Dangerous Desires (Minnelli Mafia Series Book 1)

Attractive Authenticity

Previously from Forever My Lady

Meanwhile, Wynnie realized they didn't wait for her. Fuck, she thought. It's still intermission. She rounds a corner of a long hallway. With her to go plate in hand, her heels clicked...

Fate was not on her side tonight as Cairo perched himself at the end of the hall. Wynnie turned around to go back the other way. But nah, I'm no punk bitch, she thought and turned to confront the problem head on. Okay, I lied...she changes her mind. But still with ice in her veins, she steps closer to the door. She could see her sisters outside their cars still arguing. Almost there...

"So you just gonna walk past me?"

"My ride is outside." She didn't even acknowledge him.

"Wynnie."

"My name is Wednesday." She finally stares up in his eyes. "Wednesday Perriloux." She quirks her eyebrow up at him. "Ya know that's kinda what you do...tell people your whole name. Cairo..." she laughs for a moment. "Cairo Minnelli." She steps back from the door.

"I mean I have genuine reason to hide that from you."

"And fortunately for you, I don't give a fuck about your reason. Now excuse me...my ride is outside." She pushes by him and he lets her go this time.

Golden Oak, Michigan
Utopia Grounds Mall
October

Wednesday Perriloux held her phone in one hand and a milkshake in the other. Escaping the warm wind was all she had on her mind. Her hair out of the wig pixie cut and, in its trademark, fro, immaculate nails...she even felt different. Her phone rang with Cairo's name flashing on the screen. Wynnie wrinkles her nose, shakes her head and keeps walking in her direction.

Cairo thought her ignoring his call was cute. So much so that he waited until she sat in a booth to make his move. He slides in the booth while her head is down. Wynnie looks up in disapproval.

"Perriloux." He speaks first. Wynnie watches him sit down.

"Why are you sitting here? Didn't even ask if I wanted you to sit here." She started popping off instantly.

"Wynnie..." he was smiling. She so cute, he thinks. "May I sit here?" he didn't give her a chance to answer before making himself comfortable again.

"What do you want Cairo?" her face didn't change.

"Two friends can't enjoy each other's company without one of them wanting something?" he blinked his eyes at her.

"We." She gestured between them. "Are not friends, Cairo." Wednesday was serious. Cairo kept smiling at her. "Are you crazy?"

"That's irrelevant. I'll buy you something to eat." He wiggled his eyebrows. Wednesday rolled her eyes. "You were cool with me before you knew what family I came from. My last name didn't change nothing."

"Boy if you don't-" Wynnie was about to cuss him out. "You're not even listening to me!"

"You so cute when you think you cussin me out..." Cairo really had heart eyes.

"Oh my God...I want a calzone, meat lovers and a Sprite. Happy?" she rolled her eyes, sipping her milkshake. Wednesday couldn't deny that she liked the sudden attention. Was she really that upset that he omitted his last name from her?

Ten minutes later, Cairo appeared with two trays of food. The pair ate in companionable silence. Wynnie refused to think about what that meant for her.

"So, you still mad?" he asks randomly.

Wynnie squints her eyes at him in annoyance. "Leave me alone Cairo." She takes a bite of her own food before stabbing her fork in his pizza, cutting herself a piece. "Feeding me doesn't change the fact that you didn't even give me an option. Then you push your way in my personal space without so much as an apology. But I'm supposed to be okay with all this?"