The Mafia Queen

CHAPTER 6: I Will NEVER Back Down!

KANE

Tonight's dinner was going to be unlike any other meeting and yet at the same time, be similar to a lot of the little gestures I do for turning on my irresistible charm that I have on women.

I need to remind myself at the same time that this is strictly business with this girl and the fact she has the thick curves that I love on women, doesn't change the fact she is an enemy in my eyes.

While heading into the restaurant and greeting everybody, including the Manager, I have him seat me in the private corner booth that is located away from everyone while Markus and a few of my other men sit in the booth behind me. Franklin and a couple of the guys HARLIE decides to bring with her will be sitting there as well.

While waiting for her arrival, I spoke with the manager to pass some time and I ask how his family is doing. Then while we go back and forth having a good conversation, laughing it up, I stop as soon as I notice Harlie walk into the restaurant looking sexy as fuck in the tight dress she has on.

I stand up to greet her and Franklin as do my guys and once we are finished, she takes a seat across from me and I have to admit, if she plans to continue wearing outfits like that while having men gawk at her, that will be a problem. I can forsee it already.

I find MYSELF at the moment having a problem right now and finding it difficult to keep my hands to myself. I have to remain focused.

"I hope you're hungry." I mention to hurry and distract my thoughts.

She at first looks at me bewildered a little bit but then smiles a little after I say that.

"I am." She states with a half smile and only half sincerity in her tone of voice while opening up the menu and taking a look at it.

"Of course." I smiled, pretending she was being genuine.

Next I heard Franklin clear his throat, causing her to take in a deep breath and roll her eyes a bit before looking up for a brief moment from the menu and making eye contact with me.

"Thank you, by the way, for inviting us to dinner." She tells me before she looks back down at the menu again.

"Yeah, I thought this would be more comfortable and appropriate." I state.

I already knew what I wanted to have, but pretended to look at the menu while she looked over the choices, when in actuality I was looking at her and the menu just gave me a chance to be less obvious about it.

After ordering our meal and some wine, I could sense that she was a bit nervous. In which I won't lie, had me taken back a bit because she didn't seem the type who would be so nervous.

However, it is better than her being mad or agitated, I guess.

"So Franklin tells me you own this restaurant." She brings up.

"Of many." I smiled a little. "The original owner was an immigrant from Italy. He brought his family over here with only ten dollars to his name and a dream to give a better life for his family. Then about ten years into the place being opened, the man got sick and unfortunately passed from stomach cancer. So his son took charge and has been running it ever since. Then once the pandemic hit, things unfortunately took a turn for the worst financially and wasn't bringing in as much profit as before, so because I loved this place and used to come here with both of my parents, I helped him get back onto his feet."

When I finished telling her all of that I immediately felt pissed off at myself. No one else knows the details let alone the meaning this place has on me and honestly, nobody ever needed to know that. Especially her. Why the hell did I even mention any of that?!

Yet, I can tell by the look on her face of surprise, I guess it will work in playing my cards.

The waiter brought by our wine first and after we both took a sip from our glasses, I started mentioning about the offer, but she stops me.

"Before you start a speech of some kind, I would like to.....apologize, for the other day."

I was in complete shock to hear her tell me that. In fact, judging by how she seemed to sort of struggle in the apology, I began to think that maybe she didn't mean it?

Then again, none of this matters and I should just make her think I believe her as part of the plan in her trying to trust me enough to where eventually she hands me over the contract. So I play along.

"I accept your apology and believe we should start over." I suggested.

"Alright. But I do want to mention that any ideas you have in trying to use on me, including your 'charms,' I want to make it perfectly clear right here in this moment, that they won't work on me. I don't give up on things I want." She tells me with certainty in her tone of voice along with seriousness in her eyes.

Damn! Never thought she could surprise me again and have me fumbling for what to say but she has managed to do it again. Already, she has me looking at her a little differently.

Not saying that I am worried I won't win this little game, but at least now I have a bit more upper hand and a truthful idea of her.

"Fair enough. In return, I will ask the same. Don't be trying to use your CHARMS to try and persuade me because I am not like most men who fall for those tricks you girls use on us." I smirked.

I was half serious and half joking when I said that, in which I was pleased to see her fighting back a smile, yet lets a little bit of it show before quickly hiding it again.

We both nodded in agreement then cheersed to that, clinking our glasses and we began discussing more details about my terms with this deal as of course she did with hers.

Next chapter will be posted soon! :)