

"My manger? PR?" I remind her.

"Right. The pixie." 

"Don't let her hear you call her that." I shake my head, "She'll skin you alive."

"She can try." Sia laughs, making me giggle too as she waves and we move into our own opposite directions.

*

I lived in California. Most actors did, actually. So until I was in Chicago filming for this movie, I was booked in into a hotel with the rest of the cast, until my good friend in town made me shift out and shift in with her.

That's how I found myself living with Samantha. She was a journalist, a movie enthusiast, and one of the only friends I had from back home.

"How was filming?" She asked me with a warm smile when she opened the door of her apartment and I stepped inside pulling a similar smile on my lips despite how tiring the day had been.

"Uneventful," I tell her.

"You're a part of the it-world, girl. I'm a journalist. Your days should be eventful and you should give me gossip. Gossip, gossip, gossip!" She joked.

"Michael didn't want to shoot on sand and we had to shift the entire set indoors, and he then stood on the sand by the water praising his very expensive Gucci shoes. Does that count as gossip?"

"No," She rolled her eyes, letting me slump on the couch. "But... now that you're here, you should get dressed."

"Why?"

"We're going out for the night."

"No we're not." I groaned. I was tired.

"Shut up, Nat. It is not your way tonight." She crossed her arms across her chest, "Your movie wraps up soon and then it releases and then with this movie that you're filming, you're going to be super-duper famous. You know what that means, right? No outings without a personal security and fan interruption a.k.a no privacy! This is one of your last weekends as a normal person and I am dragging you out, whether you like it or not!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes again. Sam could be so dramatic. "These are just castles in the air." I tell her, "No one rises to fame that way."

"Always the realist." She grumbled sitting across me, raising her black-rimmed glasses further on the bridge of her nose. "I'll wear lenses too. We'll take out two pretty dresses and just drink and party. It'll be fun, I promise. Please?"

"Okay," I huffed, "Only this one time though."

She grinned.

"Now could you please pass me my phone from my bag so I'll let Jeff know?" I request, and Sam grabs my bag from beside her, finding my phone for me as I add, "You know, the last time we went out and I forgot to tell her and she got really mad at me-"

"Oh my, God!" Sam's gasp cut me short.

"What is it?" My eyes widened, and I could feel my heart beating faster in my chest almost instantly.

"Concert tickets." She looked up at me with wide betrayed, hurt eyes. I sighed at my dramatist friend. She should have been the actress, I swear.

"Sia gave them to me," I tell her, "Apparently, one of her friend is playing and these are backstage passes. Said it'll work to divert my mind or something."

"Of course." Sam's smile only widened. "Tell your boss I officially love her. And oh, we're going."

"I don't even know who's playing-"

"Lucky for you, I do," She got up, the tickets held firmly in her hand. "Pick out something nice from your wardrobe and please wear fancy. We leave in an hour." 

Leaving no space for argument, she left to her room leaving me to go to mine as well. Huffing some air from my mouth, I went inside, rummaging through my make and shift wardrobe. I didn't even know whose concert it was or where it was supposed to be, but one could never go wrong with a little red dress.

*