The Rock Star and The Mafia

Chapter 40

After receiving the good news about her throat, Cheri knew that nothing or no one could spoil the rest of her day. She felt like she was floating free from stress and worry.

She had no idea where Alessio was taking her for lunch but it was definitely an older part of New Jersey. The neighborhoods consisted of older homes but they were very much taken care of, the lawns looked nice and they just reminded her of something grandparents would live in.

Lorenzo pulled the SUV smoothly up to the side street of a long area filled with businesses and shops. Hopping out after Alessio, Cheri could smell the meats and cheeses wafting from a storefront they were getting ready to enter.

The sign outside read Salvatore's Deli and it reminded her of the little place in The Soprano's TV show. She laughed inwardly at the irony of her thought. She didn't care anymore about what her boyfriend did for a living. How could she? It was her life too. Frank had seen to that.

"Salvatore and Maria own this deli. They have been in this neighborhood and this exact spot for forty years. They do good works for the community and are good people. I've known them all my life and I would like you to meet them too" Alessio told her as they entered the shop.

"So how long have you been coming here?" Cheri asked him. "Let's meet them, order and then I will tell you everything" he said. Nodding she smiled but had an instant feeling that 'everything' would not be all good.

"Alessio! My son!" a beautiful older woman came out from the back, kissed both of his cheeks, then holding onto his arms, stood back and took him in. "Oh I think you just get more handsome every time I see you" she cooed. Alessio blushed under the compliment. This was new she thought.

"And my goodness!" she said looking at Cheri now. "Who is this beautiful fiore (flower)?" she asked sweetly. "Maria, this is my girlfriend, Cheri Lantana. Cheri, Maria" Alessio introduced the two women and stood back.

"It's so nice to meet you, Maria" Cheri said graciously. "And you my dear" the woman said, waiting for Alessio to walk away. "You must be something extra special" she said winking. "Oh? And why is that?" Cheri asked bemused. "Because. My Alessio, he doesn't bring women here to meet us. That's why" she nodded knowingly.

Cheri took in the gravity of what she was being told and couldn't help but smile, inwardly and outwardly. The women continued talking when a booming voice came from the back.

"Alessio!" this man was definitely Italian. He looked it. Tall, dark black hair, not a gray one in his head that she could see and he had an accent. "Sal" Alessio greeted him with a kiss to both cheeks.

"You finally coming in for lunch, eh?" the man said laughing. "Yes I am and I wanted you to meet someone as well" Alessio said. "Ah, what's this? You have a lady now? Where is she?" Sal wanted to know.

"So, you are the reason my son is smiling so much, eh?" he said to Cheri. Cheri just blushed and smiled at the sweet man. "I'm Cheri. Nice to meet you" she said holding out her hand. Sal just looked at her hand and shook his head.

"Eh, no shaking hands here!" he boomed. "We hug here!" he laughed, pulling her in for a tight hug. Cheri fell instantly in love with the both of them. How could you not? They were real as real could get.

Once the introductions were done, Alessio suggested they order lunch. "What do you get?" Cheri asked him as they looked over the menu. "I always get the Vito and their homemade root beer. You'll never buy anyone else's after you've had Salvatore's" he told her. "Sounds great" Cheri smiled.

Alessio walked over to Sal and placed their order and stayed to talk awhile so Cheri walked around the shop looking at all the old pictures on the walls. All black and white photos and they looked like they were from the 1930's going forward.

One caught her eye though. "Oh my God" Cheri said quietly. She knew one of the men in the photo, quite well, and from the looks of the other man, she knew who he was as well. It had to be Alessio's dad, he looked just like him. Jesus, what did this mean?

Cheri started to wonder now if her meeting Alessio was really 'just one of those things' or if it had been orchestrated. At any rate, she wasn't sure how she felt about any of it now. She went from feeling on top of the world to wanting to be scraped off of it.

She stiffened when she felt Alessio's arms come around her waist. "You okay?" he said in her ear. "I'm not sure" she answered honestly. Pulling her around to face him, he searched out her eyes and knew she was telling the truth.

"Ask me anything, tesoro. I will be an open book" he told her. "Are our families connected?" she just came right out and asked. Alessio sighed. "Yes, they were at one time. But that ended years ago" he said.

"So did we meet because you really wanted to know me or was this just something that had to do with the business?" her tone was a little pissy now. She was upset and had a right to be.

He tugged her arm and pulled her around to another wall, out of view from everyone, his body pressed against hers and his mouth inches from hers. "Our meeting, gattina, was something I very much wanted. I had no idea you were Lantana's daughter until the night Geraldo pulled what he did. And by that time, it didn't matter. I wanted you." And with that he kissed her and kissed her hard.

That one kiss, that one statement, assuaged all her doubts and fears. "Alessio" she breathed against his lips. "Soon, baby, soon" he promised. "Food first, talking second, make love the rest of the day and all night" his delicious promise filled her ears. She nodded, they both composed themselves and went back around the wall and up to the counter to get their food.

Cheri heard Alessio whisper to Sal and ask about Maria's health. "We got good news from the doctor. She no have surgery, just treatment and medicine. We are so thankful to God" he said doing the sign of the cross. "And to you Alessio. My wonderful boy" the man got a little choked up. Alessio squeezed his shoulder and then led her outside to eat.

Sitting down and eating outside was nice. They had a bit of a cool breeze and it was just the two of them, except Lorenzo was there of course, but it didn't bother Cheri. She loved him like he was family and let's face it, with Frank running around lose, she wanted her and Alessio safe.

"Maria's sick?" Cheri asked. Alessio nodded and said "I came to visit Sal last week and he told me about it but it seems like she is doing better and on her way to being completely well." She watched him take a sip of his root beer. She loved the way his lips went around the bottle, kind of like when they were latched onto her nipple.

Her squirming did not go unnoticed by him and by the looks of it, he was reading her thoughts as he smirked at her. God he had to be the most frustrating, sexy, god-like beast she'd ever known. Cocky too but that's why she loved him.

Taking a sip of her root beer she told Alessio he was not wrong about it. "I've never tasted anything so good" she said. "You like your sandwich?" he asked. The meat, the cheese, everything about it was amazing. She nodded. "It's really good" she said.

When they'd finished, they walked back inside to tell the couple thank you and give them their goodbye's. They made Cheri promise to come back and made Alessio promise to bring her back. They both smiled and assured Sal and Maria they would see them again.

Cheri noticed a little park across the street. It just had one set of swings, a slide, a merry-go-round, monkey bars and a teeter totter. Pulling at Alessio's hand, they walked across with Lorenzo close behind.

Giggling, Cheri ran for a swing and Alessio couldn't help but be drawn closer to her. She lived life fully and carefree and he said it before, but he wanted to live that way too, sometimes. He would never give up his life, he loved that too much but for her, he would try often.