Down to Business (Business Series) (45 page)

“Enjoy your honeymoon.”

Vinny smiled over his shoulder at me as he closed the door.

“Honeymoon?” I asked with a laugh. “Why would he think that?”

“I have no idea, maybe this is the honeymoon suite?”

I stood up and walked over to him, lacing his fingers with mine. “So I guess we are headed home?”

“Nah, we can still go to dinner. We have time.”

“But what about—”

He placed his fingers over my lips. “Let’s just…enjoy tonight and worry about everything else tomorrow.”

I smiled against his fingertips and nodded. He was right, we should enjoy our night because who knew what tomorrow would bring.

It only took me thirty minutes to get ready for our dinner date. I had packed one of Lindy’s dresses, a delicate spaghetti strap coral colored chiffon dress that showed just the right amount of cleavage and ended just above my knees. She wore it only once, last summer for her cousins wedding. I straightened my hair and thought to leave it down, but I felt a little under dressed so I pulled it pack into a sleek ponytail. It was better than nothing. Instead of buying new heels, I borrowed Lindy’s silver stilettos and I regretted it the moment I slid my foot into one of the towering heels. I felt like I was walking on my tippy toes. It was the closest I had ever been to attempted suicide.

I brushed on some neutral colored makeup and stepped out of the bathroom to see him knotting his tie at the mirror, dressed up in a black dress shirt and slacks. His eyes darted to me in the reflection and he turned around for a better look.

His gaze dragged over me before he shook his head. “You look beautiful.”

My cheeks blazed immediately. “Oh thanks. It’s nothing special.”

He finished the last few buttons on his shirt as he closed the gap between us. “Everything about you is special to me.”

I smiled and our lips met for a brief second. “You know what would go great with that outfit?”

“What?” I asked, sarcastic. “You?”

“No, this.”

My lips parted in surprise as he pressed a black velvet square into my palm. I looked down and then back up at him in shock. I didn’t have to question what was inside.

“Vinny.” I chided. “What is this?”

“A present.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“Open it.”

I drew a deep breath and tried to make the butterflies in my stomach dissipate. I lifted the box between us and slowly pulled back the lid to reveal a beautiful silver necklace with a four-leaf clover charm and a matching set of earrings. Each clover petal was emerald and the center stem was diamonds. I looked up at his face in shock and he laughed at me.

“Are those emeralds and diamonds?”

“Yeah, and the setting is platinum.”

“God Vinny, they must have cost you a fortune.”

“I thought of you when I saw that set because you always tell me “good luck”. No one says that to me besides you.”

“Aww…” I said and laughed, putting my arms around him. “Thank you. I love them and you. I love you.”

He chuckled. “I love you too.”

I let him put the necklace on me while I supervised in the mirror. I couldn’t stop smiling as I put on my earrings. It was my first real set of jewelry.

After I finished, we headed downstairs to the restaurant. A beautiful woman with long platinum hair and a perfect smile greeted us at the hostess stand. She said that our table wasn’t ready yet and I decided it would be a good time to use the bathroom.  The woman directed me that it was out in the main lobby on the right. I left my purse with Vinny and headed in the direction I was told. I concentrated on keeping one foot in front of the other without tripping in my stilettos.

Just as the bathrooms came into view, a familiar voice shouted, “You fucking bitch!”

I didn’t have time to react. Her firm grip took hold of my ponytail and my head snapped back. I immediately lost my balance. Confusion and panic surged through me as the world turned upside down, followed by pain as I landed on my back on the cold marble floor. I only had a half a second to react before her fist landed a perfect right-hook on my jaw. Pain shot through the right side of my face and the metallic taste of blood ran over my tongue. I saw her face through my blurred, watery vision. Her mascara was smudged worse than before and she looked even uglier from my angle.

“You don’t deserve him!” she yelled in my face.

Shocking pain shot through my body as she landed another punch to my cheek. I saw stars and something inside of me snapped. Pure rage took over my body as I looked up into her scowling  face, so full of hatred. I grabbed a handful of her thick black hair and yanked on it as hard as I could. The weight of her falling on top of me knocked the wind from my lungs. Her scream pierced my ears and we rolled, while I kicked, slapped, and clawed at any part of her I could reach. Somehow, I ended up on top of her, straddling her, and I took that opportunity to return the favor and pound my fists into her face as hard as I could.  I heard people shouting behind me and hands grabbed at my shoulders, but nothing could stop me. I wanted to beat the living shit out of her.

Finally, two strong hands yanked me off her and onto my wobbly stiletto stilted feet. Her nails raked down my thigh, causing burning pain. I kicked at her blindly, landing a good blow to her chest before my arms were yanked behind my back and I was forced face first into the nearest wall. A security officer yelled my rights into my left ear and the cold pinch of metal cuffs closing around my wrists brought me back to reality.

I was being arrested!

My heart pounded in my ears and I looked over to see Vinny watching me with a look of defeat.

The officer pulled me away from the wall while another officer cuffed Vivian. My legs felt like rubber as I was escorted out of the lobby. We were both taken through a private door that led into the bowels of the hotel where a security office was located.

They sat us down on opposite sides of a small waiting room with a metal door. They took our personal information before they removed our cuffs. She combed her hair back immediately and I got a better look at the damage I left.

It looked like I landed a few good punches from the way her nose was bleeding and her cheek was bruised up. Her usually perfect hair was a rat’s nest. She watched me with hatred, her chest rising and falling in deep angry breaths. Her exterior finally matched her interior; she was ugly from the inside out.

The whole right side of my face burned and my lips felt like they were double their size. I drug my tongue across my teeth to make sure that they were all there and tasted the blood on my lips. I wanted to spit the bloody saliva from my mouth, but I thought better of it and forced myself to swallow, gagging on it.

A different officer than the one that arrested me came out of the back room with a clipboard and pen in his hands. “Alright ladies, you’ve been apprehended for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. Now which one of you is responsible for starting this?”

“She is.” I shot an accusing glare at Vivian. “She attacked me, Officer.”

She snorted with a look of disgust. “You deserved it, bitch. You’re nothing but a conniving little whore and I’d kick your ass all over again.”

“Did you hear that?” I asked looking to the officer.

“I heard it.” He said, his pen working over the paper attached to the clipboard.

I gave her a snotty look and she rolled her eyes.

“Can you get me some fucking tissues?”

The officer glowered at her, considering her request. “Can you say, please?”

“Oh for fucks sake! Please! I’m bleeding all over my self!”

The officer left and returned a moment later with a box of tissues, which he dropped carelessly into her lap and then looked back to me.

“So, you’re stating that she attacked you?” the officer asked.

“Yes, Officer.” I nodded.

“And are you denying that statement, Ms. Campioni?”

“No,” Vivian said dabbing her nose with the tissue, as if she was proud of that fact.

“Alright, are we pressing charges here?” he asked, looking at me.

“No.” she answered, holding a wad of tissues to her nose.

“Yes,” I said, hoping they sent her ass to jail. “I want to press charges.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Can’t handle getting your ass beat?”

“By the looks of your face, you’re the one who got your ass kicked.”

She stood up from her seat and the officer immediately stepped between us, throwing out his arms.

“Sit down Ms. Campioni or I’ll cuff you again.”

She sighed and sat back down, blowing her nose loud.

The officer shoved a clipboard into my hands. “Here, fill this out. We need documentation to press charges.”

I took the clipboard and started to write. It was difficult since my hands were still shaking from the adrenaline pumping through me. Just as I finished the last page, the metal door opened and Vinny stepped in. The moment he laid eyes on me, his stern expression melted into concern.

“Vinny.” I dropped the clipboard and stood up.

He pulled me against him in a tight embrace, ignoring Vivian.

“Are you okay?” he asked, taking my face in his hands and gently rubbing his thumb over my tender cheek.

I winced as pain shot through my face. “Yeah.”

“Jesus…” he breathed. His eyes turned vengeful when he looked to Vivian. “What the fuck is the matter with you?”

Vivian glared at him and snorted. “I could have done a lot worse. I could have killed the bitch.”

He pulled away from me and marched over to her, pointing in her face. “If you ever touch her again…I’ll—”

“You’ll what Vinny? What will you do, huh? Fire me? Kick my ass?” she taunted and stood up. “You know I could always put a restraining order on you again, like I did this summer. I know you’d love to take a swing at me like your Dad used to do to your mother.”

His fists clenched, and his chest rose and fell with his deep breaths. “Shut your fucking mouth, Viv.”

“You’re a lying sack of shit and you won’t have anything left, just like him. How does it feel to know you fucked up just like your daddy?”

He leaned towards her and the officer stepped in and grabbed him by the shoulder. “Easy.”

“Fuck you Vivian!” he shouted in her face, leaning into the officer’s arm that restrained him.

“Hit me! Do it and I will own Mazzolas and you will go to jail!” she screamed back at him.

“I have never touched you, you crazy bitch! You know what? I’m done with this.” He threw his hands up. “You want Mazzolas? Fucking take it. Take all the money and the bullshit that comes with it too.” He turned to me and took me by my hand. “Come on, Autumn. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

I leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders in a protective embrace.

Vivian’s high-pitched bitch cackle rang out at our backsides. “You’re really going to walk away and give up everything for her? Your father was right when he called you a fucking disappointment!”

He turned around with me curled beneath his arm. “No, Vivian, you are the fucking disappointment. Over the last three months, I’ve realized what a scheming, selfish bitch you really are and I wouldn’t take you back if someone paid me. If I have to give up Mazzolas to get rid of you, then so be it. Being the manager of Mazzolas, isn’t what is important to me anymore. What is important, is my life. I only get one and I refuse to let anyone ruin it.  So screw you, and everyone else. I’m going to do what is best for me for once, and that is being with Autumn.”

He tightened his hold on me, as we watched the scowl on her face turn to despair.

“Vinny…”

“It’s over, Viv.” He squeezed me against him and turned away. “Let’s get out of here, Auti.”

I didn’t look back as he escorted me out of the security office. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing worth looking back for. All I could see was the future, a future worth everything.

One Month Later…

The
lock turned with a soft click and I pushed the door open to a living room full of cardboard boxes. The smell of fresh paint emanating from the coffee colored walls brought a smile to my face. In a few hours our living room full of boxes would soon be my new home. Our new home.