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His jaw ticks just once, just barely, causing my stomach to shrink within my abdomen.Is he really going to pick me apart? Or worse, what if he rejects me, in front of my family? What if I’m not the prize my uncle has counted on me to be?
“She is…impeccable.” He says plainly, breaking me out of my worry spiral.
“Bueno. Ladies, leave us.” Mamá and I both stand at Tío’s command. “Eleanna you may walk the senator out when we’ve finished our discussion.”
“Gracias, Tío.” I say with a smile as I scamper awkwardly from the table.
Mia pounces the second we’re inside with the French doors closed at our backs. “So! How is he?”
“I, uh…” I just breathe. That conversation was intense, even though I had braced for it.
“You’re actually blushing! Wait,” Mia grabs my arm and moves us from the closed doors to the kitchen. “Ellie? Did he say something rude? Is he an asshole?”
“Mia! Mind your mouth! Of course not! He was a gentleman. He said your sister is perfect.” Mamá rushes to a man’s defense, to literally no one’s surprise. She moves around the bar to start loading the chef’s desserts onto trays.
“His exact word was ‘impeccable.’” I mutter, still almost panting.
“Well, that’s…nice? I guess? How muchtalking about you as if you aren’t sitting right therewas there?” I just wince in reply.
“Dios ayúdame,you girls are too much. You forget your place.” Mamáraises her hands and shakes them as if her almost yelling at us isn’t clear enough. “This is our dream,bonita!This is a great day for our family!”
“Yes,mamá.” I say calmly. She softens a bit and comes around the bar to grab my shoulders. “I know he is not a don or a capo, but he is a powerful man, Eleanna. They are the same. You are ready for him, and he is lucky to have you. You will have a strong partnership,mija,I know it.”
I nod.
“On this, we agree,” Mia says, grabbing a dessert from the tray on the counter, even as Mamáswats her hand. “All men are the same.” Then my sister pretends to gag on her dessert at the thought of the male species in general, another surprise to absolutely no one.
I shake my head at her antics and start to sit but my mother stops me. “Go freshen up before you walk him out, your sister is right about the blushing.”
I do as she says, taming away stray hairs and powdering my glistening nose and forehead. I brush my teeth and reapply my gloss and check for sweat stains in my dress. I take a seat on the edge of my bed directly under the air condition vent and wait.
And wait.
Finally, I hear my father calling for me from the entryway.
“Papá?” I scan around him for the others as I head down the stairs.
“He left,princesa. But it’s no matter, the deal is done. Your uncle is thrilled, and I am so proud.” He hugs me tight when I reach the bottom step. “Your wholefamiliais proud, Eleanna, well done.”
I hear Mia scoff, and half of me agrees with her. I haven’t done anything yet. Not really. But the other half fills like a water balloon, bursting at his praise. I knew this time would come, that my family would ask this of me, and would hope for a powerful union. And I delivered.
But…
It’s concerning to me that Mark didn’t want me to walk him out. It’s concerning that he stared down my uncle and made demands, as if he has no idea who he’s marrying...or rather, what he’s marrying into. It’s concerning that he spoke freely and smiled fully with those bright white teeth and employs men who wear visible earpieces and cheesy black sunglasses…three verynot-a-Made-man actions.
I talk through a few details with my parents before I’m dismissed. I hurry up the stairs to call Luna. She’s desperate to hear the news and I’m desperate for her advice. Maybe she’s heard of my dear fiancé in the Italian circles?
I grab my head as I reach the landing. It’s pounding, my stomach is still in knots and my limbs feels like I just went through a high-intensity workout.
But my knuckles, where his lips met my skin…they’re still tingling.
CHAPTER 3
Eleanna
“Senator Mark White, I got him!” Luna says the second her face fills my laptop screen.
I laugh, “Hello to you too. And how?”
