The Beautiful People (14 page)

With college out of the
way I had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with. My days fell into
a pattern of sleeping, usually restlessly, until noon and driving to Fairmount
Park for a run. I would grab a bagel, pretzel or hoagie for lunch and then
meander around the Art Museum. Something about the calm interior and hushed
reverence visitors had for the exhibits were soothing.

After spending a few
hours in the museum I would zip home in my fabulous new car. Dominic was
usually waiting for me and we would go to dinner before work. It didn’t matter
which restaurant he took me too, everyone knew him and we always got the best
treatment. There were definite perks to dating a Mafioso. Our favorite
restaurant, and one we had to visit at least every other week, was Franco’s.
Aunt Gloria would fuss over us like nobody’s business. Bianca would grill me
about college as she was going to Temple University in the fall.

Up until late June I
had been waitressing in the VIP section until one night Miranda interrupted me
while I was setting up.

            “I need
your help.” She pleaded.

            “Sure,
what’s up?”

            “Joey and
Grant got called away on ‘business’ I need someone to work the gun check.”

            “Oh.” I was
suddenly nervous. I had never touched a gun before. “Ok.”

            “Brittany
will work VIP tonight. She’ll be beside herself with joy.”

There was something
disconcerting about taking firearms from drunk people. Even more disconcerting
was handing the weapons back to them when they could barely speak, let alone
stand. I handled the guns like they were made of extremely fragile glass. It
would be just my luck that I accidentally shot someone or myself. Up at the
front desk I was able to observe who didn’t have to check a gun. Quite a number
of people were allowed to go around the metal detectors and I suspected that
they were all packing.

At the end of the night
Miranda handed me $400 and asked if I would be able to work the gun check one
night a week. I agreed as it really wasn’t as intimidating as I had imagined it
to be. After work we all met up in Miranda’s car to smoke up. Ever since I
moved in with Dom, Miranda and I had gotten really close. Any animosity Grant
had previously felt toward Dominic slowly dissipated too. Now that I was aware
of the mafia ways, Grant had given up on attempts to keep me from Dominic –
there didn’t seem to be a reason to anymore. Other people used to join in
Miranda’s after work decompression sessions, but lately it had become exclusive
to just us four.

We were parked in the
side lot of Crimson that provided a view of the Ben Franklin Bridge. I leaned
back against the door and rested my legs on Dominic’s lap. He caressed my thighs
as we passed a joint between us. We were mellow and relaxed listening to the
radio. Grant’s cell rang and broke the silence.

            “Hello?” We
could hear the agitation of the person on the other end, but we couldn’t make
out what he was saying. Grant turned his head and caught Dominic’s eye.

            “Yeah, he’s
with me. We’ll be right there.” Grant snapped his phone shut.

            “Dom and I
have to go. Something went down at Butter.” Butter was the five star restaurant
on Walnut Street that the Grabano’s owned. Grant leaned over and kissed
Miranda.  

            “Careful,”
she whispered as he pulled away. “Always,” he promised. I lifted my legs off of
Dominic’s lap and moved closer to him. We kissed and hugged each other goodbye.
It was hard to let him go. The boys shut their doors at the same time and
walked quickly across the parking lot to Grant’s Lexus.

            “I wonder
what’s going on,” I said to Miranda.

            “I don’t
know, but I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.” She picked up her phone and
dialed her father. He picked up after the first ring. “Dad, what happened at
Butter?” Her eyes got wide and then narrowed “Really?” She gave me significant
look in the rear view mirror. “Yeah, he and Dom left like a minute ago. Okay,
lemme know. Bye.”

            “Wow,” she
said as she put the phone back in her purse.

            “What?” I
asked, curious.

            “One of the
Nucci boys just tried to take out Uncle Al.”

            “What!” I
gasped. “Is he ok?”

            “Yes, the
bullet only grazed his hair, thank God. This move is ballsy. We’ve only taken
Nucci Soldiers, but to go after a rival Capo…” she paused. “They’re planning to
retaliate. All of the boys are having a meeting.” Miranda looked dejected at
that statement. She was not and never would be considered one of the boys. I
flashed back to the murder scene I witnessed months ago; another bloodbath was
in the making. My stomach rolled with unease. Miranda must have seen the
distress on my face.

            “Don’t worry
Nat. Everything’s fine.” She seemed so confident.

            “How can
you be so sure?”  

            “Because
the Grabanos aren’t going anywhere,” she replied, which wasn’t really a good
explanation.

When I got back to the
condo I anxiously paced the length of the living room waiting for Dominic to
get home. The pacing didn’t help so I sat on the leather sectional to wait.
Exhaustion caught up to me and I passed out. I didn’t hear Dominic come home
but woke when I felt him sink into the sofa next to me. Relief washed over me;
he was intact. I crawled onto his lap and covered him with kisses.

 “I’m
glad you’re home. I missed you.” I didn’t admit how I was worried sick that he
was a target for the Nuccis.  Sensing my concern he laid me down on the sofa,
trapping me beneath his body. Lowering his head he kissed my lips; I opened to
him and his tongue slid in. What started out as agonizingly slow grew in
urgency. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I drew him closer, matching his intensity.
My legs fell open and I cradled his body with mine, feeling all of the hard and
soft parts. I surrendered completely and with each caress, each stroke, he made
me forget my worries. Spent and sated, we fell asleep wrapped around each
other. There in the comfort of his arms I slept; a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Most nightclubs were slow
in the summer since at least half of the city migrated to the Jersey shore on
the weekends. Crimson wasn’t affected by that trend and continued to thrive.
One hot and steamy Saturday night in July, I was working the gun check,
desperate for the front doors to stay closed long enough for the air
conditioning to cool the entryway. Sweat dripped down the back of my neck under
the heavy blanket of my hair.

Joey B. was working the
door when I noticed him stiffen. A large group of men walked up to the door. Joey
radioed Grant and moments later he appeared and went to greet the party.

            “Welcome
gentleman.” He held out his arm in a welcoming gesture and let the group pass
without going through the metal detectors. To the naked eye Grant seemed
perfectly normal, but I grew up with him and knew him better than anyone. He
was stressed. The film of sweat above his upper lip was the first sign, the
next was the way he rapidly licked his lips. Something was up and the tension
seemed to infect all of the employees. The strained atmosphere increased when a
half hour later Uncle Marco, Uncle Al, Dominic’s dad, Rico, and about ten
soldiers filed through the front door.

The second Miranda came
up to the front desk I jumped at the chance to find out what was going on.

            “Did you
see that big group come in?” she asked. I nodded. “Those are some of the Nucci
boys. A few capos and soldiers,” she explained. That would explain the tension.

            “Why did
Grant let them in, and with their guns?” I hissed.

            “It’s all a
ridiculous façade if you ask me,” Miranda confessed. “It’s like some macho
thing. We show that we are completely unaffected and unafraid of their
presence. Meanwhile, we’re all on edge because people are drinking and armed.
Anything can happen.” I nodded again, my mouth was dry. “I don’t think anything
will happen here tonight though,” she continued.

            “Why do you
think that?” I asked.

            “The Mayor
and District Attorney are sitting in VIP. It would be foolish to try anything
with them around.”

            “That’s
good,” I said and breathed a sigh of relief. The relief didn’t last long. Shortly
before last call Joey B.’s cell phone rang. Almost instantly he took off in a
run down the walkway to the club, leaving the front door unattended. Gina, who
ran the cash register, and I were the only ones up front.

            “What was
that all about?” Gina asked me.

            “I have no
idea.” A small group of regulars walked in and they looked around surprised to
see the door bouncer-less. “Something going on?” one of the men asked.

            “Bathroom
break,” I lied. The man shrugged his shoulders and continued on. Minutes passed
and Joey B. still didn’t return.

            “The door
usually isn’t left unattended like this,” Gina remarked.

            “Well, it’s
not busy so it isn’t that big of a deal, is it?”

            “I know the
boss likes to have some muscle up here…it deters thieves. The register gets
pretty full.”

            “Oh…” I
hadn’t thought of that. The front desk area was cut-off from the rest of the
club. There was a door to Miranda’s office, but that was it aside from the long
walkway, which led into the main part of the club. The entire entryway was
glass and we were as visible as if we were sitting in a fishbowl. Someone could
easily walk in, rob us and walk back out into the night. If anyone ever did
attempt this, they would have to be crazy to hold up a place owned by the
mafia. “I pity the person who robs this place.”

            “Yeah, I
know, right?” Gina laughed. “Marco would not be happy.”

We passed the time
chatting, stopping occasionally so I could return guns to their owners. We
heard the DJ announce that the club was closing in ten minutes and we braced
ourselves to handle the exiting crowd. Fortunately Joey B. returned and helped
funnel people through. Several men hit on me and Gina; the more persistent ones
were physically ushered out. Joey B. got noticeably more irritated when Gina
got hit on. I wondered if something was happening between those two. They
wouldn’t be the first co-workers to date each other.

Miranda walked up with
the Mayor, the District Attorney and their wives. She was laying on the Grabano
charm as she personally escorted them out. Finally, the last customer left and
Joey B. secured the doors. His hulking size almost blocked the entrance. Gina
closed out the register and I grabbed the gun check cash box. Gina and I went
through the side door to Miranda’s office. She wasn’t there so we walked
through and out the other door that lead directly to the club, right by
Dominic’s bar. I looked up eager to see his handsome face and was disappointed
to find him absent. Then I noticed that several employees had gathered around
Allegra. She was sobbing uncontrollably and Brittany had her arm around her in
an attempt to console her.  

            “Uh oh,”
Gina muttered under her breath and left my side to go see Allegra. I glanced up
at VIP and immediately wished I hadn’t. The Nucci boys and the Grabano boys
were arguing intensely. Marco and Rico were in the front yelling at the two
front leaders of the Nucci group. Grant and Dominic stood behind them, ready to
draw their weapons. I knew Dominic had used a gun before, I just had never seen
him with one and so eager to use it.

Forcing myself to look
away, I hurried over to the bar to find out what was going on. Miranda saw me
approaching and stepped away from the cluster to talk. Her face was pinched and
anxious.

            “What is
going on?” I asked her.

She pulled me to the
side and answered in a hushed voice, “Allegra’s father was killed tonight.”

            “Oh my God!
Poor Allegra! Was this a hit?” I asked although I had a feeling I already knew
the answer. Allegra’s father was an accountant who assisted with certain
business transactions and was good friends with Dominic’s dad. It made sense
that Brittany would be the one to help Allegra since her father had been killed
under similar circumstances.

            “We think
so, although the Nuccis are denying it. That is what all the shouting is
about.” She tilted her head in the direction of VIP. My heart was stuck in my
throat. The situation up there seemed to be unraveling and I feared someone
else was going to get killed tonight. Summoning up courage I didn’t know I
possessed I proceeded to march towards VIP. Miranda caught up to me on the
dance floor and grabbed my arm.

            “What are
you doing?” she hissed.

            “I’m
putting an end to this.”

            “Are you
fucking crazy?” I didn’t answer her; afraid my courage would falter, and continued
to march forward. “Oh for the love of Christ, I’m not letting you do this
alone, both Grant and Dom will have my head,” Miranda said as she caught up to
me. Grant eyed us warily as we approached. He grew more alarmed when we walked
up the steps and moved behind the Grabano group. Dominic mouthed “What are you
doing?” to me, I ignored him. Miranda followed my lead as we moved to the
center, standing between both groups. Each side quieted instantly at the unexpected
interruption.

            “Gentleman,”
I addressed the two groups. “Before you all get trigger happy can I say
something?”

            The front
man on the Nucci side looked amused. “By all means, Miss?”

            “Ross.”

            “Miss Ross,
you have our full attention.” His lips twitched as he tried to suppress a
laugh. I would probably find the situation amusing too if I was in his shoes. What
would possess two young women, unarmed and outnumbered, to stand in the middle
of an imminent showdown?

I could tell that the
Nucci side became less defensive in their stance. I couldn’t say the same for
the Grabano side, especially for Dominic and Grant. They both looked poised to
fight and were watching the other side for any movement. I was shaking badly and
really wasn’t sure what to say next.

“Thank
you,” I began. “I just wanted to point out a couple of things.” I paused to
look at everyone. “First, I understand that family means a lot around here. You
are all here because of family, right?” A few murmurs of agreement could be
heard from both sides. “Take away the differences between your families for a moment;
the fact is that there is a girl down there,” I pointed at Allegra, “who just
lost her father. Now, I don’t know who was responsible, but I think enough
blood has been spilled tonight.” I stopped and let that statement sink in.
“Secondly, the mayor and district attorney just left. They can identify everyone
here tonight…probably not a good time to start shooting up the place.” I heard
more rumblings of agreement and could feel the atmosphere change. It wasn’t as
charged with hostility anymore. Even Dominic and Grant seemed to relax.

“Natalie,
you are absolutely correct,” Marco stated. “This isn’t the time or place.” The
underlying message was clear; there would be another time, another place. A score
still needed to be settled.

“I
agree Marco. The lady has a point. Let’s go.” The front leader of the Nuccis
lowered his guard and motioned for his boys to follow.

Grant escorted the
group out. When they were out of eyesight Dominic hurried to my side. I could
tell he was upset. “What was that all about? You could have gotten yourself
killed!”

“I
think that was bold and just what we needed.” Uncle Marco remarked as he came
to join Dominic, Miranda and I. “The situation was going to get out of hand and
we needed a cool head. Good move Natalie,” he praised. Uncle Al and Rico nodded
in agreement, they came to stand behind Marco.

“Um,
thank you? It wasn’t my idea though.”

“It
wasn’t?”

“No,
it was all Miranda. She thought it would be better if I did the speaking. They
might not have listened to her since she’s a Grabano.” Marco turned to appraise
his daughter. He looked at her with a little more deference. I snuck a wink at
the bewildered looking Miranda.

“Well,
Miranda, I’m impressed! Very clever.” He put his arm around her shoulders and
kissed the top of her head.

“I
learned from the best,” she reciprocated the compliment and smiled up at her
father.

Grant returned and was
about ready to light into me when he saw the glow on Miranda’s face and that
Dominic was more relaxed.

“What
did I miss?”

“That
you’re dating probably the most brilliant woman in the world.” Marco answered
and he filled Grant in on the recent disclosure.

“That
was a risky move and I’m glad we had the outcome that we did,” Grant remarked.
He still didn’t look pleased with our actions. We probably hadn’t heard the
last of it, but Grant wouldn’t say anything in front of the hierarchy.

“I
know. But you all are willing to listen to reason every now again, I assumed
the Nucci boys were capable of it too,” Miranda responded, joking lightly,
willing to play along that it was her idea from the start. 

“I
may have underestimated you Miranda. Keep on surprising me ok, kid?” Marco
complimented his daughter again before leaving with Al and Rico to go see
Allegra. One thing I knew for sure was that Allegra would be taken care of.
When one of their own is slain, ‘the family’ is always there for emotional and
financial support and can be counted on to avenge the murder.

I was happy to give
Miranda the credit. She was constantly struggling to find her place in the misogynistic
hierarchy and didn’t want to be discounted because she was a woman. Tonight may
have given her a chance at more.