Chasing Stars - A Midnight Mafia Novel

Chapter Twenty-Two

We were happy.

I can't believe I could say that. After everything we had been through. Everything from our past, from what I had almost done, what he had done, and some how, we were happy.

We sort of fell into this routine, a life. Together. One where Alessio got up every morning at the crack of dawn and took a growing pup for a jog down to the coffee shop where I would eventually meet him having rode down with Simone. We'd sit at a table outside and Donato, despite being my dog would lay at Alessio's feet until we walked home. We would separate soon after, after a shower for example, and I would head to work and Alessio would do, uh, whatever it is Alessio would do.

Most of the time we managed to get together for dinner, and Alessio seemed to be in such a pleasant mood about the grand reopening of the casino, in a different location of course, and the grand removal of the stripper pole that he hadn't even mentioned Matteo again.

"Same time tomorrow?" Spence said lamely as he did almost every day after our news segment.

"You know it."

I gathered up my notes and papers. I was actually relieved Alessio had headed out of town again. I was just barely keeping up with my contract and if I didn't get some serious writing done I was risking not keeping my end of the bargain up. Some distraction-free writing time sounded heavenly.

"Hey Kate." Stacey said jogging to catch me before I reached the door. "Are we still going to boxing tonight without the guys?"

I sighed. "Unfortunately I promised Alessio I'd got six times a month and the month is almost over so I'd better."

"You look...different."

I stopped and looked down at myself, trying to see what she was seeing. "Do I?"

"Yeah. You look..."

"It's the color isn't it? I told Alessio anything with black and yellow and I was going to look like a fȕcking bumble bee but he doesn't listen-" I started and looked down at my dress. The abstract design was yellow black and white and I wore a red belt with it.

"You look happy."

I looked up quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"No offense, but I'm sort of used to brooding work obsessed cynical Kate. Lately you've been so..."

"Distracted?"

"Bubbly, and active. I mean, you agreed to cover the guy who was stuffing all the squirrels. You've always been the big story or no story kind of reporter. You were the coming in five minutes before the morning show still in your pajamas and working our makeup team to the brink of insanity and now you're all...put together. I know you aren't a morning person."

"I'm still not. But Donato gets really whiny if he doesn't get out for a jog first thing in the morning. Usually Alessio takes him but with him out of town..." I shrugged.

"You jog now?" She said in disbelief.

I laughed. "Stace these are all good things you're worried about. We've been saying for the last year that we should start working out more. And now we are."

"Okay yeah. But usually when you start things..."

"I quit, I know. But things are different now."

"I'll say." She muttered and glanced down.

"Everything alright?"

She sighed and we fell into stride, walking out of the building together. "I don't know. I'm...I'm a little weirded out." She admitted.