THE SILVETTI - Bambi & Arsenio Novella

2 | Sweet Peach Tea

January 1973

"Orders up, table twenty-three, Bambi!" Luis called out from the serving frame that divided the back of house from the front.

Bambi rolled her eyes, wiping the sweat off her nose on the back of her arm. It was hot and sticky, the sun glared at them through the large open windows of the diner. Her friends and she had a bonfire planned that evening down by the river. God she couldn't wait to jump into the cool lake, ignoring the sweat rolling down her back she turned to grab the plate and glass.

Walking over in her heels and yellow floral dress she smiled while keep her attention on the table, "steak, salad and peach iced tea." She placed the items down on the surface before finally looking up at the man sitting alone in the booth. 

Instantly her lips parted and the breath she'd gone to take, lodged deep in her throat. Arsenio Silvetti looked like he'd fought the devil and somehow made it back alive. Bruises kissed the corners of his left eye and split lip, he glared at the order before dropping a gruff, "thanks, sugar."

Perplexed and moving on autopilot, all Bambi heard was sugar, so she reached over to the condiments and placed two teaspoons of sugar into the man's tea. He watched her in fascination, before the corner of his lip twitched. "Anything else, sir?" Despite the softness of her body, her tone was husky. He liked it.

"No, sugar, that's all." He replied.

Bambi frowned, did the man want diabetes, mindlessly she reached out again and dropped two more teaspoons of sugar into his glass. Stirring the tea, she wondered how the man drank so much sugar and still maintained the lean muscles busting out of his white t-shirt.

Suddenly his hand shoots out, wrapping around her delicate wrist. Small enough he could squeeze a little tighter and he was sure it would break, too vulnerable. Her eyes snapped to his and the look of confusion had the man leaning back, a soft chuckle escaped. "You tryna kill me with all that sugar?" Arsenio questioned.

Only then did she realise he'd not been asking for more sweetener, no the wicked man had been using a term of endearment. Maybe it was the fact that in all her years of watching the man he'd never once utter a single kind word; hence her brain had not registered it when he had moments ago. "Oh," the word popped from her mouth in surprise before she apologised, a gorgeous red tint caressing her high cheekbones, "let me fetch you another, sir."

He rubbed his thumb over her pulse point before releasing it, then he reached past her and took hold of the cup. Taking a sip, he placed it back down, "leave it." Then he looked around the empty diner, it was an odd time to be eating such a hearty meal, having missed the early morning rush and too early for lunch. "Sit with me."

Bambi hesitated, looking back at the kitchen where Luis flicked through his recipe book, deciding what the special would be that day. "Me?"

"Yeah sugar, I don't like asking twice." Arsenio nodded opposite him to the empty chair.

Clenching her hands together Bambi slipped down onto the seat, her heart raced a minute a mile. Questions bombarding her thoughts, leaving little room to comprehend the man watching her. Her mother would have an absolute fit if she knew Bambi was sitting opposite the Silvetti, he was bad news and yet something kept her rooted there watching the man as he ate his food.

She was sure she was going insane because somehow the simple act of eating felt sensual. Bambi found herself watching every movement he made, from the clenching of his jaw as he chewed, to the muscles flexing in his neck when he swallowed. She was out of her depth here; he was the reason mothers warned their young daughters not to tread to close to the dark side. Hell, her father had told her she'd be disowned if she ended up affiliated with the up-coming gang that tainted their city.