Page 17

Chapter Sixteen

Lux

“Good evening!” I sing, breezing into The Velvet Room. Lisa glances up from her coffee cup, arching her eyebrow at me.

“Who are you and what have you done with Lux?”

I laugh as she checks her watch, tapping it with her finger dramatically. I’m ten minutes early for once, thanks to Dominic’s insane driving skills.

I shrug my shoulders and duck under the bar, stashing my purse in the cupboard. She tosses me an apron and I tie it around my waist.

“How was the weekend?” I ask, grabbing a bottle of water out of the mini-fridge. “I’m sorry I left you alone. My apartment’s a mess, though.”

“Nah,” she brushes me off with a wave of her hand. “It was fine. Old Mr. Harshon had too many tequilas and tried to take his pants off on Saturday night.”

“No, he did not!” I cackle, imaging the scene that would have caused.

“He did,” she nods, taking a sip of her coffee. “Carlo had to take him to the back and quietly ask him to leave.”

“That man’s lucky he has more money than sense,” I chuckle, pulling out the opening checklist and quickly counting the bottles.

“What about you? You seem like you’re in a peachy mood despite your apartment getting flooded.”

I sigh dreamily, leaning against the counter.

“Ooh, it’s a man,” she says, clapping excitedly. “Tell me everything!”

“He’s amazing, Lisa, like no one I’ve ever met before,” I say, checking that no one’s around. I don’t want Carlo to catch us gossiping when it’s almost opening time. “His name is Dominic, and he’s handsome, kind, funny, smart, and …”

“A stallion in the bedroom?”

“Well, yeah, honestly.”

We crack up and Lisa nudges me, congratulating me. “Where’d you meet?”

“At a little dive bar in my neighborhood,” I tell her. “It’s funny though, because he’s pretty loaded. I still have no idea what he was doing there that night, but maybe it was fate.”

“Got any pictures of him?” she grins at me, winking like a madwoman. I giggle, pulling out my phone.

“I snuck some selfies this weekend when we were out exploring,” I say, passing her the phone.

As soon as she sees the photo, her expression changes. It’s not a look of recognition exactly, but a darkness flashes across her face. She quickly passes the phone back.

“He’s handsome,” she croaks, turning around to grab the basket of lemons.

“Do you know him or something?”

“Nope, no, never seen him before.”

“It’s just that you had a…strange reaction,” I say, glancing down at the picture. We’re sitting on a park bench, holding our iced coffees, big smiles on our faces. Looks totally normal.

Her shoulders rise like she’s drawing in a deep breath. She spins around with a smile that doesn’t meet her eyes plastered on her face.

“Maybe he looks like someone I know,” she hesitates. “But it’s not him, definitely. Just shocked me for a second, no big deal.”

I shrug and quickly finish the inventory before Carlo wanders in. That was totally weird though. I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t.

“My favorite girls!” Carlo’s voice booms behind us.

We both spin around, perma-smiles on our faces. “Hi, Mr. Mancini!”

“Today’s motivational quote comes from The Godfather .” He pauses at the bar, grinning at us. “You guys know that one?”

I shoot Lisa a conspiratorial glance, but she doesn’t meet my eyes.

“Michael Corleone said never let anyone know what you’re thinking ," he continues, his eyebrows creased in concentration. “And I think that’s something we all have to keep in mind, don’t you?”

I nod slightly and Lisa smiles. That seems to mollify him, and he wanders away, reminding us to stay behind the bar, as always.

After the initial opening rush, the night drags. We’re only at half capacity tonight but that’s to be expected for a Monday. I sigh, leaning against the back counter and surveying the scene. Maybe we’ll get out earlier tonight.

“Hey,” Lisa interrupts my thoughts. She’s carrying a tray of empty champagne bottles, her VIP room tablet tucked under her arm.

“What’s up?”

“Carlo wants to see you.”

“Me?” I look up from my ragged nail beds. I really need a manicure. Then I almost laugh at that thought when I remember I can’t even afford to pay my rent. “Why me?”

“Dunno,” she grunts, setting the tray down and ducking under the bar. “I was on my way back from one of the rooms and he told me to get you.”

“Weird.” I give her a sideways glance. “He didn’t say anything else?”

Fuck, if I’m about to get fired from this job for some mysterious unknown mistake, I don’t even know what I’m going to do.

“Girl,” she snaps, exasperation painted across her face, “I was trying to balance ten champagne bottles; I didn’t stop to chat with him.”

“Got it, got it,” I say. “Sorry!”

She shakes her head as I duck under the bar and make my way to Carlo’s office. His door is closed so I knock lightly, pushing away that ominous feeling. The last time I felt like this, my car got stolen so that’s probably not a good sign.

“Come in!”

I push the door open and slip in. Carlo’s sitting behind his desk, his face neutral. Okay, he doesn’t look like he’s about to fire me. I breathe out a sigh of relief and plop down in a chair across from him.

“You wanted to see me?”

“I did,” he answers, finally looking at me. “I have a question to ask, and I hope you’ll answer truthfully.”

“Of course…”

“Good,” he nods, “because as Buddha said, three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth ."

“Did he really say that?” I ask, leaning forward. I have no idea where this is going, but the crazy, zealous look in his eyes makes my stomach flip.

“How do you know Rafael Romano?”

“Who?”

“Hmm, Lux,” he shakes his head like he’s disappointed in me. “I thought you agreed to be honest.”

“Right, and I honestly have never heard that name before.”

He glares at me, blood rushing to his cheeks. Silence stretches between us and I throw my hands up helplessly.

“Should I know that name?” I wonder. He’s giving me nothing to go off here and I’m incredibly confused. “Is that a customer? A regular? Did someone submit a complaint?”

“Rafael Romano,” he repeats, his voice dark and menacing, “is your boyfriend.”

If he didn’t look like he wanted to kill me, I’d probably laugh right now. Instead, I stifle that instinct and shake my head.

“No, no, you’re definitely wrong about that,” I tell him.

“You’re fucking lying,” he roars, standing up to tower over me. I scoot my chair back a bit, grateful for the desk between us. His face is turning a terrifying shade of purple, and a single, thick vein pulses in his forehead.

“Carlo,” I finally manage to say, “what the hell is this?”

“I’m only going to give you one more chance,” he growls, stalking around his desk toward me. “How do you know Rafael Romano?”

“I don’t!” I yelp, standing up and backing away from him. I don’t think Carlo would ever hurt me, but he looks like a rabid dog right now and I’m not about to take my chances. “Who the hell is that guy?”

“That guy, as you so call him,” he spits, stalking me across the room, “is the biggest pain in my ass, my arch-fucking-nemesis.”

“Okay, I’m sorry to hear that. But I’ve never met anyone by that name,” I try to pacify him. He’s backed me up against the wall and it’s making me panic. My heart beats wildly against my ribs, threatening to escape this room, with or without me.

“You fucking lying bitch,” he grits out. “After I gave you a chance, trained you to do your job, paid you above and beyond what you deserve…you lie to me like that? You betray me like that?”

“Carlo, I really have no idea…”

I never finish the sentence because his big, meaty palm lashes out and slaps me across the face. My vision goes dark for just a second and pain radiates across my cheekbone. I instinctively reach up, feeling blood dripping down my face.

I stare at his thick gold ring stupidly. The ring that just cut my skin. The hand that just smashed into my face.

“Get the fuck out of my bar,” he spits at me, throwing the door open. “I never want to see you in here again.”

Shocked, I slip out the door. He slams it closed, making me nearly jump out of my skin.

I press myself against the wall in the dark hallway for a minute, trying to still my crazed heart. Music thumps from the main room, lights swirl and flash, everything makes me feel like I’m spinning and twirling through hell.

I lean over and throw up, right there in front of Carlo’s door.