Raelyn
"Raelyn if you don't tell me what is going on, I'll shake it out of you." Gigi threatened me. I knew she wasn't bluffing by the crazy look in her eyes.
I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to regain myself from shock.
She walked up to me quickly and scanned over me, her hands placed on my arms. "Did he do anything? Did he touch you? Threaten you?" Her buzz of questions made me dizzy.
"No, no Gigi. He just...we just talked about what I had told you."
"The bastard cornered you." She said under her breath. I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat. "Well?" Gigi pressed. I looked at the entrance to make sure no one was there. "He didn't say much."
"Walk me through everything, Rae."
"Okay," I started. I took a breath in and then deeply exhaled. "I was just curious so I went into this room. A few minutes later he entered. I was so scared, Gigi. I told him I was sorry and right when I was about to pass him, he said he didn't mind."
Gigi furrowed her eyebrows at my last sentence.
"I insisted to leave, but he cut me short and said that I had to stay where I was because we needed to talk. I guess he could tell how scared I was because he walked up to me and told me the rumors I've probably heard of him were true, but that he didn't harm women."
"Oh..." Gigi said taken back.
"I was becoming very shy by our closeness so I avoided eye contact with him. And then...he told me that he could only assume I was going back on my promise to not tell anyone about what happened, since I wasn't looking him in the eyes."
"Eye contact is important in the mob, Rae." Gigi told me.
"It makes sense." I said back. I played with my fingers more. "Anyway, I thanked him for what he did that night." I almost felt ashamed at what I just said. I was thankful he killed a man?
"He didn't say you're welcome, did he?" Gigi asked, a grin on her lips. I then replayed stefano and I's encounter. I frowned. "No, he didn't. Instead, he told me that I wouldn't be lucky next time, and that I knew how this town was."
"That's as close as anything you'll ever get from him. He's an asshole, Rae. Don't try to see anything else in him." Gigi said in a matter of fact tone.
I became defensive. "He isn't that bad."
Gigi gave me a humorous look. "You don't know anything about him, Rae."
I wanted to argue back, but I didn't have enough evidence to support my claim.
Stefano
I relaxed my hand as I saw that it was just Raelyn's friend that was entering the room. I felt Raelyn's eyes on me and as I looked down at her, I took in her pleading eyes. Without a word, I left the room.
I returned down to the main floor where my guests were waiting to kiss my ass.
I scanned the room with my eyes, lifting the corners of my mouth slightly as my gaze lingered on Raelyn's father.
"Sir," I tore my gaze from him and onto Sacco. "Yes?"
"Senator Franklin wishes to speak to you."
"If he wishes to speak to me, he must present himself." I said smoothly, my eyes resting on Richard and his wife once again.
*
"Spare me." The words left my lips distastefully. The entertainment couldn't perform because of their lead singer falling ill. I myself was becoming bored with the instrumentals.
Getting up from my table, I followed the organizer to the center of the floor where he and his team were discussing about an alternative to the group that was supposed to perform. From the corner of my eye I saw Raelyn sitting at a table to my right. I locked eyes with her before she shyly looked away.
She had been listening to our conversation.
"Should we tell the guests the entertainment couldn't make it?" One of them asked.
"Of course not." I snarled. I wanted to say more to his idiotic suggestion but held my tongue.
"Um," I heard a soft feminine voice. The organizers all looked to my side. I followed their intense gazes to Raelyn who made her way into our circle. "If it's alright, I can..I can sing. I can play the piano..." she trailed.
The men began to laugh and ignore her. I saw Raelyn shrink back. "No," I said stopping her movements. "You can sing?" I asked her. She shyly nodded her head, her big eyes looking into mine. The men looked at me incredulously. "Are you sure?" I asked again.
"I'm not a bad singer, I promise." She told me.
The men looked as if they wanted to protest. They gave me uncertain looks. "Let her." Was all I said before going back to my table.
Let's see what Raelyn could do. Besides, she owed me.
I watched intently as the lead organizer looked down at Raelyn as she talked to him. The piano was brought out in the center of the stage and I watched as Raelyn crunched up some of her dress so she'd be able to walk up the stage.
"That's our entertainment?" I heard one of my men sneer and the others followed. My gaze never left Raelyn. My eyes slightly narrowed as she looked into the crowd.
She had a spine.
Her fingers grazed the keys on the piano before she looked at the tables again.
She pressed her fingers on the keys, making a few horrid sounds erupt from the instrument.
I heard laughter begin to erupt. I clenched my jaw before shifting my gaze back to Raelyn. I knew if her skin was lighter, she'd look like a tomato with how embarrassed she looked right now.
She started over and pressed the keys again, this time, a beautiful melody sounding through my ears. She leaned into the microphone that was adjusted above the second level of the piano.
"I will be singing Waves, by Mr.Probz." She said softly. Yet, I still heard laughter.
These people were beginning to annoy me.
The first words that left her mouth captivated me. Involuntarily, my eyes even widened a little bit. Angelic. If there was another word I could use to describe her voice, I didn't know.
When she had gotten to what I assumed was the chorus, I thought I was done for.
She sounded as if she was broken hearted, her voice made me feel the song.
Her eyes scanned the crowd until they stilled on mine.
My eyes were focused on her. Everything was tuned out except for her soft and silky voice. I took the time to admire her beauty.
I didn't even bother comprehending the other lyrics, her voice was music to my ears and others' as well. No more did I hear the nice remarks and doubt about her singing and performance ability.
She's damn good.
When she had finished, a roar of claps could be heard. I was surprised to find myself among those that were applauding her.
She smiled her white smile and I grinned.
The lead organizer quickly flew up the steps of the stages to talk to her. There was no doubt in my mind that he was asking her to perform another song.
Raelyn
"You showed those girls, Rae!" Gigi said gripping my arm to the point where I thought it would fall limp.
"I know..." I said gently. "I was getting annoyed with them. I wanted to show them I was more than what they thought of me." I said turning to look at the table of girls giving me evil glances.
After my fourth song, I had gotten tired and hungry and begged Lorenzo for me to leave the stage. When I had stepped off, I searched the crowd for my parents. I hope I made them proud.
They each gave me the confirmation I needed.
I then searched for Stefano but he was nowhere to be found.
"You haven't tried the turkey, Rae. It's delicious!" Gigi said dragging me back to our table as I chuckled.
Happy New Years