"I want everyone vigilant. No mistakes." Luke said, handing a few papers out the men who were all seated in his office. He looked to the door.
Marco had stepped out about twenty minutes ago after receiving an important call and still hadn't returned. There was still a lot to discuss, where the hell was he? It was getting late in day and everyone was so busy they hadn't even stopped for lunch.
"Can someone please go find Marco?" Luke asked impatiently, prompting one of the men by the door to step out.
"There's a lot more to do. I don't want to hear that we have that type of filth in the town either. I mean it." He said, having heard rumors that some of the drugs the Russo brothers had sold made it this far.
"Excuse me, Mr. Farina." The man said, reappearing.
"Well, where is he?" Luke asked.
"He left." The man replied.
"He what?" Luke asked. Where the fuck did he go?
"I was informed in the front that he left a while ago." The man said. Luke stared for a second, conscious of the ticking from the scar on his cheek.
"That's all for now." Luke said, his voice low. Everyone continued to stare... "Well, what are you just sitting there for? Get out of here."
The men scrambled up, darting for the door, knowing better than to get on his bad side. They could tell he was upset and the sooner they got away, the better.
When they were gone, he picked up his phone and called. Marco had a lot of explaining to do...
"Hello." Marco's voice came through low.
"Care to tell me just where the hell you are?" Luke said, raising his voice.
"Actually, I'm at your place." Marco said, sounding cool as a cucumber.
"What the hell are you doing there?" Luke asked.
"There's someone here to see you." Marco replied. Luke was quiet, a smile forming on his face as he realized who it would be.
"I'm on my way." He said, hanging up the phone. He hadn't expected her to come by so quickly, he'd only seen her parents early that morning. He glanced at the clock, nearly three. She must have driven here in a fury. He could imagine how mad she'd be, she'd be seething but he'd calm her down.
"He's on his way." Marco said, looking at Echo, who was pacing back and forth. When he arrived to Luke's house, it was to find that she'd already put back in this room and she was ready to commit bloody murder. He watched her, looking like a caged animal, ready to pounce.
She was mad, of course she was mad but more than anything, she was stressed. Something about Luke spending time with her family made her uneasy. She felt the churning in her stomach, she was queasy and it wasn't just because she'd skipped lunch. She looked at Marco, checking the time again. How in the world did she end up back in this room?
"We can wait for him in the living room." Echo said, trying to be calm.
"You'll be more comfortable in here." Marco said.
"Do you think I'm going to run off? I came here on my own." Echo replied.
"Just being careful." Marco said.
"Right." Echo replied, rolling her eyes. She paced around the room a bit more, noting how Marco stared at her.
"Is there something on my face?" She asked and Marco smiled.
"No, I'm just doing my job." He said.
"Making sure I don't escape?" She asked.
"From where, you're not my prisoner." Luke said, appearing at the doorway. How'd he get here so fast?
Echo took a step back, bringing her arms up around her. She forgot what he looked like when he was all dressed up. The last time she'd seen him, he was laying in bed, bruised and battered. Now, you could hardly tell he'd been hurt at all.
"You can leave us." Luke said, stepping into the room, his eyes on her the whole time. Marco nodded, stepping out and closing the door behind him. Echo raised her chin and took a breath.
"If I'm not you're prisoner, why am I in this room again?" She asked, trying to sound calm but she was very aware of how close he was.
"It's more comfortable." Luke said, taking in her appearance. "I was disappointed when you didn't come by before."
"I told you I wouldn't be." She said simply.
"So then why are you here now?" He asked.
"You know why." She said, "I don't need my family knowing that I've met you."
"They won't." He said, taking a step towards her. "You know, Echo- this isn't how you should be greeting me."
She didn't say anything, she only continued to watch as he came closer.
"I'd like it if in the future you always greeted me with one of those great kisses I know you can give." he said, making her turn red.
"I'd like it if you didn't associate with my family." She said and he chuckled. "I'm not kidding, Luke!"
"If you're worried about me getting them into trouble, I can guarantee there isn't a thing about the Ark that isn't legal." He said, seeing how she relaxed a bit. "Promise."
"Why them? You've been there for years, why now?" She asked and he sighed.
"I thought it was obvious. I needed to see you." He said. "and I gave you my word I wouldn't come to your house."
"I expect you to keep it. If they invite you over, say no." She said.
"I won't go to your home unless you invite me yourself." He said.
"Good." She replied, "That won't happen."
"I don't understand why you're being this cruel. I thought you liked me..." He said.
"I think you know why." She said, "I told you this couldn't happen."
"But it is going to happen." He said, taking another step towards her. "Echo, you and I are going to get along wonderfully, You just have to let me treat you as nicely as I want too."
"I don't get it. Why? Why me?" Echo asked and Luke shrugged.
"I don't know. I've got you stuck in my head." He said, tapping a finger against his temple, "And I want you."
"What if I don't want you?" She asked.
"But you do." he replied, startling her with the words, "I know you do."
"What do you want from me?" She asked and now he was right in front of her, grazing her arm with his fingers.
"I want everything." He said in a low voice. "But for now, lunch?"
She frowned, not expecting that.
"Lunch?" She asked and he nodded.
"I told you, I want everything, including your company. The rest will come gradually, I'm sure. Did you have lunch already?" He said and She raised her brow.
"No, I drove straight here." She said.
"Good, I skipped lunch too. Work." He said with a nod. "Now, go change, it's getting late."
Echo stared at him for a moment. Had he gone completely mad?
"Change? Into what? I didn't bring other clothes?" She asked and started walking towards the bathroom door. "Why would I change? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"Everything." He said, looking her over. "Go in there, pick something, meet me in front in 10 minutes. Anything as long as it's from in there."
"I'm not..." She began to say but Luke disappeared behind the door, not waiting to hear her protests.
Echo stared yet again, completely stunned.
"What in the world?" Echo put a hand on either hip. "No, absolutely not. I'm not doing this."
She moved towards the door, preparing to walk right out of that house and drive home but then she stopped.
"Just walk out, Echo. Just walk out." She said over and over but for some reason she didn't. Instead, she turned, looking at the door that Luke had pointed too.
"Oh my god." Echo whispered to herself as she walked into the room on the other side of the restroom. She'd been wrong. The other door didn't lead to the hall, it led to a very large closet- so large it was actually bigger than her bedroom.
At the moment, there wasn't much anywhere. There was just one lonely rack with a few items hanging from it and a few matching shoes. She ran her fingers across the clothes, realizing they were all in her size. How did he know?
"I can't wear this." She said, sorting through the clothes time and time again. There wasn't a single thing on here she could wear. She'd never worn anything like that.
"Absolutely not." She said, deciding she would stay as she was. This was all beyond ridiculous. what the hell was going on?
She turned around, heading back past the restroom and into the room towards the door, flinging it open with a newfound determination... then jumping back in surprise. Marco stood staring at her, a grin on his face.
"You're not ready?" Marco asked, "Were the clothes the wrong size?"
"They're the wrong everything, I don't wear stuff like that. " She said. "and I don't see why I should have to change. My clothes are fine."
"Sorry. Boss says you need to change and honestly, I agree." Marco said, looking her over.
"This is absurd. Either I go to lunch like this or I go home... which is what I wanted to do in the first place." She said.
"Then go home. You can't go to lunch with him if you're dressed like that." Marco said, "and from what I understand, you want to talk to him about business with your family, right?"
"Yes but..." She began but Marco shook his head.
"Then I suggest Lunch as the best place to do it." Marco replied. Echo stared at him for a second before letting out a frustrated sigh. She rolled her eyes and stomped back into the room angrily.
"I can't believe this." she said as she made it back into the closet. It looked a lot like Romy's closet- only hers was filled to the brim with clothes and handbags, always in the best of taste. A few years before, Romy had someone come into their house and specially build the closet for her. Her sisters had all complained because their rooms were not in a place where a closet like this one could be accommodated and Echo couldn't lie, even she envied it.
She moved to the rack, looking for the most conservative thing she could find, turning red as she skipped over some of the dresses.
"I can't believe I'm doing this." She said, as she pulled something off the rack and stepped into it. She tried to have a panic attack when she saw herself in the mirror. It was a knee length dress, high boat neck, no sleeves-simple- but what stressed her out was how it hugged every curve on her body, curves she didn't even realize she had. She tried to pull at the sides, hoping it would loosen but it was no use. It fit her like something out of Romy's closet.
She frowned. Actually, she wouldn't be surprised if Romy owned this exact dress.
"No, no! This is absolutely NOT going to happen." She continued, staring at herself as she spun around in circles, trying to find an angle she didn't feel awkward at.
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself.
"NOPE." She said.
"Why not?"
She jumped around and stared wide eyed. It was Luke.
"I think it suits you." he said, hands in his pockets as he moved towards her. Echo shook her head.
"It doesn't. I don't even look like me." She said, pulling at the sides of the fabric again. She caught sight of him in the mirror as he extended his arms to her and she quickly jumped back, holding out a shoe she'd pulled off the rack.
"Woah." he said, holding his hands up with a grin.
"What are doing?" She asked suspiciously.
"Trying to help you with the zipper." He replied, shaking his head as she lowered her arms. She turned away, biting her lip as he zipped the dress up.
"I could just wear my own clothes." She said as he finished. He sighed.
"No, you couldn't." He said, taking the shoe from her and motioning to a nearby bench. She walked over, head hanging low, feeling defeated. Then, as she sat, she tried not to gasp as he knelt next to her and helped her with the shoes.
"You know, I'm really big on punctuality. If I say 10 minutes, I mean 10 minutes." He said gently but firmly. She felt his fingers graze her ankle as she reached for the other foot.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked, trying to distract herself from his fingers as he strapped on the other shoe.
"Because you're taking long and I'm hungry." He said with a chuckle, standing and straightening himself out.
"You know what I mean." She said, staring at her feet.
"We can talk about that later." He said, turning on his heel. "Come on."
"Ummm... You know I'm going to fall on my face the moment I stand, right?" She said, still staring at her feet. She looked up and noticed how his shoulders moved up in down as if taking a deep breath. He was exasperated. Slowly, because the fear of the fall was VERY real, she stood.
Luke turned and stared at her impatiently, noticing how she held her arms out as if trying to gain balance. She looked... hilarious. So much that he instantly forgot she was starting to annoy him. With a shrug and a big smile he approached her.
"Well, if you insist." He said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her along.