The weekend had past and Gemma arrived early for another day at the office. She purchased her usual coffee from the place a couple blocks from her work and started heading back. She strode through the doors only to be greeted with a stern faced Jane nodding her head towards Gemma's desk.
There, laid a small black box with red satin ribbon on her stack of papers.
"Oh, hell. You have got to be kidding me", she says, rolling her eyes.
She opens the box to reveal the most beautiful diamond earrings she has ever seen. The studio lighting gleamed on every corner, shining a rainbow of prisms on Gemma's face. The earrings were beautiful, but she couldn't accept them. She slammed the box shut and shoved it hastily into her drawer.
"Jane, who dropped this off"?
"I'm not sure, a couple men in black suits brought it here".
"Damn it, Matteo", Gemma mumbled.
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That entire day, Gemma couldn't function properly. She was so flustered with the gift, she messed up half the papers in the copier and didn't focus on anything Sage was saying during their meeting.
"Gemma? Gemma? Gem-"
"Yeah, sorry, I'm with you", Gemma stammers out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry Mr. Sage, it's been a weird week".
"We don't have time for our personal interferences, let's focus on the task at hand. Now, we have a new client who should be coming in shortly, so I need to finish up these last few cases with you.
Gemma intently listens as Sage mulls over every detail of all the cases they have to go through. Steven Sage is the best criminal defense lawyer in the city. He works with all sorts of big shots, but the mafia is his specialty. It was no secret to Gemma that Sage took money and gifts from the mob, so it wasn't unusual to see mobsters coming in and out of the building. Gemma never was allowed to be in the room when Sage met with them and she always wondered what they would talk about.
The meeting seemed to drag on for an eternity, until Sage finally finished up his remaining details.
"Mr. Sage, your last client is here to see you", Jane announces on the intercom.
"Great, I'll come greet him. Gemma"?
Sage stands up and heads for the door as Gemma fixes her dress, knowing her cue to leave. Sage opens the door to reveal an older gentleman in a blue suit, surrounded by guards. The two men obviously know each other and greet while shaking hands.
"Ah, Gemma, come meet our client", Sage motions towards her.
"Hello, I'm Gemma Hunter. I'm Mr. Sage's intern, it's nice to meet you", extending a hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Sugar", he says in a gravelly voice. "I'm Emanuele Russo".
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The day has finally come to an end and an exhausted Gemma packs up her things. As she's tidying up her desk, she opens the drawer to finds the black box.
"Damn it, I forgot about this thing", she sighed. Gemma takes the box and stares at it for a good minute. She grabs the box and stuffs it in her purse, she has to give it back.
"How the hell do I find this guy? I don't even know where he lives".
Gemma paces out to the front of her building and zips her head all around. She's searching for anything: a black SUV, a guard, something. Just as she suspected, there was the guard from before sitting at the cafe where she usually gets her coffee.
"YOU!", she shouts as she's running up to his table. "Didn't I tell you to stop following me"?
"We're not here for you ma'am", he says, raising his hand to keep space between him and Gemma.
"Then explain this to me?", she says, showing him the box.
"It's a gift, personally from Mr. Ciccone"
"Tell him I don't want it". Gemma throws the box at him. "And also let him know, it's only personal when he gives the gift himself, not sending his dogs to give them to me".
YOU ARE READING
LONELY HEARTS (COMPLETE)
RomanceShe's a law intern and lives life on her own terms. He's the head of NYC's biggest crime family and he too, lives life on his own terms. A chance encounter brings together two similar people who lead very different lives. Their story will push the b...
