Owning the Mafia Don

Sophie

She stepped out for a smoke after a while.

“God… my heels are killing me,’ she grumbled. Sophie chose to go for a smoke in the patio. True, no one was supposed to go there, at least, none of the members of the staff. But as long as she was not caught, she did not see the harm in it. The small area was almost deserted. Except for a young man with brown hair and freckles who was standing in the shadows, smoking too.

He turned in some surprise and looked at her. Then he grinned. Sophie thought he had a very disarming smile.

Frowning, she recalled that she had seen him inside, during the party. He had been talking animatedly to Proserpina bl*ody Delano.

She scowled at him but he seemed unperturbed.

‘ Hey, do you want me to leave?’ he asked in some consternation. Sophie met his eyes. He seemed a nice kind, a decent sort, as her mother would have said.

She shook her head and lit up.

*

She had not been one for smoking but these days, she felt it gave her a sense of calm. Now she puffed reflectively and the man in the corner seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Relaxed, she turned to him curiously.

He turned and smiled.

“I know these sounds corny,’ he smiled, ‘But you look like you are not a person who I would expect to find here.’

Sophie bristled.

‘And what is THAT supposed to mean?’ she snapped.

He grinned and raised his hands in mock surrender.

‘Hey, no offence meant.’ And turning to chuck his cigarette butt in a waste bin, he went on,

“You do not need to take offence. But I did notice something, you do not fall over the clients like the other girls.’

Narrowing her eyes, Sophie studied him for a while through a pall of smoke.

Then she threw the butt on the ground and viciously rubbed her heel in it, muttering,

“You bet your ar*e, this was not my dream job when I was growing up.’

He was leaning on the wall, watching her but she felt no threat. He smiled and looked at her face.

“What do you want?; she snapped crossly. ‘I don’t have folk coming here to the staff smoking area to quiz the staff. Maybe I should complain to the management.’

The young man threw his head back and laughed,

‘hey, I don’t mean to upset the apple cart; but this is hardly staff area. Cos I saw the sign over there.’

His eyes twinkling, the man went on,

‘So maybe I should be complaining?’

He grinned to show he was joking. For a moment Sophie debated over whether she should bite off the cheerful young man’s head with her sharp tongue. Then she decided against it.

He looked a nice sort, jovial and open.

She sighed.

‘Yeah…. I was feeling a little low…’

He shrugged his shoulders and said in a mocking tone,

“Spend fifteen minutes with Proserpina Delano and it would make anyone feel like that, believe me.’

Sophie’s ears pricked up.

‘Don’t you like her?’ she asked before she could stop herself and then said hastily,

“Sorry, don’t answer that…’

He made a face, sticking his hands in his trouser pockets.

“I was trying to get her to talk about her project; I am a researcher, you see. But the lady thinks no end of herself and her fancy Japanese Center of Buddhist Study.’ His voice was full of disdain and something stronger.

I should not be talking to this man, I should not be having this conversation here, I should not be listening to him talking ill of my boss’ wife, thought Sophie. But she could not help herself.

Besides, the disgusted expression on his handsome, boyish features intrigued her. Moving closer, she lowered her voice and said,

“Then, that’s a first. EVERYONE loves Miss Congeniality, Proserpina Delano.’

His lips twisted as he looked into the distance and said in a low, intense voice,

“Not everyone. I can’t stand the b*tch.’

He turned to go, as though he realised he had spoken too much.

‘What…why…?’ stammered Sophie, dying to know more.NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

He looked at her full in the face and said,

“That woman ruined my life. That’s why.’

Sophie felt her heart go out to him.

Instinctively, she put out her hand and touched his arm.

“Look, let’s meet up after this sometime and talk… I thought I was the only one who could not stand her.’

The man shook his head emphatically, his eyes probing as he said,

‘ Alright.’

And then, his face brightening, he said, ‘Shall I maybe pick you up for a coffee or something one of these days?’

It had been a long time since any man had looked at her, had exchanged pleasantries with her.

*

Sophie nodded and gave him her phone number.

“Got to run now, she whispered before darting away inside.

But she felt light-hearted. Your enemy is my friend, she chanted as she ran down to the corridor, hoping that the woman who was in charge of the catering would not have discovered that she had overshot her smoke break.

*

Aiyana studied her phone as the message landed on it. So Jose had succeeded in getting young Sophie to speak to him?

She smiled a thin, humourless smile.

She had asked the young men to try and break down Sophie’s defences. To find out about her. She had a hunch but it could not be proved.

Jose had been given the task of trying to get close to Sophie. To find out more about her. He had done a good job, from the looks of it.

Great, she thought and turned to follow Schwartz to the car.

*

Proserpina

We had spent the night here, at the Club after all. My body had been claimed repeatedly through the night and I felt a sensation of languid content.

I felt the familiar soreness after a night with Lucien, stretched and aching, but a pleasant languid ache. I smiled and turned to look up at him.

He was regarding me and I felt a jolt shoot through me. The man must have been awake before me. Despite all the sexual activity of the night before which had left me exhausted, he looked ready for more!

“Why are you smiling, little woman?’ he growled as I stroked the scruff on his cheeks. It was rough and I dimpled.

‘ I was thinking of how I feel sore…’ I whispered.