The Other Woman

Sick

"All you have to do is behave. No flirting, no oversharing,"

"I don't think you should be worried about me. Worry about your wife who is fooling with Nicco,"

"Niccolo," he said walking towards me. He sat on the bed and made me look at him.

"No nicknames, understood?"

I  tried to move away.

"Don't make me repeat, Topolina,"

"I understand," I muttered.

"You will not disclose your identity and remain as Mishka. Not to anyone,"

I nodded.

"Brava ragazza,"

"Stop using Italian words,"

He let go of me.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I don't understand it,"

He got up from the bed.

"I would like to learn Italian,"

He gave me a quick look.

"So you can flirt with men? No, thank you,"

"Are you jealous?"

"What? why would I be..."

"You are," I said cutting him off.

He shook his head.

"Don't leave the room," he said.

That evening two men named Gaetano and Cesare arrived. Both of them had the same serious faces, no softness. I found all the men in the mafia the same. They walked the same, talked the same language, had the same body, almost the same height. I bet if they all stood in front of me dressed in black and with sunglasses I wouldn't be able to identify who was who.

We were sitting at the dining table while Sofia and Lucia were serving us dinner. At first, Alan started to speak in Italian then he paused and changed it to English.

"Everyone in the house will only speak in English from now on," he said to them.

Everyone replied in unison.

"Boss, Sofia, she..." Lucia tried to tell him about Sofia's poor English.

"Teach her then," he said. "It isn't that hard. Is it?"

"Why do the majority have to speak English when the minority, me can simply learn Italian,"

He stared hard at me challenging me to continue speaking so I remained quiet.

"No one speaks with Mishka unless it's an emergency. No one takes her out or anywhere without my permission," he said mostly glaring at Matteo.

"When Niccolo is here tomorrow I want everything well prepared. I want this business deal and I would not tolerate someone ruining it," He said now looking at me.

The time arrived and I was well prepared for the dinner. Once I was ready I went down to the living room to find Alan with his men. He had a glass of alcohol in his hand. I glared at it and went to sit on the couch. His men left us alone.

"I warn you not to flirt with him. If you don't obey you will handle the consequences," he said.

"What is wrong with you?" I got out of the couch. "Do you think I am interested in your weird mafia people?"