Perfectly Ruined by:jdollar *a D'Amore story*

Chapter 34

~~☆~~☆~~☆~~☆~~ stars can't shine without darkness ~~☆~~☆~~☆~~☆~~
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Caroline
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Today, I woke with a new determination! If I can't have Pauly, then I'll just have everything else. Clothes, shoes, and the new Marc Jacobs handbag. Rita thinks it's a fantastic plan and is thrilled to tag along with me for the day. Since I've been home for over a week and not spoken to Adalee, she drills me over the phone about for half an hour but still plans on meeting me for my shopping day.
As the elevator doors open to my lobby, I roll my eyes. Since I haven't exactly gone anywhere the entire time I've been home, I had completely forgotten about the watchdogs Pauly had ordered on me.

"Who are they?" Rita asks at my side.

"They're the last lingering gnats from my soon to be forgotten past."

We step out into the newly redone lobby. I'd hardly paid any attention to the new look of the lobby. Thanks to a drive by that nearly killed me and Pauly, the entire lower half of my building has been resigned. With fresh glass, painted walls, and new furniture.  Beautifully done, if you ask me. As if nothing ever happened here, as it should be. That night never happened.
The men approach us, looking every bit the bad boys they are. Honestly, I wonder how they've gotten by staying in the lobby looking the way they do. Tattoos, black pants and shirts, and one has a piercing that hangs below his nose. Reminding me of the old cartoon bull that was always going crazy because he saw red. Rita becomes uncomfortable as they move closer, she hides herself half behind me, using me as a shield.

"Ma'am?" The one with the ring hanging from his nose asks with the utmost respect.

"I'm going out today, boys," I swing my purse over my shoulder, accidentally hitting Rita in the process. "So, you can all take the rest of the day off."

I turn to walk away from them, not giving them a second thought really, until...they start following us outside.

"Miss Caroline," Rita calls this to my attention.

I turn to see that everyone of them are just a few steps behind us.

"Umm? Excuse me but I thought I just said that you could have the rest of the day off?"

The one with the nose ring answers again and I assume him to be the leader of their little group.

"You did. But we don't take orders from you."

My nostrils flare. "Pauly?"

The man nods his bald tattooed head.

"Yes, ma'am. Until the words come from  him, we are to stay with you at all times."

"Do you think you could, I don't know, call him and tell him that I'm just going shopping? I won't need a bodyguard for that."

"Can't do that," he says. "Orders are to stay with you, only call if something happens or if we suspect anything. I have strict orders, ma'am. You understand?"

I stamp my high heeled foot like a two year old and turn away from him. Looping my arm with Rita's. We head down the street, ignoring the group of men following behind us.

~•~
"But why are there so many?" Adalee says over he glass of water.

I glance over my shoulder, back to the men sitting two tables away. I picked the fanciest place for lunch I could. They stand out like a sore thumb. They have all day. At first, I had thought they'd get sick of the staring and would call Pauly to get a chance to leave. But they don't. And now, I feel guilty for having put them through this. It wasn't their fault they got saddled with the chore. It's Pauly's fault and it only makes me angrier at him. If that's possible.