DeLuca (Mafia Romance)

Carlo

I was just putting on my coat in the foyer when I heard the girls come down the stairs, I turned around to greet them and nearly fell over from the immediate lack of blood flow to my head. She was in white again, God that was a good color against her bronze skin, and she was done up like a 50’s pinup.

This woman is going to be the death of me.

I let out a breath. Girl, this girl. I had to keep reminding myself that she was a teenager, not a woman, nope not at all. I cleared my throat, “You ladies look lovely, are you ready to go?” I asked as I helped them with their coats.

“What about our bags?” Mia asked.

“Sal already has them in the car. Let’s go, we don’t want to be late.”

I opened a bottle of champagne once we were settled in the limo and poured each of us a glass.

“What are we toasting to?” Mia asked.

“To a wonderful night,” I said and we clinked glasses. I had the urge to drain my glass in one gulp but I resisted. It wouldn’t do any good anyways, I was going to need something much stronger to get through a night with her dressed like a fucking wet dream. It was starting to piss me off, my reaction to her, and what the hell did she think she was doing dressing like that?

God, I was an asshole. I shouldn’t be mad at her, I should be mad at myself. Her dress wasn’t even all that revealing, it came down to her knees and it had sleeves for Christ sake. Not like Gina who looked like a trophy wife in training.

“And your birthday, of course,” I said as soon as Mia took a sip of her champagne. Her eyes got wide, did she think I didn’t know when her birthday was? Or did she think I just didn’t care?

“How?” she asked.

“Doesn’t matter, it’s your eighteenth birthday, a day worth celebrating,” I said.

“Thank you,” she said quietly with a smile and slight nod of her head. With that, the subject was closed. I knew enough about Mia by now to know she wasn’t flashy like her friend. She was understated in everything she did. She didn’t enjoy the spotlight, preferring to observe, unlike so many women. She was different, and that had me feeling something I hadn’t felt in a long time, fear.

The ride into the city was uneventful. The girls played music and got tipsy on champagne. I had switched to scotch after that first glass and sat in the corner like a creep nursing my drink and not saying anything.

When we got to the hotel we were led through the restaurant and into a private dining room. Once we were seated I ordered a bottle of wine for the table and tried to make polite conversation.

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“So have either of you given any thought to which college you’re going to in the fall?” I asked thinking this was a safe subject to start off on.

Good idea genius, remind yourself you’re a fucking pedophile.

“I hear Oregon State is a kick ass party school, but my father wants me to go to an Ivy League and get my MRS degree.” Gina giggled.

I raised my eyebrow, “Your, what degree?” I asked.

“You know, MRS like Mrs.” Gina replied. When I didn’t respond she continued with less enthusiasm, “My father wants me to go to college and find a husband.”

“Oh,” I said. What the fuck?

“It’s no big deal, he’s just kind of old school like that. You know, be the good wife, stay at home, raise kids and listen to your husband. Yada, yada, yada.” Mia cringed at Gina’s words, I had heard her mother say something similar that first day I’d met Mia. Gina didn’t seem to notice her friends discomfort at her words so I turned the attention to Mia.

“What about you Mia?”

“Umm, well not really,” Mia said, keeping her head down.

“What the fuck are you talking about Mia?” Gina questioned, “Dude, you got into every college you applied to and you’ve been talking about going to Northwestern since we were like twelve. What do you mean you haven’t thought about it?”

Mia shot Gina a look, but her friend didn’t seem to get the hint and just kept staring at her like she just grew another head. Mia let out a sigh, “Well, that was before, things change.”

I could see where she was going with this, and I’d be damned if I was going to let her. “Mia, you can go to any school you want, don’t worry about the money.”

“But Carlo, I don’t-”

“No, in fact, I insist you go to college. I don’t care how much it costs, I can afford it.”

“But you shouldn’t have-”

“I want to. End of discussion,” I stared her down until she looked down at her plate again and nodded.

“Okay,” she said, “But I’m not sure I still want to go to law school.”

“I don’t care what you study as long as you get a degree. You could be an art history or philosophy major for all I care, it’s not like you have to make money at it. Just do whatever is going to make you happy.”

Mia scoffed, “Of course I have to make money at it. I need a career to support myself!”

I looked at Mia confused, “Why?”

Gina’s head was bouncing back and forth between Mia and myself during our exchange as if she would miss something if she wasn’t careful.

I could see anger start to flicker in Mia’s eyes, “I will not be that woman. I will not run off and get married and live off of a man with no way to support myself.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, “I didn’t say you had to.”

“I won’t live off of any man without a way to support myself,” I didn’t miss the emphasis on the word any.

“Are you kidding? Have I given you any indication whatsoever that I want to control you? Mia all I want is for you to be taken care of and happy, that’s it. Besides, you won’t be living off of me, you’ll have your own money.”

“Carlo, it’s not you, it’s the principle of it. I am grateful for everything you have done for me. Wait, what? What do you mean I’ll have my own money? I don’t have any money.”

“Not now, but you will. I set up a trust fund for you a few weeks ago that fully matures when you turn twenty-one. You’ll have plenty of money to live comfortably and do whatever you want,” I shrugged, it wasn’t a big deal. It didn’t even make a dent in my fortune. With my various businesses, even after pulling myself out of the financial ruin my father had caused before his death, I had more money than I could ever spend on my own.

“You what?” Mia whispered, she was staring at me with her mouth hanging open.

Gina let out a whistle, “Okay folks, that’s my queue.” She got up from the table and headed out to the main restaurant without another word, leaving Mia and I staring at each other.

“Mia, we need to get something straight. I am not your father, I am nothing like him. I meant what I said that first day. You are my family and I will take care of you. You can try to fight it all you want but I will win, I always do. I don’t care if you want a career and you want to make your own money, but I’ll be damned if you toil away at a job you hate just for a paycheck. That is not a life Mia and I will not allow you to merely survive. You’ve done enough of that for a lifetime. I want you to live, to feel, to experience. Understood?”Mia took a deep breath, “Yes, I understand.”

“Good, now let’s eat,” As soon as I said it the waiter came in with our food.