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There’sdensecigarettesmokethat hangs low in the room and I scowl. Someone’s smoking somewhere. And it’s accosting my lungs. I cough. The high ceilings even did little to help. You’d think it would spread it out a little bit… but no such luck. Instead, it’s something I actually hate about the room. It’s an open stairwell where the bar is. Hard to pinpoint where exactly the smoke is coming from. Upstairs or down…It also seems to amplify the conversations as they echo and bounce off the walls. You can be upstairs and I hear everything you’re saying, but I can be sitting next to you and you sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher. I had to invest a ton into getting a decent sound system.
The tall standing tables that normally scatter around the space during our events had been pushed so that they were against the wall for our normal nights. Glasses and bottles are littered on every single one of them.
I slip through the crowd, apologizing to everyone I jostle on my way to find the source of the smoke.
“You okay?” Tony yells out over the music.
I throw him a thumbs up sign. It’s awkward and I’m not sure what’s even gotten into me. How awkward could I be? I was getting too old to be a silly school-girl. A thumbs up?
For Christ’s Sake…
No one smokes in my club.
Inebriated men and women dance around and even against me as I make my way through. It’s crazy to think I was just as drunk as them just a few moments before. Things were getting heavy with Tony. The conversation was becoming too much for me.
“Hey, Baby!” A man calls out, grabbing me by the waist. I shove him off me.
“No, thanks,baby…” He looks young enough to be my son.
The place is usually well enforced by my security guards. There’s a no-gawking rule, too. Usually looking and talking to me was completely off limits. But, I’d sent them all home. I’ve been extremely grateful so far. It never hurts to avoid overly friendly drunks like the babyface that just tried to grope me.
There was usually nothing good to be had with a drunk patron and me. Wasn’t usually a good combination.
It’s funny, Luigi was right about something. If the Colombos wanted me tonight, it might be a good night for it.
I’m drunk.
I’m unmanned.
And I’m completely stupid for letting my loneliness get me to this state. It’s crazy to think that there were dead bodies in this very building just a few months before. A lot of them. Family. They were all family.
They all had memorials in the coming days, too.
The smoke seems to be coming from my office. I kick open the door.
There’s Luigi. And Frankie.
And sure enough, they’re smoking.
I slide between the two men. “Welcome to my office, gentlemen,” I say. “May I ask what in the fuck you’re doing smoking in here?”
The stench of alcohol was draped over both of their bodies. Infused with their sweat and the smoke. It all assaulted my nose.
“Figured we were all cutting loose tonight,” Luigi cut in the most deliberate and scornful manner he could muster. “Right?”
“I’m just having a few drinks… not lighting up smoke in a non-smoking establishment. We could be shut down for this!”
“Since when is a Mob boss scared of cigars?” Frankie spits.
“We have an illegal casino in our storage room, Aria…” Luigi reminds me.
“I’m sick of the both of you right now…” I grab the cigar from Luigi and put it out on his shirt.
“Fuck!” he gasps, flailing his shirt away from his body.
“Hope it hurts…” I growl. “Don’t test me again.” I turn on my heel and head back to the bar. I could feel myself losing control. On one hand, I didn’t want to deal with this while intoxicated. On the other hand, they needed to learn a little more respect than what they’ve been giving me lately.
I need a little respect everywhere it seems. Everyone is looking to me to get even. An eye for an eye…
