Blood in the Golden Palace

Chapter 8: Penny-1

Chapter 8: Penny“When can I get my phone back?”

Angelo looked up from his coffee. Between them on the kitchen island was a colorful array of pastries from the local coffee shop. If the empty cupboards and bare bones fridge were any indication, Angelo had a habit of ordering in or eating out. Picking apart his breakfast muffin, Angelo shook his head. “You’re going to make me feel worse.”

Penny laid her head on the counter top. I mean, I’m the one under house arrest, she lamented. “Just thought I’d ask…”

Angelo leaned forward on his elbows. Penny looked up, though kept her head down. “Looking like a sad puppy won’t make you get it back any faster.”

“I don’t look like a sad puppy.”

“Uh huh.”

Penny finally straightened up. “There’s got to be something I can do that will make you trust me faster. What if I super pinky promised not to say a word for as long as I live? You could drop me off at home by lunch time.”

Angelo took a long sip. “Did you think that would work?”

“Maybe?”

With a hearty bite of his muffin, Angelo sat at the bar stool adjacent to her own. “I’m not exactly used to this either,” he said. “Believe it or not, the mob tends to be more business minded these days.”

“Business minded?”

“Sure. Why do you think my sister and I run the Golden Palace? It’s a good front for money laundering, granted, but it’s in our best interest to have some kind of legitimate operation. A club’s a good start. A lot of money comes in, most of it in cash, not a lot of it goes out.”

“Huh…” Turning her attention to her iced coffee, she chewed on the straw. “You won’t get in trouble for letting me in on info like that?”

Angelo blinked. It was like he was caught with his pants down. “Uh…I mean…It’s an obvious front, though, isn’t it? It’s how Las Vegas was run under mob control for years. It doesn’t exactly break the mold.”

Penny stirred her drink. “I suppose you’re right.” She glanced his way, remembering their night prior. Playing cards with Angelo had been so warm and comfortable. She spent the night wondering if something she had done caused Angelo to stop. Though it had been late, though Penny just assumed that Angelo was a night owl. There were moments, as they chatted, waiting for their ice cream delivery, when Penny forgot the bad bits of the arrangement. In the few days that she’d been there, Angelo had gone out of his way to make sure Penny was fed and cared for. The obvious aside, she was starting to feel like a guest rather than a prisoner.

Penny eyed the fridge off hand, deciding her current thoughts were too complicated to deal with before noon. “You don’t go grocery shopping much, huh?” she asked.

“Not really,” Angelo admitted. “To be honest, I’m hardly ever home. I come back to sleep, shower, and change, and that’s about it. At least lately.”

“Seems like such a waste.” Penny looked out the wide windows into the perfectly kept trees on Angelo’s property. “This doesn’t even feel like part of the city. It’s so quiet out here.”

Angelo nodded. “When I first moved in,” he said, “I had to get used to that. My father’s house is always full of people. After a while, the traffic becomes comforting.”

“I know exactly what you mean.”

“You do?”

Penny nodded. “I grew up a ward of the state. So I was always moving from one foster home to another. There was never a quiet night between them.”

Angelo leaned forward on his elbows. “You’re an orphan?” he clarified.

“Yup.”

“No family at all?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Ever tried looking?”

Penny paused. “This is getting a little personal.”

Angelo held up a hand in defeat. “You’re right. Sorry.” They sat in silence for a few minutes more, both focusing on anything and everything except for each other. It was interrupted by a buzz from Angelo’s front pocket. Pulling out his phone, he opened the screen. “My sister won’t stop bugging me.”

“With what?”

“Oh, some new hires at the Palace.” Rather than responding, Angelo stuffed his phone back into his pocket and finished up his coffee, tossing the disposable cup in the trash. “When she said she’d take over the day to day, I assumed it’d be for longer than forty-eight hours…”

“What’s your sister like?” Penny asked, randomly.

Angelo turned. “Nikki?” he said. “Well she’s…” He pondered a moment. “A lot.”

“A lot?”

“Mm. Then again, most of my family is…a lot.”

“Do you have other siblings?”

“No, thank God. I don’t know if I could survive any more like Nicoletta.”

“She can’t possibly be that bad.”

“She isn’t, I just like to be dramatic.”

A smile tugged on Penny’s lips, and she propped her chin in her hand. “I always wondered what it would be like to have siblings. I grew up with other foster kids, obviously, but I don’t think it’s the same.”

“Well you’re not stuck with them for life, for one thing,” Angelo joked. “Nah, Nikki’s all right. She’s just tightly wrapped. Which isn’t hard if you’re part of my dad’s bloodline. Though sometimes I think she secretly likes to have a million responsibilities.”

“Sounds exhausting.”

“That’s a pretty apt description, yeah.” Angelo turned to wipe his hands, when he paused. A thoughtful expression dawned on his face, and he turned back to Penny. “Hey,” he said. “Actually, I think there is a faster way for you to earn some trust.”

Penny lit up. “Yeah?”

Angelo sat back down. “My sister is a tough judge of character, but I bet if you two met, she could see what kind of person you are. She doesn’t think so, but I beg to differ. Once she’s convinced that you’re not going to turn us in, she can help convince my father, and then we can work on letting you go.”

“You think that will work?”

“It’s a long shot, but it could.”

A new hope came to Penny’s eyes, and she took Angelo’s arm with both of her hands. “Yes!” she said. “I’ll do my best to make a good impression.” Penny paused. Her eyes drifted to where she was holding Angelo’s forearm. She jerked, ready to pull away, but before she realized it, Angelo’s hand was covering her own. When she looked back up, she was met with a smile that was kind and sincere. It brought back those warm feelings from their previous evening.

“I’m sure that won’t be hard for you,” he said gently. A moment more, and his hand slid off Penny’s. He stood and fixed his top button. “I’ll arrange things with Nikki. Try to wear something expensive, if you’ve got it. She’s a real brand snob.”

Penny blushed. “I uh…don’t really…”

“No?” He glanced behind him and then nodded toward the direction of her room. “Why don’t we go see?” Angelo made for the hallway, with Penny following dutifully behind, and walked into her room. Many of her things were still in boxes, piled up into one corner, but at least her closet was mostly full by now. Angelo walked over and thumbed through what she had. “Let me see here…What brands do you have?” Penny’s silence was his answer, and he sighed with acceptance. “Well, no time to grab you something, I guess.” He pulled out an A-frame green dress with lace overlay. “This is pretty.”

“Oh. I mean yeah but…” Penny poked her fingers through a hole at the waistline. “I’ve been meaning to patch it up.”

“Ah.” Angelo returned to the rack. “How about…Hey, here’s something nice.” He removed a chiffon blouse with trumpet sleeves. “Formal but feminine.”

“Err…Yeah. I had to get it for an interview. It’s too big.”

“What? Really?” Angelo held it up to Penny’s shoulders. Sure enough, it was practically a pillowcase on her frame. Again, Angelo returned it to the rack. He paused, his hand hovering just over Penny’s pink and sunflower dress. The same dress she picked out for her would be meeting with Angelo. He removed it, lingering on its details. “This is what you were wearing, huh?” He turned. “That day?” Penny nodded. Angelo smiled sadly and handed it to her. “You looked beautiful in it. Why don’t you wear it again?”

Penny clutched the hanger to her heart. “I don’t know if your sister will like it. I got it thrifted.”

Angelo chuckled. “Maybe,” he said, “but it suits you. She’ll just have to deal with it.” He checked the time. “All right, I have a few errands to run, but then I’ll swing by after I’ve handled the lunch reservations. Think you can be ready around noon?” Penny nodded. “Great. Let’s hope she loves you right off the bat.”

* * * *

Holy s**t, she hates me.

That was the thought that permeated the entire lunch from the time that Penny sat at the table. Upon first laying eyes on Nicoletta DeRossi, Penny was floored. Most flawless women like her were reserved for magazines and old movies. Her black hair was done up in an aesthetically messy bun, with a long, curtain bang framing her face. She was much paler than Angelo, and wore a turtle neck one piece wool dress, which stopped about mid-thigh. The knit pattern was intricate and luxurious, and looked about as soft as a cloud. Her thick, double breasted, waist tucked coat was folded haphazardly over her chair. Both were a sensible beige, and went perfectly with her suede, thigh high stiletto boots. And she spent the entire first half of their meeting glaring at Penny from those expertly managed fake eyelashes.

“So how are the new hires getting along?” Angelo, lingering on his menu, chanced a glance at his sister to try and make small talk. “Fired anyone yet?”

“They’re fine.” Nikki never let her eyes leave Penny. Before long, Penny was unable to bear it, and looked around in hopes that Nikki would stop staring at her. The bistro they were meeting in was a secluded restaurant on the north side of Santa Notte. Natural lighting broke through plant covered window slats, and most of the waiters had on silk backed vests. It sure as s**t wasn’t Denny’s.

“Good afternoon.” Their waiter approached the table, a note pad at the ready. “May I get the ladies started with something to drink?”

Nikki answered first. “Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 or older.”

“Wonderful. And for you, miss?”

“Uh.” Penny fidgeted in her seat. “Just…water, I guess? Please?” Nikki clicked her tongue in disapproval, and Penny, red from embarrassment, returned to staring at her lap.

“Water, very good, miss. And for the gentleman?”

“I’ll have a glass of red,” said Angelo. “Any will do.” Suddenly, Penny felt a hand rest on her back. She turned to Angelo. “You can have a drink if you want. You don’t have to worry about price.”

Encouraged by Angelo’s gesture, Penny turned back to the waiter. “Do you…have Rosé?”

“We do.”

“I’ll…I’ll have a glass of that then, please. Thank you very much.”

“Do you have a preference?”

“Oh well…They all just kind of taste the same to me—” Nikki scoffed, and Penny went quiet again. Angelo leaned forward on the table.

“A Pinot Nior for her, I think. Anything from California.”

“Very good, sir.” With that, the waiter left, and the three returned to their deafening silence. That is, until Angelo addressed Nikki.

“You’re being a b***h, Nik,” he said.

“So?” Nikki snapped. “Not my fault your mouse is uncultured.”

“I set this up so that you can get to know Penny. How is that supposed to happen if you keep up this attitude?”

“Bite me, Ange.” The waiter returned moments later with three glasses of wine, and an extra glass of cold water. Nikki took her glass immediately and helped herself to a long, drawn out sip. “I don’t appreciate being ripped away from my schedule to indulge you.”

“Okay, fair,” said Angelo, “but at least take it out on me. Not on her.”

Nikki paused. Again, her eyes fell to Penny. They were a bit less harsh, but Penny still felt like they were sharp enough to open a tin can. “So.” She set her wine glass down. Penny felt her back seize up and she clutched her hands tightly in her lap. “Angelo thinks that you’re trustworthy enough to be let back out into the wild.”