Elizabeth
“Mr. Wu,” I say to my client on the phone, “I appreciate the offer to make me dinner, but I’m sorry, I can’t.”
This is the fifth time this widower has asked me out and he’s not even a sugar daddy!
“If there is anything else we can help you with…” I pause as he asks me about Medicaid benefits. “Yes, when open enrollment comes around give us a call and we can review some other options for you. Have a great day, Mr. Wu, bye.” I wait until I hear the word bye from him then I hang up.
I groan, “Oh my God, again!” and I hang my head.
“What’s the matter, Elizabeth, Mr. Wu proposing to you again?”
Carol loves this; I can hear her practically rolling on the floor laughing at me.
“My God, the last time he did this he called me here every day with something or other and came in to the office three times that week. What is it? Do men have mating cycles like women have periods that get them all worked up? He’s a sweet old guy but he’s driving me crazy!”
Now the whole office is in an uproar. I’m not going to live this one down for a while.
Thankfully the front door chimes announcing a visitor and hopefully putting an end to my Mr. Wu torment. I get up to greet them and stop when I see Marco. He’s got a huge bouquet of yellow roses in his hand.
“Ms. DiStefano, how is your day going?”
His smile brightens up the whole room and his voice still makes me want to swoon.
“Mr. Kastanopoulis, it’s much better now that I see you again, although I’m afraid you’re too late. Someone’s already proposed to me today.” I tease him as his arm goes around my waist pulling me to him.
“Oh really?” I feel him tense against me and it makes me giggle.
“Yes, dear Mr. Wu, he’s asked to make me dinner again tonight.” I’m a terrible person for making fun of the old man’s sweetness, but I mean, really?
“Ah, I see, well, I understand. I cook for you all the time.”
All three women in the office yell out at the same time, “You do?!”
He laughs at the extra ears before answering them. “Yes, I do, breakfast, lunch and dinner, but she’s worth it.”
“Don’t spoil her too bad, Marco; she’s hardly tolerable as it is,” Carol says coming out of her office, smiling from ear to ear.
He loosens his hold on me but doesn’t entirely let me go. I’m totally crazy for this man. I just want to scream it out sometimes!
“Hi, Carol, actually it’s you I came to see today.”
The surprise is evident on her face as her eyes widen and her mouth falls open while her words get stuck in her throat.
“You did?” she finally mutters.
“Yes, and these are for you. The mayor told me about the lunch you and his wife had.” He moves his hand from my back and reaches out to give her a small hug. “He said his wife was asking him questions about my project and wondering why it hadn’t begun yet. She told him how it would be such a shame if anything got in the way and what a disservice it would be to the community…and to his re-election.”
If I thought I was surprised before, I know I am now. Carol quite demurely used her connections to gently suggest in an ear that most certainly would have the greatest effect, the mayor’s wife’s, that maybe something was amiss with Marco’s project. It was quite brilliant really. It was informal, I’m sure a comment made in passing, probably sounding more like an afterthought than a formal complaint. A talk between two old friends, much the same way they would talk about the latest fashions. Brilliant.
Carol blushes, I have never seen her blush before, and she lowers her head, smiling bashfully.
“Leonora and I used to go line dancing together when we were kids. She’s an old friend of mine. She is the most regal women I know today but back in the day, wooey, she was a hellion. That’s probably why the mayor scooped her up so fast.”
“Well, after she questioned him on it, he did some checking. That little conversation of yours and Leonora’s was a big part in my finding out what was going on with my permits. And for that I am forever in your debt, my dear.” Marco bows slightly before handing Carol the roses.
“Aw, honey, what are friends for. Come here you big ole teddy bear.” She gives him an eye-popping hug. Now it’s Marco’s turn to blush.
By now everyone has come out of their offices and are watching the emotional, yes it’s emotional, display. I can’t believe we’re all not in tears. I know I feel them welling up threatening to fall. This must not be easy for Marco. He’s not an open man especially with such personal and business matters. But this is Carol, and he must have felt her genuineness.
“You didn’t have to do this, Marco, but they’re beautiful, thank you.”
“It’s the least I can do. Thank you for caring; it doesn’t go unnoticed. Now, if Ms. DiStefano has some time, can we review that timeline again and maybe make some revisions according to the latest updates? We can start to move forward now.” He turns back to Carol. “Did you see what Elizabeth showed me?”
“Yes, I went in and she gave me a peek one day; she was holding the goods out on me until it was ready, and I was very impressed. This is going to work very well for you and your company."
“Yes it is. I couldn’t be more pleased.” Turning back to me he gets a little glint in his eye. “Can I have you for a few minutes, Ms. DiStefano?”
“I’m all yours, Mr. Bond. Shall we go?” I smirk at his naughtiness.
When we enter my office I decide to close the door. I can’t wait until we get home to find out what’s going on with KMD Enterprises. I want to know now. Taking my seat across from Marco, he’s his usual classic business gentleman who never shows any signs of stress, I jump right into the questions.
“So, what’s going on, Marco?”
“Actually I can’t discuss everything yet. I promise I’ll tell you all of it tonight though. I haven’t addressed the entire situation this morning but I had to come and see you and I wanted to give Carol a little thank-you present, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone.” He’s so cool and relaxed and it’s killing me. I’m dying to know.
“All right, I suppose I can wait a few more hours, but you promise you’ll tell me everything tonight, right?”
Dropping his head back and laughing at my childish behavior he laughs. “Yes, I promise, now let me see that prospectus again.”
“Absolutely, Mr. Kastanopoulis, and there are some other things I’d like to discuss with you. I understand you might have some concerns if you should have a fire in your home,” I tell him as I put on my glasses and begin clicking open some screens on my computer.
His fingers begin to drum on the arm of the chair as he’s looking at me.
“Have I told you, Elizabeth, that I want to fuck you with your glasses on?”
Fuck.
Marco
Christine pops her head in my door. Her eyes are wide and her face is serious. “Mr. Kastanopoulis, there are two gentlemen here to see you,”
I remind her again to call me by my first name. “It’s Marco, Christine, and I’m coming, thank you.”
I can hear the nervousness in Christine’s voice and I can see the apprehension in her expression. It’s completely normal. Vinny and John always make people nervous. It’s gotten them to where they are today.
I walk out to the lobby and find Christine stealing glances at the two imposing men talking quietly together. I’m sure she’s never met anyone like these gentlemen before. If you’re not from the “neighborhood” then you don’t meet this type of people. Vinny D’Angelo is a bear of a man in size but his presence is even more commanding, it’s intimidating and you can feel a dangerous element about him. John Mikelson, Steve’s father, is a bit more outspoken but is also every bit as intimidating. He’s usually the one who speaks for the both of them. His talents lie in his verbal manipulation and he always gets what he wants. Steve gets this gift from him. There has never been a person who was able to say no to John. If they did, it was handled. Both Vinny and John are in custom-tailored suits and designer Italian shoes. There isn’t a hair out of place and their nails are manicured, looking like the epitome of business polish, almost old-school style.
“Marco, my boy, come here.” Vinny sees me first and opens his arms to embrace me. I know I have a special place in this man’s heart; Vinny and my dad were childhood friends. Once when they were kids they were involved in something that could have gotten Vinny into a lot of trouble with the police but my dad took the rap for it. Because my dad didn’t have anything prior on his record he was released. At that time people knew each other in the neighborhood. They looked out for each other. Families would come and sit on the front stoop after dinner and socialize while the kids played together. No one messed with the people from the neighborhood, nobody. After a time, while I was growing up and the older generations died off, people started moving away, things changed, and that’s when Vinny moved to Florida. But he believed that you take care of the people who take care of you so he made the offer to my dad, along with John, to come with him. My dad wanted to stay close to the rest of his family so he refused. Vinny wanted to give my dad a chance to get out too so he lent my dad the money to open the restaurant upstate. We left the neighborhood and started a new life. It was a good life, my parents did well, and maybe all because of that day my dad and Vinny got into trouble.
Vinny has never forgotten this favor even after lending my dad the money and that’s why he gave me the opportunity to go down to Florida and learn the business with him. When I first got started in it, I immediately loved it and learned everything I could, absorbing whatever these two had to teach me and anyone else who would talk to me.
Vinny holds my face in his two hands and kisses me on both cheeks. When he releases me John pulls me in and does the same thing while patting me warmly on my back. His look is a bit more serious than Vinny’s. I’m sure this is not a trip he wanted to make.
“It’s good to see you, Marco. We miss you down in Florida but you’re doing a great job here on your own,” John tells me warmly.
“Well, to be fair, I’m not really alone.”
“Yes, you are. But we know what you mean just as you know what we mean,” Vinny says.
“I understand.” I turn to Christine to introduce her to these two men. I know she’s dying to know who they are.
“Christine, I’d like to introduce you to Vinny D’Angelo.” I turn to her and nod indicating it’s okay; he’s not going to bite.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. D’Angelo.” Her voice is a little high showing her nervousness.
“Thank you very much for keeping our boy straight, Christine.” He is charismatic and endearing. There is no denying it.
“And this is John Mikelson.”
She looks at me with a question in her eyes. “Mikelson?”
“Yes, this is Steve’s father.”
“I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Mikelson.” She doesn’t seem as nervous to meet John, maybe because of Steve and how amiable he appears to be. She might not feel this way if she knew what this man has done.
“You are a very lovely young lady, thank you for all of your hard work with these two boys.” He’s a bit of a charmer like his son.
“Christine, these men are the M and the D in KMD Enterprises. Vinny is the man who started it all in Florida and John made the baby grow. They’re like fathers to me. They’re my mentors and partners in the business.”
Her eyes are as wide as saucers. I think she’s afraid to make any assumptions. Good girl.
“I need you to call Liana and Steve in, Christine. Tell them Vinny and John are here.” There is nothing else that needs to be said. She nods her understanding.
“Come, let’s go inside so we can talk. Would you like some espresso? Christine makes a delicious cup.”
“Really? Of course, three cups please. Just like home, Marco, that’s a beautiful thing.” Vinny beams.
We go into my office and close the door. The two men take the seats in front of my desk and I sit behind it.
“Things look really good here, Marco. You’re doing a great job.”
“Thank you, Vinny, I appreciate it.”
John speaks next. “So you know why we’re here then.” His expression is somber.
“Yes, how long have you known?” I look back and forth between the both of them.
Vinny speaks up. “Probably since just about the beginning. The contacts I reached out to when we first started discussing this project caught wind of the situation as soon as things got held up and as the other ‘relationships’ were being made.”
“I see,” I say wondering why it took me so long to find out.
Vinny continues. “We knew you’d find out on your own and would handle things so we didn’t want to interfere.” He pauses and looks over to his old friend John. “And maybe we were hoping that things would right themselves before it went too far.”
“The situation has been taken care of and things are moving forward. Now that you’re here, they’ll realize the entire situation and the attempt to sabotage it are exposed and stopped,” I reply.
“Yes, and I’m glad you made local connections on your own, they will be very useful to you, as you’ve already found out,” Vinny answers.
Christine knocks on the door and I get up to let her in with the tray of our three cups of espresso and sugar on the black lacquer tray.
“These look perfect. Marco has taught you well. You would make a fine wife for a good Italian boy,” Vinny says. Some things never change.
“Thank you, Mr. D’Angelo,” she answers, blushing then turns to me. “I spoke with Liana and Steve. They’ll be here as soon as they can.”
“Thank you, Christine, let me know when they get here before they come back, and close the door behind you when you go, please.”
She looks at me with a puzzled expression before saying, “Yes, sir,” and turns to leave, closing the door behind her as instructed.
I turn back to Vinny and John and ask, “The question is what do we do now?”
John sighs, sitting back in his chair, as Vinny answers. “This is an unusual situation. Normally, as you know, the person would already have been taken care of, but in this instance we’ve decided to wait until we speak to them directly before moving forward.”
I let out a deep sigh. This is what I’ve been dreading.
“I appreciate it being handled this way. I just can’t believe it’s actually come to this.” I can’t help but feel torn. I wanted to “take care” of this person myself but my personal feelings outweigh all of my anger.
“Well in the old days it wouldn’t have come this far but thank God things have changed a little.”
I fill them in as to the progress we were able to achieve even with the problems we had getting started and I show them the timeline Elizabeth prepared for me. It’s useful in getting Vinny and John up to date on the situation. I even tell them about the Bid On a Date function I’m doing and, God knows, I haven’t heard them laugh that hard in years, which is a good thing because we all need a good belly laugh.
The phone rings, breaking the light mood. “Yes?”
It’s Christine and I can tell she’s tense. “Liana’s here.”
“Excellent, have her wait to come in until Steve gets here. And don’t worry, sweetie, everything’s fine. Okay, Christine?”
“Ok, Marco.” She sounds a little less tense.
“Good girl.”
I look to the men sitting anxiously quiet across from me. “Steve’s not here yet.”
They each nod in understanding.
The minutes are beginning to drag by loudly.
My phone alerts me with a text from Elizabeth. I can’t help but smile as I read it and I’m relieved at the brightness it brings to a very bad moment. I don’t know how this is going to work out. The fate of the traitor is not up to me finally but up to these two men. And they did not become the well-respected powerful men they are by being nice and complacent.
Hi Sexy, was just thinking about you J Elizabeth’s text reads.
Vinny asks, “Is that a girlfriend, Marco?”
I look up at him. “Yes, it is. We’ve been seeing each other about a month. She’s the one who prepared the timeline I showed you. Her name is Elizabeth DiStefano.”
He looks at me and the corner of his mouth turns up as his eyes uncharacteristically soften.
“A nice Italian girl, this will be the one you will marry, Marco. I know that look. I remember when I first had it, so many years ago.” The look in his eyes is one of nostalgia for long ago memories of a new love.
He’s just knocked the air out of me. Me, married? No fucking way! But even as I try to deny it the idea alone warms my heart. I push it aside not wanting to think about that now. I don’t want to fight with myself about the possibility that I could feel like that about Elizabeth, finally.
“I don’t know about that, Vinny, but she is an amazing woman.” I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face at the thought of her, picturing her face, her voice, her smile, her laugh, the way she smells and bites her lip when she gets nervous or turned on.
“Vinny knows. He gets that sight from his grandmother. She knew who all of us would marry as soon as she saw our faces. He should have been Cupid or something,” John states, testifying to Vinny’s words.
The absurdity of these two tough guys talking about marriage and Cupid and hearts and flowers is too much to resist and we all have another good laugh at the idea of Vinny dressed up in a red leotard with a bow and arrow and wings. Holy shit, that’s funny!
The phone rings again and we all stop, getting jerked back to what is going on and why we are all here.
“Yes?” I answer it again.
“Steve’s here now,” Christine states. I can tell she’s nervous again. She’s probably picking up on the tension in the air.
“Thank you, bring them both in together if you please, Christine.”
She lets out a little sigh before answering, “Okay.” She does not want to be a part of this. Even though she doesn’t know what ‘this’ is, she can feel something is going on.
The three of us sit and wait silently for the door to open. The few seconds seem to drag on forever.
There’s a light tap on the door before it opens, initially just a crack then it slowly opens all the way. Steve enters first, his jaw clenched tight and his brows pulled together above his eyes that are shooting back and forth from each of us. He steps to the side and allows Liana to come in from behind him. She of course has her nose up in the air and saunters in, daring anyone to confront her.
“Hi, Pop, good to see you,” Steve says to his father. “I didn’t know you were coming up. You should have called me; I am your son.”
John sets his glare on Steve, warning him not to push it.
“Because you’re my son is why I’m here, Steven. For no one else would I have come.”
I see Steve’s nostrils flare. At least he has the common fucking sense to keep his mouth shut.
“Hello, Zio, you should have told me you were coming,” says Liana to Vinny.
Vinny is Liana’s uncle; zio means uncle in Italian. She has always used this term of endearment to get what she wanted, almost to the extent of abusing her position of good fortune, which she did nothing to earn.
“I love you, Liana, but you will not be receiving any special treatment from me; this you are well aware of,” Vinny warns her before he continues. “Now, sit, both of you. You know we have much to discuss.”
Vinny speaks with the mannerisms of the old times, not giving in to slang. His position as the head of our family is one that was established many generations ago, following his father as the head of the family before he arrived at Ellis Island in the early 1900s. We all sit and wait for him to begin, showing our respect.
“Now, Steven, why did you do it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Is he a complete fucking asshole? He did not just insult Vinny’s and his father’s intelligence by denying he bribed a governor. His plan to get the local offices to stop my permits with a promise of large financial support to the governor during his re-election campaign is now common knowledge. Steve also promised favors to him with some very strong political backing, connections he did not have. He’d attempted to use his father’s and Vinny’s power to persuade the officials to support the governor in order to gain control over my business and project.
John leans forward in his seat and speaks calmly, putting his hands together. “Steven, we’re going to ask you one more time, only once, and if you’re smart, you’ll tell us everything.” He sits back in his chair and takes a deep breath before continuing. It’s so quiet in here I can hear the fabric rubbing as we shift in our seats. “Why did you do it?”
John stares into his son’s eyes for a long moment before Steven opens his mouth. “Because this should have been my project. I’m your son. Marco’s not even blood and you offered him this opportunity, put him in charge of the first expansion. He doesn’t even have the business education. I’m the one with the certifications. How could you do this to me, Pop?”
I’m torn between wanting to destroy Steve, physically and professionally. If he were anybody else I would already have done it. After he dragged his ass up from the beating I would have given him he would never be able to show his face again. The anguish, hurt and resentment pouring out of him is breaking my heart. I want to get up and leave the room, I feel so guilty. I feel as if I’m responsible for taking his opportunities away from him, that I punched him in the face and left him there to suffer. We’ve been friends for a long time, or at least I thought we were.
“Steven.” John is not an emotional man but his tone is endearing right now as he speaks to his son. “Yes, we offered Marco the opportunity to make this expansion happen. And he formed this company. We are involved, but minimally. This is all him. But you should have come to us and asked us what we had planned for you. Do you think we would not have done anything for you as well? And do not insult Marco by saying he’s not blood. He’s part of the family, just like Vinny and I are family. And what you did here, you did to the family. That cannot go by without being punished somehow.”
Steven’s expression then becomes one of mortification. He knows what’s happened to those who have wronged the family in the past.
Vinny turns to me and asks, “How much did this cost the company, Marco?”
“Approximately $10,000,” I answer calmly. He asked me this earlier so I’ve calculated the fees due to delays and other incidentals.
Vinny turns to Steven. “You will write a check to KMD Enterprises for $10,000 to correct the financial loss incurred. It hasn’t been decided what’s going to happen with you but for now, you’re coming back to Florida with us. Go home, pack your suitcases and be ready to leave. We’ll call you to let you know when the flight is. And don’t say a fucking word, Steven. You’re lucky you’re getting off this easy, and you know it. Now go. I’m so disappointed with you right now I can’t see straight. What you did to the family, you should be ASHAMED of yourself. And you made us look like fools up here with these politicians and the local rednecks, pitting us against each other. How do you think we look in terms of strength as a company? As soon as we get into town you start fighting for power, fucking disgusting! Now go!” He bellows so loud, the door shakes.
Steven has the decency to look ashamed with his head bent and a flush on his pretty boy face. He stops at the door and turns to me. “I’m sorry, Marco,” he says quietly then turns to leave.
“Steve…” He’s my friend; I can’t help it. Never, never would I have imagined he would betray me like this. The pain I feel is deep.
I don’t know when I’ll see him again. What happened breaks my heart but it doesn’t break the bond I have with him. It goes too far back. Money, power and greed turn people into monsters, using and betraying the ones they love. It’s so sad.
Vinny turns to Liana who, unbelievably, has been sitting quietly for once.
“Liana,” he says to her.
“Zio…”
“Thank you for calling me when you thought something was not quite right. Your keen senses never let you down. I’m grateful for your attentiveness. It does not go unnoticed.”
“Of course, Zio.”
I am shocked!
“You knew? When?” I ask Liana. I have no doubt the surprise is evident on my face.
“I had a feeling something was up. I overheard some conversations Steve had on the phone and something seemed off but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Sometimes being thought of as a bimbo can be used to your advantage. People think you’re stupid.”
The insinuation succeeds in making me feel like an asshole. Then something dawns on me.
“So every time you came into my office…” I let the sentence trail off as the realization comes together in my mind.
She picks it up. “Yep, I was checking to make sure Steven hadn’t gotten into any of your documents or hacked into your computer.” She looks relieved that everything is finally out.
“Holy shit, I can’t believe it. I’m sorry, Liana, if I’ve ever insulted you; I would never want to do that.” My apology is genuinely heartfelt.
“Marco, regardless of what you may think of me or feel about me, I would never do anything to jeopardize you or your business. But we can discuss that privately if you’d like,” she purrs at me, right in front of Vinny and John.
“Liana, behave yourself. Marco is taken. Stop that,” Vinny chastises her.
“I know, Zio, but it’s so cute to aggravate him and watch him get all flustered.” So she’s been playing with me all of this time, that little pain in my ass.
John has been sitting quietly through this whole conversation until now. “Marco, you’re going to have to get a replacement for Steven immediately,” he points out. “Now that things are moving again, you need someone with experience to oversee what’s going on out on the project.”
“Yes, you’re right, John. I’ve already spoken to a friend of mine who does have experience and he agreed to help me out until a full-time replacement can be found.” I look back and forth between Vinny and John. “And if you have any other ideas or suggestions we can discuss it.”
“Liana, you can go now, my dear. As always it’s lovely to see you.” Vinny stands, pulling Liana up with him and puts his arms around her.
“Thank you, Zio, give Mama and Papa a kiss for me, okay?” she says as she kisses both of his cheeks.
“Of course, my dear, and don’t make any plans for dinner. We’re all going out, even Marco’s girlfriend. Send Christine in on your way out.”
Vinny has a very elegant way of dismissing people. And I can’t help but think that Elizabeth is absolutely going to love this. She is going to kick my ass.
Christine knocks tentatively at the door.
“Come in, Christine,” I call from behind my desk.
When she enters she looks at each of us and can tell that the air in here has cleared. Her posture immediately relaxes. It’s wonderful being able to read a woman, no matter who it is.
“Christine, make reservations for us for dinner tonight at…” Vinny turns to me for a restaurant.
“Circa 1922,” I interject and smile.
“At Circa 1922 for seven o’clock for, let me see…” He counts the number of people in his head. “Six people, okay?”
“Certainly, Mr. D’Angelo.” She even appears not to be as afraid of him now.
“And, Christine, call Elizabeth at work, the insurance agency, and let her know about the reservation and that I’m tied up in meetings with Vinny and John. Explain why I’m not calling her, please.” I know I have just appeared totally pussy-whipped in front of Vinny and John but I don’t care.
“Yes, Mr. Kastanopoulis, um, Marco.” She steps out smiling to herself. Even she thinks I’m a pussy. Shit.
Vinny and John look at each other.
“Yep, you are so fucked, Marco. Better just cut your balls off now and hand them over to Elizabeth in a nice little Tiffany’s box with a pretty ribbon wrapped around it,” John says busting the last nut I’ve got.