AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I bite my lip. I know I’d promised Mimi that we’d sneak away one of these nights out, but the risk gets my heart racing. I feel a sweat in my armpits immediately. What would my father think? “Well I don’t know—” I begin.
“Nope!” Mimi snaps, closing her handbag. “We’re heading out. You promised.”
“I know, I know,” I say, picking up my original sundress from home and sliding it on. It was a choice made by Mimi, it’s a little too slim for my taste. A little too revealing.
We’d left my father’s gated home hours ago, under the pretense of a shopping evening in Miami Beach. Which obviously, even father knows, that most shops aren’t in Miami Beach. And at some point, she’d practically forced me to promise her to let us go out. Except that I’ve never been out. I’ve never really been on a date. I’ve lived in the world of one of the most powerful mob families of Florida since I was born. My father is afterall the Don of the Russo family.
“Look, surely there’s something that will convince you to come out with me? You’re such a poor sheltered, helpless, daughter of a Don,” she cries, a hand to her forehead.
“Mimi!” I hiss.
“Oh everyone here knows Prude-zilla,” she says. “Let’s get gone.”
I pull her back from the curtain as she goes to yank it aside. “Look, I know my father would probably let me go out if wereallywanted to, but—”
“But nothing!” Mimi sighs, then grins at me. “I didn’t want to play it. I didn't want to spoil the surprise,” she says, raising her hands and stepping back from me.
I grab my handbag reflexively, “Ruin what?” I ask, looking around as if we’re about to be set on.
Mimi’s face lights up, then her eyes sharpen and she grins like a cat. “I spotted this earlier while you were obsessing over yourself.” She takes her phone out and opens an app. It loads and a picture of the dress I was just wearing comes up. Then a different one. And another different one. They’re all Piovere’s …
“Piovere is having a secret show this evening. Here, in Miami Beach. AtHush,” she says. “Your favorite company in the whole world. Right here. In Miami Beach. And we’re going!”
“At Hush?” I whisper excitedly, my voice jumping up an octave. “Hush, as in—”
“Right around the fucking corner!” Mimi says. Her face is luminescent, she can taste the victory of having finally got me out.
All my life I’ve wantedsomethingoutside of the mob. As the daughter of Don Russo, and heiress to the second biggest Italian family down here in Miami, after the Colombino’s of course, my life has been lived behind closed doors of security and well intentioned guarding. I know my father isn’t really trying to protect me from the world, he taught me to shoot a pistol for my tenth birthday, but any time I’ve spoken about doing things outside of the family, as in, me being a fashion designer, it’s been a firmno.
“Yes,” Mimi says, her eyes wider than mine. She squeezes up close. She expands the post and whispers to me. “There’s gonna be a catwalk, free drinks, photos. Their key designer Tommy Lippe will be there too …”
“T-Tommy Lippee?” My chest tightens and I can barely breathe. I’ve dreamed of his designs and meeting him for years. He’s a genius. He’s a miracle worker. He’s a—
Colombino.
Obviously I know, and have been reminded plenty of times, that Piovere is a brand owned and used by the Colombino family to traffic drugs and money. But Tommy Lippee, despite his heritage and blood, is a complete master of the cloth.
“Imagine it,” Mimi says. “We’re in the club, the catwalk is happening. The dresses you dream of are walking by, then Tommy Lippee is there too. He asks you to his VIP table. You chat and play coy … And eventually it’s him who takes your virginity after all these years!”
“Mimi!” I slap her wrist but she giggles like a schoolgirl. “Let’s go to this,” she jabs her phone. “Before you start overthinking and ruining all the fun. It begins in thirty minutes.”
“But what will we do about—” I nod my head at the guards.
Mimi smiles. “Leave that to me. I’ve hooked up with Rocko enough times to think he’ll want some action if I just,” she winks and cocks her hip up.
“And Seb?” I say, cocking my own hips to the side.
Mimi rolls her eyes. “Do I have to think of everything?” She frowns though. “I’m not sure about Seb actually.” Her face falls. “Dammit Soph, can’t you just hook up with him already. Guys are so much easier to control when they think they’re gonna get some.”
“Hey, hold on. Do you still have that repellent spray you have for pervy guys?” I ask, already taking her handbag. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Sure, it’s the green bottle. It says that it’s a perfume, but it’s pure skunk.”
I find it and dab some of the repellent on my wrist. “Follow me.”
“I’m not sure how easy that comes off,” Mimi whispers.
We pull the curtain aside and I make a face of disgust. Sebastian and Rocko turn around expectantly, their already tight suits bulge at the smallest bit of action. Rocko grins at Mimi and she grins right back.
