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"So, music it is," she said as she walked over to the stereo.
My uncle placed the cakenear the kitchen as I was chugging a box of juice by the fridge—a soothing sensation that my stomach muchappreciated.
"Thank you so much for the cake, Vanessa," he said softly to me.
"You deserveit. I wanted my first cake attempt to be special, despite the fact that I'm not sure if it's edible." I laughed.
He laughed along with me, surely recallingmy rocky relationship with cooking. "But in all seriousness, thank you. You are likethe daughter I never had. You can be a little too nice to me at times."
"Well, you've been good to me as well," I said before kissing him on the cheek. "You should joinAnna. I'll be right out, and we can kick offourparty."
Heexited the kitchen with a smile on his face,and I knew all of my efforts today had been worthwhile.
I eventually came out to join Anna and my uncle whowere in the middle of aridiculous argument about his classics collection. Though they were both smiling at each other, I knew it would get heated in a matter of minutes because my uncle was passionate about his collection, and Anna never liked to lose a fight.
As I was enjoying the conversation between these two hotheads, my phone started ringing, andI was surprised to see Francesca's name appear on the screen. My mind raced through the week, wondering if Anna or I had done anything wrong to warrant a phone call. I couldn't think of anything, so I excused myself to the kitchen and answered the callnervously.
"Good evening, Vanessa," she said,but then I heard a man's voice. It was the owner himself.
Why can't I remember what we did wrong? I panicked.
"Good evening. Is anything the matter? We're not supposed to come in today, right?" I asked him.
"I know, I know.I called about another issue." I waited to hear what it was "Did you encountera man named Ethan at the restaurant last night?"he said.
"No," I replied, despite the fact that I had a good idea who he was referring to. My thoughts returned to the attractive man from the restaurant who nearly had me on my knees the night before.
"I've got some concerning news. Last night, that man came into my office and threatened Francesca and me until we were forced togive him information about you, your school, and your phone number. I am sorry. It is my responsibility to protect all employees, but we had no choice."
The manager was sincere. I could hear theconcern in his voice, but I wasn't scared. I'd known men who would huff and puff but never really hurt me. And I knew how to avoid situations that put me in danger's way.
"It's fine, Mr. Banks. If he comes around looking for me, I can handle him," I assured him.
"Vanessa, you can't. This man, Ethan, is well-known in the Mafia world. He's a ruthless and dangerous individual. I don't want to scare you, but you should be cautious and perhaps even stay on campus for a while," said the manager.
My phone rattled in my hand as I listened to my boss tell me what little he knew about Ethan. The news changed my perspective on the previous night. These people were murderers and drug traffickers. As I realized the gravity of the situation, my anxiety turned to panic.
The thought of this man,Ethan, holding a gun sent shivers down my spine. The night before, I was alone in a room with him and even in an alley. The worst part was that he told me to run, but I took that lightly. Suddenly, his words played like a loop in my head: run.
I tried to convince myself that I was overreacting as I stepped out of the kitchen, but I knew I wasn't. He touched me, held me withhands that had most likely taken lives and would most likely threaten mine. It hurt to think that I would have let his lips touch mine for a split second.
What on earth was I thinking?I wanted to scream at myself, but I was too tired. Iwassuddenly overwhelmed. I dragged myself to the bathroom, ignoring Anna and myuncle's ongoing bickering.
I dashed to the sink and turned on the water. I splashed somein my face and resolved not to return until I felt better, which I doubted would happen soon.
"Oh, God, why me?" I muttered under my breath as I looked at my reflectionin the mirror.
"It's your uncle's birthday," I chided myself, staring at my terrified expression. My makeup was smeared, so I returned to the sink and rinsed my face until it was almost clear.
I needed a long nap, but with what I had just learned, I knew I wouldn't be able to get one.
I exited the bathroom after wiping my face with a towel. I’ll have to worry about that tomorrow.
I was almost inthe sitting room when a shiver ran through me. Everything was still and quiet. Suddenly, I heard Anna scream out of nowhere. Instinct took over, and I ranbefore I knew it. When I entered the livingroom, the first thing I saw was something I would never haveexpected.
The room was surrounded by armed men dressed in suits. I wanted to flee and knew I could because they hadn't noticed me hiding behind the wall. However, the men had my uncle and Anna on their knees. My heart was about to burst out of my chest as a gun was pointed at my uncle's head.
It didn't take long to figure out who theywere: theMafia.
