Two days came and went as if it were a whirlwind.  Nikki fielded calls for Teddy.  Teddy had meetings with other crime family heads loyal to the Sinatras who were concerned about what happened at the docks, and if they were headed for war.  It was business as usual.

But later in the afternoon of that second day, Teddy took Nikki and decided to drive out.

“Guess who called me?” Nikki asked as she sat back on the passenger seat of Teddy’s Corvette.

Teddy looked at her.  “Was it the cops?” he asked.

“Pablo Sands,” she said.

“Sands?  I heard that name before.”

“He’s my boss at the bar.”

Teddy was relieved.  “What did he want?  Was he ordering you back to work tonight, or else?”

“No, he went straight to or else.  He fired me.”

  Teddy glanced at her.  “That fucker.  You want me to handle it?”

Nikki smiled.  “No, stupid!  I have another job, remember?”

Teddy laughed.  “Oh, yeah.  That’s right.”

Nikki nodded as her smile disappeared.  “Right,” she said.

Teddy caught her hesitancy.  “What’s wrong, Nikki?”

“I don’t know.  I mean, I’m super grateful you’re giving me a job.  A major job at that, although I’m still waiting on the paperwork.”

“It’s coming, it’s coming,” Teddy said with a smile.  “Dad’s HR department is working on it.”

“But it’s really going to be the biggest job I’ve ever had, bar none,” Nikki went on.  “But it’s all still so new to me.  This town.  What happened in L.A.  Us being together.  All of it.”

“Any regrets?”

“About what happened in L.A.?  Hell no.  He came for me.  I didn’t break into his apartment.  I didn’t bother him.”

“I mean about us being together,” Teddy said.

“Oh!”  Nikki exhaled.  And shook her head.  “No,” she said.  “That part of my new adventure has been great.  It’s what gets me up in the mornings, to tell you the truth.”

Teddy was touched by her pronouncement.  He had similar feelings about her.  “Know what you mean,” he said, and they exchanged a quick glance.

Then Teddy exhaled.  Better they moved on.  “What’s your dream car, Nikki?” he asked her.  “Other than this car, of course.”

“Corvette as my dream car?  Not mine!  Remember, I have high standards.  I used to ride the city bus, buddy boy!”

Teddy laughed.  “Yeah, I forgot!  But for real, Nick. What’s your favorite car?”

“A car is my favorite car!  Consider the source!  When you have no wheels, any wheels will do.”  She thought about it.  “I don’t think I have a favorite, to be honest with you.  Why?”

“You’re my new assistant.  Not to mention my . . .”  Teddy didn’t finish his sentence.  He, instead, looked at Nikki.

Nikki nodded.  “Yeah, not to mention,” she said.

Teddy loved how she had no problem getting him off the hook.  They had a long journey ahead of them, and neither one of them wanted to move too fast.

“If I had to choose a car,” Nikki said, “I guess I’d chose a Chrysler.  Now they make some beautiful cars!”

“I agree.  But . . .”

“But what?”

Teddy looked at her and smiled that roguish smile she loved.  “I drive a Corvette,” he said.

“Yeah, so?” Nikki asked.

“You can’t drive anything below what I’m driving.”

This was foreign-speak to Nikki.  She was married before, albeit for a short period of time, and to a creep.  But her husband always drove the better car.  Always!  “What do you mean?” she asked him.

“Pick a luxury brand,” Teddy said.

“Luxury?  You mean like a Cadillac or a Lincoln?  Cars like that?”

“I mean like a Bugatti or a Bentley or a Phantom.  Cars like that.”

Nikki couldn’t believe what he was saying.  She stared at him.

He smiled when he noticed her stare.  “What?” he asked.

“You want to buy me a car like that?” Nikki asked.

“That’s what I’m saying, yes.  There’s a dealership I’m taking you to that sells all those brands, and more.”

“But . . . Why would you want to invest in me like that this early in our relationship?”

“We’ve been in a long-distance, phone relationship for months before we physically hooked up.  It’s not like I just met you.”

“But you’re buying me a car, Teddy!  That’s a long-ass leap forward.  We haven’t even gotten that situation in L.A. ironed out.”

“Don’t worry about L.A.,” Teddy said.  “It’s ironed out.  If the cops suspected you, they would have gotten in touch with you by now.”

“They may not have discovered his body yet.”

“They discovered it,” Teddy said confidently.  “I have connections in the LAPD.  And if they were to get in touch with you, just in case, you know what to tell them.”

“Visiting my boyfriend.  Will be staying in Philly for a few days.”

“Longer than that now.  Just tell them you’ll be staying in Philly and leave it at that.”

“Got it,” Nikki said.  “But I mean, what if . . . What if I don’t work out as your assistant?”  She asked this and then looked at Teddy.

Teddy knew exactly what she meant.  She wanted to know what if they didn’t work out period.  “Then you’ll have yourself a nice car to remember me by.”  Teddy felt a sadness wash over him as soon he said those words.  He looked at Nikki.  She didn’t exactly look cheerful either.

“I’m sure I’ll work out,” she said as if to reassure both of them.  “I’ll certainly try my best.”

Teddy smiled.  Off the hook again!  “It’ll work out,” he said, with even more confidence.

 

Foreign Imports was a luxury dealership on the outskirts of Philly, and Nikki had no problem picking out the car she liked on the showroom floor when Teddy asked her to pick one.  There was every luxury brand imaginable, from Jaguar XJs and Maybachs, to Bentleys and Rolls Royces.  But it was one, an Aston-Martin Vanquish S, that caught her attention.

“It’s black and elegant and sleek,” she said, looking at it.

“Just like you,” Teddy said, looking too.  Nikki smiled.

“You’ll take it?” the salesman asked.

It was the craziest thing ever to Nikki.  But she nodded her head.  Might as well live in the dream.  “I’ll take it,” she said.

“You heard the lady,” Teddy said.  “Bag it up.  She’ll take it.”

The salesman, thrilled, didn’t waste another second.  That car was out of that showroom and the paperwork was completed by the time it took Nikki to go the restroom, freshen up, and return.

The last time she was in a car dealership, it took from sun up to sun down before the purchase was approved and she and her then-husband left with a car.  And that was for a Ford!

But as Nikki drove away from that dealership in her brand-new car, she smiled.  “Money talks,” she said to herself.  And Teddy, it seemed to her, had plenty to say.

 

That evening, while Teddy had to handle some business, Nikki received a phone call from Gloria.  She was in the driveway of Teddy’s house, sitting in her new car, getting further acquainted with the numerous features.  And praising God for such an enormous blessing.  Was Teddy too good to be true?  And was it right for her to accept a gift that wonderful?

She knew she wasn’t doing anything wrong by accepting it.  She wanted to live in his world, and it was for damn sure she couldn’t afford a toothbrush in that world.  What was she going to do?  Tell him no, Teddy, I can’t accept the car.  And then what would she do?  Ride the bus?  Or was she supposed to turn down the best job she ever had in her life, and go back to L.A. to collect unemployment checks?  Nikki was fiercely independent, and she would leave the scene as soon as it stopped working for her.  But she was a practical girl, too.  And if a man like Teddy was offering her a paycheck and a car, she was going to take it.  Bump that, she thought.  She was going to gladly take it.  But the key word in all of it, she also knew, was Teddy.   It wasn’t just any man with the offerings.  She’d turned down many men bearing gifts in her day.  But she wasn’t turning down Teddy. 

Then Gloria called.  She answered her cell phone.  “Hello?”

“Hey, Nikki, this is Glo.”

“Oh, Gloria.  Hi!  How are you?”

“I’m excellent!  But listen, I got a call from Teddy today.  He asked if I could take you shopping sometime soon.”

Shopping, Nikki thought.  “Why would I need to go shopping?” she blurted out.

But then, as soon as she did, she realized why.  Her clothes were nice, she knew, but they weren’t exactly expensive or luxurious or anything like that.  He’d already made clear that he wanted her to outdrive him.  She guessed, given that everything Teddy wore was high-grade designer, he wanted her to out-dress him too!

But before she could say a word, Gloria continued.  “Please don’t be offended,” she said. “You have to know how my brother is.  He’s big on looking the part.  He brings it.  He expects his woman to bring it too.  Our dad is the same way.”

It was the confirmation Nikki needed.  Not just with the clothes situation, but with their relationship situation.  Because even Gloria referred to her as Teddy’s woman.  Not his friend.  Not his aide.  His woman.  Teddy had to have given her a reason to go out on that limb.

And Nikki liked the sound of it.  She was Teddy Sinatra’s woman.  She was in the big leagues now.  “When will you be free to do it?” she asked Gloria.

“How about tomorrow when I get off work?” Gloria asked.  “Can you meet me at Valstrom’s?”

Nikki said she could.  She had no idea who what or where Valstrom’s was, but she knew she’d find it.