Mafia Protection (Sample)

Chapter 6

This time Angelo led as Ella followed. He chose a table away from the chatter of guests and opposite of the front door. His manners surprised her again. He pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit. Ella could not help but smile at him. She enjoyed talking to him and felt more comfortable tonight. Maybe his work contributed to his stern disposition, but somehow she saw kindness behind his eyes. Maybe they were a touch sad—kind of like the painting on the wall.

Ella quietly watched as he turned the bottle of wine over, inspecting it for imperfections. There was no dust. It had been stored properly and at the correct temperature. She knew he would find nothing wrong with it. All he needed now was an employee who would open it and give them some glasses.

Then Ella remembered that Lila worked tonight. Ella shook her head as Lila started for the table. She wanted another server. Angelo looked up at Ella as she waved at Lila not to come. He must have caught the silent conversation out of the corner of his eye. Ella gave a sheepish smile in return.

"Good evening," Lila greeted and set down two glasses. Angelo winced at the voice and Ella went quiet. She could instantly tell that Angelo had overheard Lila the previous week. Her cheeks grew pink all over again as she willed Lila to hold her tongue.

"I'll get that for you," Lila said and opened the bottle for Angelo. Maybe having wine here was not a good idea after all. Ella should have recommended the back office to talk. "Would you like to see a menu?" Lila asked and set the bottle on the table.

"No," Angelo answered immediately. "We won't need you any more either."

"All right," Lila said. Ella exchanged looks with her. It was a desperate plea for Lila not to say what was on her mind. Lila started to open her mouth but seemed to catch on, Ella exhaling a long, silent breath when she finally walked away.

"How long have you been friends with the server?" Angelo asked and poured them both some wine.

"Seven months," she said and took the glass he held. She was going to need the wine tonight, especially with Lila lurking about. "I met her here on the first day that I moved to Key Biscayne."

"Ah, so you aren't from around here."

"No," said Ella as she sipped a drink. "I'm from Orlando. My family used to travel here twice a year. After I got my bachelor's in business, I moved here permanently."

"And your parents don't mind you being so far away from home?"

Ella rested her chin on her hand as she looked to the side in thought. "I love Key Biscayne. I wanted to move here for this restaurant. My father did mind at first. I don't know what made him change his mind, but he did. He said I could live in the vacation home where we used to stay. It isn't a big house, but it has everything I need. I wasn't going to pass it up."

"I've never heard of anyone moving across state away from family for a restaurant. What's your reason?"

"Mr. Tomassi," Ella let out a breath. "Some things are too hard to talk about."

"It's okay. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't press it."

She went silent for a minute. Ella looked down at the table in sad recollection, but she would not cry about it—not again. Nothing would bring her mother back anyway. Yet even as she thought this, her mind resorted back to six years earlier to that dreadful day in October.

Ella was two months into her junior year at boarding school. It was well past curfew when she heard the ding of the elevator door. She never noticed how loud that ding actually was until it echoed in the dead of night. Ella ran out of the elevator and down the hallway without making a sound. She had not meant to be late. It took that long to complete her school project. Her studies were more important than following a curfew. Her grades would be her ticket out of her sheltered life.