Adele
I am not staying at the Deluca family home. Thomas takes me to a condo that is right outside the city. It’s a beautiful two-bedroom condo and Nick meets me at the door. I give him a hug and he steps outside to talk to Thomas. I toss my backpack on the sofa and notice the condo is open so you can see every room from the door. Nick steps back inside and looks at me with a sad look on his face.
“I’m sorry, Adele,” he says and I nod my head.
“Not your fault. How long do I have to stay here?” I ask.
“At least until Frank comes back in a week,” Nick answers.
“Will you be taking me to work?” I ask and he closes his eyes and shakes his head.
“You’re done with the club, Adele,” Nick informs me and I gasp in disbelief. I need that job!
“Wait... did Alex fire me for leaving? I need that job, Nick. I need to make money so I can get out of Chicago.”
“Alex didn’t fire you, Adele. Frank did.” My heart sinks and I fight back my tears.
After a few days, I start to feel like I am on house arrest. We don’t leave the condo and Nick spends most of his time on the phone with his girlfriend while watching me sit on the couch. I am not sure how much daytime television one person can take, but I feel like I am at my limit. I need to get out of here and feel the breeze on my face. My days are a routine of wake up, shower, and sit on the couch. Nick notices me going stir crazy and ask if I want to play a card game. Is he serious? I don’t want to play a card game, I want to leave the condo so I can see another people. The only people I have seen in days are the ones on TV. I ask Nick if we can go out and he refuses.
“How long have we been stuck in here, Nick? A week? Frank should be back by now!” I yell at Nick as he sits next to me watching TV.
“It’s only been three days, Adele,” he patiently says and I clasp my aching head in my hands.
“I think I would rather call Garth to tell him to pick me up, than to sit in here another day,” I complain to Nick and see his eyes widen.
“Are you serious? Is it that bad being stuck in here with me?” he wants to know. I hasten to reassure him.
“Nick, it is not you, but I haven’t been out in three days. This is worse than house arrest. Can we please go somewhere?” I plead with him.
Nick and I finally leave the condo. He doesn’t take me into the city, but we do go to a movie and to a steakhouse afterward. Nick chose the movie, which is some action type movie that I don’t have much interest in. I have enough action in my own life. The last thing I need to watch is a story about someone on the run. I look over at Nick and he is into the movie and stuffing popcorn into his mouth. I think back to the movie night I had with Alex. It felt so good to lie in his arms. I wish I was with him right now. The movie finally ends and we go to a steakhouse. I ask Nick about his girlfriend and he gets quiet. I can tell he doesn’t want to talk about his personal life, but I ask anyway.
“What’s her name?” I ask him as I wait for our food to arrive.
“I really don’t like talking about my personal life,” Nick sidesteps the question as he grabs a piece of bread.
“Oh, come on. My life sucks so at least tell me the juicy stuff in yours,” I coax him.
“No,” he says.
“Okay. What does she do?” I ask and his eyes widen as he looks at me.
“For a living! What kind of work does she do, Nick.” I clarify my prior question.
“She owns a store at the mall,” Nick responds and his hand, holding the bread, stops midway to his mouth as his answer lingers in the air between us.
“She owns a store at the mall? Wait a minute...” I narrow my eyes at him as the waiter sets down our plates in front of us. I can tell Nick is relieved at the interruption.
Once the waiter leaves, Nick practically knocks the table over when he jumps up from his seat.
“I’ll be right back, I need to run to the restroom.” He walks quickly away from the table and I watch as he wipes his forehead while heading to the bathroom.
A few seconds after he’s gone, his cell phone rings. I look at the restroom door and the ringing phone wondering if I should answer it. I pick up the phone and it shows the caller’s name…Alexis.
I drop the phone back on the table and look up to see Nick heading back to the table.
“Is she pretty?” I ask while Nick is cutting his steak.
“She’s beautiful,” he states as he eats his steak.
“What does she look like?” I ask as I narrow my eyes at him.
“Adele…,” he starts.
“I just want to know what you’re into. Blonds? I can see you with a blond,” I tell him and he narrows his eyes at me.
“She isn’t blond. She has long, dark, beautiful hair,” he reveals and I notice his eyes darken, thinking about her.
“Alexis called while you were gone. You don’t think Frank and Alex would like you two dating?” I throw the question out there because all we have is time.
Nick stops chewing and looks between his phone and me.
“Alexis and I are complicated. There is shit she doesn’t know about her family or me. Things that no one wants her to find out including me.”
“She doesn’t know they are Mafia?” I ask and he glances around the restaurant making me wonder if said that too loud.
“She doesn’t. What makes you think they are Mafia?”
“Alex told me,” I tell him and Nick chuckles.
“That guy will get everyone killed one day,” he says and I realize that I am no longer hungry.
“Does Alex and Frank know you're involved with her?” I continue to pry as he pays the check.
“No, and I would really appreciate it if it stayed that way,” Nick warns and I nod my head letting him know his secret is safe with me.
I have been on house arrest for one month. I know Frank is back, but he hasn’t bothered to check on me. I ask Nick about it and he just says they are looking for Garth and once he is found we can resume life. Nick and I leave the condo twice a week now. Normally it’s a movie and dinner and then back to our little prison. While Nick is in the shower, I go check my phone for any messages or to see if I had any missed calls. I have nothing and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little hurt. I thought that Alex would at least call to check on me. It’s been a month and he hasn’t tried to reach me at all. I am so desperate, I even look at my missed calls and nothing. I decide to go to bed early and I cry myself to sleep. I miss Alex.