Chapter III: First Encounters

The closet doors stood open with more clothes strewn out than inside; littering the room and the bed with a young man seated in the corner, watching the clothes flying out one by one.

"What am I supposed to wear!?" The girl pulled out a red dress, standing before the full-length mirror before throwing it onto the bed. "This is the worst birthday ever!"

Her brown tresses were all over the place as her green eyes looked around her hopelessly.

"Happy birthday?" The boy in her corner spoke timidly as she glared at him. "I'll help you."

"Please." She flopped onto her clothes. "The lunch is in a few hours and I couldn't sleep all night because of the anxiety."

"I'm coming with you, right?" The boy mixed and matched a silk blouse with leather pants before shaking his head. "To the lunch, I mean."

"Of course, Luca," The girl stood up, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "I need the moral support of my best friend, and besides, who knows, maybe we'll find someone for you."

"I hope so, Nicole."

Both spend some time matching outfits before deciding they weren't fit for the occasion. Heaving a breath, Nicole stepped away from the mess, pulling her hair out of the pony just to put it back up again. A sudden knock on her bedroom door had her give a startled jump before she went and opened it, her guard standing before her with a sleek velvet box in hand.

"This arrived for you, madam." He held out the rectangle for her as she took it inside, closing the door behind her.

"Who was it?"

"I got something." Nicole walked towards him, pulling it open as both of them gaped in shock at the contents.

The velvet box housed a four chain pearl and gold choker, a single note residing beside it.

"Happy 24th. Hope you enjoy. SR," Luca readout loud, "Sabrina Ricci?"

"No, I don't think so; I don't know that girl well enough for her to buy me a pearl choker." Nicole pulled the necklace out of its hold and held it against her neck, feeling the cold stones against her warm skin.

"Oh my God!" Luca clapped with a gasp. "I know exactly what you can wear!"

Nicole didn't get a chance to ask what, before he was shoving a short navy blue dress in her hands and sending her off into the shower. Getting washed, she put on the form-fitted pencil skirt dress. Combing and blow-drying her hair, she did her makeup to be simple and elegant with winged eyeliner, highlight and blush, and nude lipstick. Once she pulled on the nude stilettos, she turned towards her best friend who had changed into a two-piece black suit with a green tie, his auburn hair pushed out of his black eyes.

"What do you think?" Nicole spun around.

"Hold on." Luca walked over to the necklace before picking it up and fixing it around her neck. "Now you're good."

Standing in front of her mirror, Nicole gathered all her hair together and looked at herself. 

"How about I tie them up?" She turned to Luca. 

"Yes, if you want to terrify people with your round face and big ears," Her best friends puffed out his cheek before stumbling back when she hit him on the chest with her clutch, allowing her hair to fall down her shoulders. 

Fixing the front of her dress, she looped her arm through Luca's before they both made their way downstairs to her father. Getting into the Lexus, they drove off to the venue of the charity lunch.

"How do you feel?" Nicole's father placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nervous?"

"A little." She nodded, fidgeting with her freshly manicured hands. "What does he look like?"

"Well, Mr. Regnante is old, but not too old. Rather muscular, but then also not too muscular. Tall, but not too tall. Youngish?"

"Is he a walking talking juxtaposition?" Luca called from the front seat.

"Really dad?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Her father shrugged. "It's difficult to describe the man."

Leaning back with resignation, Nicole waited to arrive at their destination. Once they arrived at their venue, they all stepped inside, seeing men dressed in immaculate suits and women in elegant dresses, all of them bustling about, talking and laughing with glasses of champagne in hand.

"Why don't you two wait here, I'll find him." Mr. Lombardi suggested as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Well, that might take some time." Nicole looped her arm through Luca's. "How about we look for your girl?"

"Sure."

Both of them split up and looked around at the people, taking mental notes and observing them before walking away with disinterest. One particular beauty caught Nicole's eye as she looked around for Luca, seeing his back at the bar. Shaking her head, she made her way over to him and kept sight of the girl before placing a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention.

"How about that girl in the off-shoulder blush dress?" She leaned her back against the bar counter, hearing Luca shuffle beside her. "The one with the three gentlemen. Blue eyes, brown hair, diamond necklace."

"By the looks of it, she's married and pregnant," A deep and husky voice spoke beside her, the stranger's voice having Nicole jump in shock before looking up at him.

She noticed that the man wore a three-piece pinstriped black suit with a blood-red tie and was leaning against the counter, looking at whom she was referring to. He had an angular long face with a smirk sported on his lips as his rich blue eyes shone with amusement, his black hair combed back. And he was most definitely nowhere close to her best friend.

"What-what makes you say that?" Nicole stood straighter in defiance, crossing her arms over her chest, and watched the man turn his gaze back towards the woman.

"Simple, the fact that she is wearing a wedding ring and has a baby bump." The man shrugged beside her. "She also appears to be an extrovert with quite a knack for photography."

"Okay, and how do you know that?"

"Her ease of conversation and the way her eyes are taking everything in." He took a sip of his scotch. "I'm good at reading people."

"Okay, how about that woman?" Nicole pointed towards a young woman with chestnut brown hair and blue eyes, standing with a few people and laughing. "What about her?"

"Married with kids, doctor, runner and very particular about cleanliness and organization."

"How do you-?"

"-The man in the grey suit is standing extremely close to her to be an acquaintance. Both have matching rings on their fingers. Wide hips which only come from childbirth and the runner part I know from the fact that she has slim and toned calves." The man pointed out. "Particular about cleanliness and organization because her entire outfit is coordinated and even though she's drinking champagne, she is holding it with a tissue in hand, meaning she doesn't want to touch anything that has been in public use. I also know that she's a doctor because I overheard them talk about a medical procedure. As I said, I'm good at reading people."

"Yeah, right. Of course, you're that good at reading people." Nicole scoffed sarcastically looking around at the crowd. "How about the dark-haired guy in the navy blue suit? The one flirting with the girl in orange?"

"Player, armed, roughly your age. Commitment issues, an outdoor field of work but good at heart." The man put away his finished glass of scotch, standing to his full height, surprising Nicole at how tall he actually was, seemingly 6'2-6'3. "I know because he is flirting with that woman now, but he had handed his number to two other women before her and had gone off with a different one 15 minutes ago. The commitment issue is evident after this information. Armed due to the bulge in the fall of his jacket and the way he is constantly reaching inside as if to assure himself it's still there. Outdoor work by the tan and goodhearted by the eyes."

Nicole looked at the man skeptically, turning towards him as she noticed the enigmatic aura surrounding him.

"You know, typically by now I would have had a drink in my hand." She gave him a flirtatious smile.

"What would you like?" The man smirked, looking at her as if though he knew something she didn't. "By the way, that's a beautiful necklace you're wearing."

"Thank you." Nicole touched the pearls around her neck. "And I'll have whatever you're having."

"Two scotch on rocks," He informed the bartender. "Would you like me to read you?"

"Let's see." She chuckled, picking up the glass that was handed to her.

Taking a step back, the man gave her a once-over before a smirk overcame his features, a certain knowledge shining in his eyes.

"24, Mafia daughter, here with your father and a Giovanni. I am going to say you are waiting for someone, and not for the people you came here with, but someone else, someone who has you on edge and anxious, a possible political merger by the way you've dressed to impress. You'd rather be anywhere than here and you're looking for a distraction." He downed his drink as Nicole looked at him with wide eyes. "I know mafia affiliations when I see them, and you're clearly a Mafia Boss's daughter. I saw you walk in with two men, the older one clearly your father and the other was Luca Giovanni, the youngest son of Maso Giovanni – the auburn hair and black eyes are a trademark of their family – your best friend I'm assuming, here for moral support. And I know you're waiting for someone because your father has been walking around in search of someone and your eyes have been darting around since the moment you mistook me for Luca, also the nervousness and anxiety is evident by your constant foot tapping. So, am I right, or am I right?"

Instantly she stopped her tapping, both of them silently staring at one another before her father suddenly made his way towards her.

"Ah! Finally found you!" Her father placed a hand on her shoulder as Nicole hadn't torn her gaze away from the man before her. He knew a lot, as a matter of fact, he knew too much, her father would need to take care of that. What a shame that such a handsome face goes to waste. "Nicole,"

She had just opened her mouth to apologize for going off like that, but her words drowned in her throat as he resumed talking.

"Meet Mr. Regnante," Her father introduced, grinning and gesturing towards the man before her. Nicole's breath caught in her throat as a coughing fit overcame her at the revelation. Her father patted her back while Mr. Regnante held out a glass of water as she downed it in one go, taking a step away from him and stumbling back into her father in shock.

Later, she had discovered that Mr. Regnante's name was actually Salvatore, and the man she had gestured to was his younger brother Marco and the other woman was his mother with the first one having been his twin sister. It took Nicole a good couple of minutes to come to terms with the fact that the man she had been so avidly talking to was meant to be her husband, but now that his identity was revealed to her, she couldn't bring herself to say anything; just answering the questions they asked her, or speaking up when spoken to.

Salvatore clearly knew who she was the moment he saw her, having known quite a bit of information regarding her, but she knew nothing about the man. Appetizers came and were gone, so was the main course, and by the desert, they started to come around to their 'arrangement': a discussion in which neither Salvatore nor Nicole spoke up, and was cut short by the beeping of his phone.

"I cannot stay for long." Salvatore stood from his seat, excusing himself. "Ms. Lombardi why don't you take a couple of days, think about it, and then let me know what you decide. You can back out of this and say no, and it will not cause any collateral damage."

After his introduction, this was the first time Nicole had met his steel-blue eyes.

"Now if you'll excu-"

"-I don't need a couple of days," She interjected as the entire table fell silent, and it made Nicole feel as if though the entire venue was staring at her, a heavyweight settling on her shoulders when she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I had arrived with a verdict in mine."

"Sweetheart, you don't have to rush-" Her father leaned forward, reaching out to take her hand.

"-I agree." Nicole breathed out as she stood from her seat, standing before Salvatore as his eyes gave away the surprise his poker face had so artfully hidden away. "I agree to marry you."

Everyone remained silent as Salvatore looked at her impassively, fixing his suit jacket, he turned towards the people seated at his table.

"Where is your wife, Mr. Lombardi?" He settled back in his seat, watching the older man tense as did Nicole. "She is aware of this arrangement, is she not?"

He looked to the three in turn, first Mr. Lombardi, Luca, and then Nicole. Waiting for a few silent beats before sighing and standing up, surprising everyone as he grabbed hold of Nicole's hand, pulling her along with him.

"Let's go," He cocked his head towards the door, looking at Luca and her father.

"Where are we going?" Nicole stumbled after him

"To enlighten your mother,"

She found herself seated in the passenger seat of Salvatore's red Ferrari, both of them silent as soft music played between them, her father and best friend in the car following behind them. The drive to her house was filled with an awkward silence between the two before he pulled up to the door, stepping out as the other three followed.

"Hide," Salvatore entered the chateau as if though he owned it. "I can handle her,"

"With all due respect, sir," Luca stepped forward. "No one can handle her."

"I'm not 'no one', Luca, your father is quite aware of that fact." He smirked in response. "Now, all three of you, hide. I've already called to let her know I'm here to meet her."

Instantly, all three of them hid behind various walls, all of them silently listening as Salvatore went and settled down on one of the sofas, waiting for Mrs. Lombardi.

"Mr. Regnante." Her voice greeted in surprise as her footsteps echoed down the stairs.

"Mrs. Lombardi,"

"My husband isn't home at the –"

"-I'm not here to meet your husband," Salvatore interjected. "I met with him three days ago regarding a matter, and it occurred to me I was talking to the wrong person in regards to having things done."

A silence fell over the conversation as Nicole looked at Luca with a raised eyebrow.

"They call him a manipulative devil, I think he's manipulating her," Luca whispered in her ear.

"Isn't that right Mrs. Lombardi? Your husband can't do anything without you having consented first."

"What makes you think that?"

"The fact that every mafia household has one woman behind the scenes who calls the shots,"

"If that's the case, who's the woman calling your shots?"

"Your daughter."

Nicole gasped at his words as Luca held her back, both of them knowing that she would be in trouble no matter what the outcome would be of this conversation. They heard her splutter incoherently before a humorless chuckle escaped her.

"My daughter? Are you certain about that?" She laughed in disbelief

"Quite certain," Salvatore nodded. "As a matter of fact, that is why I'm here."

"Oh, let's listen to that then,"

"I'm here to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage. I had asked your husband, but as I said, I was talking to the wrong person." He took out a velvet box from his inside pocket. "Nicole has asked me to talk to you since we've been dating for 2 years now and met at a charity gala. Since then we've been together and wish to progress our relationship. But you see, I promised to propose with her parent's blessings. I have gotten your husband's consent – not that it matters much – now I am in need of your consent."

Nicole looked at Luca with bulging eyes as his mouth was hanging open, neither one of them being able to comprehend the amount of manipulation this man was capable of, and neither one certain whether this would work, but given by the way he was talking so self-assured, he was going to get his way.

"You've been dating my daughter for 2 years now? And I'm not aware of the fact that she's been courting a Regnante of all men?"

"Well, she wasn't aware I was a Mafia Boss until I came on business to meet her father."

"And why should I give you my consent?" She raised an eyebrow, believing to have trapped him, but being only greeted with a chuckle in response.

"Io sono un Regnante. Ottengo sempre ciò che voglio in un modo o nell'altro." (I'm a Regnante. I always get what I want one way or the other.) He smirked. "E in questo caso si tratta di tua figlia."  (And in this case, it's your daughter)

Nicole held her breath as his words, praying to God that she didn't end up dead at the expense of her father's negotiations at the hands of her mother.

The silence that fell over their conversation had Nicole grasp Luca's hand for grounding, afraid of passing out from the way her heart was beating against her chest.

"You have my blessings," Her mother relented as Nicole's eyes widened in surprise, her heart clenching at her next words, "Although, she isn't the most lady-like girls out there,"

"I'm not in need of a rigid lady." Salvatore bounced the velvet box in hand. "I'm in need of a strong woman."

Silence descended once more before they all heard her footsteps receding up the stairs before disappearing with the sound of the door. Nicole gasped for breath as she knew the coast was clear. Everyone slowly came out from their hiding places to see Salvatore standing in the middle of the foyer with the velvet box in hand. Tossing it to Nicole, who nearly dropped it in her shock. Pulling it open, she looked at the platinum and diamond band nestled between the cushions before looking up at him.

"I'll sign the contract when I come to pick up Nicole on Monday." He informed the father, making his way towards the door. "We have a wedding to plan."