Chapter 16: Chapter 16

"What the heck happened?" " I screamed.

"Babe," Falcone said.

"I understand," Antonette murmured gently. "It was harsh, honey, but Mic wasn't here and it had to be spoken." She and I had been discussing it for quite some time. He should have either made a move or moved on. He failed to accomplish either. Maybe now that you've had Falcone, he'll forget about you and go on."

Mic and she had been talking about it for a long time?

Why hadn't they approached me?

I did not inquire. Instead, I yelled, "He's already gone!" He has a girlfriend."

Antonette motioned with her palm in front of her face. “Hardly. Every female he chooses is someone he can drop like a rock if you give him an in. I dislike her. Mic dislikes her. You dislike her. She's a complainer. Nobody loves a complainer. Enrico, too. As a result, it's simple to drop like a rock."

Antonette caught my eye. Then I turned to face Falcone. Then I turned to face my commando audience.

After that, I fell into denial.

"This isn't going to happen," I declared. "I'm afraid I can't do that right now.  My wonton soup has cooled. I need to nuke it, eat it, and get back to work. Nobody exists. I live in a world by myself."

Then I walked past Antonette and Falcone, up my stairs, and to my supper.

Falcone was already in the door when I grabbed my noodles and turned around.

"Babe," he called out.

"I'm not seeing you. "You don't exist," I told him.

"Someone had to tell him, Gia."

"No, they didn't, and even if they did, it didn't have to be you," I said.

"I helped him out."

“Really? Did you? Should I contact Enrico and ask him if he felt you did him a favor by telling him that trash in front of Tonette and her gang? ”

"He'll get his finger outta his ass next time."

Definitely pushing the limits of head explosion.

"Get out. I don't want to see you for... I don't know... a million years. A million years should enough. "If I had a million years," I leaned forward, "I guess I'll get over being incredibly upset at you." He smirked.

"Babe," he said again.

"Thanks for the lunch," I spat, sounding about as thankful as I felt, which was not at all. I went toward him, finishing, "See you in the million year."

As I tried to walk past him, he caught me with his arm around my stomach, and I chose not to fight since, first, I might spill my meal, and second, I'd lose.

“What?" I snapped, twisting my neck to stare up at him.

"We're having supper tonight," he said.

"No, we're not," I explained. "I'm suffering supper with Dad and Melinda, where I'll have to explain about Isabelle and you, and then I'm working at the keyboard until I fall asleep."

His brows knitted together. "Are you really that far behind?" ”

“Yes! " I yelled. "I was further behind yesterday when Arlene came to visit and I naively chose to go to Grind. Now I'm much more behind, Falcone, and none of this is helping."

"I should let you get some crap done," he grumbled.

"What do you think?" I yelled.

His arm twisted, bringing me to his front and curling around me, forcing me to do evasive movements to avoid losing my wonton soup.

"Falcone..." I cautioned when his head fell; I twisted my neck to try to escape it, but his arm tightened, his other arm looping around me, and I couldn't keep his lips from striking my neck.

"You need to catch up, darling, carve some time out for me," he muttered against my neck, and I was ready to say something snide but couldn't because his tongue stroked the flesh behind my ear, and I forgot I was mad at him, and then he continued, "We're due."

“Due?" I took a deep breath as I could still feel his tongue behind my ear.

He raised his head, glanced at me, and said, "Due."

"What for?"

His dark eyes warmed, the dimples appeared, and his arms tightened even more, squeezing me against his long, strong torso.

Oh.

Due.

Mm.

I forgot we were done for a moment as I looked into his warm, dark eyes in the light of day, felt his long, muscular body against mine, and mentally recalled how that body felt naked.

Mm.

I blinked as he yelled out, "Babe."

“Hunh?

”

He grinned again, this time with white teeth against his lovely brown skin, and kissed me softly.

"Get to work," he said.

Then, all of a sudden, he was gone.

I stood there with my wonton soup, peering out the window at my empty hall, thinking, sh*t.