Mesmerizing Mr. Mafia

Criceto

Well this couldn't have been any more awkward for me.

I sat around the large table in this run down apartment, Angelo was to my side and his sister and mom were across from us.

Not a single person spoke a lick of English, so I was entirely out of the loop. I did pick up on the occasional stares I would get from his mom and sister though. I could also put together the fact that his sister's name was Dominica. She looked even younger than me, maybe fourteen or fifteen? No older than that though, for sure.

Everyone ate food...except for me. I despised Italian food. I always got an upset stomach after eating it, and who willingly would put that upon themselves? Not this girl.

Angelo's mom's dark eyes were glued to me. She started speaking, as if it was directed at me, but I didn't understand a word she was saying.

"Translate please," I said to Angelo.

Dominica swallowed a bite of the tortellini before opening her mouth to speak. I was surprised it was in English, "Mama wants to know who you are. She says you look really familiar. Have you been on tv?"

Was I supposed to answer that?

Did they even know that Angelo was in the mafia? I'm gonna go with no.

"You're Chloe Cruise, aren't you?" Dominica asked, "I saw you in a magazine. Your brother's really attrativo," she swooned.

She would think that. My brother Bradley, was around her age. Always in those stupid pop culture magazines for teenage girls.

I was still unsure of what to say and Angelo was still busy trying to chew whatever he was eating, so he couldn't help me even if he wanted to. "Uh...I could've been in a magazine...I've never done an actual shoot though."

"Scusami," she said before pushing herself away from the table and heading down the small hallway.

"I want to leave," I whispered to Angelo, knowing his mom couldn't understand me. Unless of course she was just pretending to not know English. I didn't find that likely though.

"Too bad."

Dom and Luca said they were going to check into a hotel. Angelo doesn't trust them with me anymore though, so I had to go with him. I still find it weird how he's letting me be anywhere near his family. Couldn't have them knowing he's in the mafia.

But maybe they do know.

I don't know what to think anymore.

Dominica came back, a Vanity Fair magazine in her hands. Well dang, I've been in there a few times.

She opened up to a certain page and flashed it in my direction. I got a good glimpse of five people I will probably never see again. My dad, Violet, Sienna (but who cares), Bradley and Naya. It was a family picture taken a few years ago.

Angelo's mom, still looking at me, said something else.

"She wants to know what's wrong. You look sad," Dominica translated.

I shook my head, and choked back a few tears. Sleepiness and emotions weren't two things I liked mixing together. "I'm fine."

The marimba ringtone started blaring through the small apartment. Angelo was quick to retrieve his phone from his pocket and get up to leave the room.

As soon as he was gone, all eyes were on me...again. "Who are you to my brother?"

"Uh...he didn't tell you anything?"