Elisa works here...Rosalia took a moment to process each individual word. Elisa. Works. Here. Here. In the club, with Giovanni at night. "Oh." She reached for the tall glass of iced coffee she had been nursing on her desk since her arrival. Sipping slowly she watched Giovanni watch her. Waiting. "What does she do here?" She asked curiously surprising herself by the sound of her calming tone. She took the straw between her fingertips stirring the remaining ice. A part of her still despised Elisa. She didn't know her well, but what she did know, she didn't particularly like. Yet the other part of her knew she had no right to feel this way. She had left Giovanni, not the other way around. She alone had chosen to run away and this was just another consequence of her actions. She had wrapped herself in a bubble all this time staying away from him, literally avoiding any conversation with him which indicated what she had lost when she ran. But things were different now, the conver
Two weeks down and Rosalia was successfully running all office operations. She had no idea how they were running the place behind the scenes in the first place. The paperwork was literally everywhere.The one thing which did add up though, was the cash. Meticulously to the cent. It was almost too perfect!Every drink purchase, special cigar, entry fee was meticulously accounted for each and every single night.What she didn't understand, was where it was all going. After all the alcohol expenses, wages, maintenance, fees. There was still a large amount of money left over and only part of that money was banked. The rest seemed to disappear.Giovanni or Stefano would dismiss Rosalia before the bar would switch from daytime bar service to club. She would leave for the night and return in the morning to reconcile all the money made the previous night.But there was always another pile of cash. A pile she would be instructed to take money from if things 'didn't add up.'"Where did this mon
"Ready to see your new apartment?" Stefano stopped the car with a smile on his face. He pressed a button activating the central locking releasing Rosalia allowing her to open her passenger door. He watched her curiously observing her surroundings as she pulled her purse from her seat closing the passenger door shut. "Very central" she stated impressed securing the purse strap over her shoulder. "Also extremely close to work." "Oh?" "Your apartment is literally above your workplace, you literally have no excuse to be late." Stefano stuck his tongue out at her playfully as he began to lead the way through to the side of the building and into an elevator. "The Club entrance is at the front of the building, but you won't be entering from that way. Giovanni insists I show you the back way. It will lead you directly to the office area." She nodded obediently as they slipped into the elevator eventually coming to a smooth stop. "So I'm working in a club?" She took Stefano's lead foll
Giovanni sat silently on his father's office chair. He no longer wanted to be around the mourners, didn't want to hear how sorry they were, if there was anything they could do, how he was doing. It irritated him and he had no interest in helping them feel better about themselves knowing they had paid their respects. He ran his fingertips over the dark brown highly polished desk. The piece was an antique, one of the sturdiest pieces of furniture in the entire home. "Non li fanno più come questo." (They don't make them like this anymore.) His father would tell him on the days he was feeling particularly nostalgic. "Va bene papa" (Ok father) He would respond, generally with little regard. He would always begin conversations regarding what to do in the event of his death by bringing up his office furniture. "Un giorno tutto questo sarà tuo."(One day all of this will be yours) His words burning in his ears as he reached for one of his father's cigars placing it between his lips whil
"No?"Rosalia repeated the word dumbfounded. No. It had come out so firmly, so demanding, so familiar. She stood before him as she was released from his grip. She didn't know what to say or do, what could she say really? They were way past formalities after all. "No." He repeated once more. "You can't turn up here and just leave Rosalia. It doesn't work that way." The frustration was evident within his words, yet the look on his face showed a mixture of shock and sadness. He was absolutely floored by her presence; he hadn't expected her, not here, not today. Yet here she stood before him looking equally as heartbroken as he felt. He could see the guilt within her eyes, the way she nervously played with the ends of her hair as they stared at each other. A part of him wanted to be angry, he wanted to grab her by the shoulders, scream in her face, demand answers. All things he had thought about after every phone conversation with her. She frustrated him every single time. The
Rosalia stood silently, tray in hand, condolences envelope on top. She didn't even dare to breathe yet as her fingers gripped the tray as tightly as she could, she could hear the slight crumpling sound of the aluminium crushing under her grip. She hadn't expected anyone to be in the kitchen, it was stupid of her really to assume such a thing. The two women were at a complete standoff. Neither moving nor saying a word. The awkwardness of the situation escalating by each and every second that ticked by between them.Rosalia had no idea what to say or do. She was floored at the sight of Isabella suddenly standing tall in the kitchen. She was turned around and slumped over the sink when she first stepped in, however now she stood tall, arms crossed over her chest as she inhaled angry breaths through her nose. A bull, waiting to charge and she was the red cloth. "Get out..." "I-I- Isabella, I just want-" as she stuttered she accidentally tipped the tray a little forcing the envelope t
"Your sister woke up," Ricci blurted out wanting to put an end to the awkward silence. Giovanni was never particularly chatty in the past, but this was different, this felt awkward. "She's sick as a dog though, in shock too, about your father." "Don't you ever compare my sister to a dog again," Giovanni spat back breaking his silence, hostility still clear within his words. "I-I didn't it's just an ex-" "A fucking stupid one!" He sank back deeper into the leather seat turning his head to look out the window, he was too angry to accept the fact that Ricci was currently his driver. "Why are you here? I told Antonio to call and tell you to make sure Rosalia was safe." Without realizing, he began clenching his fists fighting against the instinct that told him to crack Ricci a new one. "You had one job that was it. Now you're here? Why?" "We've all been looking for you Gio, I wasn't sent specifically, it was all hands on deck." He spoke slowly, diplomatically, trying to word his sente
Giovanni stumbled up the dark staircase, a light flickering in and out interrupting his focus. He muttered something incoherent under his breath as he gripped onto railing hoisting himself further up to his destination. As the floorboards creaked beneath his feet he could not help but think why someone would live in such a dump of an apartment complex. A thought which entered his mind every time he walked up these same stairs. He made his way in front of a door studying the crooked numbers as his right fist clenched bringing it up to bang vigorously on the door at this unruly hour. He stopped for a moment only to listen in as he pressed up against the door. "Open up" he called out without any consideration bringing his fist back up to commence more pounding but being cut short by the door flying wide open. "Jesus!" Elisa gasped at the sight of him; she hadn't even bothered to close her black silk robe answering the door in her underwear. "Da fuck are you wearing?" He groaned push
Ricci let out a long breath of frustration, his left hand propped up against the front door as he leaned over knocking a series of five consecutive knocks becoming more and more frustrated. He alternated between knocking and pressing the doorbell which was clearly not currently working. He finally pushed himself from the leaning position he was in and back upright on his feet before making the decision to walk around the back of the house. Her car was in the driveway and the curtains were drawn back, he was sure she was home. Making his way towards the back sliding doors he immediately noticed the latch on the other side of the door in the incorrect position. He shook his head muttering under his breath growing even more annoyed by the second. This girl will never learn.Sliding open the door he stepped into the house, "Rosalia!" He called out loudly swiftly sliding the door behind him shut turning briefly to lock the latch. "Rosalia wh-" He stopped. Frozen in place at the sight o