Kiss My Feet, Mr. Mafia

Episode 2

The sound of running water echoed in my small apartment through the bathroom. The steam rose from the shower head, creating a thin veil before the glass door. I closed my eyes, tilted my head back, and let the hot water run over me, scrubbing the morning’s blushes off my face. My best friend Jessica sat on the counter, holding her legs and swinging them while having a devilish smile on her face.

“Wait a minute,” I thought. “So basically,” I said, ardently guffawing, “you want me to put on a costume at work? You were practically making out with a stranger in the club last night, and today he is your boss.”

I groaned, bringing my hands up to my head. I knew it was going to be a long night. “Yes, Jess, I didn’t know who he was. It was just this one moment, this one encounter for me; now I have to see him every day.”

Jessica burst out laughing. “Wow! This is like a movie! And you said he is good looking, isn’t he?”

I perched my fingers on my face and, through the gaps, tried to watch the man. Of course, he’s stunning; looking at him makes you melt. But that is not the issue.

“That sounds like that’s exactly the point,” commented Jessica in a jokey tone. At the suggestion of how fascinating the anticipation, working into the wee hours of the night might be, the possibility of accomplishing it at the place of business weighed in.

“Jess!” My tone was a comical collaboration of horror and humor. “That is why I actually don’t want to get into this anymore. I’m trying to be professional here.”

Jessica jumped off the counter and continued to laugh. “Come on, I am only joking with you. But hey, you have to be cautious; this could get a little out of hand.”

“Oh, I think I’ve heard about that,” I sighed and came out of the shower, wrapping a towel around me. “That has me already cringing at the inevitable social awkwardness of it all.”

Jessica looked at me and nodded her head in pity. The next logical question was, “What does it take to do it?” and the current question was, “So, what is planned for today?”

I exhaled as I put on a blouse and a skirt. “I have to attend a meeting with the investors outside of town since Moretti Falcone will be my company. There is a car coming to pick me up shortly.”

“Fancy!” Jessica replied, raising an eyebrow. “You were perfectly safe… The ‘businessman’ is a different person, and anyway, try not to think of last night, simply do your job.”

“Well, easier said than done,” I quipped to myself after arising from the bed to put on my clothes and get ready. A few minutes later, I left my apartment and gasped as I saw a beautiful black Porsche waiting for me outside. The door to the car opened, and I entered the car.

Luca arrived early, wearing a black suit and tie to match, with shiny black shoes. He was on a call; his voice was frosty and authoritative. “If you do not meet your side of the agreement, let me assure you, you will live to regret this,” he said through clenched teeth. I shivered, though what struck me as rather odd and amusing was the change of his tone from the one I heard last night.

He looked at me briefly, hung up, then looked at me with a lustful smile on his lips. After setting up their fake company "Alex Travelling," the two characters Alex and Maria were talking: “Ready for your first real assignment, Maria?”

I just nodded, feeling both nervous and hurried at the same time. The ride to the meeting itself was full of silence and restrained aggression, which spoke about the events that happened in the club. I found myself sneaking a look at Luca, a warmth in my abdomen bringing back the feeling of his hands around my waist.

We got to the tall office complex, and there was an instant turn of professionalism and a corporate-like atmosphere. I entered a large meeting room and found several grave-faced men sitting there when Luca led me in. The investors, I presumed, had the look that suggested the Crips had just got inked on their necks.

They all turned to look at him, and the first one to speak was Luca. “Good morning, gentlemen.”

Out of the group, one of the largest men, who had a deep scar across his face, began to talk. “Guten morgen, Moretti Falcone. There is no time for punches. We were told we will receive stock options in your company.”

Luca rested in the chair, but the hostile gaze of his eyes could be seen from behind the glass of beer. “Promised by whom?”

The man replied, “Your father. Adrian slept with us, saying that he would give us a cut to have a share of that job he was planning on.”

Luca raised an eyebrow. “You just pulled off a job for our company and performed a task that has no relation to what the company is currently engaging in. Now, I cannot make certain promises or commitments that would harm the stability of the company. What I can do is offer you a very good contract for one of our subsidiaries.”

The men looked at one another in annoyance. “We do not want subsidiaries,” another man muttered with anger visibly directed towards Moretti Falcone. “We want the main shares. We are to have them. Prime corporate shares are to be ours.”

Luca’s smile was icy. “Entitlement is a fatal attribute in the world of business. Our shares are not for sale and certainly not to someone who threatens the stability and integrity of our company. The subsidiary offer is quite fair given the conditions.”

One of the men raised his head and, fixing the other with a malignant look, said, “You actually think you can dismiss us that easily?” There was power that he didn’t think I had, and he wanted more of it. “Perhaps this pretty little assistant of yours could change your mind.” Vulgar and rude, he looked right at me.

Luca’s face changed from neutral to dangerous at once; his eyes grew almost black, and his jaw was tense. “Get her out of this. This type of disrespect won’t be entertained.”

There was electricity in the air, translating to tense moments of expectations. Luca looked calm, composed, and ready to kill someone at the drop of a hat. "Again, as said in the Levendol contract, the subsidiary deal will still be on hold, and it is take it or leave it."

The man with the scar looked at me and gave a cold smile. “You fancy yourself smart, don’t you, Moretti Falcone? There are ways to deal with those who do not observe promises.”

Without a moment of hesitation, the man reached into his pocket and pointed a gun right at Luca. I stood there stock still, and my heart began to go thump, thump, thump.

Not a moment too late, Luca responded, or rather, overreacted. He produced his own weapon and aimed at the man, shooting him in the shoulder. Pandemonium broke out, and the last of the investors attacked Luca, knives and guns pulled out as if conjured up straight out of thin air. Luca savagely defended himself against them, and even as I was staring at the chaos, blood in my eyes made me faint.

Five minutes later, there was the sound of the door breaking down, and two more bodyguards of Luca quickly overpowered the attackers. I was shaking and close to crying when suddenly I was enveloped in Luca’s embrace, and he whispered something to me. I was sitting in front of the mirror with Maria and said to her quietly, “It is alright, Maria, you are safe now.”

He kissed my forehead, his touch surprisingly tender. “Everything's going to be alright,” he promised, before turning to his men. “These men were sent by Lucio Rinaldi. He's declared war on us. Make sure our rival knows he just made it personal by targeting my business and threatening my girl.”

My breath hitched at his words. His girl?

One of Luca’s men, a burly figure with a thick Russian accent, approached. “What do we do about her, Boss?”

Luca’s eyes darkened as he looked at me. “Maria has seen too much,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “I’ll take care of this.”

He started walking toward me, and my heart raced. What did he mean by that? I backed away slowly, my mind spinning with the implications of his words.