“Hey, thanks for meeting me,” Chloe mutters.
I can tell something is wrong because Chloe is abnormally subdued. Hoping I’m just reading into things that aren’t there, I smile. “Of course!” I set my purse down on the table. “I’m glad you could get away from work for a quick lunch.”
She doesn’t smile. “Me, too.” In fact, she avoids eye contact.
We slide into opposite sides of the booth near a window that overlooks the busy street. Cars and people race past. A waitress stops by with a pitcher of water and takes our order. Feeling concerned, I watch as Chloe fidgets with her phone.
I haven’t talked to Chloe in a few days. Since I didn’t get a lot completed over the weekend, I’ve spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday submerged in my coursework while trying to keep up with my volunteer schedule. Matteo has been tied up with his restaurants.
Which is probably for the best.
I don’t think I could handle having him around when I have so much reading to catch up on. His presence is distracting. I can’t focus when he’s anywhere near me.
Thinking about him puts a dreamy smile on my face. I can’t help it. The man makes me feel giddy. We have yet to label our relationship, but knowing I’m more than a booty call is enough for now. We agreed to take it slow and see where it goes.
After a few moments of silence, Chloe shifts in her seat. What’s going on with her? Ever since I ran into her at my building Sunday evening, she’s been acting strangely.
I don’t like the awkwardness between us. It feels foreign. When I first saw her after not speaking for two years, it didn’t feel this uncomfortable. “Chloe?” The growing silence continues to stretch my nerves to the breaking point. “What’s going on?”
I don’t expect the words that tumble from her lips.
“Are you seeing Matteo Valentini?”
Valentini?
Is that his last name? I didn’t know. I can’t remember if I asked that question while we were out walking Sunday afternoon.
Val-en-tini.
Slowly I repeat his last name in my mind.
Wait a minute…
I sit up a little straighter. “You know him?” I had the weirdest feeling when I saw her in the lobby that something was up. I assumed she was taken aback to see me with someone. Especially when I hadn’t mentioned it before.
I’m beginning to realize it’s more than that.
The way she keeps watching me and the cautious look in her eyes has all my muscles tensing up. Air gets clogged in my throat as I wait for her to drop a bomb.
Maybe Matteo is married.
Maybe he has a family tucked away in the suburbs.
I’m surprised when disbelieving laughter bursts from her lips. “Um, yeah. Everyone knows who Matteo Valentini is.”
I blink, trying to play mental catch-up. What am I missing here? It must be something huge from the way she’s behaving. “They do?”
Leaning toward me, Chloe says in a low voice, “He owns Covet.”
For a moment, I stare at her while processing that information. Details about the nightclub flood my brain. Each time I was there, he was as well. I thought it was a coincidence. Guess not.
I slowly say the words as if trying them on for size. “Matteo owns the place where you work?”
Eyes wide, she nods. “Yeah.”
My mind whirls. “But he didn’t know who you were the other day.” He looked right at her and didn’t say a word. At least he pretended not to have a clue. The pit of my belly tightens. Would he do that?
“I’ve only been working there for a few months. And it’s just a couple times a week. He owns the place, but a manager handles the staff. We see Matteo around the club, but he rarely deals with personnel issues. He leaves that to Rocco.”
I shake my head, trying to absorb what she just told me.
Is this discovery really that big of a deal?
No. Although I don’t understand why Matteo didn’t tell me himself when we talked the other day.
“Okay. So, he owns a nightclub, a few restaurants, and some commercial real estate.”
Blowing out an exasperated sigh, she whispers harshly, “Grace, the Valentini family owns half the damn city of Chicago.”
Needing to distance myself from her and this conversation, I sit all the way back against the padded bench. “What are you talking about, Chloe?”
“Don’t you know who the Valentini family is?”
The Valentini family?
I shake my head.
The name means nothing to me.
“Should I?”
“They run the city. They have their hands in all of the politician’s pockets. There’s even talk that they own the police, which explains why they’re never brought up on charges. Everything they’re investigated for seems to roll off their backs. I’ve heard some of the lawyers at work talk about it. These aren’t people you should be involved with.”
Frustrated and confused, I ask, “What does that mean? How does one family wield that kind of power?” It sounds ludicrous. She sounds ludicrous. I want to laugh and roll my eyes, but I can tell by her frightened expression that she’s serious. She wholeheartedly believes what she’s saying.
Eyes wide, she mouths the words, “They’re mafia.”
Unable to control myself after hearing that crazy reply, I laugh until tears leak from the corners of my eyes. Out of the two of us, Chloe has always had the more vivid imagination. I think it’s completely run away from her this time.
Mafia.
Give me a break.
The man isn’t a criminal. He’s a businessman. A restaurateur.
When I’m calm enough to string words together again, I say, “Come on, Chloe. Matteo owns a few businesses. Restaurants. A club. Real estate. Just because he’s Italian doesn’t mean his family is involved with anything illegal or are part of some underground crime organization.” Rolling my eyes, I add, “You sounds ridiculous.”
Undaunted by my skepticism, Chloe places her hand over mine. I wince as her fingers bite into my flesh. “Grace, please, you need to be careful. That’s all I’m saying.” Her eyes search mine. “Why didn’t you mention that you were seeing him?” She shakes her head. “When did this even start?”
“It’s a recent development,” I say evasively. “I didn’t mention anything because it wasn’t serious.”
Concern shines from her wide green gaze. It pricks something deep inside me. “But it’s getting serious?”
I shrug, unsure of how much to reveal. “I don’t know. We spent the weekend together.”
Her eyes widen as if something has just clicked in her brain. “Oh my God, he’s the one you slept with two weeks ago!” She whisper-yells the words.
Heat floods my cheeks as I glance around the diner. Thankfully no one is paying us any attention. “Shhh! You don’t have to yell it!”
“It was him, wasn’t it?”
I still don’t understand why this is a big deal. It sounds like Chloe has been listening to idle gossip. “Yes, okay? It was him.”
She’s silent for a beat, as though she’s piecing everything together in her head. “So, you slept with Matteo on Friday, and then, during the week, Dominic told you that he has feelings for you and wants to explore a relationship. A few days later, you end up spending the weekend with Matteo. Do I have it right?”
If my face weren’t beet red before, it is now.
That sounds so bad.
Chloe murmurs, “Look, I’m not judging you.” She snorts at that idea. “I’m the last person to judge anyone. I thought you were contemplating a relationship with Dominic.” Chloe looks as confused as I feel. Before this weekend with Matteo, I did give serious consideration to the idea. “What happened to that?”
Glancing away, I look out the window, watching as people walk by while gathering my thoughts. “I love Dominic. He will always be my family, but I don’t have romantic feelings for him. They’re just not there.”
“Does he know how you feel? Have you told him about Matteo?”
I shake my head. “No. I haven’t discussed any of this with him. When Matteo and I first slept together, I assumed it would be a one-time thing. I never dreamed it would turn into something more. That’s why I didn’t bother mentioning it.”
“I don’t even know where you would meet a man like him.” Her brows furrow. “Was it at Covet? Is that where it happened?” She sounds upset, as if this predicament might inadvertently be her fault.
I shake my head. “No.” I don’t tell her about the times I ran into him there. “He lives next door.”
Her eyes bulge from their sockets as her voice rises a decibel. “Matteo Valentini is your neighbor?”
“Yes.” I take a sip of my Diet Coke before continuing. “We ran into each other a few times around the building. One thing led to another.”
She looks incredulous. “You never said anything!”
I shrug. “I didn’t know his last name, Chloe. I didn’t think you would know him.” And I definitely didn’t expect her to flip out like this either.
“I don’t know. I… I just wish I’d been able to warn you sooner. Maybe then…” Biting her lip, she glances away and asks, “Do you like him, Grace? Is this serious?”
Sidestepping the question, I say instead, “It’s too early to tell.” Wanting her to understand, I add, “I just know that being with him feels good. For the first time in two years, I feel alive again.”
My words have the intended effect. Her eyes are still filled with concern, but they soften. “I just wish you were with someone…” She pauses, trying to choose her words more carefully. “I wish you were involved with someone… safer.”
I laugh. “Matteo is perfectly safe.”
I feel secure and protected when I’m with him. He doesn’t feel dangerous to me. Powerful, yes. Commanding, for sure. But I don’t think he would ever hurt me.
Continuing to chew her lower lip, she says, “Sometimes I see him at the club. He makes me nervous. I don’t like the idea of you being with him. You’ve been so insulated and now you’re seeing a mob boss?” She shakes her head. “It doesn’t make sense.”
I sigh. “I am not seeing a mob boss.” That sounds preposterous. “I think you’ve heard too many rumors. Plus, how dangerous can he be if you work for him?”
“I don’t have anything to do with the man! He hasn’t said two words to me. I think he’s at the club during the day. When I’m there, I just do what I’m paid to, which is dance. That’s it. The money is good, and I’m not doing anything wrong. I keep my nose clean, and I mind my own business.” She gives me a sharp look and adds, “And I sure as hell don’t ask questions.”
A shiver scuttles down my spine. Matteo’s reluctance to answer the most innocuous of questions comes to mind out of nowhere.
“Just promise me that you’ll be careful, okay?”
I give her a reassuring smile. “There’s no reason for me to be careful. Whatever you’ve heard about Matteo and his family are nothing more than lies.” They have to be.
Her gaze skitters away from mine. “I don’t think so, Grace.”