Dinner with the Mafia ✔

Chapter 12

Imagine Dario with his shirt on... or not :)

"How far is your house from here?" I asked Dario, who had been driving silently for the past ten minutes. His comment about my protection bothered me because of the way he said it. I was not a liability; he needed to be a part of our business as much as we needed his help to stay low.

"Forty minutes," he replied without looking at me. I sighed and decided to facetime Phoebe since I promised to call her. "Whomever you are calling, don't be too loud. I like phone conversations to be calming, not nerve-racking."

I rolled my eyes. "Can't promise you anything since my friend tends to be loud someti-" I did not get to finish my sentence, and Phoebe's face appeared on my screen.

"You are still alive! Hallelujah!" she yelled, and I laughed since that was precisely what Dario did not want. I did not feel sorry for him.

I glanced at his side and saw him glaring at the road. "Phoebe, it hadn't been an hour since I landed. You are being overdramatic," I replied calmly.

"I just missed you, Joe, and the company is falling apart without you here. We are dying!" Her expression was amusing. I looked at Dario again and saw him glance at my phone for a mere second. Phoebe was interesting; even a blind man would want to see the person behind this loud character.

"Now you are just funny in a not humorous way. Dad is there. You are there. I looked at the stocks and sales stats through my tablet, and everything is how I left it, dear. Completely normal and organized. Don't panic; if something terrible happens, you guys will fix it. I can count on you, and believe it or no, I trust the board members too. They can be sexists sometimes but know how to do their job regardless of their personal preferences. You know why I am here, Phoebe. So, don't stress me out whenever I call you, okay?"

"I was only joking. No need for the lecture. Anyways, did you meet Dario Romano? Are you in the car with him? Is he hot? Did he do something bad to you? If he did, I will book the next flight to Sicily and come rip his-"

"Phoebe!" I screamed, and she shut up. "He is driving the car and heard every damn word you just said. Say hi." I turned my phone to face Dario.

"Oh... well, he is damn hot."

I saw Dario's smirk appear, and I scoffed. "Don't feed his ego; he has enough of it already."

"What's wrong, Jolene? Are you mad at your friend for stating facts?" he asked as he took a right turn.

"Joe, I love you dearly, but you can't deny that he's handsome. Look at that side profile!" Phoebe just did not know when to shut up. I was not blind. Dario was good-looking, but his personality ruined it for him.

"Takes one to see one. Phoebe has brilliant taste in men, so thank you." His reply was made to irritate me, but it did not work. It was too shallow for me to get angry.

I chuckled and looked back at my phone. "Oh, Phoebe is a beauty queen, but here's the catch, Dario. Beauty is not just on the outside. She is also a queen of hearts. Her face and personality combined are what make her valuable. On the other hand, you need to work on your attitude because appearances expire."

Phoebe clapped. "Wow, my comment elevated this conversation to the philosophical sector. Anyway, I have to run. I need to sort some documents and buy food. It was nice talking to you, Dario. And always remember that Jolene has Phoebe backing her up, so don't you dare hurt her, handsome or not. Adios!" And she ended the call.