Chapter 6.1 - Valentina

The party is at a townhouse in what most people call "The Golden Mile" area of the city which is close to the Kremlin. It's very well known for the fact that it houses Moscow's richest and most influential people: billionaires, politicians, businessmen, and celebrities.

When I was younger, I would stare at the buildings as I walked by, wishing I'd live in one of those townhouses one day. But ever since we've moved out of the city to a gated community in Zhukovka on the outskirts of Moscow, I don't regret it one bit. Nothing beats waking up on Christmas morning in my own room with a view of our gardens covered in snow.

Back when we were celebrating Christmas in our apartment in those communist type building blocks it was always too noisy and too cold-but I was happy. I was happy even when I would cut out photos of my dream houses and dresses that I wished to wear someday and use them to make collages. I guess I was manifesting my life before I was even aware of what that meant.

A girl I knew from middle school greets us after we've rung the bell and places two drinks in our hands as soon as we take off our coats. I'm pretty sure her name is Sasha, but then again, I was flying under the radar in middle school due to confidence issues. I only knew the names of the popular kids, which everyone knew and talked about.

"This is Sasha's boyfriends' place, Rick. I think you might also know him from school. He was in the year above us."

I nod as if I have any recollection of all these people Raisa is telling me about, but I am very good with faces and numbers so I can remember 90% of people here by face and could tell you all the birthdates in my class. But names? Never good with names.

The townhouse is three stories high and even though it's freezing cold outside, some people choose to smoke outside on the terrace overlooking the city. After a few drinks, I am also one of those people, so Raisa follows me outside into a corner so we can smoke cigarettes.

She shows me an I*******m story. It's a photo of Matteo and Vinnie on a balcony. "He's so hot, ugh."

"Matteo?" I ask, trying to focus solely on our conversation. "Are you still talking to him then?"

She nods, taking a sip from her drink. "Well, we have sex. Good sex."

"The best of your life?"

She thinks about it for a second before she nods. "Yes. He definitely knows what he's doing."

I don't know how to continue this conversation, but it turns out that I don't need to because she keeps talking. "How many girls do you think he's slept with?"

I shrug, puffing out smoke. "I don't know, twenty, maybe?"

At this, she laughs, throwing her head back. A few people turn around to look at us but I ignore them. "What, more?"

"Last time I heard a number it was around fifty."

I frown. "Did he tell you that?"

"No, but people talk."

"You mean, maybe the girls he's slept with talk? And they could say things that aren't true."

"Everyone at school talks. It's Matteo Giudice." She looks at me for a second. "You really haven't heard about him until now?"

"I don't really follow gossip. I mean, I kind of know of these people. Maybe I've overheard something about them, but no. I don't know any details."

Raisa leans against the railing and holds her cigarette up as she starts speaking. "Well, everybody suspects that his family's in the Sicilian mafia and his father's a billionaire because he basically owns half of Sicily and half of New York."

"Maybe it's just gossip."

Raisa looks at me, unimpressed. "Maybe the billionaire part, but trust me, there's something going on with that entire family, and I'm pretty sure the Barone kids are also involved."

I look at her, wondering whether she ever suspected that our own families might be involved in illegal businesses, but the way she feels so free to speak about such things lets me know that the thought never even crossed her mind. She probably thinks our parents built a business conglomerate that got so successful so fast 100% legitimately. But we went from living in a two-bedroom apartment in Moscow to a multi-million dollar gated-community in less than three years. The math just doesn't add up for me.

"Why would the Barone kids be involved?" I ask, thinking about Vinnie and Eddie, and how we grew up spending our summers together. I also know their parents who in turn know my

parents, and there was never one moment that I thought the Barone family had something to hide.

"Because there's more families involved in the Sicilian mafia. I think Matteo's father is the leader and then people like Vinnie's dad are his right-hand men."

I can't help but laugh. "It sounds made up, Raisa."

"You'd think so, but I've heard stories from Allison's friends."

I raise my eyebrows. "For example?"

"So you know Matteo's family is in the insurance business."

"I thought it was real estate."

"Amongst other things. Anyway, this 'insurance' business apparently means going to newly opened businesses and threatening them to sign up for an insurance plan against any possible disturbances."

"How do you know they threaten people?"

"Because one of Allison's friend's dads refused to buy insurance for his restaurant and two days later it burned down. A month later it was back and he signed the insurance contract. They kept telling Allison he was toxic but she didn't listen."

This discussion is too much for me. I would have never thought Raisa was the type of girl to spread gossip around so easily, especially when she knew how important privacy is for most families at our school.

We finish our cigarettes and drinks so we decide on going back inside and pouring ourselves another.

"She's with him." is all she says as I try to get the Gin and Tonic ratio just right. "Who? What?"

I stop what I'm doing because Raisa clearly sounds upset. She shows me something on I*******m. It's a photo of a view of the sea from a dimly lit balcony with the tag 'Palermo' and a thirty-minute countdown.

"What am I supposed to be seeing here?" I ask, squinting.

"Allison posted this five minutes ago. She's spending New Year's with Matteo. Look." She points to one of the few guys looking out at the sea, which I didn't even spot the first time I looked at the photo. "That's Matteo and the Barone brothers."

I feel bad for her because I can see my younger self in the way she analyses every single photo of an event he's at, in order to know exactly what he's doing and prepare for the worst.

"Maybe they're friends." I try.

"No, they always get together when they're at the same location. It's like she can't let go."

Shifting the blame completely on the girl was also something I used to do before I realized that the guy I was involved with was always just as responsible as everyone else. But when you think you're in love you only see the person next to you as who you'd like them to be, and who you know they could be, but never solely for who they are.

"But I guess I understand why she keeps going back."

"How so?" I ask, placing straws in each glass.

"The sex is incredible."

I look at the two glasses on the counter, trying to remember the last time I had sex. It was months ago, back in April probably, after I'd gone back to my ex for the last time and swore to myself that I would never do it again.

"It's like he knows exactly what he's doing and how he should be doing it. I didn't even have to tell him what I like."

"Sounds...fun."

"It is. And he's big as well. Just the right amount."

I make a face. "Not really something I wanted to know, but thank you." I joke.

"He's always going to be like that though, I guess I need to remind myself from time to time."

"Like what?"

We choose to stand by the bar in the corner of the living room where people are dancing, just to be near the music but also be able to talk. I can tell that she needs someone to talk to about her feelings for Matteo.

"He's never going to be able to settle for just one person. He gets bored easily, he always needs a new thing, a new distraction. And his dick just goes along with it. Doesn't care who it is as long as someone's there. And Allison's always there."

"Maybe he doesn't want love or romantic relationships right now."

"I think he doesn't even know what that means."

"Well, he was with Allison for a few years, right? Maybe he wants a break. Have fun."

"I meant he doesn't know what love is."

I shrug, looking out at the crowd of people. My eyes fall on a guy I remember seeing around school before. I always thought he was cute but he was a year above me and didn't even know I existed. I'm 95% sure that his name is Isaac, but there's a slight chance that I might be confusing him with someone else.

"Who's that?" I ask Raisa. She follows my gaze and smiles.

"That's Isaac. He's at New York University studying World Economics. He dated half of the girls in our year back when we were in middle school. We had the biggest crush on him, remember?" she laughs, and I smile, just to see him watching us now.

"Oh shit." I say and we laugh even harder now because we've been caught.

---

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