Hand Tossed

The Night is Young

The next few days went by smoothly, I learned how the dough was made and the various sauces. It was all easy work, the only thing that bothered me was that after the dough table incident, Luca seemed agitated . What about I didn’t know, how was it my place to go prying. 

“Hey Luca when you’re done here can you take Andy out on a catering order?” Nick had just come from the office, where a huge order had just been placed for an event across town. Only one location of Jo’s prepared catering orders because they had the size to handle it. We would have to go pick it up and deliver it.

“Yeah no problem, she needs to learn how it’s done anyway. The sooner the better.” Luca gave me a look while he cleaned his hands off.

What was his problem? Was he still mad that I pushed him? Did I hurt his big man ego?

“....New Girl….New Girl….” he broke my train of thought.

“Hummm….yes I’m listening sorry, daydream session.”  I laughed it off awkwardly.

“Go get changed, when we are done you can head home. Meet me in the back lot in fifteen minutes.” He smiled as he shook his head.

“Yeah no problem.” I scurried off to the locker area. At least he smiled.

Just when I had changed my pants, I got a message on my phone. It was from Damian...

“Hey Sunshine, hope you’re having a good day. I can’t wait to see you, just have to finish some stuff up here before then. Talk soon.”

And then another “I miss you ❤️”

The knife in my heart pushed deeper, those three words were bad enough but that stupid emoji.

I pulled my shirt up over my head and it was stuck. I had forgotten to unbutton it. Grrrr… pulling my arms out, I let the shirt hang around my neck while I unbuttoned when suddenly the door swung  open….

“New Girl what’s taking you…….WHOA!!!!!…” Lucas stood there for 60 seconds too long, peering at my bare skin. “Sorry, so sorry... just… hurry up.” He left, shutting the door behind him.

What the hell was that…..

I finished changing my clothes and hurried outside meeting Luca. We hopped in his car and drove off to pick up the catering order.

I broke the silence. “Sorry about taking so long, my shirt got stuck.” I could feel the heat in my cheeks, it was as if his eyes were still on me. Glancing over, his eyes were fixed on the road ahead. 

“Don’t worry about it. That door has a working lock, by the way.” He still didn’t look at me.

“Well next time you might knock too, just in case.” 

“Got it, New Girl, doesn’t like locked doors…heh.” He laughed at me.

“No, I don’t actually, I don’t like feeling trapped.” I turned to look out the window.

“So there was a traumatic event, makes sense now, mental note made, New Girl.”

“Maybe, I don’t want to talk about it though. But thank you for understanding.”

“No problem New Girl.” We continued the drive in silence.

……………………

After the catering order was delivered and set up, we went back to our store, neither one of us said much outside of small talk about work.  I was about to leave when I overheard Sam and Luca talking in the office.

“Luca, this looks infected, there are still pieces of your shirt in it, and it’s all gross looking.”

“That’s why I needed someone to look at it, I tried to clean it up the best I could but I can’t really see my back.”

Luca hurt his back. When?

“Well go to the doctor and get it fixed and take some time off. Dad and I will handle things for a while. You and Kait could use the time alone as well.”

“Not funny Sam, you know we are at each other’s throats right now. Thanks for checking it out though, I’ll get it fixed up. Love you sis.”

I heard the chair slide and got out of there, I wasn't about to be caught eavesdropping. 

………….

          Luca

I didn't like having to stay home from work. It made the old man work harder than he needed to. Not to mention being alone in this house was pushing me to insanity. Between the interaction with my wife when I came home that day, and the event that led to the burn on my shoulder. Then there was the locker room. My head was a mess, couldn’t get the sight of her exposed skin. It looked so soft and smooth, I wanted to reach out and touch her. Wrap my arms around her and make her mine. I had been having these thoughts since the first day she came in. What kind of hold do you have on me? New Girl.

……………

        Flash back 

"What the hell were you thinking Luca! How could you screw up and get hurt at work? Now we will miss out on weeks worth of pay and the money you spent going to urgent care." Kaitlyn furrowed her brows as she paced in front of me.

"Kait it was an accident, it happens. If my shirt had not been stuck to the burn I wouldn't have gone to urgent care." My chest was hurting with the anxiety she was causing.

"Whatever I don't know what you were doing but you will have to deal with this one on your own. You're pathetic." She had started gathering her things.

"I was training the new….where are you going?"

"I'm going to my fathers when you decide to not be a pathetic excuse of a father then you can come see your sons." She took Gabe from my arms causing him to cry.

"Kait hold on leave him with me please. There's no need to upset him."

"How am I upsetting him when he has you as a father, you have failed us Luca. Goodbye." Kait left without another word. 

………..

That b***h had crossed the line, how did I fail my sons, no, my son. There were so many things that didn't add up surrounding Gabe's birth, I had my doubts. Nonetheless I owed it to the boy to be his dad. Working two jobs to support Kait and them that's all i was trying to do, be a good dad.

Kait and I were in the midst of another round of separation though, I didn't know how much longer I could keep this up. The mental and physical abuse she put me through was killing me. 

Sighing, I got up from the bed to look at my wound. It was healing nicely, the tightness was gone. Looking at my shirtless back one would think I was a lumberjack. The muscle was because my two jobs demanded fitness, the scars were a different story. Each one was from Kaitlyn, the tokens of her abuse. I would never put a hand on her and she knew it.

Pulling a white shirt on, I got myself ready for my night job. Being a club bouncer wasn't as physical as my day job but it paid well. No one knew I had this job, but I needed it to stay that way. At first  Iwasn’t  going to go in tonight but I was feeling good so f**k it why not.

Pulling my jacket on I grabbed my keys and headed out the door. It was a thirty minute drive to the club but its distance helped me keep this secret. I could tell from the parking lot it was going to be a busy night, I was pumped.

Walking in I met up with my long time friend and boss Max. 

"Luca! How's it going man?" He grasped my hand and pulled me into a hug, missing the wound on my shoulder.

"Hey man, you know another day another dollar. Anyone worth watching?" I scanned the dance floor, taking in the moving bodies.

"Well the night is young, we have a girl bringing her friend in later for her 21st birthday. Should be sweet having all those girls dancing all close and drunk. It's gonna be a night for sure man. I got to go down and get the room ready, wear your mask, see you man."

The first couple hours went by no problem, then she walked in. It was going to be quite a night for sure.