Maid to the mafia: totally alluring

CHAPTER 8

SHOPPING WITH THE MAFIA BOSS

I was maid to the mafia’s boss, Giovanni Dente.
My tasks included a selection of housework at Cory Mansion, where Giovanni and his underlings lived and worked. Not only did I cook them dinner among other menial tasks like cleaning their bathrooms and doing laundry work, I was also a personal maid to the boss at night—brewing him coffee at three in the morning, his usual night routine. I was used to my life now, studying and working at Cory Mansion to pay off Pa’s debt, which was three million dollars. But never in my life had I thought I’d have the chance to grace a fancy high-class fashion designer store.

Well, not in my hand-me-down sweater and skinny jeans, with a mass of messy bun that could have been better tamed with a hairbrush. What did the mafia boss see in me, to select me as his personal assistant in choosing a dress for his woman?

Not that I was complaining, but I was curious. And maybe a little envious. Okay, I was jealous. Like super-duper jealous. I never knew I had an evil side lurking inside me. I knew I was captivated by Giovanni. And the mere mention of his woman yesterday had me lying awake the whole night. Did he not know I was very troubled and traumatized by that statement?

Did he not know I’d dreamed about him making love to me?

Giovanni puzzled me with his changed behavior since I’d come back to live in Cory Mansion. He was already a playboy; I knew that. I didn’t need to see his women upfront to know he had a whole collection of them. Last I heard, he stored some in his Las Vegas home. But what would hurt me most would be the effect of seeing his woman first–hand, right in front of my eyes.

And I had a strange feeling that tonight, I’d get to witness his new woman, named Jennifer, getting all comfy and cozy with him. Footsteps approached me. I dragged my eyes up in time to see the beautiful blonde sales assistant handing me another collection of designer gowns. I almost toppled under the weight of the fabric in my arms.

“Will you be all right?” she asked me.

“Yep. I’ll be fine.” I smiled brightly at her. She smiled brightly back at me.

“If you need anything else, I’ll be right over there.”

She pointed to a counter close to the changing room. I nodded, and she disappeared. Yep. She was beautiful. And kind. Now why didn’t Giovanni ask her for help? I was sure with a snap of his fingers, he’d get all the help he needed from anyone. So, why me?

I watched Giovanni, who was sitting a few feet from me in the black lounge chair, casually cruising through one of the magazines as if he owned the place. Wait, does he own this store? Do mafia people own designer stores? I shook my head to rid this thought and walked to him, hands full of the designer gowns.

“Boss, tell me again why I have to accompany you to buy a dress for Jennifer?”

Giovanni stretched his arms out and folded his long legs like a king. With a sardonic grin he said,

“Because you both have the same body frame and height. You make a good substitute for Jennifer. Try them on. I’m sure whatever fits you fits her.”

Ouch, that hurt. To be compared to his lover, that was not good.

“Look, boss, I really think you should just choose one and buy it for her yourself,” I expressed wearily. With my lack of sleep, I wasn’t bouncy like my usual self.

“I’m a size six. That should be enough information to buy a dress.”

“Jay, why do you ask so many questions?”