The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as if they could sense the boy's presence. Piero was deeply engaged in what he was reading on his laptop, some sour news. Figures Mamadou to get his hands deeper into power. Rumors of his crazy daughter marrying some rich king's son. The crown prince no less. All the world needed was that blood thirsty hellion dressed in a woman's pretense to be a queen.
He had a clear view of the boy when he walked into the quaint cafe'. There were a couple others there on their laptops like Piero. The boy went straight up to the counter taking out his earbuds. He smiled at the woman at the desk and she smiled back at him as they casually chatted back and forth in French in a familiar way.
The woman went to work on his cappuccino and asked him a variety of things most of them about his schooling and plans after the year was done.
From the close distance he could tell his son was a handsome boy. He had dark hair and his skin had a natural tan to it much like his own. He had the shape of his mother's head, but when he looked at the boy he saw himself. A younger version of course.
Panic started to rise in his chest as the boy paid the woman for the drink and food bagged up ready to go. He had to do something to make introductions. He stood up pressing his phone to his ear. He glanced behind him as if to check his spot and smashed into the boy spilling the hot drink on the bag, surely soaking the sandwich inside.
"I'll have to call you back." he said to no one on his phone and made eye contact with the young man in front of him. "My apologies. I thought there was more space between me and the counter."
The young man smiled. "No problem. It's a small space. But good food."
"Oh no." Piero said, lifting the bag carefully from the boy. "I'm sure it's soaked through to the sandwich. I feel just awful. Can I buy you another lunch?"
"Thanks." He turned to the lady and explained the situation. She went to work on another drink and sandwich while Piero cleaned, sort of.
"Are you waiting for some friends for lunch? I could buy for them too. It's the least I could do after messing up your shirt."
"No worries. I've got a change in my locker. The friend that has break same time as me has a girlfriend so..." He trailed off and Piero chuckled with a knowing laugh.
"And you don't have a girl?"
"Not this term. I'm focusing on my studies. Trying to get into MIT in the United States. I usually take lunch on my own." He held up a book Piero didn't see tucked under his arm. "Get a little reading in, catch up on homework or study for the SAT exams. You're uh, not from around here are you?"
"What gave it away?"
"You look like you've seen the sun." He chuckled.
"You too."
"Yeah, it's in my genes. That's what my parents say."
"Oh, you look like your mom or dad?" It hurt him to say those words knowing it didn't refer to him."
"Nah, they're paler than ghosts." He laughed again. "Got it from my birth parents."
Piero's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Oh, you're adopted?"
He nodded "Yep."
How much did the boy know?
"I never felt any different but..." He paused and his face twisted up as if he said too much.
"But what?" Piero tossed the dirty napkins and leaned on the counter there.
He shrugged. "I just have questions."
YOU ARE READING
Smoke & Gun (+18) (COMPLETE)
Romance|:| She remembered her last interaction with Piero Albano. He was on his knees before her and she pressed the gun against his forehead . He said the words that she dared to repeat. "Well, what are you waiting for?" |:| Piero had plans to kill her b...
