Marcelle's POV
"Roberto is in Signor Tancredi's security. We met the day I was kneeling in front of Signor Tancredi waiting to die. He was the one holding the gun. When Signor forgave me, he told Roberto to take me downstairs where the servants sleep. He did not speak to me. He locked me in a room and I was alone for two days before he came back and asked me if I will cause trouble. I say no. He asked me if I will tell anyone about the Mafia. I say no. He gave me a uniform and told me that as long as I am good, no one will hurt me. I took his advise very seriously. I was good."
"When did you two start dating?"
Vittoria laughed in a way that expressed the fondness of the memory she was about to share. I envy this guy. Does he know how bright her eyes are now that she's talking about him?
"Not all Mafia men are gentlemen. One bodyguard, he slapped my behind. He said we should get together. The other young maids were doing it... sleeping with the bodyguards. Down on the servant floor it was a wicked place. Evil sounds at night!"
"Evil sounds?" I laughed. "You mean moaning."
She blushed. "Evil sounds. He tried coming to my room one night but I locked the door. I think I sensed he would come. He started threatening me. One time I was alone in a store arranging the food in boxes when he tried to have his way with me. I fought as much as I could but men are strong. I decided to scream. Roberto heard. He came in and stopped anything from happening. Signor Tancredi heard about it and the bodyguard was beaten nearly to death. That night Roberto he came to my room to check on me. We talked almost all night and as the days went by we became fond of each other's company. In a few weeks, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes."
"I'm sorry about that. You're right. Some men are brutes. I'm happy nothing happened to you. How did you end up in my mom's house?" I asked.
We decided to take a walk after dinner. The back of the hotel has beautiful grounds. There is a band playing some music and I think the ambience is nothing short of romantic.
"Signor Tancredi introduced me to your padre. He said 'she will do just fine' and I don't know what that means. Maybe he said I will work well. I try to do a good job."
Dad hiring servants? No.
"Do you want to dance?"
"I don't know how."
"I'll teach you." I took her waist before she could say no. I drew her close with our palms pressed together. "Move the way I do. It's simple."
"Si." She smiled at me but occasionally looked at her feet only to laugh when she looked up. "How am I doing?"
"You have two left feet." I laughed. "But it's okay. We can be clumsy together."
When the music slowed down, I drew her even closer resting her head where my heart beats. I hope she can hear how she's affecting me right now. There's something so pure and decent about her that is calling me. It wants me to get closer. I am getting pulled in and there's no reservations on my part. There are no brick walls.
I swayed with her in my arms. She is getting the hang of it and it starting to feel natural like we have done it forever. I closed my eyes for a moment floating away with her. I lowered my hand feeling the smooth fabric of her dress down to the curve of her back just above her bottom. She looked up almost immediately. I'm tempted to go a little lower. Just a little. I want to feel her.
"Marcelle!"
Now she says my name. That sharp gasp sounds sexy.
"It's okay." I whispered. It is a fleeting touch, my hand over her bottom and back to her waist. I wish I could grab her or even get to look without reserve. "You'll find out sooner or later that I am curious and I like to satisfy my curiosity. When that happens, I hope you say yes to me so that we can both enjoy it."
Her cheeks flashed. She looked away quickly.
We stopped moving and came to a complete stop. I ran the back of my hand over her warm cheeks. I want to kiss her. How can this night end without me kissing her? I'm not sure if she will allow me to see her again. What excuse will I have to see her again? I bent my head close to her with the intention in my mind only to end up kissing her cheek. If I kiss her now, I'll strip her naked and have her in the back of the Rolls and that is not the path I want to take.
"Are you okay Marcelle?"
"Yeah. Are you okay?"
"I... What do you want from me?" It's one if those rare moments when she's looking at me, really holding eye contact.
We fell down from the clouds. We fell hard. She is reading me well. She can see I'm struggling to tame myself.
"Honestly? To make love to you Vee." I answered her. I don't want to use the F word because that sounds vulgar. It will out her off. "You asked me to be honest. I want to make love to you."
"To make love?" She whispered with a frown on her face. "What about Roberto?"
"What about him?" I frowned at her too. "He's not here. He does not matter."
He's in Italy with his new wife and baby. I asked Rocco to double check and he assured me it's the same man who works for Tancredi. If Vittoria made it home the day she left, she could have stopped that wedding but things didn't work out for her. I'm not big on fate but it looks like our paths are intertwined. I'm not going to tell her about this. I can't be the one to tell her that her faithful Roberto cheated and she should not keep thinking about him because at the moment, I'm the only man in the picture.
"But I already told you he's waiting for me. We are supposed to get married."
"I'm sorry." You don't have a boyfriend anymore and I'm glad it is not my doing! "But you asked me to be honest. That is what I want from you. I'm trying to be decent and not let that dominate my mind. However, I can't help but wonder what will be left when we satisfy that curiosity. I want to know."
"You want to know the destination before you experience the journey." She cupped my face with both of her hands. "There's so much to learn on a journey that will make you appreciate the destination. The nuns told me that. I made a vow to myself. I can't give myself to a man if I'm not wed. I'm sorry. I can't satisfy your curiosity Marcelle."
I pressed my eyes shut. Now I understand her. I badly want to come between her and this vow.
"I understand. I don't agree with it but I understand and I'll try to behave myself."
We kept swaying in the warmth of the string lights above us.
I want to get to the destination but if the journey will make it better, I can make a futile attempt at enjoying the journey.
Vittoria's POV
I don't want this night to end. The dinner was wonderful. I did not feel like I was addressing the godfather. He felt like an ordinary man. He has kind eyes just like Signora but they can also be fierce like the day he confronted me about the ring.
"I enjoyed dancing with you." I told him.
His low laughs are deep. They are brief but they leave an impression. He is a wonderful man. Dangerous, yes! But wonderful. How is he alone?
His honesty is brutal.
He wants to make love to me. I knew it that night when he was on top of me. Roberto has had many of those hard moments but I always said no. To hear the godfather telling me he wants to make love to me scares me but like he said, I am curious too. I am very curious. But my resolve to keep my vow is stronger. The nuns say curiosity killed the cat. Curiosity should be tamed.
I pulled my hand out of his when it started to feel unusually hot. He only smiled at me.
"I hope I did not upset you." I spoke to him.
He hasn't said much after I told him no. I am grateful his reaction was not like that if Roberto. He is not insulting me or shouting at me.
"Not at all."
He never said he will honor my vow. He just said he understands. He's not easy to read. There's naughtiness in his blue eyes that he tries to hide but it's there. The nuns would tell me to be careful with this one but I feel safe with him. He's a stranger. A dangerous stranger but I feel safe with him and I dint want to be careful with him. I want to let go and just let him catch me wherever that may be. M Dio! It makes no sense. I have never felt like this.
"Thank you for this night. I had fun."
"I liked it. It was simple. I want to do it again. Soon."
No. Ay no!
When you have a hole in your tooth and you eat a sweet and it gives you tooth pain, you don't do it again. The hole in my tooth is the way I am comfortable with him. I can't see him again. What reason will I have? This was to make it up to me for what his daughter did. What reason will I have next time? I have a lot to tell my boyfriend. He won't be happy that the godfather wants to make love to me. Should I tell him that? Maybe not. I don't want trouble. When he said those words, my body felt hot from the forbidden spot between my legs. I can't see him again.
"I have a new job. It's busy."
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Think about it. There's more to life than Roberto." The car came to a stop. The driver stepped outside. "You are beautiful Vittoria." He turned my head using my chin. "So beautiful."
Dio!
Is he the kind of godfather to demand satisfaction e en if the woman is unwilling? Will he have me still even if I say no? Why am I not scared?
"Marcelle..." He pressed his forehead against mine, eyes dropped to my lips. His thumb grazed the lower one making me tremble. I want him to kiss me. Just a little taste. No. No. I can't. I pulled away fanning myself from the heat.
"I want to see you again and this time, I won't demand it as the godfather. You'll come to me. You'll see. You'll come to me."
My heart stopped entirely for a fraction of a second. What does he mean? Why would I go to him?
He opened the door and offered his hand. I took it and manage to get out of the car. He walked me to the front door. The lights are still on. Signora and her sisters must still be awake. "Good night Signor."
I will call him Signor to remind myself that he is unreachable and I should not even think anything more.
He pressed his lips on my cheek much more affectionately than he did at the restaurant. I felt his fingers dig into my waist. I should pull away. Why can't I? "Sweet dreams cara mia." He winked at me. My cheeks burn hotter than the sun. "Don't ring the bell until I'm gone."
He walked away quickly. I now feel cold. The heat is gone. When Thale car left, I reached for the bell..
I understood why when Signora opened with excitement on her face. "Where is he? We have questions!"
"He ran away." I informed her.
"How was it? Was he a gentleman?" She asked with a smile.
"Si he was. He was perfect. It was a good night."
Better than any other time I have gone out with Roberto. He is a typical man who doesn't listen or pay attention. Tonight I had all of Marcelle's attention and I felt like the most special person in the restaurant. He made me feel that away. He's a wonderful man.
He's just not my man.