Wrestling the Kraken

Dante

Dante

City of Fall River

March 23, 1963

A taxi pulled up to the curb, dropping a couple off at their hotel. An older man waited outside for them.

"You're late." The older man said. The couple stepped out of the taxi.

"It's my fault." The woman laughed. "I wanted to see the sights, and Dante was kind enough to take me." She said, then turned and gave Dante a kiss. "I'll see you later."

They both watched her as she headed inside the hotel.

"You need to leave her." The older man said.

"Father, for the last time..." Dante said, turning to him, "...stay out of it." He made his way to go inside, but his father grabbed his arm. Dante looked down at his father's hand gripped tight, and withdrew his arm. Straightening up his coat, he went inside.

With his brows furrowed, his father headed in behind him. He approached the door at the same time as another woman in a red dress.

"After you, please." He said, holding the door opened for her.

Thanking him, she walked through the door, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Do I know you from somewhere?" She asked.

"I'm sure I'd remember someone as beautiful as you." He replied. "But you may have seen one of my company's circus performances at the theater."

"That's it!" She exclaimed. "The Karras and Rossini circus! You know, I auditioned for a spot in the past. Unfortunately...I didn't make the cut."

"There's always next time." He said smiling. Lifting her hand, he gave it a kiss and turned to leave.

"Oh, Mr. Rossini, before you go-" She called out.

"Please, call me Armand." He said.

" Armand, would it be too much to ask to get a signature?"

"Not at all!" He answered.

She handed him a pen and the back of a flyer. "There on the bottom would be perfect."

He signed away.

She watched him, until he had walked down the lobby, out of sight. Looking back at the paper, she removed the flyer to reveal a document that now sported the signature of one Armand Rossini.

♦

Later that day, Dante sat at dinner at the hotel restaurant with his father. The waitress brought over their drinks and left, leaving the two of them in silence.

"You said there were matters we needed to discuss?" Dante spoke up, breaking the dead air between them.

Armand took a sip of his drink. "Yes," he replied. "Like your future. This company will be yours soon, one day, and I need to know you are taking it seriously."

"Of course I am, but that's not what this is really about is it?" Dante replied, raising his glass to his mouth.

"Ah! You are still young!" Armand pleaded. "I know that need to taste the waters every now and then my son, but- "

"But, it is none of your business who I date." Dante interrupted. "I know what you want for me. If it wasn't for mother's money, you would have never been able to start the circus in the first place. So you want me- "