Straight Man Richard Russo Novels & Stories

Alessia's breath caught in her throat as the man approached, his heavy footsteps echoing off the walls. As he stepped into the dim pool of light, Alessia felt her anxiety spike. This wasn't the polished, suit-wearing Nikolai she had imagined. The man before her was built like a brick wall, easily over six feet tall with broad shoulders and thick, muscular arms visible even under his leather jacket. His head was shaved, and a jagged scar ran from his left temple to his jawline. Cold, steel-gray eyes regarded her with a mixture of suspicion and amusement. "Dr. Russo?" he said, his voice deep and gravelly, with a thick Russian accent that made her name sound foreign to her own ears.

A small laugh almost escaped my throat as I looked at the muddy water dripping off Richard’s nose. “Oh, no, I am so sorry,” Marco muttered, though he looked anything but sorry. He glared down at Richard with total disgust, then leaned over to pick up his empty bucket. As he did, he caught my eye and gave me a quick, supportive wink. “Are you blind?” Richard screamed, leaping up from the booth as he wiped the greasy water from his eyes with his soaked sleeves. He was shaking with rage. “You pathetic idiot. Do you have any idea who I am? I will buy this entire building just to fire you! I will make sure you pay for this insult for the rest of your life!”

he asked, tapping his fingers in the rim of his glass. The unknown man just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “You know me, ” he said, “I am in demand. I don’t normally join parties like this but hey, there’s something interesting going on in this table that I just had to sneak in.” Something interesting? What is he talking about? The president seemed to catch his drift because I saw him pinch the handle of the glass. That made the Indian man grin. “May I know who this gorgeous woman is, Mr. President?” the man named Rohan said. He tilted his head to the side and glanced at me, showing his white smile.

I joined them not too long after and grabbed a little martini of my own. "Are you Miss Mancini?" A man asked as he approached me. His attire was business casual; dark-wash jeans, and a simple white button-up. His brown hair was slicked back, and his beard kept and styled. "I am. I recognize your voice… Are you Dante DeMarco?" "I am!" He smiled. "I'm glad you remembered. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Sir Antonio Russo Sr. has told me a lot about you, you know."

You ever wonder why sin was irresistible and sweet? Why bad habits were the hardest to quit? Well, I think I just found the answers to those questions in the form of the enigmatic man who sat in one corner of my room. Luca Russo. The ruthless billionaire. Here in my bedroom. Staring— no, rather, glaring— at me with those blue eyes.

Aaron asked raising his head up. “I couldn’t believe, mr stranger will be this loose while coming to Russia.” A man with a cigar walked towards the light as two bodyguards followed from behind. “And you are?” Aaron asked again because he doesn’t know the face. “Ruséf” The man said puffing smoke into the air. “My men told me, a young Americana was having a deal with my worst Enemy.” He said for Aaron to chuckle. “And what do I have to do with that?” Aaron asked for the man to sit down on the chair that was brought for him.

“Give me five minutes. If I tell you about him, you’ll change your mind.” I leaned back slightly, crossing my arms with a playful glint in my eyes. “Alright, Mr. Russo. Go ahead. Tell me about this mystery man.” He grinned triumphantly, as though he’d just won a battle. “He’s tall, ambitious, and has the kind of confidence you’d respect. And trust me, he’s good-looking too.” I couldn’t help but laugh softly, shaking my head as I finished jotting down his heart rate. “Sounds like a wonderful resume. Does this perfect man of yours know you’re trying to set him up with your doctor?”

But Richard disgusted her action. Richard snorted at the old man and said, "You are talking about power but you don’t even know that the people beside you are waiting for the best chance to jump to more profitable places." Richard was indirectly aiming at the woman beside him but the old man didn't notice and he just said, "Of course, everyone has their own intentions but the loyal followers in Genovese family would never betray our Mafia family. And it can't be seen in the dirty and fake industry like entertainment family and I still can't believe that where did you got the idea of starting a new life in country Y."

But my eyes wandered back to the mysterious man. "This is Tamira Banks... Our best of the best," Russo said, laughing uncomfortably at his own joke. I cringed. It wasn't funny, you fool. The man turned around and I found myself in great awe. Smooth hair combed to the side and groomed all over. He looked like he had stepped straight off the front cover of a magazine. "Signore (Mister) Cosimo di Maggio," Russo presented him. I reached my hand out to greet him. In response, he flashed his long lashes at me and got comfortable next to the woman, ignoring me and my gesture.

Alex reminded me. I turned to look at him with a smirk, "no, I don't like to fuck poor men. But if they look like Park, yes please!" I hollered. "Ladies and gentlemen!" A short man in the middle of the fighters yelled into the speakerphone, "hold your horses, the fight is about to begin!" His words yielded the opposite reaction from the crowd and they went even crazier. The plus sized woman beside me spilled her cup of alcohol on me in her attempt to scream her head off.