Simone Valentino

~~~6~~~

The morning comes before expected and I find myself in a sleepy haze. I force myself up and throw on some clothes. My hair goes in a bun and I trudge down the hall to our dining table where John laid out breakfast. We sit and I plan how this day needs to go. I need to know everything about the Valentinos before this dinner party.

"So what's the game plan between school and the mob?" John asked.

"Business as usual. If I need to we can always say I'm sick and I can take a little bit off school, and be back before finals, it'll be fine. But it won't take that much time. We did this and we're finished with them."

"Never getting to see Simone again? How will I survive?" He asked in mock horror and I laughed. We finished eating and both took off for our respective tasks.

I send John to the library, telling him to bring me anything he can find, while I leave for school, glad I only have one class today.

Being the only girl in my class I make it a point to also be the smartest. Always being ready to run discussions and answer whatever is needed. The only downside is that now no one wants to talk to me. Marco used to fill the seat next to me but now it's empty and I'm the only one in the front row. The professor likes me enough to pick on me when my hand is raised and to listen to my points after a lecture but that was something I put a lot of work into achieving. With some of the men he jokes and makes small chatter but he isn't rude to me, and that is kinder than most of my peers so I pay no mind to it all. After class, the teacher came up to me and asked if I found anything.

"Well he died, just like he said he would so I'm looking into the Valentinos now."

"That's very good then Eleanor. But stay safe, and be smart about this. If I find out that you're going and doing 'hands on' research I'll be telling your husband. Is that clear?"

Too late "Of course Sir."

I open the door to my house and find my stack of books, John nowhere to be found. I assume he left to avoid me, which would make sense considering I get very intense. I bring them all to my room and spread them on the ground, and I begin.

"Oh god," John says under his breath as he opens the door, seeing the pins I've made on the wall, seeing the red on my cheeks and the bags under my eyes.

"What can I say? I love this kind of thing."

"Well, it's been six hours. Have some water."

There was a knock on the door.

I ran up the stairs, John following closely behind. There was a tall dark man in the doorway and I realised I was in pants. I had stolen John's jeans and it was less fancy than my usual attire. He stared at my legs and then handed John a vanilla envelope. He then shut the door and I heard him leave. I grabbed the paper, knowing it was from Valentino. I opened it and read the fancy loops on the page, giving me a time and date. For the dinner I realised. On the other side, it had a check with everything but the amount filled out. There was another note in the envelope, with Tomorrow at 8 written on a different note. A smile was drawn next to it

"Did you tell them what you found?" I asked without looking at him, staring at Valentino's name, scrawled neatly on the check. He signed the other side 'Val'.

"A little Italian lady found me on the way home from the library and I gave her their files."

"Are you sure that wasn't a random old lady?" I asked him, hesitating.

"She knew me very well to be a random old lady." He said and chuckled a little. "Now. I believe you have a date to get ready for tomorrow. So go rest up." He said and sent me to bed