STEFANO {Published/Sample Only}

40

"Yankees were robbed!" This was bullshit! Absolute bullshit! The Yankees belonged in the World Series! Fuck the umps and these bullshit calls!

"It's a fix!" Luca groaned, raising the remote towards the TV, powering it off and immediately chucking the remote across his office. "Lost to the fucking Angels! Angels!"

Then the door blew open, Scott storming in with Anne rushing up behind him. "You see that horse shit! That was a strike, foul my ass! Those umps better not show face on my street! I swear to fucking god!"

Anne rushed in behind him, peeking over at Luca. "I'm sorry Mr. Romano, he wouldn't wait..."

"It's fine Anne, leave, close the door." He waved her out and she sheepishly reversed, pulling the door handle with her.

"Bar. Now. Grab your shit." Luca pointed Scott to the door and he charged right back out. "Drinks?"

"Yeah, after that game." I stood from his office couch, starting for the door. "Shit, I can't."

"Oh!" He straightened, strumming through some shit on his desk. "Forgot to tell you, clear your Tuesday schedule. We've got the Suthers meeting down in Newark."

Che cosa... "This upcoming Tuesday?"

"Did I fucking stutter." He slammed his laptop screen down, grabbing his jacket in the same motion. "Fucking Yankees."

Shit. "That's the 3rd... I won't be here."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I'm out next week. You can handle it." Of all the fucking days this meeting had to be on the third.

"He asked for you specifically." Luca circled his desk, sitting back against the front of it.

"Reschedule it for the following week."

"This is all he had before end of Q4. He was very specific, the 3rd and you."

Fuck. Why. "I won't be here." I'd had this planned for the last month. Every week was accounted for except this one- this was my week with him!

"Where the hell will you be?"

"Cali." Fuck, the answer was out automatically.

"Cali? We're already heading out there at the end of the month."

That's to see famiglia, this is for me to be with my... boyfr... my Mark. To fuck the week away, to get all this stress, longing, fucking frustration out of my system! I need this Luca! My heart needs it! My soul needs it! My dick needs it!

"... Suthers runs oil for the Eastern Seaboard. Oil!"

I don't care..... "I already booked the trip."

"Stefano- this'll put us over! Our best year yet! Imagine how proud papà would be to see this year's closing figures. Not to mention Cohen, we've slaughtered him, all of them this year. Romano's not a boutique firm anymore- you heard the lawyers- no wait you didn't- because you bailed out of that fucking meeting too. What the fuck's going on with you?"

"Fuck." Why, dammit.

"I need you in Jersey." He stood from the desk, hand dropping to my shoulder. "Romano's need to bring this one home."

"Okay." What's another fucking month of having nothing.

"Come on!" He patted my shoulder, pushing me towards the door. "It's been a shitty day... let's drink."

Shitty was an understatement. First the Yankees, now my trip.

There was a knock, Anne peeking her head in. "Mr. Romano, you didn't answer your phone." Luca rolled his eyes back to his phone then back to Anne. "Giorgia is here for you," she smiled at me.