Loving The Mafia Boss

Alice Whitaker looked at herself in the mirror for the fifth time. She had already changed her clothes twice. Now she wore a light blue dress that reached her knees. It was not too short, but it fit her well. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Melanie: “Leaving now. Be there at 20.” When she arrived at Melanie’s house, her best friend was already waiting outside in a tight red dress and black heels. “Finally!” Melanie said, opening the door and pulling Alice into a hug. “I thought you’d chicken out!” “I almost did,” Alice said with a laugh. I felt guilty. My dad gave me that look again.” Melanie rolled her eyes. “He needs to relax." You’re twenty-one, not twelve.” They walked inside, chatting loudly, then went upstairs to get ready. Melanie added more makeup to Alice’s face and curled the ends of her ponytail. “You look amazing,” she said, stepping back to admire her. Alice looked at herself again. “I hope this is okay.” Melanie winked. “It’s better than okay.” ***** Time passed quickly. They danced, laughed, and drank more than they should have. Alice wasn’t used to alcohol, so by the time it was midnight, she felt dizzy. Her legs were weak, and her head was light. Melanie leaned on her, giggling. “We should go,” Alice said, holding her arm. “Yeah,” Melanie agreed, looking tired too. “Let’s get out of here.” They walked out of the club, holding each other for balance. The cold night air hit them hard, making them shiver. Alice dug into her purse for her keys, but they weren’t there. She looked up and around the parking lot. “Where’s my car?” she asked. Melanie looked confused. “Didn’t you park right there?” “I did,” Alice said. “Right next to that red truck.” They both walked around, checking the whole parking area. The car was gone. Alice’s stomach dropped. “Oh no,” she said. “Oh no, no, no. It’s gone.” “Maybe we parked on the other side?” Melanie said, though her voice didn’t sound sure. They checked again. Nothing. No silver hatchback. It was really gone. “What do we do?” Alice said, near panic now. If I call the police, my dad will find out. If I don’t call anyone, how do we get home?” Melanie rubbed her eyes. “Can’t we call it a cab?” Alice shook her head. “My wallet was in the car.” Melanie checked her bag. “Mine too.” They stood on the sidewalk outside the club, both cold and scared. Melanie hugged herself. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “Me neither,” Alice said. They sat down on the curb. The club was still loud behind them. People walked past, some laughing, some yelling. A few people looked at them, but no one stopped. Then a car pulled up. Not just any car. It was long and shiny black. It looked expensive. The tires were big. The windows were dark. The engine purred, not roared, but even that sound felt powerful. It was unlike any car Alice had ever seen in real life. The driver’s side window rolled down slowly. A man sat behind the wheel. He looked like he belonged in a movie. He had sharp cheekbones, dark hair cut short, and tattoos running down his neck and arms. His skin was a warm brown, and his eyes looked serious. He was older, maybe in his late thirties. He wore a black jacket and rings on his fingers. “What are you two doing out here?” he asked in a deep voice. Alice stood up slowly. “Our car got stolen,” she said. “We don’t know what to do.” He raised an eyebrow. “This late? And in that part of the lot? You’re lucky that’s all that happened.” Melanie stood too. “We were just about to leave, and it was gone.” The man sighed. “Where do you live?” Alice hesitated. “Not far. About twenty minutes away.” He looked at them for a moment. Then he leaned over and opened the passenger door. “Get in,” he said. “I’ll drop you off.” Melanie looked at Alice. Alice looked at him. “Are you sure?” Alice asked. “We don’t want to bother you.” “You’re already bothering me,” he said, not smiling. “Just get in.” Melanie shrugged. “I mean, it’s better than freezing out here.” They got in. The seats were soft and smelled like leather. The whole car felt clean and expensive. Alice kept her hands folded in her lap. “Thank you,” she said. The man said nothing. After a while, Melanie leaned forward. “What’s your name?” “Rodriguez,” he said without looking at her. “Rodriguez Pedro.” Melanie smiled. “Cool name.” He said nothing in return. Alice stared at his hands on the steering wheel. He had tattoos on his fingers too. She wondered what kind of life he lived. He didn’t seem like a normal man. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t flirt. He didn’t try to be nice. But he wasn’t rude either. Just cold. Like nothing could touch him. They rode in silence most of the way. Rodriguez kept his eyes on the road. His face didn’t change. Alice wanted to ask him why he was out so late, what kind of car he drove, what he did for a living. But she didn’t say anything. When they reached Melanie’s house, he stopped the car without a word. Melanie opened the door. “Thanks for the ride,” she said, stepping out. Alice followed her but turned back. “Really, thank you. We didn’t know what else to do.” Rodriguez looked at her for one second. “Don’t be so careless next time.” Then he drove off. Melanie watched the car disappear down the road. “That man was strange.” Alice nodded. “Yeah. But he helped us.” They walked up to the door, holding onto each other again. Melanie unlocked it, and they stepped inside. The house was quiet and dark. They turned on the lights and kicked off their shoes. “I’m still worried about your car,” Melanie said. “What are we going to do?” Alice dropped her bag on the couch. “We’ll figure it out in the morning.” Melanie stretched her arms. “You sure your dad won’t find out?” Alice sighed. “I hope not.” They walked upstairs slowly, ready to fall into bed. But then they heard it. A car. That same soft, p owerful sound from earlier. They rushed to the window and looked outside. The silver hatchback was being parked in front of the house.