Ericka was losing her touch. Master of conversation had been an award she’d won more than once among her peers. She sounded utterly ridiculous right now, like a lovesick teenager.
Reading and crocheting! She did like to read and crochet, but were those really her only two hobbies? She was twenty-seven years old. If she wrote up an online dating profile, reading and crocheting wouldn’t cut it. She needed something like cross country runner or swimming or hiking. Yeah, that sounded cool. She sort of liked those things, all except the running.
She toyed with the napkin again. Joey looked like he was going to ask her a serious question any minute.
Where was that food? She needed a moment to think and at least food would be a good distraction.
“Is everything all right?”
She sipped water. “Uh-huh.” She didn’t want to ask what he meant because he might make a valid argument and her face might betray her.
She looked out over the other restaurant patrons. They would stare then turn away and whisper.
Ericka leaned over, catching a hint of Joey’s masculine cologne yet again. “Are they looking at us?”
Joey turned and faced her. His eyes were a vibrant blue. His voice deepened. “If they are then it is because you’re so beautiful.”
She chuckled and lowered her gaze. “I’d say it’s because I’m not the first girl you’ve had in this booth.”
He nudged her chin upward with his knuckle. “Even if I’ve had women here before, it doesn’t matter. You’re the only one I want to be with now.”
Smooth, very smooth.
Joey Demarco was charming and flirty. He was playing her like a fiddle, and she was letting him because she needed to get close to the family. Plus, it didn’t feel bad having someone fawn over her and make her feel beautiful. It’d been a while since someone had done that.
But Ericka couldn’t take it anymore. She was going to tell him. She was going to tell him everything then maybe they could be friends and his devil of a brother could stop flirting and tormenting her as well.
Maybe they would even help with her search for their father or help with her goal of keeping business as usual for a little longer.
Her mouth opened to speak.
The food arrived.
“I added a little extra.” Giorgio grinned from ear to ear.
“This looks amazing, Giorgio.”
The chef and owner bowed.
Ericka had been thwarted. Perhaps that was as it should be. For now.
She smiled and dug into her food. She kept conversation to topics like weather, football, and current news. Fortunately, he played along.
When the meal was over, they stood and walked out. Ericka wondered about payment but assumed Joey had a tab. He seemed to be a regular at least.
Back in the car, they drove on a few miles before they pulled into a lot and parked. He opened the door and guided her to a small shop in a strip mall.
A bell rang above the door as they entered.
There was a swift intake of breath. “Oh, my goodness! As I live and breathe, it is little Joey Demarco.”
“Hello, Angela.”
“And who is this?”
He held out his arm and hand before her. “This is Ericka Stone. We’re in the market for a gown.”
“Mother having a party?” Angela stuck out her hip and tapped a pencil to her heavily painted lips.
“She is.”
Angela straightened and stared her up and down. “I’m so excited you chose to come here. I know we will find the perfect gown. Joey your picks, please.”
Joey went to the racks and chose a red body con and a black silk number. Angela picked a dark blue floor length dress and an emerald green dress with tulle and a gigantic bow that formed one sleeve.
Ericka was taken to a private dressing area. Joey sat outside on a leather couch where he was served a glass of wine.
She felt like a princess. Joey Demarco knew everybody. It felt good, too good.
He was a criminal. She couldn’t forget that.
The changing room had no mirrors. Probably to force customers to come out and look at the crowd and the outside mirrors.
She didn’t like it.
She chose the blue dress first and pulled it over her head. It fell to her feet and had a leg slit that reached her upper thigh. The top part had no sleeves, not even spaghetti straps, but stuck straight up in two stiff points. She felt like she was covered with two triangles.
Against her better judgment she exited the room.
Angela tsked. “No, no, no, I was wrong. This is no good. Go change!”
Ericka shot a glance at Joey. He had placed his elbow on his thigh and was leaning in. “I-I don’t know what to say.”
Ericka didn’t wait for his response but spun on her heel and went for another dress. She skipped the green because it was going to stick out like a kid wearing a fairy Halloween costume. The tulle was in multiple layers and way too wide for a fancy party. And the bow looked like something from a bridesmaids’ nightmare.
She pulled the red body con up her body. It stopped mid-thigh and hugged every curve she had and then some. Up top was a square neckline and capped sleeves. It was bright, but a tad plain.
She left the dressing room.
Joey let out a low whistle. “You’re going to give me heart failure. Some six-inch pumps, and I’ll be beating half my cousins off you.”
And Frankie.
Heat flushed her face.
“You made her blush, Joey. But I must say I think the black will be the real stunner. Go get it on. Go. Go.”
Ericka didn’t care for the bossing around, but she reentered the tiny room and lifted the silken black dress off the rack. She pulled it over her head, and it cascaded down her body. The bottom touched the floor. The hemline was slightly longer in the back and shorter in the front with two layers of ruffles and a split on one side. Her arms were exposed in the bejeweled halter type collar.
It was sexy, yet elegant and classy.
She stepped through the curtain.
Joey had leaned back on the couch and was talking with Angela. Suddenly, he stopped and drew in a shift intake of breath.
“That’s the one.”
Ericka twirled. The price tag floated in the wind. She went to grab it, but Joey was there holding it first. He was so close. She could see his heart beating underneath his button-up shirt.
“Don’t look.”
“Okay.” How she managed to push that word past her constricted throat was a miracle.
Right now, she wanted him to wrap her in his arms, place his lips against hers, and kiss her until she forgot why she was there and who she was. She might even give up her career for him.
Mafia appeal…
She’d read about it before.
Now she understood.
“I’ll get a box.” Angela’s voice broke the spell. “And shoes, we must not forget shoes.”
“No, we must not.” Joey’s eyes hadn’t moved from her face. He lifted a strand of her hair and wrapped it around his finger.
“I don’t guess that Stone is an Italian name.”
“No.” She was so breathless.
“And based on your church, I presume you’re not Catholic.”
“I’m not.” Was it hot in here?
“I’m sure we can work something out.”
He was leaning in. Their lips were going to meet. She was powerless to stop the pull of their attraction. Honestly, she didn’t want to stop it. She wanted him to kiss her.
A hand wrapped around her forearm and jerked her away before contact. She opened her eyes genuinely confused as to her location.
“Shoes. What size?” Angela sounded as if she was restraining herself.
Had she been told not to let them get too close or did she grab her away because she was jealous? Mary had said that Bianca was the one that liked Joey. Angela was at least fifty. Maybe she was just looking out for him. Maybe letting Joey buy her a dress made her look like a gold digger. Ericka wasn’t a gold digger, just an information gatherer.
“Shoes?” Angela’s impatience was growing.
“Uh, seven.”
“Seven. What about these crystal ones? Only four inches, easier to dance in.”
No choices, just here. Yup, she didn’t want them to have any more time to leer at one another. Probably for the best.
“Sure.”
Joey stared at her. His gaze had darkened. His eyes glinted under the lights, almost giving them the look of being on fire.
“I-I’ll just go get on my clothes.”
Their eyes locked.
“I’ll pay.” His voice deepened, and he seemed to be having as much trouble as her.
Ericka broke eye contact and slipped into the dressing area. She hurried out of the dress. Angela’s arm appeared suddenly, and Ericka handed it over.
She slid into her sundress quickly. She needed to text Greg. They had to talk. This undercover assignment was going too deep. She was getting too close to Joey. She needed, no wanted, to tell the Demarco family why she was there and ask for their help. Hopefully, they would forgive her after it was all over. If they didn’t, things could go bad or they could go very bad.
****
Ericka had asked to go to the restroom, so Joey was in the car alone. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and leaned his head back against the headrest.
Joey knew he was moving too fast. What was it about this girl? He wanted to do everything for her, with her, he couldn’t help himself.
Logic might say it was because of his mother and Ericka risking her life for her, but he knew it wasn’t that. It was something more.
Did it really matter? Papa would never go for it. Despite his father bucking against the grain himself, he was a stickler for tradition. Frankie had been pushed into a marriage with a good Catholic girl only to find out that she had multiple beaus on a string. Shelia was never at the house. She stayed in Vegas or at one of the casinos 360 days of the year. Christmas was her one time to visit. If she didn’t put in time for that holiday, Papa would have sent her packing.
Frankie didn’t seem to care one way or the other. He had a string of women of his own.
Joey sighed. Even if Papa gave in for Ericka and him to date there was still the other thing. Once she heard about his family’s real business she would probably run. He would have run away several times if he could.
He wished he could whisk her away. They could just leave everything behind and start anew. He had an MBA. He could get a job. And she was a nurse, she could work anywhere.
The car door opened, and a long leg appeared. Then the rest of her. A smile lit her beautiful face.
“Your mother called. They’re expecting us home for dinner.”
He restrained his groan. He could leave everyone, every convenience, and advantage, but he couldn’t leave his mother. She’d been there for him when no one else had. She’d encouraged him to go to college, to make something of himself. To have a real life. Papa had agreed to allow it because of Mamma.
When he thought he was losing her because of the stroke he’d risked everything to find her help. He’d known Frankie wouldn’t approve of hiring a nurse. That was why he’d gone to the community center. He’d known about the medical tragedy group that met there. It had been his only hope. If someone in that group would just check on Mamma, he’d know everything would be okay and he’d been right.
There was no way he could leave her now.
He pulled the car into traffic. He would just have to think of another way to be with Ericka. It could be done. He knew it could.