Dangerously In Love

Chapter Five

Maria

    I slipped into a skin tight sparkly silver one shoulder dress and a pair of black Louboutin stilettos. "Ria, can I please curl your hair? You never do anything with it except wear it up or straighten it." Belle begged me all the time to let her curl my hair. I sighed.

    "Yes and you can do my makeup." She quickly got her curling iron out and started to curl my hair.

    "Maria, your phone just went off." One of Belle's friends, Elana, shouted across the room.

    "Could you hand it to me, please?" Elana walked over and handed me my phone.

    "I'm so glad Belle convinced you to come out with us. She always says that you take things too seriously." Elana laughed nervously.

    "I know I do, but it'll be worth it one day. Hard work does pay off, ya know." I shrugged as I unlocked my phone. I had a text from an unknown number about a party.

    "Is it Marco?" Belle looked down over my shoulder.

    "Umm, no. It's an address for a party." I sat it down in my lap.

    "Where?" Elana sat back on the couch and turned the music down.

    "635 W 42nd St, 45th floor, #457." I knew that was a super expensive place. My father had bought a place there a couple months ago. I stayed there occasionally. "Belle, did you grab my keys?"

    "Yeah, why?"

    "Father has a place there. He bought it couple of months ago. We could just crash there. I still have the keys for the garage and the condo." I remembered the day he first brought me there. Up until a couple of months ago my father and I were inseparable. 

"Papa? What's this?" He had blindfolded me when we had gotten out of the car in the parking garage. I heard him unlock a door after we had gotten out of the elevator.

"It's a surprise for you and Marco, my darling daughter." He grabbed my hands and led me forward, stopping a few moments after. He undid the blindfold.

"What is this place, Papa?" I smiled at him.

"I thought that once you and Marco were married, that you would like a place to yourselves to start your family. Your grandfather did the same for your mother and I but we decided to stay in the mansion. I stress respect of your body to Marco because your mama and I did things a bit fast and your eldest brother was born six months after your mama and I were married." He chuckled. Papa walked over to the couch and sat down.

"I understand, Papa. Can I be honest and tell you something, Papa?" I walked over to the couch where Papa was sitting and sat next to him.

"I always want your honesty, don't ever be afraid to tell me anything mia cara figlia." He kissed my forehead.

"I know that you and mama were arranged and I'm not doubting that you two grew to love each other, because you did. I just worry that Marco isn't interested in me and will seek someone else in secret or will choose a mistress. He doesn't want to settle down. He made it very clear to me with his actions that he doesn't want to be married. He wants to be the lady's man enforcer, Papa. He doesn't regard me as his fiancée. He always treats me like I'm a burden that's been forced upon him." I felt a few tears fall from my eyes and down my cheeks.

"Oh, figlia, don't cry. He will learn to love you. You, mia bella piccolo tesoro, must learn that he will care for you. He does care for you already, very much. He won't want to be with any other woman than you after he moves up in the famiglia. I promise, la mia bella regazza. You will see." My father kissed my forehead again and that was the last happy memory I shared with my father since then.

    "Ria...Ria? Earth to Ria..." Belle's voice pulled me back to reality.

    "Yeah?" I wiped a couple of tears away.

    "You okay? You just kind of spaced out on us. I finished curling your hair by the way." Belle grabbed a can of hairspray and sprayed it vigorously all over the curls. I got up and looked in the mirror.

    "Belle, they look amazing!" I smiled at her. They made me look like a totally different person.

    "What were you thinking about?" Belle asked as I sat back down for her to start on my makeup.

    "When father showed me the condo. It was the last time I remember us actually liking each other. But we aren't getting ready for a downer party, so let's just focus on tonight." I smiled and giggled.

    "One smoldering sexy mafia princess, coming right up!" Belle got to work and it didn't take much time at all. I stood up when she was finished and looked in the mirror again.

    "Hot damn, Ria. You don't even look like yourself." Elana looked at me with an awestruck face.

    "Good, because tonight I'm not Maria Salvatore. I'm just Ria." I smiled and sprayed on some perfume.

    "Okay, well just Ria. Let me have that address and we'll take my car over there. Just text it to me and I'll put it in the GPS. Are we all ready?" Elana looked at Belle and I. 

    "Don't forget a change of clothes and everything." I reminded Elana. Belle wore the same size as me so she could fit into the clothes that I had at the condo.

    "I've got them. Let's go girls!The car is parked around back." Elana grabbed her Michael Kors bag and her keys. I grabbed my phone and my purse and so did Belle. We walked out of her house and to the garage in the back. I didn't think Elana was a car person but she totally was. She had a top of the line BMW M4 in navy blue. It was gorgeous! 

    "When did you get this, El?" Belle asked as we all got in the car.

    "Demitry got it for me! Isn't it perfect?" She was so happy.

    "Demitry? That Russian guy you've been seeing?" Belle smacked Elana's shoulder.

    "I'm not part of the mafia so it doesn't matter who I see." She smirked at me.

    "Lucky ass!" I laughed as she started the car, pulling out onto the road.

    We drove for about forty-five minutes across the city to the condo. Elana decided to let me drive into the parking garage because I knew where I was going. We switched out and I swiped the key in front of the parking garage entrance and drove to the spot that was marked for the unit. I parked the car and we went up through the private elevator. My father had bought the top condo which was basically a huge two floor penthouse. We got inside the elevator and I swiped the condo key in front of the reader and up we went.

    I showed the girls to their rooms and we got ready to head down to the 45th floor. I poured a glass of water while I waited for them to come back down. The master suite and a future nursery were on the first floor while the other six suites were on the second floor. I sat at the bar and drank the water. This was going to be a fun night. I wouldn't let myself be responsible tonight. This night was much needed. 

    "We're ready to go!" Elana shouted as she and Belle walked down the staircase. I grabbed the keys and attached them with a rubber band to my bra strap. I put the glass in the sink and joined them by the door.

    "No last names. No going home with anyone. No getting separated unless it's on the dance floor. We'll meet by the bathroom every hour. Keep your phones on you." Belle gave us the party lecture as her phone started to ring. "It's Paolo." She stared at me in a panic.

    "Don't answer, Belle. Send him to voicemail." I said in a hurry. "Let's get to the party before he figures out where we are." I locked the door and we walked towards the elevator once more. Paolo was going to kill us once we got back. We got into the elevator and pressed the button that had 45 on it. We got off and walked down the hall to unit 457. Tonight was my night. Belle's phone started ringing again.

    "Marco is calling me, Ria." I shook my head no. She didn't answer and Elana knocked on the door. Some big guy answered the door.

    "What can I do for you gorgeous ladies?" He smirked at us.

    "We're here for the party. I got a text about it." I showed him my phone.

    "Come in and welcome to one hell of a party!" He smiled and I felt his eyes on my backside as we walked inside. It was extremely loud as we made our way to the bar. 

    "Let's go get some drinks and hit the dance floor." I suggested and the girls followed. I was just Ria tonight. No last name. No problems. No fiancé. I was going to live like a normal nineteen year old. We downed some shots of vodka and then tequila. I was feeling buzzed already and that's when I saw him staring at me. This extremely handsome, tall guy with back hair was staring at me. He started to walk towards so I decided to down some more shots and meet him halfway. Belle grabbed a hold of my arm and tried to stop me.

    "Ria, no." She begged me not to leave. I took her hand off of my arm.

    "I'm just Ria tonight and Ria is going to go dance with this smoldering hot man." I winked and started to walk towards him again. We met in the middle of the dance floor. He held his hand out and I placed my hand in his. I looked at his face and my god was he hot!

    "What's your name?" He asked as he turned me to face away from him, pulling me close to him. His hands wrapped around my waist as I swayed and grinded on him.  

    "Ria." The song picked up and we matched the beat. He kissed my neck and I bit my lip.

    "I'm Niko." He continued to kiss and nibble at my neck. I let out a soft moan and he flipped me around to face him. I looked up at him and felt really dizzy. He put his hand on the small of my back and the other on the side of my face. Some guy walked up to him and he looked away towards the bar. I looked with him, Elana was there with a tall guy. 

    "Is something the matter?" I slurred and his face turned back to me.

    "I have an amazingly gorgeous girl in my arms and you ask if somethings wrong?" He kissed me hard and fireworks went off. We had to have been kissing for at least five minutes. He broke the kiss and led me back to the bar, his arm wrapped around my waist. Elana looked up from the guy and gasped. She looked at me worried.

    "Demitry, be nice to Elana tonight. I'm going to be occupied so don't do anything stupid. Keep him in line Elana." He winked at her and kissed me hard in front of them. 

    "I see you met Lana's friend." Demitry looked me up and down and winked at me. Elana smacked his arm. 

    "Be nice to her, Niko." She glared at him as we walked away from them. I looked back at Elana and winked at her. 

    "Give me one sec, okay?" I tried to stand still and asked Niko. He nodded. I pulled out my phone and texted Belle since I couldn't see her. 

Maria: Hey, where are you?

Belle: Dancing with a guy. Have fun Ria. ;)

    Well, I had lost her for the night until it was time to go. I put my phone away and went back to enjoying Niko. He started to kiss me again as we danced. He was intoxicating. He took my hand and we walked away from the dance floor to a secluded corner.