The Body #4: Nico and Cosi

Prologue (Cosi): A Smile On My Face

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA 

The first time I saw Nico Marchetti was at my sixteenth birthday party when we became engaged. My mother and step-father had turned the day into a much larger event than I was comfortable with, and my step-sister, Clandestina -- Desti -- was right there beside me, the way she always was, giving me comfort and support. She knew I didn't like being the center of attention; I enjoyed people but in much smaller doses. Desti, however, was at her best in the spotlight and would deflect the unwanted attention from me with her charm and humor.

My mother had whispered to me that my step-father was still in negotiations, right up until the last minute the previous night, for a husband for me. So when I saw my step-father stop the band from beginning a new song and take the microphone, I knew what was coming and grabbed Desti's hand. She squeezed it, giving me comfort and strength like she always did. 

There had been at least five men here who could be my potential husband, and I felt a little lightheaded at the thought that in a few minutes I would be engaged to one of them, that we'd be going off to sign the Note of Promise and add our blood to it in minutes. 

"I told Papa who I thought would be good for you," Desti said, squeezing my hand again. "So I hope he chose him. You two would be perfect together. He's shy like you are."

My step-father called me to him and I went, smoothing my pretty white dress down with nervous hands. I went up and stood beside my mother, who smiled at me. I couldn't manage much of a smile, however, and felt like I was going to be sick. I wished Desti was up here with me. I laughingly called her my emotional support sister.

"Welcome friends and family to our Cosi's sixteenth birthday! Today," my step-father's voice boomed through the microphone, "I am pleased and proud to announce the engagement of my step-daughter to Nico Marchetti."

Nico? Oh, no. Desti had pointed out a Nico to me as the man she really wished her father would consider for her. Maybe there was another one? I hoped there was because I never wanted to upset her since she was so kind and good to me. She always had been since my mother and her father had married when we were so young. I'd gained a big sister who looked out for me, and I'd always been grateful for her. Even though we were less than a year apart in age, Desti seemed to be years older than I was with her bold approach to life.

But no. Unfortunately, the Nico she'd quietly pointed out to me with a lovestruck smile was the same Nico currently coming toward me. The same man who came to stand on the other side of me as the crowd of guests cheered and clapped for our engagement. My eyes sought Desti's, and although her eyes looked sad or disappointed for a minute, she recovered quickly, shrugged and gave me a discreet thumbs up with a huge smile. Her father had negotiated the match and neither of us could say anything about it. It was done and there was no undoing it.

Nico would become my husband. Period.

Earlier in the year, Desti's party had been just as large as mine, but it hadn't ended with an engagement announcement as I knew mine would today. We had thought it would for sure, but it hadn't. Desti later told me that her father wanted a higher ranking member of the Body for his daughter, and I knew he'd tried for Lucio Feroce, but he'd been betrothed to one of my best friends, Ginevra Di Paulo. Desti had just shrugged then, too, and said she was willing to wait until her father found someone acceptable. While most girls in the Body were engaged right at sixteen, sometimes the engagement came a little later, especially if the girl's father wanted someone, or some type, in particular. 

I could scarcely look up at Nico, I was so shy. He was a huge man with broad, broad shoulders and rough features, and my head didn't even come past his chest. I was surprised Desti had been so attracted to him since she tended to prefer pretty boys and Nico, even at 21, was thick and muscular all over, handsome in a rough way, not a refined way. His body screamed power and I'd never felt so tiny standing next to someone in my life.