Framed by the Mafia

Chapter 2 : The Do-Over

I was feeling decidedly less confident on my second day. The rest of my first day had gone off without incident. Veronica and I talked a bit more through the incident in the meeting over our lunch break. She still believed it was out of character for him, and I hoped it was true. She told me he was generally gentler with the women in the department, seeing as it was so heavily male dominated.

However, I kept my guard up. I didn't want to believe he was a jerk, but I also wasn't impressed with what I’d seen of Alessandro Russo so far.

Still, as I settled into my desk the following morning, I felt restless and unsure. I started reviewing the numbers for the last quarter, looking for invoices for some uncollected revenue. If he wouldn't let me investigate the averages, surely he would want me to look into the missing money. Everyone cared when someone else owed them money.

I spent most of the morning doing that, sending out emails and matching the replies that came in to the numbers on my spreadsheet. Sometime just before lunch, I heard determined footsteps approaching my office. It was a casual, confident stroll.

I felt certain I knew who it was. The footsteps stopped right outside my office and I heard a knock on the door. I tried to ignore the way my body shivered by the simple thoughts of maybe seeing Alessandro, and ordered whoever it was to come in.

Alessandro appeared in my doorway, looking even more handsome than the day before. He was wearing a well-tailored navy suit, a golden watch wrapped around his right wrist and his sunglasses folded on his blazer pocket. I had to suppress a gasp with the view.

"Miss Johnson," he greeted bluntly.

"Mr. Russo," I replied politely, hoping he wouldn't notice my shaken voice. Pull yourself together, Rebecca!

"Do you have a minute?" he asked seriously.

I looked down at my notes. I considered for a moment before admitting to myself that I could use a break from staring at the numbers. I sighed and looked back at him.

"Sure," I said, attempting not to sound frustrated. I was not delighted to have a conversation with him, but I guessed this was probably going to be recurring while working here.

He stepped inside and shut the door. That surprised me, but I stayed composed.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday," he started.

That alone surprised me more, but again, I didn't want to acknowledge it. I kept my expression guarded, but pleasant.

"I was a little surprised by how quickly you picked up on stuff. I hadn't had the chance to tell you about the acceptable ranges of difference. Really, I was impressed. You're gonna be such an asset with as smart as you are," he continued.

Alright, I was flattered. That was really kind. I was accustomed to men complimenting my figure, or my ass, but complimenting my intelligence was sort of making me melt. I sat up a little straighter in my chair.

"It's no big deal. I should’ve talked to you privately first," I admitted, my confidence returning to me.

"No, you did exactly the right thing. I really should’ve let you know to expect some strange numbers before throwing you into a meeting like that. I'll have someone send you the typical ranges for those departments. If you see anything outside of those ranges, I want to know whether it's high or low. But, as long as it falls inside the normal numbers, don't worry about it," he assured me.

"Okay, yeah, I'll keep an eye on that. Thank you," I told him earnestly.

"You're welcome." He started to move, then turned back toward me, his eyes studying me carefully. "Is everyone being kind to you? Do you like your office?"

I wondered if he heard what I said to Veronica after the meeting yesterday. Or if she’d told him anything. He was suddenly very kind to me, showing concern about how I was feeling. That didn't seem like the same guy I’d seen the previous day at all.

"Everyone's great," I assured him. "And the office is nice. At my last job, we all just sat in sort of a bullpen-style open floor, it's nice to have my own office. I'm really happy to be here."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. You let me know if anyone gives you a hard time. I don't tolerate office bullying." He smiled at me, and my jaw almost dropped. That brilliant smile would’ve made my knees weak if I wasn't already sitting.

"I don't foresee that being an issue. But thank you, that means a lot," I said, trying hard to keep my voice from shaking.

"Do you need anything?" he added, looking around the office nonchalantly.

Was he prolonging his visit? I wanted that to be the truth, but maybe he was just always this friendly. Veronica had assured me he was thoughtful and laid back with all women in the office. I could see that being true now. Maybe I was rash in my judgment yesterday.

"No, I'm good. I got a tour of the office during my last interview, and Veronica has helped me stay stocked. You've got a really good team here. Really, I'm thrilled to be a part of it." I smiled at him, a genuine smile that I could feel creep across my face.

"I'm glad to have you here." He leaned toward me just a little from across the table, a little smirk on his lips and his eyes piercing my soul as if he wanted to see through me.

Wait, was he flirting with me? Was it bad if I hoped he was? I suddenly felt like I was tumbling, my stomach doing flips as I considered this interaction.

"Thanks," I breathed, barely able to bring my voice above a whisper.

Veronica was right. He was hot. Inhumanely hot. Oh, good lord, I needed to pull myself together. I had to think of something more to say, but my mouth went dry.

Alessandro planted his hands on the edge of my desk and leaned down. I could smell his Versace cologne. He wore a dangerous half-smile, and I almost allowed myself to get lost in it.

"If you need anything," he put a lot of emphasis on the word 'anything', "don't hesitate to ask."

I didn't know what came over me, but when I realized, I was leaning toward him too, placing my chin in my hand and putting my elbow on the desk. I quirked an eyebrow and smiled up at him. Two could play in this game.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to call as soon as I think of something to need," I told him.

He chuckled and stood, almost as if the interaction hadn't happened. My heart still raced in my chest though. I sat back in my chair.

Alessandro turned to leave, strolling with that casual, confident gait.

"I like you, Rebecca. You've got moxie," he called over his shoulder as he left.

Moxie? Was he a twenties era gangster? Still, I would play the words 'I like you, Rebecca,' over and over again in my head for the rest of the day.

Even after he left, I could still smell his intoxicating cologne inside my office. I really wished there was a window I could open to freshen up the air. His scent was starting to give me explicit thoughts I shouldn't be having about my boss.

A few minutes later, Veronica carried a takeout container into my office, pushing the door closed as she entered. She plopped herself into the chair in the corner and I was grateful for the distraction.

"I am dying to know what that was about," she stated.

Veronica opened the takeout container to reveal a chicken sandwich and fries. Damn, that looked good. I was thankful she came in to remind me it was time for lunch. I pulled my salad out of the little mini fridge under my desk and regretted packing it. Her food looked so much better.

"He was just welcoming me to the company. He apologized for his remark in the meeting yesterday. It was nothing." I shrugged, though I could tell my tone wasn't convincing her.

"He closed your door when he came in. I know you're keeping something from me." Veronica took a bite of her sandwich and eyed me suspiciously.

"No, it was really nothing," I said, trying to seem casual, rather than desperately hopeful.

Veronica gasped dramatically, clearly not fooled, then swallowed down her bite of chicken sandwich.

"Oh, he must be into you. I've never seen him come and apologize personally to anyone else before. I've been here for three years," she said excitedly.

"I've been here for two days. I don't think my boss is blatantly flirting with me," I tried to dismiss her. I couldn't deny that deep down, I hoped he was, and maybe I’d even flirted back a little bit, but I didn't want to admit that to Veronica.

"I guess only time will tell." Veronica shrugged. "But my time here is telling me he's into you. And if you go on a date with him, I want all the details. This floor is frustratingly dry of hot gossip."

I laughed. "Okay, sure. If he asks me out, I promise to tell you all about it."

Of course I didn’t believe that would ever happen, but Alessandro's change of approach had definitely caught me off guard. I was not expecting him to come to my office and flirt with me. I didn’t misunderstand that, did I?

I pushed my salad around my pitiful little plastic bowl. I wondered if there was enough time to order out, still. Unfortunately, there were only a few minutes left in my lunch break, and I needed to scarf down my food if I was going to finish it before lunch was over.

I set to work doing just that, listening to Veronica tell me about her cat. She showed me pictures, and I was sort of jealous. I’d always had pets growing up, but my apartment here didn't allow them, so I hadn't had one for years. Plus, her cat was adorable.

Eventually, Veronica returned to her desk. I missed her instantly. For someone I’d only known for two days, she was starting to grow on me. Not just because she was an incredible asset, but she was a friendly face in a less-than-friendly city.

New York was a stunning place, and I was thrilled to have a job like this in a city like this, but it was hard to make new friends.

I was eternally grateful for Jamie. She was both my roommate and my best friend. Her girlfriend was also a lot of fun to hang out with, but they were basically the only people I spent time with regularly in the city.

Speaking of Jamie, I couldn't wait to get home and tell her all about my interaction with Alessandro. The tension had practically been palpable, and I was dying to talk to him again.

I would, of course, have to start the conversation by telling her about his kind-hearted apology. I’d told her about the incident in the meeting yesterday when we ate dinner last night, and she had instantly hated him. I would be walking back my words now.

Still, I found myself hurrying to finish getting things done today. It was a busy job. I didn't mind staying late when I had to, but I was afraid it would look bad as the new woman in the office if I constantly had to stay late because I couldn't get everything done during the workday.

I scrambled to send my last few emails of the day. I filled out a few more journal entries in the computer system that all the accountants in the company used, and I filed away my notes from the day.

Finally, I finished all of my work. Veronica bid me goodbye as I strolled to the elevator, rehearsing what I was going to tell Jamie about today. Deep down, I hoped Alessandro would suddenly come in so we could have a couple of minutes alone together, but it didn't happen. I ignored how disappointed it made me feel as I stepped outside of the building without seeing him again.

By the time I got home, I was still revisiting my conversation with Alessandro from earlier today to make sure I read his intentions clearly. Was it possible that my hot boss was interested in me? Was it possible that anything could happen with him in the near future?