The Mafia's Hired Wife.

One More Time.

Florette's POV

"Okay so... Apparently, you don't need to pack anything?" Bex asks, leaning against the doorway of my room.

Today is Saturday and I am literally freaking out over the commencement of the contract on Monday, two days from now. I know the pay is attractive and it doesn't seem like a hard thing to do but two years... Two years is a long time. Imagine pretending to be someone you are not for two years, there is every tendency that you would adapt and forget who you really are.

It always crosses my mind why he wants to do this for two years. I mean... Why not five months or a year at most, why two years. I know he said that I have the liberty to reduce the time, but it still makes me wonder why two years is the initial time duration. I mean, what could be so important that you have to lie for two years to achieve it? I guess I'll never know since I don't think like rich people.

"Nope. He said he would pick out all my outfits himself" I tell her, sorting out my underwear drawer.

Wait. Is he going to pick out my underwear too? I hope not. I really hope he just lets his female staff do it because that would be a load of embarrassment.

"Woah, that seems pretty controlling" She chuckles.

"Bex, this man hired me, of course he would be controlling. This is a contract and he is basically my boss"

"Is that how you want to see it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... Is seeing him as your boss going to make this whole experience more bearable than it is?" She walks inside my room and plops down on my bed, raising a brow at me when she sees the frown on my face.

"I really don't get you sometimes. It's like you speak in parables" I shake my head at her. "He said you and my grandma could come visit whenever you want"

"Okayy... He is more generous than he seems" She nods her head "But wait... Does your grandma know about this?"

I side glance her as I shake my head, a sad look coming over my face.

"C'mon Bex, you know my grandma. She would never let me do this"

"So what? You are just gonna lie to her and avoid her for two years? Do you really think you can pull that off? You know how worried your grandma gets when you miss just two of her calls"

"I will keep in touch with her..." I shrug.

"But you won't tell her?"

"Listen Bex, I really don't see the need to tell her anything. She would never understand anyways"

"That is because there is nothing to understand here. You are basically doing this against your own will" Her voice raises a notch, bringing a confused frown to my face.

"You didn't have a problem with it before..."

"Yea but I do now. I'm worried about you, Flor"

"Why?"

"Zavian is dangerous. I just know it, the man is... He screams danger. And I'm afraid you would be a puppet on his string"

"You talk about him like you know him"

"I don't and that is the problem" She sighs. "I know... I know you don't really have a choice but just... Just try to be careful. Please come back if you are in any trouble, or if you as little as sense any trouble coming"

"I don't think I have anything to do with that side of his life. It isn't stated in our contract. You don't have to worry" I give her a sad smile and she nods.

"Soo... That aside..." She eyes me mischievously. She only gives me those eyes when she is about to prod into my love life.

"What are you on about?" I chuckle at her playful eyes.

"How did it go with Lanrae the other day?" She asks with a full grin, her hands balled up in fists and moving side to side beside her head, doing a little dance.

"You seem way too excited. And don't think I didn't know you set us up, you little minx"

She laughs out loud at my accusation and raises her both hands.

"Guilty!!" She yells in a laugh. "Why girl?! He's pretty!"

"Yea, I know he's pretty, that is why I was thinking you would keep him for yourself, not try to set him up with me" I throw back. This shuts her up because she is suddenly sighing and rolling her eyes.

"C'mon Flor, you know relationships aren't really my thing" She says and purses her lips.

I give her a sad smile and shut the drawer I am currently working on, moving to sit beside her on my bed. Bex has always been feeling like she doesn't deserve a relationship. She believes that since she works as an escort, commitment is far from the books for her, so she settles with one night stands and trivial friends with benefits relationships with guys.

I have told her countless times that the guy who really loves her would not give a s**t about her occupation and love her unconditionally, but that cannot happen because she barely lets anyone in.

"Relationships aren't really anybody's thing" I tell her "Nobody went to school to learn how to be committed in a relationship, or how to make it last, Bex."

"What's your point?" She pulls her lips to the side, their glossiness twinkling under the light bulb.

"My point..." I grab her hand in mine, running my palm over her knuckles. She smiles because she loves when I do that. "... Is that you don't have to push guys away the moment you realize that you are falling for them. You don't have to push them to me"

"Are you trying to say that I am falling for Dawson?" She asks with a lop-sided smile. "Is that your genius observation?"

I have to control the urge to roll my eyes at her. She always ruins the mood like this.

"No. I'm not insinuating anything, I am just speaking generally. But if you do like him..."

"Shut up. I don't like him. He seems to be interested in you anyways, he has always been"

"Ugh. Well..." I lift my shoulders in a tired shrug. "I'm not interested. I don't even have the time to be interested"

"Your life is legit about to change." She muses and we both nod.

"Although I'm not sure if its for the better or worse" I drawl out sadly.

"You would definitely find a better in the worse."

"Hopefully"

We fall into silence, scanning my room with our eyes.

"When do you have to leave?" She suddenly asks.

"Morning on Monday. Why?"

"There's a random party going on down the street, you wanna go?" She points her thumb behind her, a nostalgic smile on my face.

I know exactly what she is implying. When I first moved to this town, Bexley was always attending parties. At first I thought it was because she had so many friends who were fun just like her, but one night, I realized that 99% of the parties she attend are random ones thrown by random people she knows nothing about. Soon enough, I loosened up and joined her, attending the random parties that for some reason were always held in a pub down the street. The pub serves good alcohol and it is a great place to unwind, hence the memories we made there.

"One more time?" I ask, raising a knowing brow. She nods with the same expression.

"One more time"

---

"This one seems to be an after party of some sorts cuz girl, this place is cramped!" Bex yells to me so I can hear her over the music.

She is absolutely right. For some reason, the small pub is swimming with bodies, both young and old. This has to be the wildest random party we have attended.

"Woah, Arggh. What the hell is in here" Bex raises her glass up in the air to examine it. "Its so f*****g strong"

I grab the glass and sniff the content, almost puking at the strong smell. It smells like old rum and whiskey.

The moment Bex and I arrived, we went straight to the bar and asked for the drinks that were being served and Bexley was given-- whatever that is called-- while I was given a normal bourbon. Fortunately for me, bourbon is my go-to drink.

We have been sitting and observing the place since we came, just sipping on our drinks and commenting on anything or anyone that catches our attention. We have seen many couples dry humping themselves on the cramped dance floor and in the darker corners, probably thinking that no one can see them, but we just laugh it off.

"C'mon" Bex jumps from her stool by the bar and holds out her hand for me to take.

"What is it?"

"We cannot sit around here all night, that is not what we came here for" She shakes her head, her curls bouncing with every turn of her head.

"I don't know... It seems like the perfect opportunity to mope around" I chew on my lips playfully and she yanks my drink from my hand, pulling me down from my stool and onto the dancefloor. We squeeze between the moving bodies till we get to the middle and that is when she releases me. Immediately, a song we both know too well comes on and screams of acknowledgment to the DJ are heard around us. It is a pretty popular song.

"What perfect timing" Bex says with a laugh and grabs my hand, making me move to the beat with her.

One familiar song turns into two, which turn into three and five and six until finally, we are both moving like jelly and laughing out loud like school kids. Another one of our songs come on and we start moving to it again. Suddenly, I feel hands going around my waist and pulling me to hard chest from behind, making me grind against them.

Bex gives me a knowing look with a raised brow and shrugs when I frown at her. I turn around to see who is holding me, coming face to face with a guy I do not recognize. He leans down and whispers in my ear,

"I saw you dancing and I couldn't control myself. You look so beautiful"

I smile and turn back to my front, only to realize that Bexley is nowhere to be found. I search for her with my eyes but I don't see her anywhere, a frown coming on my face.

"So much for being by my side, Bex" I mutter to myself and roll my eyes. I'm sure she has found a conquest for the night and is off to somewhere with him. Shaking the thought from my head, I decide to dance with the guy behind me who seems to be desperately waiting for me to move my body.

After the dance, the random guy asks if I wanted to leave the party with him but I decline, turning to go in search of Bex. I am interrupted in my walk though because I suddenly bump into another hard chest the moment I turn around. A harder one even.

I rub at my aching forehead and look up, a frown rising to my face when I meet the familiar eyes of a man staring down at me. He looks familiar for some reason, even his outfit is familiar-- black suit with half open dress shirt. He looks just like....

My eyes widen when the face suddenly clicks.

"Miss Florette" He says calmly, but for some reason it feels like a warning.

The fact that he knows my name already proves that I am right about him.

He is Zavian's right hand man.