Valente

The Graduation

I woke up to someone violently shaking me. I opened my eyes to see I was still at the club and in what looked like the restricted section. Katrina was shaking me again, "are you deaf, we need to go, someone tripped over a body out back and now everyone is being forced to leave. What are you even doing up here? I've been looking for you for over an hour" she spoke so fast it was hard to keep up as my head was still spinning. 

"How did I get here" I asked, and she just shook her head, "I have no idea but when everything got crazy some guy in a suit told me he knew where you were and that I should get you out of here. He also said his boss was very angry and to go now" I vaguely remember a man in a suit, I must have passed out and he brought me up here onto this couch. It looked like this section was even more closed off from the rest of the club and there was a large curtain shielding me from seeing the chaos I could hear going on downstairs.

 I stood up and almost fell over, Katrina grabbed onto me and we left the concealed area and started going down to the stairs to leave. There were people screaming and others crying. What happened? I wondered. "They found a body out back, Gia. He was bloody and beaten to a pulp... i-I think he was dead" she looked scared and I felt the fear rise in me and then it was gone once again. You don't get scared, Gia. 

We made it to the bottom of the stairs and there was another man in a suit standing at the bottom who stopped us. "Boss says I am to take you both home, come with me" usually I would argue with this very scary looking man but with all the chaos going on and the fact that I have no idea where my phone is to call an uber, he seems like the best bet.

We followed him into the street where I could see an ambulance and police car with a blocked off section where they must have found the body. The police were taking to a man in a black dress shirt who had a very broad back from what I could see. What is it with me and backs today? First I noticed Valente's back from the dinner and... wait a minute. The man in the dress shirt turned around and made eye contact with me. Those piercing blue eyes were filled with rage. He looked at the man in the suit who was guiding us towards a blacked-out SUV, and started barking orders at him, "get her out of here. NOW" Adrian was mad. I was pushed into a car, followed by Katrina and we were being sped down the street.

.....

I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. Katrina was lying next to me and I quickly sat up and looked around. We were in our apartment just outside of campus. How did we get back here? I looked around and found my phone on the nightstand next to me. I picked it up to see I had a text from an unsaved number. I opened the text to see it read, "Save this number Gianna. You'll need it." I quickly text back, "who is this?" and put my phone back. I look to Katrina who is slowly waking up. She then shoots up and looks around.

"how did we get home?" she asks and I just shrug my shoulders. What a crazy night. This is why I don't party. I look at the time and notice it's almost 3pm. Shit. "Trina! Our graduation ceremony is in an hour!" We quickly jumped out of bed and started getting ready.

....

I've always hated graduation ceremonies. I mean, they have a million speeches and then they have to call out all these names before they get to mine and then I have to sit through even more names. As they started calling out names, I noticed that I recognized one of the men standing on the stage shaking everyone's hands. Adrian Valente. He was wearing an all-black suit which covered a blue black dress shirt and a blue tie. Somehow, his undoubtably large suit still looked like it clung to his arms and shoulders. This man was ripped. I wonder what it looks like underneath. I bet he could pick me up and, "Gianna Gravino" what? They're at my name already? How long was I staring?

I got up and strode up the steps focusing very hard on not tripping on my heels. That would be embarrassing and I could feel the hot stare of Adrian the whole time. When I made it to the Dean he smiled and shook my hand and handed me my diploma. Once I made it to Adrian I could smell his cologne and it made me want to jump him right there- Gia, get a grip! "Gia." The way he said my name sent shivers down my spine as I looked up and made eye contact with his beautiful blue eyes. "It's Gianna" I corrected, he's not close with me he doesn't get to call me Gia. "Did you get my text?" I furrowed my eyebrows together. "your text?" he smirked at me and went to shake the next persons hand. Almost as if to tell me our conversation was over.

I returned to my seat and thought about what he said. OH! The text from this morning must have been him. How did he even get my number? Who is Adrian Valente. I took out my phone and saved the number as, Adrian Valente and then went to google to look him up. After searching the entire time that the rest of the names were being called, I found nothing. There was not one trace of an Adrian Valente. No pictures posted anywhere, no articles on his businesses that according to Katrina he owned. It was like he was a ghost. The only thing I was able to find was an article that was in Italian which I only translated the articles name to see that it was titled, "Gun shots fired at Valente Manor, 2 dead and 14 injured." I'm assuming this would be a different Valente considering it was in Italy.

The graduation ceremony finished and we were all filing out into the hall. I couldn't find Katrina and was looking through the crowd when I felt a hand on the small of my back. I turned around to be met with piercing blue eyes. "Adrian" why did I sound so out of breath? Maybe because he literally makes me forget to breathe. "Gia." He says with a smirk. "It's Gianna" I corrected, once again. "you're a naughty girl" he said, his voice deep. "I'm sorry?" I asked, confused as to what exactly we were talking about. Why did Adrian calling me naught make me so wet.

"You should have never been at that club" and suddenly I remembered. Adrian was standing over the dead body outside of the club, talking to the police. I remembered him yelling at the guy who took us home. He was furious. "And why not? It's a free country" it wasn't his business what I do. "You being there caused a lot of problems for me. I was trying to close a deal and you had me very distracted the whole night" but I didn't even see him there?

"I didn't know you were there?" I posed it as a question although clearly now I know he was there and was apparently watching me by the sounds of it. Why did that make me feel so hot and bothered but somehow more safe than I did before. It was like if Adrian was watching over me the whole night then I know I wasn't in danger at any point. Yet, with all the rumours about him shouldn't I feel less safe? More in danger than before?

"I own the place. Even if I'm not there, I am there. You caused quite the scene for me last night which caused a lot of bad press." His face suddenly got a lot more serious. What is he talking about. I guess he saw my confused expression, "you don't remember?" he asked and his features softened. "it's alright, love. I know how you can make it up to me" he smirked. "make it up to you?" "yes, join me for dinner tonight?" it was a question but he posed it more like a statement. I went to say there was no way I would go out with him, what with his reputation and all but he beat me to it. "I'll pick you up at 8. Dress nice." And he turned and disappeared into the crowd. What the hell just happened?