The Mafia Don's Little Woman

One.1.

"Here is your order ma'am. Enjoy!" I said in my nicest tone to a lady who barely answered me.

Being a waitress is not an achievement at all. Moving all around this big restaurant, taking orders from customers, dropping menus on tables, serving dishes, and receiving offensive words as compliments from plushy, rich, and rude annoying customers is enough to spoil one's day.

I am LAURIE NORMAN, 22 years old. I alone cater for my mom and younger brother ever since mom lost her legs and dad left us. Although I have an elder brother, I would rather not talk about him. The bookstore and the restaurant are where I got money to feed my family. Though, the pay is meager.

A few steps into the night and I'm already tired because I had to take two shifts because I couldn't meet up yesterday.

A kind colleague covered it for me but I still had to grease her palm which doesn't make her kind after all. Smiles.

As I moved past the next booth, I noticed an old man, not too old though, boring holes through my body with his owl-liked eyes, eye-raping me. Eeew.

Men are so disgusting. I quickly moved past him before he tried something stupid that's if he's ready to lose some balls cause I'll smash his balls. I'm not a prude, I like men but not old men.

Reaching the counter, I ducked my head in between my hands and gave a deep sigh of frustration and tiredness. All these customers are fucking frustrating me.

I looked up when something cold touched me.

"Hey, lazy bone. How are ya doing' yea?" I hissed.

It was Damien and Kira, my best friend, standing behind the counter.

"I'm so fuck'in tired Dam," I said as I yawned wildly. A significant proof.

Damien and Kira are the only friends I have, they are my besties not minding the fact that they can be a lot pesky at times.

"Big mouth. Wanna swallow everyone in here?" Damien jokes.

"Got an invitation to a party goin' on tonight at the club." He said. " com in'?" He asked with a raised brow.

"For fuck'in sake Dam, I just told ya I'm tired. You're so unbelievable. I can't party tonight." I said pouting.

Damien didn't reply to me, he only nodded, probably hurt that I always turn him down.

I'm a party freak but I can't do parties tonight.

Kira seems to behave invincibly.

Earlier on, we had a little quarrel about her boyfriend. I stared at her, expecting her to say something but she didn't even utter a word.

Her silence makes me feel guilty, remembering the other times we did quarrel over the same guy and she fumed up uttering words like 'screw you, Laurie. Go get yourself a boyfriend and leave mine to me." In her tiny voice

Though she didn't say those words to me yet, she had a look on her face I could read. It's not like we share the same guy, but this guy doesn't deserve my friend. He's a cheat. I'd try to let her know but she'd shun me out.

I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by the heavy clicking of heels on the tiled floor. No one needs to tell me who those belong to. My Madam.

I turned quickly to run away but was stopped by her pitchy voice.

"And where do you think you are going to and what are you doing here?"

Without thinking, I quickly picked up the paper towel on the floor and began wiping the counter table.

"Errm...... Nothing.....Nowhere Ma'am. I was just wiping off some dirt." I said, inspecting the table.

" But it's clean now, I think I should get going." I turned sharply to escape but unfortunately, I was out of luck.

"Would you stop right there you little rat, is it your duty to serve or to clean?" She fumed

"Erm.... Both Ma'am. Oh sorry, to serve, ma'am."

Kira stifled a laugh.

We are used to playing around Madam Maggie like this but the look on her face wasn't convincing, guess it's not time for play.

"I'm sorry Ma'am." I apologized trying to hold back my laugh.

"Sorry for yourself. Next time You leave your duty position, you're gonna get a salary cut. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," I answered seriously this time. My salary is my life. It's meager and having a cut from it leaves me with nothing.

"Good. Now return to your duty."

"Most certainly your Highness." I gave a mockery bow which only got her more infuriated.

I bet she would have done something worse than salary slashing but she hissed loudly, greatly annoyed.

Kira burst out laughing, holding her stomach the same as Damien. I laughed too.

"Girl you're a badass," Damien said to me between laughter.

I smiled. I smiled not at what Dam said but because Kira was laughing.

Madam Maggie is a very swanky woman, her style and sense of dressing are totally out of this world. This planet.

Madam is a woman who has a thing for gross fashion. She impressed people with her off-styles, heavy lipsticks, long lashes, and artificial nails.

As I moved to serve, I began to wonder if it was my little drama with Madam Maggie or her off-styles that made Kira laugh with so much energy.

Oh God, my Kira is angry with me. Not like I did anything wrong, I only told her the truth.

Halfway to the counter, I heard my name.

"Laurie." I froze. I turned sharply, already preparing an excuse to tell her to go back to the counter I was banned from. I couldn't even speak before she cut me shut abruptly

"You should go take the orders of that man." She pointed, with so much enthusiasm buried in her voice and glittering in her eyes to a young man whose face I could not see because of the dark shade and mask he had on.

Why would anyone dress like this in a restaurant? All black. Weird. Strange.

"Try to put in your best, Laurie. I know you can be crazy but don't do anything stupid." I heard Madam Maggie saying to me but I was last in my thoughts of why someone would dress like an assassin to a social place. Maybe he's not normal.

Despite her warnings, I moved to the counter to ask Damien about the strange guy. I've never seen him here before. My mind wasn't at rest.

"Hey boo, you've got any idea who that guy is?"

"What guy?" He asked, not sparing me a glance. "The guy in black." I pointed in his direction to Damien.

"No, not really. But he comes here rarely, mostly, not during your working hours." He nods in his direction. " He comes here dressed like that."

With a raised brow, I asked.

"Really? All black like that?"

"No Laurie, with the shades and masks."

I nodded my head.

"Ahh, Ahhn. I guess he's an important person for Madam Maggie to notice."

Exhaustingly, Damien sighed down.

"Are you interested in him?" Damien questioned, making me feel uncomfortable.

"What. No! I don't." I answered sharply.

" Then what's the question all about?" He asked with a sullen look.

"Nothing." I rolled my eyes.

I could sense a hint of jealousy in his voice. I know Damien has a thing for me but was too shy to ask me out and always professed it by acting protective and jealous.

I picked up the menu and went to the table of the so-special customer of the night. Putting on my best fakest smile, I said.

"Welcome to Chop Chop Resto, one of New York's best. What are your orders?" I asked professionally.

He looked up at me but due to the dark shade he had on, I couldn't tell if he was looking at my face or my chest area which was a little open because the buttons went for a never-returning journey.

I made a quick reflex, using the menu card to cover my breast which I suppose was what he was looking at.

He didn't answer the question about what his orders were. Not like I gave him the menu. Instead, he diverted his hidden gaze to a blonde guy I never knew was sitting there. The blonde guy gave the orders and I immediately concluded that Mr mask guy is a grumpy guy.

With the orders in my hands, I walked back to the table.

On dropping the dishes I felt a slight touch on my butt but I brushed the thought of the stranger touching me aside.

Almost immediately, he touched my boobs which I failed to cover this time.

I felt a sensation run through me, which I quickly presumed to be anger.

I didn't think twice before I emptied the plate of spaghetti bolognese on him.

'How rude.' My subconscious mind condemned me.

'How dare he.' I fired back.

He stood up with a start as if to prevent the spaghetti from touching him. But I already messed up his clothes and hair.

The twat I suppose is his P. A ran to his side to clean the mess.

"Some nerves you've got there little princess." His accent was different, definitely not American. His voice sent sparks and shivers inside me. He's spooky.

He tried touching me again but I slapped him hard across the face which attracted the attention of all the customers.

I guess the slap stings, cause now, he took off his masks and shades, with a pretty smirk coming into view. Wow!

'Oh my God'. I should faint. Could someone be incredibly handsome like this?

This is a Greek god standing before me. pointed nose, pink lips, and blue eyes. So rare.

Not even Damien is this handsome.

He sucked on his lower lips and I couldn't help but drool.

Everywhere was tense. I heard people murmuring behind me, I heard gasps behind me, some recording shit definitely to upload on the internet.

As expected, Madam Maggie's voice Came up loudly behind me.

"Oh Laurie, are you not out of your mind? How could you? Do you know what you've done?" She said with her high-pitched voice, now standing in front of me.

All this doesn't make sense. Like what have I done? I only slapped someone, not killed someone.

"Ma'am I did nothing wrong, I was only being defensive," I said without batting an eyelash.

"By slapping my customer? Jeez! Laurie. You should apologize."

"For what exactly?" I asked.

Okay now I get it my madam was now being sarcastic, he should apologize not me

"For slapping him of course."

"I wouldn't have slapped him if he hadn't assaulted me," I said, my guts are not weakening a bit.

All this while the beautiful stranger stood smirking. Ugh! I shouldn't have said beautiful.

"So feeling what was there..." He said pointing to my boobs. "Is now an assault huh?" He asked, still smirking.

What kind of man is this?

"Of course it is, you daft. Who the fuck do you think you are to touch me that way?" I fired back.

I noticed his expression changed, he was no longer smirking, he had a pale but horrible expression.

Madam Maggie stared at me with mouth agape but quickly shut them to apologize to the stranger.

What is he? A god or something?

"Errm...I'm so sorry. Forgive my girl please she's sick. Please don't take her words seriously." She forced a smile and then faced me, signaling me to make an apology but the stubborn spirit inside me would not yield to that. No way.

"There's no way I'm going to apologize to this twat ma'am, not like I did anything wrong," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Madam Maggie tried persuading me but was stopped by the weirdo.

"Maggie." He called with a deep voice that got Madam Maggie frightened.

"Fire her now or I close down this place."

What!!! Fire me? My ears itched me.

Like a spell had been cast on her, she fired me.

"Laurie, you are fired. Get your things and leave." I was dumbfounded as Madam Maggie ordered me out

"What! You're going to fire me because of him?" I asked soberly, eyeing the stranger bitterly.

"Laurie out of my resto! Now. I can't afford to lose my resto because of you." She thundered.

"Wow!!" I was shocked.

Madam Maggie could be controlled. The most skittish woman I had ever known.

I looked at the handsome weirdo for the last time before dashing out.

Kira and Damien followed me out, either to console me or to talk me out of my defensive manners and stubbornness.

They tried convincing me to go back and apologize to the rude bastard, but the pride inside of me was bigger than my problems right now.

"Rye you know mom's got health issues, getting fired is only going to worsen the home situation. Why don't you just apologize." Kira said. I paused.

If not for anything aside from my mom's health right now, Kira speaking to me is enough for me to go back and say sorry to the stranger but to hell with him. I respect my self-esteem.

Like he assaulted me, he should apologize not me. And why is everyone seeing my defense as an offense?

I wouldn't apologize. I left anyway.

Two.2.

Staying at home wasn't funny. I mean it, it isn't funny.

Only two days after my dismissal from the resto, the building where the bookstore was was demolished. Now I'm jobless.

Hitting the street every morning for the past two weeks job hunting yields nothing. Although mom isn't aware that I was fired from the restaurant, she knows about the demolition of the bookstore building.

It's evening time, at least the time I do get to resume duty at the resto. Lying down on my small prisoner bed, I couldn't help but think about our crumbled life, Mom's failing health, and Bryan's tuition fees. All of these are just too much for me that I felt like crying. But I wouldn't cry because only weak people cry and I have to be strong for my family.

I came down and met Mom knitting by the little hallway to the kitchen.

"Laurie, you haven't been going to the restaurant for some time now. Why's that?" She asked as she noticed my presence. She's been asking me this question for one week now.

I couldn't tell her I was fired because I knew it was going to trouble her. Mom has cancer and she can't walk, the reason I have to work two jobs differently, of which I just lost both now.

Though she's still in her early stage.

"Mom, how's your health yet? You okay?" I asked instead, hugging her from behind.

She looked at me suspiciously but answered anyway.

"I'm as good as you. So now, you haven't been going to the restaurant, why?" She asked again.

"Oh, Mom! It's not something you should work yourself up with okay? I just took a break." I said.

"A break? C'mon Laurie! How can you take a break for this long?" She asked, searching my eyes for answers.

"C'mon Laurie, talk to me. I know something's amiss." She probed further.

I sighed.

"Ok. Fine! I got fired from the restaurant Mom." I said without any guilt.

"And why? What did you do?" She gasped.

"I did nothing, Mom. I was only being defensive and I got laid off."

"Defensive about what?" She asked as if waiting for me to say something foolish.

"Ahh! Mom!" My mom is a questionnaire.

"I was harassed by a man and I slapped him and Madam Maggie asked me out," I said without any remorse as the scene of that night played in my head.

How I wished I had done something more than just slapping that stranger. I would have done something like squinching his balls or punching him till he's never able to breathe again.

Yeah! I'm poor but I can never be intimidated or scared by anybody. The only person that scares me is the landlord.

That old man is a handful. Very tough.

My mom shook her head, disagreeing with what I said.

"Oh no, Laurie! You shouldn't have slapped him. You can never get away with these rich people. They are deadly." She said soberly.

"Mom! I know. But that doesn't leave room for humiliation. For goodness sake Mom, he fucking touched me... ow!" I winced when my mom smacked me on my head.

"You don't use the F word with me and you should let him get away with it. Nothing good comes from toying with those rich people. Yuuno?" My mom said angrily and fretfully.

"Really Mom? I should have let..." I was interrupted by the chattering of my drunk brother, Jeremy, who staggered left to right and then left again.

Jeremy is a pain in the ass, in the neck, and every part of the human body. As much as I am being defensive and fearless, I couldn't bring myself to be that in front of Jeremy.

Not because I'm scared of him but because he's a stigma. Jeremy is a carbon copy of my dad, my nightmare. He's the senior beast while Jeremy is the junior.

I hated myself for being a chicken in front of him.

He staggered in my direction, I could stand but he quickly grabbed me. He pinned me down to the chair, choking me. He brought his face closer to mine and I could perceive alcohol from his breath.

"Looks yummy!" He said, licking his lips and staring at me as if I was some pizza or cakes.

By now, I could hardly breathe and my eyes were turning red.

"Jeremy get off me." I manage to speak between my choked breaths.

But instead, he slapped me hard on the face. Mom screamed and begged but the devil yielded not.

She shouldn't beg him. I hate it when she begs him.

Jeremy released me abruptly while I coughed and tried to catch my breath. He went over to Mom and pushed her down and that sent me flying out of my seat. I tried to kick him from behind but he caught my arm and threw me down too.

Jeremy stood laughing like he was watching a comedy skit. The deep haunted laughter reminded me of what Dad did to Mom and me. I booked in rage as the only thought in my head was to burst his balls.

As if Mom understood my feelings, she held my hands and pleaded silently with her eyes and that made me angrier. Well, I guess that's what motherly love is.

I know for a fact that I can't handle Jeremy all by myself but at least I might burst some balls. I was prepared to kick him if he tried to attack again but gracefully he left not after giving a loud belch. He staggered his way up the stairs. I'm very sure he's going to ransack my room for money like he always does but then he'll find nothing.

I helped Mom back into her wheelchair just when Jeremy charged out, leaving the house in fury. Maybe because he couldn't find any money in my room for his gambling.

I wheeled Mom back to her room and helped her lay on the bed. I quickly left before she started apologizing on Jeremy's behalf. Nonsense!

I also tucked Bryan in bed before leaving for my room.

A year dropped from my eyes and I quickly wiped it away, hating myself for that. I wasn't going to cry because of Jeremy. Never!

I made a promise to myself never to cry or be weighed down by challenges and difficult times.

Never!

I lay down on my bed, facing the worn-out ceiling. I never really hated Jeremy but I hated Dad.

Jeremy was sweet and kind not until he visited Dad once. I wasn't scared of Jeremy or the fact that he was capable of hurting.

But I hated the fact that his features and exhibitions were just the same as those of my worst nightmare. My dad. NORMAN BIRCH.

Three.3.

My door burst open with Bryan running in with a paper in his hand, squealing and making an unpleasant noise to my ears.

"Hey, can't you knock? And don't you mind lowering your voice?" I asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm just excited sis. I just came back from school." He said smiling.

"It's very obvious since you're still in uniform. How's school?" I asked.

"Fine." He squealed and I rolled my eyes.

"I got an A in the math test today."

"Wow! That's my boy. Come gimme some sugar baby." I spread my arms open to receive his hug but instead, he hugged Kira.

Yeah! She just had a shift this morning and she came to give me a gist about all the happenings in the restaurant. I stylishly and shamefully hugged myself. The rejection was too much to handle. I was jealous.

"Ok! Enough. You go over to your room." I asked him out.

"Hey, sis you didn't go to work today?" Bryan asked. He doesn't know about my dismissal from work.

"Bryan, go to your room, take off your clothes, have a quick bath, and quit the fucking questioning thing okay?" I commanded.

"You owe me a dollar for the F- word thing you?" He winked and grinned.

"Mistake. My bad." I replied sheepishly.

"I disagree. You are gonna give it to me." He insisted.

"Okay. Fine, go to your room and do as I say then you'll get your pay." I surrendered.

He quickly dashed out but not after reminding me about the dollar.

Bryan is not a kid to drag words with because you'll never win. I shook my head and faced Kira only to see her smiling dreamily into space.

"What's with the smile?" I asked.

"Hmmm?" She hummed.

"You were smiling. What were you thinking in that small head of yours?" I said tapping her head while chuckling. She chuckled too.

" I was thinking about having a baby as sweet as your brother. Yuuno! Fred and I, having a baby." She smiled.

"Yes of course Kira. You are going to have a baby but not with him." I deadpanned.

" That's not for you to decide. He's my boyfriend and we've had sex. So?"

I shook my head." whatever?"

I know his conversation will end up in quarrels if I continue poking. So let it be.

"Well, Antonio was at the resto today." She said grinning.

"Why?" I was alert.

" He was looking for you. I told him you don't work in the resto anymore." She grinned and gave me a not-too-sincere kind of look and whispered loudly.

"He misses you." She laughed.

Eeww! I grimaced at her words.

Antonio was my boyfriend. Though our relationship was short-term. It never lasted, I got tired of his incessant demands of sex. We've had sex twice but I can't meet his demands so I called it off. I'm not a sex machine to toy a man twice a day.

I had other boyfriends before Antonio but he was the cutest amongst them.

"Kira, please don't talk about Antonio. Let's talk about something else." I said already getting infuriated.

"Why? You l.o.v.e.d this guy." She stressed the word 'loved' as if trying to get me angry.

"Loved. Past tense. Not anymore."

"But you missed him. Those days, the cuddlings, the....." I quickly cut her short before she started moaning in my ears.

"Erm..I never missed him and I never will." I stated.

"But you fought with Damien because of Antonio, remember?"

"Oh Kira, please! Just stop already. Talk about something else or you leave." I hissed and she rolled her eyes.

That's how we roll. We quarrel but never separate.

"Ok! Guess what?" She clapped her hands in the air as if she just remembered something.

" Fuck you and your guessed Kira. Can't you just say something?" I asked tiredly.

"Okay. You remember the masked guy?" She looked at me waiting for me to process.

"The hot cutie you slapped on the night you were fired?" She said almost drooling.

Like the speed of light, the stranger's cute face filled my head and I couldn't help but hissed.

"What about him?" I asked carelessly.

"He came, asking about you." She said and my nostrils flared in anger.

"Asking for me? When did he make me lose my job?" I flared, surprising Kira.

"Whoa! Cool down would ya? I didn't say he was washing for you. I said he was asking about you, your every detail rye." She said,

I paused and leaned back into bed. Calmly I spoke.

"What does that mean?" I asked, batting my lashes repeatedly and faster. A habit I always do when I'm nervous or uncomfortable.

Kira stared at me with pity in her eyes, like I was now an epileptic patient with no hope for survival.

"I think you messed with the wrong guy, I think you're in deep shit, rye." She calls me rye only when there's a problem and that startled me.

I sat upright as I felt a terrible hotness growing inside of me but still, I remained confident.

"Kira, I never messed with him okay? That dude fucking touched me. He touched my boobs. I only called him to order by hitting him in the face. I should have done something better " I spoke with confidence.

Kira looked at me like I'd grown horns. I guess amazed by my profound confidence.

"Rye, that guy is not someone you can call to order. He's a go in this town and you're just an item. Nobody's gonna have ya back," she paused for a while before adding that the video of that night has gone viral.

I quickly picked up my phone to check, only to realize that my phone was a make-calls-only type of phone. I hissed and cursed.

"But Kira, I am not gonna let my guts down, I'm ready for whatever he has up his sleeves," I said confident in myself, like a warrior in a battle.

Kira stared at me with her mouth agape. An expression of shock. She slowly closes them.

" Rye, this guy is not Jake." She warned.

Jake was my high school classmate. I was once beaten up brutally because he touched me.

"And who the fuck is this guy that no one messes with?" I yelled, already pissed about the 'this- guy- is- no- joke' topic.

"He is MASSIMO CANTOUR." She answered.

" Oh! What a name." Realization hits me. The name sounds so intimidating, and so is the bearer.