Of Mobsters and Men

Chapter 1

Raelyn Monte

"You know, Gigi...these tables aren't going to wash themselves." I said raising an eyebrow at my best friend, dropping the Black hand towel into the bucket of soap and water. I swirled it around all nice, drenching it before taking it out and wrenching the towel.

Gigi scoffed. "I'll get to it, I'll get to it." She says, her Italian accent thick in the air as she waved me off.

Gigi and I worked at the small local Italian restaurant in the center of the neighborhood. Everybody came here. The drunks, the trouble making teenagers, the big business men, gamblers, people who enjoyed home-style cuisine, and last but not least, the mobsters.

I've had my fair share of experiences growing up in this town. Working at the restaurant had its perks certainly, and has made up more than majority of the experiences. Like I said, everybody came here, which meant that secrets were thrown left and right. You learned to know everybody and what they were about.

If it weren't for Gigi, I more than likely wouldn't have my job. I was an outsider-I wasn't born into an Italian home, I didn't have black silky hair and the strong accent, I didn't have ancestors from Sicily and had the comfort of family and Casanova's at my call...

Gigi got me my job. No one would look at me and give me a job without any connection or an Italian giving strong recommendations of me and my services.

The droplets fell onto the dirty stained table and I created friction by wiping the table down, making sure it was clean to be seated at the next morning. "God, I'm just ready to go home." Gigi whined, dragging her feet over to the table in front of me that screamed for her attention.

We were the only ones closing tonight. It was about 10pm and I needed to be on my way home too. But, there was not a chance of that happening if this place was not squeaky clean. Mother Maria would have our heads! She's the old woman that heads this little restaurant. Her husband built it from the rocks up and died just three years ago. She was a sweet thing then but bitter as black coffee with no sugars now.

I didn't like her all that much and she didn't hide the fact she didn't like me either, and I knew why.

Suddenly, Gigi turned her body towards me and gave me one of her looks. Her lips were drawn into a thin line and she raised a perfectly waxed eyebrow. I knew that look. She knew something and wanted me to give her information before she squeezed me like a lemon if she had to.
"What?" I asked her, wanting to laugh.

She placed her hands on her hips. "I know about you and Vincent Vandal."

Just hearing his name alone caused butterflies to swarm around in my stomach. Vincent Vandal is probably the cutest guy in our school. Or, at least, I thought so. He was different from the other boys in my school. He was the only one who actually took me seriously and wanted to get to know me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said, hiding my grin from her vision.

"Don't you play me for a fool, Raelyn! I know want when I see it and if my eyes don't deceive me, you and Vincent want each other." She said smirking afterwards. I wish I had Gigi's type of confidence and sureness of self.

"You're seeing things too far ahead. He's cute and everything, but he's probably just like everyone else." I said to her. As much as I liked Vincent and believed he was a genuine person, there was still doubt in my mind that he actually liked me and didn't see me as an outsider.

Plus, he could have any beautiful Italian girl in the neighborhood that he wanted. I saw the way they looked at him and admired him from afar. I watched how Italian men treated and adored their women. I wanted that, but I knew I wouldn't and couldn't find that here. I wasn't one of them.