𝑂𝑛 𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡

Chapter 6 • Journalist to Maid

MILA

"I slept with a mobster?!?!?!" I was practically shrieking, earning the attention of almost everyone who was within twenty feet of me. "Oh my God!"

Ally slapped a hand over my mouth, my eyes going wide with surprise. "Shh!" Her face was stern, "You can't be that loud. Everyone's staring now."

I grabbed her hand and took it off my face, "Did you not hear what I just said?" My voice was at a whisper level now. "I fucked Dante Caruso. I slept with a mafia man. Oh my God..."

"Trust me, we all heard what you said..." Ally took a peak over her desk to see if anyone was still looking in our direction. They were.

"Ally, wait." My eyes widened in fear, "Last night I saw him, remember? At the bar. He was at the hotel. What if he saw me?" I was beginning to hyperventilate. The collar of my shirt felt tight and my palms felt sticky. It was getting harder to breathe by the second, but I couldn't calm myself down. "What if I told him I was a reporter and about this job, but just can't remember now? What if he finds out?"

"Mila, honey," Ally put her hands on both of my shoulders. "You're panicking. You need to breathe." She always knew how to react when I got like this. "Breathe with me. In and out, okay? In... One, two, three." Simultaneously, we both breathed in, filling our lungs to the point where it gave that mind numbing feeling. "Out... One, two, three." We exhaled. "One more time. In... And out..." I finished the exercise, still feeling sweaty, but able to to breathe clearer. "Better?"

I swallowed hard and nodded. "Ally, what am I supposed to do? Dante could recognize me." I thought back to the tabloid, the vivid descriptions of the horror the Caruso family caused seared into my mind. "That article spared no details on the mercilessness of Stefano Caruso. What if his son is the same? I could be killed... This isn't safe."

"Before you panic again, we need to think logically." Ally sat up straighter in her chair, "I need an exact explanation of how you two met right this instant."

"Out of all things, you want to know how we met?" My eyebrow cocked up to Ally who only responded with a singular nod. I didn't see how this could change the fact that my upcoming murder was inescapable. "I don't think I could tell you much, to be honest. I was half-way hammered when Dante and I met, and so was he. Probably even more so than I was actually."

"Does he even know your name?" She asked and I shook my head no. "And he was completely drunk, like not likely to remember anything the next morning drunk?" I nodded my head yes. "Then I would say it's fair to assume that he isn't going to recognize you, Mila. You told me it was just a hook-up, do you think you'd still remember him had it not been for the fact that you remember everything?"

"I guess I wouldn't have." I spoke as I thought, "I don't even remember how we got to the hotel we stayed in."

"Exactly." Ally smiled in reassurance. "If I were you, I'd use this. If Dante was at the hotel last night then there's a chance that could be where he lives. Find a way in. You've currently got everything directly at your fingertips and you'd be a fool to not utilize that."

"I'm still scared, Ally." In all truth, I was more terrified than scared. I know Ally's just trying to help calm me, but I could be killed because of this. I can't fuck around. Even with Ally's hopeful thought process, there's still a chance that Dante didn't forget, that he remembers me and spots me. "I've never done something like this before."

"This is what the job is, Mil." She said, "It's dangerous and it's scary. We risk everything for a story and we do it with smiles on our faces. This is your chance to prove yourself to Julian, to the company, and to yourself. You've been dreaming of a chance like this since you were six. This could be your shot to make, for people to know your name. You can't give this up."

Ally was right. This was my only opportunity. Backing out of this would be the end of everything. My career would be over the second I forfeited the assignment. I've come too far just to give this up. I was terrified and that's something that I won't hide, but that was also okay. I should be scared. I'm putting my life on the life for this. If I fail, then all the hard work and effort I've put in would be lost in an instant. I had to do it. I had to get this story. No matter what.

"I'm not going to give this up." I fixed my posture, "I need this job to be more than just a trial run, I need it to be permanent. And getting this piece is the key to that."

Ally smiled at me, her grin resembling that of a proud mother. "I'm proud of you, Mil. And I'm going to help you every step of the way." She pulled her computer back away from me and began typing. "First, we need to know where Caruso lives. If he stays at the King's Hotel, then you'll have a much easier time sneaking your way in."

"Let's see..." She began again, scrolling through the feed. "It looks like no one has a primary address, but here it says that Caruso is known to float between residences, and is most commonly known to stay in his penthouse at The King's Hotel." I let out a deep breath. "It's saying that he's rumored to live with his other four top men. That makes thing more difficult, but we'd knew this would be a challenge."

"So," I began, "If he's living with other men then that gives me even more ways in to collect information. I need to plant some microphones in places they'd frequent most often. If I could get a few into the penthouse that'd be the dream."

"I mean," Ally started with a shrug of her shoulders, "I know a way you could get in there easily."

"Like what?"

"Sex."

I slapped her. "I'm not using my body to get the story, Ally. I'll find a different way."

"Suit yourself." She hummed. "Just saying though, it works."

"Personal experience, huh?"

Ally only responded with a sly smile, not even looking over at me. "If you're not going to sleep your way in, then I wonder if you could work your way in..."

"Like actually work? As in a job?"

"Exactly." She finally tore her eyes from the screen, "See if the hotel is currently hiring for maids. From there you'll work your way up to the penthouse. And voila, you're in."

It was smart, that's for sure. I certainly couldn't have come up with it on my own. "I've always wanted to dress up in a maid outfit." I lightly laughed, "I'll try it. If anything, it'll supplement my income. Lord knows I'm not being payed enough to survive in this city. My parents are the ones paying for the hotel cost, this would at least give me some cash to pay them back."

"Great, so it's a win either way." Ally smiled, "Ask about the job today and then call me tonight so we can devise the next step, okay."

"Okay." I replied, but something was still lingering in the back of my mind. "Ally, wait." Her head flipped towards me. "I know you gave a whole list of reasoning to explain why he wouldn't remember, but what if he does? He'll know I don't belong there."

"Are you really worried about it?"

I nodded in response.

"Then how do you feel about dyeing your hair?"

•

mwah mwah mwah pls remember to vote and comment! i'd rly appreciate some suggestions!

word count: 1361