CHIARA
A familiar voice that set off the alarms in my body came from behind me. Then the man's light footsteps echoed in my ear before he came and stood beside me. Air rushed out of my lungs for a second. Not because he looked tasteful in his black suit or his slick back hair with a single strand falling on his forehead, but because he was helping me out without even knowing what I was here for. Helping me again after how things ended between us on that most embarrassing night of my life.
His hand rested casually on the low of my back, then he flushed the most beautiful smile that I'd ever seen on him. I liked it. And I hated that I did. I had to remind myself to breathe, or I'd be the one to die tonight and not the man in the booth upstairs.
I smiled back at him awkwardly, "Honey, you're late," I said, circling my arm around his torso. He swallowed but his face unwavering. The guy went through the names and finally lifted his head "Please go-ahead sir. I'm sorry for keeping you." He said nervously. "It is not I who you stood up over here." Said Carmelo and my eyes widened before I quickly recovered from it.
The guy faced me and said "We're truly sorry Miss. Please head upstairs as the show is about to begin." I looked around and uttered, "Sure." What else could I possibly have said? "Come on hon, let's go." Said Carmelo, still holding my waist as we both climbed the stairs. My heart was beating widely inside my chest and my hands began to get clammy. This was not how this was supposed to go.
The moment we were up and away from the guard's eyesight I stepped away from his burning arms. His hand hung in the air before he buried it deep in his pocket. "Thank you uh… for reading earlier. I can handle it from here." I uttered knowing damn better there was nothing I could handle.
He peered at me through his dark lashes as if he could see right through me, "Are you sure?" asked. "Of course." I said and turned to leave not waiting for his response. I came face to face with the two guards from earlier heading up, they looked at me with narrowed eyes.
Fuck! I turned on my heels and returned back to the one man I was running from. I hugged and smiled sweetly at him. "I changed my mind. Take me to your booth now. I'm thirsty." He shook his head but didn't push me away from him as we made our way to his booth. They all had name stands outside. I could've been hallucinating but I swore I could hear both his heartbeats and mine as my head was pressed on his chest.
We suddenly paused, "You can let go now. They're not watching." He uttered. My cheeks heated and I let go of him. He leaned closer to me and whispered "Tell me honestly. Why are you here, Marino?" He was still calling me that name even when I'd asked him not to. But that wasn't even the pressing matter. What the hell was I going to tell him?
I pushed him back and held my chin high. "For the performance of course, why else?" I blurted. His eyes narrowed, "Who is performing tonight?" he asked, "Marie Russo." I replied, matching the intensity of his gaze.
"Then tell me why you look like a sneaking rat in the VIP section?" I felt like choking him and adding him as a bonus to the kill list for the night. "Ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, we welcome on stage the legend, Marie Russo." The announcer's loud voice reached us. "It's none of your business." I clipped back and entered the booth like I rented it. Just in time to get attacked by the loud cheering and then the light dimmed, leaving only a spotlight at the middle of the red curtain.
Then a slender blondie in white dress stepped out, the cheering went higher before they cut out at her single hand gesture. The power she held against the people in this hall was the power I'd wished for against Antonio. Just one flick of a finger and he was gone.
I could feel his presence behind me, but instead of turning, I sat down. Luckily the couch was big enough to acquire both of us. He wordlessly sat on his end too. I should be ashamed, but I wasn't. I was eager to get the hell out of the booth and carry out the kill instead and vanish. I don't exist and I was never here, tonight. But who would've thought I'd run into Carmelo and get stuck with him?
I blindly reached for the bottle, only to feel his hands grazing mine as we both reached for it at the same time. Our gazes met just in time for Marie to begin singing or shouting in agony because I'd never understood how people loved these things. "Go on," he nodded slightly. I opened the bottle so hard that the woodened holder jumped up and probably hit someone below because an audible 'Ouch' followed. I gasped and Carmelo covered his mouth, amusement dancing in the corners of his eyes. I poured myself a glass and placed down the bottle before sipping it.
I hissed when it burnt my throat. "What the fuck is this?" I asked, placing down the glass. "Vodka. Too strong for you I see." He said and poured himself a glass and drank with ease. I cleared my throat and focused on the noise in the name of art. "I saw the news." He started. "You lost funds for hitting Bormann in public." He narrated it. "I didn't do anything he didn't deserve." I replied. He chuckled, "It was worthwhile watching."
"I heard the news too. Your agency has stopped operating until the murderer is found." I said. He poured himself another glass, crossing his leg over the other. The fact that I might've killed someone without a memory of it still didn't sit right with me. Even though the rotten pig deserved it. "Yeah. It isn't a big deal. I just hope for it to end soon. The case is ruining my agency's reputation." He said, looking so intently at Marie. And why did I hate the way his eyes were relaxed as he watched her wailing on stage? Was he that into that?
Shit! I needed to get the hell out of the booth, right now! I stood up abruptly and tripped on my dress. Instead of falling on the couch, I fell right into his lap, hard. So hard that I felt him beneath me. He groaned, burying his face on my bare back. I stilled, heart beating in my ears and eyes so wide they could see a pin if it were to be dropped.
"Fuck!" he uttered painfully, his heavy breath sent shivers all over my body. I swallowed when his hands gripped my waist. "I—" he interrupted me "Shh…don't say a word and make me lose it. I'm already holding myself back as it is." He uttered in a low voice.
My eyes shone as I watched the loud blondie. He was holding himself back? "I never asked you to hold back." I blurted. I should be leaving! I should be leaving now! A silence passed before his voice came, "Fuck it!"