Page 21 of Mafia’s Dirty Secret

“Okay. Well, my number is on the fridge.” It was the number to the phone Matteo had given her, so she didn’t have to use the minutes on the phone her mother had been given. “I guess, well, I’m going to take a shower, and then, I don’t know. I’ve not had a night off since I was 18.”

“Seriously?” Regina asked, then flushed. “Sorry, it’s none of my business.”

“No, it’s fine. We’re alone, Mom and I, and I’m paid to take care of her during the day, but not at night. She gets disability, but most of that pays for her medicines and some of the bills. My paycheck pays for what little I can afford from that. A night nurse hasn’t been in the cards. This is just, wow, it’s just a relief.” Marie knew she was rambling, so she smiled and took a deep breath. “I’m going to shower.”

“You go on out and enjoy yourself, Marie. It sounds like you deserve a long night out.” Regina gave Marie a reassuring smile and nodded with respect. “I’ll be here if you get worried, just give us a call.”

“I will. Thank you so much!” Marie almost kissed the woman she was so happy but held herself back.

She showered quickly, changed into another old but still wearable dress, this one in black, something she’d sewn herself, and was almost out the door when her mother called her name.

“Marie? Marie! Who’s paying for this woman to stay here with me!” Marie cringed at the hateful sound of her mother’s voice.

She walked back to the bedroom and looked in at her mother. “I applied for a grant for you Mom, and it was approved. Didn’t I tell you? It must have slipped my mind.”

Marie kept her face bland, and when she glanced at Regina, she saw the woman nod subtly. She got it, thank goodness. Her mother didn’t need to know where the money came from.

“Well, don’t you be out whoring around. I’m not raising no babies!” Ruby all but stared a hole into Marie, but Marie stood tall and did her best not to give anything away.

She was about to walk out and do everything her mother had told her not to do. She was going to meet a man that was, supposedly, in the Mafia. She was going to have sex with him if he wanted to, and by heck, she was going to sleep beside him, if he let her. She wanted to sleep peacefully, without interruption, wrapped in the safety of his arms.

That was all she wanted right now, even more than the sex, she just wanted a night without waking up to her mother screeching at her.

“Thank you, Regina. I won’t be far. But don’t wait up.” The nurse had come to stand beside Marie and so Marie whispered to her.

“Enjoy your evening, Marie. However, you choose to do it. I’m not here to judge, at all,” Regina whispered back and gave Marie a wink with twinkling green eyes.

Marie smothered a giggle and made to leave the house. She picked up her handbag, slid her phone into it, and got the car keys from the hook. It was time to live.

Matteo had paid a small fortune for her mother’s new nurse, and though she knew she should refuse it and tell him to get his money back, she couldn’t do it. He’d done this for her. And maybe himself a little too, she thought as she drove to his house.

She’d sent a text that she was on her way, but he hadn’t answered it yet. Maybe he was preparing for her, having a shower and all that stuff men did to prepare for a date? Though, she wasn’t exactly sure what that was.

She slowed when she saw a small deer bounce across the road, and let it pass before she carried on. He wanted to see her, to spend time with her, and the only way to do that was to make sure someone could stay with Ruby at night. He’d done them both a favor then.

Which was another reason she would agree to this. Even though it was a done deal, she still could have refused, but she didn’t. As his house came into view, her heart began to thud in her chest and her palms went moist on the steering wheel. She was about to get everything she wanted. Almost. She’d have to go home early, but tonight? Tonight was hers. If all she had with him was the darkness, then so be it. She’d take it, she thought as she parked and got out of the car. As long as she got to be with him.

13

When she arrived at Matteo’s house, Marie took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door. Matteo himself answered this time, and Marie was glad for that. The other guy, the butler or whatever he was, made her nervous with his baleful stare. His gaze said she wasn’t good enough, but it wasn’t really any of his business was it?

She was in a really good mood for the first time in a really long time, and she showed it when she leaned up to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. He wasn’t usually the one that took the kisses. His warm brown eyes radiated pleasure as he took her hand to guide her into the house.

“I thought we’d do something normal people do and watch movies.” He held his hand up when she started to speak and laughed. “I know it sounds boring, but how else will we get to know each other better? You can judge a lot about a person from the movies they like.”

“That’s just it, though. I haven’t had time to watch movies in years unless they’re on television as I fall asleep. I don’t know what I like.” She felt awkward now and wanted to change the subject. “And thank you, I know this is for you too, but I really can’t thank you enough for hiring that nurse. It’s the most generous thing anyone has ever done for me. Oh, and about Regina? She’s wonderful, from what I can see.”

“It was my pleasure, Marie. And yes, it was for me too, so not completely altruistic of me, was it?” His rueful smile only worked to make her heart melt a little more.

“I suppose not.” They walked into a living room with a black velvet couch that wrapped around a corner of the room to take up two walls. There was a small table at one end, and a large coffee table of dark cherry wood in the middle. An array of remote controls rested on the table and Matteo picked one up.

A large, flat television came on and Marie blinked. She hadn’t even seen the appliance until it lit up. It was high on the wall with a video of a lit fireplace going. She’d glanced over it, but now realized it was too high on the wall to be a real fireplace. She blushed when she saw what a stupid mistake she’d made, but Matteo was facing the television, thankfully.

“Alright, I’ve got this set up to show you all the movies we can watch. You choose by category like this, then you can flip through the movies that are listed.” He showed her which buttons to use, and she took the remote. “I’m going to get some drinks and such, I’ll be right back.”

Marie was almost overwhelmed by the number of movies she now had access to. She wished she’d worn something else now, maybe sweatpants and a t-shirt would have been more appropriate for this kind of date. She kicked her shoes off, tucked her legs up under her bottom, and scrolled over to a movie that looked interesting from the picture.

“What have you chosen, my dear, or are you still looking?” Matteo called out to her as he pushed a shiny metal trolley into the room. The scent of buttered popcorn, hotdogs, and quite a few other things filled the air.