7

Massimo.

¨Son, can you come join me in the back garden, i want to talk to you about something!¨ My father asked me over the phone while I was busy going over a proposal from another Don, for a new investment. ¨Ok i am coming, just give me a minute father¨ i say and clear out my desk and walk out to meet him. 

Once outside I sat down opposite my father while he poured a drink for me. 

¨Everything okay, pappi?¨ i asked him curiously, wondering about what he wanted to talk to me about.

¨Yes Massimo, i am good i am only a bit worried about you, dear son, you know in a few months time it is time for you to to choose a wife, a Dona who can stand beside to rule but for what your mother and i have seen is that things are not going as it should be!¨ Father spoke.

¨What do you mean Pappi?¨ I asked, a bit confused. 

¨Well there are 2 things i want to discuss with you this afternoon and let me start with the most important one! Your mother and I have noticed that you are showing interest in some girl named Julia who is still going to college if my info is correct, well since you were attracted that night when you went to see her we have found out who did it. It was a man with connections to the Bratva, the Russian mafia, so i have spoken to Don Smircov and we have come to an agreement……in exchange for keeping the peace between our family´s i have signed a deal with him to trade because he told me that that was what he wanted but you were not in on it and that had pissed him off but the other thing is he knows about your girl Massimo, he knows how she looks like her name where she goes to school…..she is just an innocent schoolgirl son! why on earth would you choose such a girl to be your future wife and Dona??......Are you sure she is capable enough to shoulder the responsibility of being your wife?¨ He asked me while he was still processing all the information he had just given me about the Russians. 

¨I….i don't know papi, i just fell in love with her right on the spot! i want her but i do agree that she is young and innocent yes! but……¨

¨No buts son! you should know how to deal with matters and make the right decision because you are the DON! Massimo, don't forget that the whole underworld knows our family and respects us because of our reputation! don't mess things up because you are chasing your hormones!!¨ 

¨Papi, please! just give it some time so i can figure out if she is the one or not ok, i still have some time for the annual ball so please give me that time, if i don't arrive that evening with my woman you can choose one there and then ok?¨ 

¨Ok son, deal! but me sure that your girl can be a good Dona because you know how i think about divorce!¨ 

¨Yes papa I know!¨

¨Ok son, now let's discuss how we can set up that trade deal with Don Smircov¨ Father says and we continue talking while in the back of my mind think of a way to figure the whole thing out with Julia…..

He made me think and I don't like it! If the Russians really know all that about her then she is not safe, not safe at all but since she is not officially mine yet i can't protect her like i could when she was living with me! but even then…..what if she can't get used to this life, my dark world then what? my enemy's if they smell her fear they can use her!.......Dear God! What have I gotten myself into?......

Julia.

Days are passing and before I know it is the weekend.

I have told Massi that I'm off to see my parents and he is not happy since

he had it in mind to take me out on our first official date this weekend and he told me that he wanted to talk to me about something but I told him that i can't say no to my very demanding parents, so promised him that next weekend I would go with him on a date and that cooled him a bit down....such a possessive man sometimes but also kind of cute though…

He even send Jose last night to bring me a bouquet of red roses!!!.....so romantic!!! I smile when I still think of it!

Kate is whistling some tune from the radio while I look outside at the trees passing by as we drive on to the countryside. The more I see them the more I remember my past life locked up at my parent's farm and it makes me feel sad!

After 3 hours we finally arrive and my mom and dad are already standing outside in the garden waiting for us. The moment I get out of the they both run to me and squeeze me almost to death.

"Please I need to breathe mommy, daddy!!" And then they let me go and look at me.

"You look okay!" Mom says and Kate rolls her eyes while I shake my head.

"Let's go inside and show your friend your room, you guys will be staying in your old room!" My dad says while we follow him with our bags.

I'm really happy about the fact that they let us share my old room so at least we can chat during the evening and at night if we want to.

We both get ready for dinner, I'm putting on a colorful flower dress with a sweetheart neckline that just reaches on top of my knee and Kate is just being herself in ripped jeans and a matching Crop top.

We go downstairs to meet my parents who were already busy in the kitchen preparing dinner.

"Please have a seat for you two, dinner will be served in a minute!" Mom says while we take a seat.

Suddenly the back door opens and Granny walks in!

"Granny!! I've missed you, how nice to see you again!!" I tell her while giving her a bear hug and she giggles.

"Good to see you my dear grandchild! How are you doing? Looking nice and you are glowing! Something you need to tell us, dear??" She whispers the last part smirking at me.

"I'm fine, thank you and no there is nothing to tell!" I say to her but she keeps looking at my face with a funny look!

"I would say your not the kind of girl to get yourself pregnant so soon so I would guess you are in love, my dear child!" She says and I feel my cheeks heating giving away what I don't want anybody to know about yet, that I have feelings for Massimo!.....

"You are too cheeky Granny, for your good!" I say laughing at her.

"Well my child whenever you are ready to admit it then you can always come to me, you know that right?" And I nod.

The rest of the dinner goes by in peace without any weird stuff, I only saw my mom looking at Kate a couple of times with a disapproving look on her face, probably about what she was wearing I think because my parents are pretty much on dressing and behaving nicely as off their neighborhood strict standards which they had tried to force upon me most of my life, but I'm so happy that I'm now free from those!

After dinner, I showed Kate around the farm and the gardens. It's a big place and they still managed to keep it all nicely I must say. We feed the animals and look around in my mother's flower garden before we go back inside.

When we are almost at the back door I hear my phone ring so I pick it op.

"Hello Babygirl, how are you doing?" I hear Massi's seductive voice coming from the other side giving me goosebumps again!.....the power he has over me by just simply talking to me is making me go crazy!!

"I'm fine, I was just showing Kate around the farm outside, and how are you doing?"

"That's nice! Well, I'm not at home at the moment, I'm with  Tommy out for some work together with some other man, colleagues of mine but I was missing you so I said to myself to call my baby girl!" He says with longing in his voice.

"I miss you too but we see next weekend for sure and maybe we can squeeze out some hours during the week in the evening?"

"That would be lovely if we could do that, let's see!, Well have a great night and dream of me Babygirl, a kiss from your Massi!" he smirked.

"Okay see you and you too have a nice evening and please whatever you are doing....don't get yourself hurt or killed okay!"

"Aww, my Babygirl cares for me!!, So sweet...I will baby don't worry!" he chuckled and after another goodbye, we cut the call and I walk inside the kitchen only to run into my mother who has questions in her eyes!

I hope she didn't eardrop on my call with Massi because I know I will be doomed!!

I pass her telling her goodnight and run upstairs to find Kate already in bed with her PJs on.

I told her what happened and she smirked.

"Yeah, I hope your mom didn't hear you but let's see! i wonder what he was doing with his friend Tommy and colleagues, sounds so mysterious, don't you agree?¨ She says. 

¨Yeah it does a bit doesn't it!.....i think whatever job he is doing is not one of those standart ones for sure! carrying a gun around and all that!¨ I replied to her while thinking. 

¨Well are you not scared? because you seem pretty cool for a innocent farm girl to date a guy with a gun in his back pocket?!¨ Kate smirked.

¨Yeah i don't know! actually i surprised myself as well!.....in the beginning i was shocked that he found out my number and than that night when he got shot and he saved my life by killing that man…..yeah for sure he is one of a kind…..but what kind i don't know yet….but i'm willing to give it a change!......you he makes me feel alive Kate, something i never felt before! I think I will not feel that with some farmer's boy from around here in a million years so as long as he is not going to shoot me I like to be with him!¨ I admitted.

¨Wow! My girl really grew some balls!!.....ah pity for me though…..i thought if you do not take him i will!!.....He is sex on legs girl!! Anyways, let's go to sleep since tomorrow will be another day!¨ Kate chuckled laying down on her pillow. 

I also lay down in my bed and stare at the ceiling for a moment and think about Massi.....

After some time I slowly fall asleep with a smile on my face, thinking about some chocolate orbs….

The next morning we wake up to the sounds of birds and I open my eyes not remembering for a second that I am back in my old room.

Kate comes back from the shower and is already dressed so I just follow her and go showering as well while she goes downstairs.

When I'm also done and dressed I meet her at the breakfast table with my parents, all in utter silence.

I take a seat and look at Kate as she slightly rolls her eyes at me and then I know something is up...

When my mom serves the tea and dad cuts some bread slices for us, Mom starts to talk.

We've heard from Kate here that you don't have a boyfriend yet.....but you are such a beauty and need to be appreciated by a good man so we have invited our neighbors with their son to come to our bbq!" She drops the bomb!.....

"Bob?" I say with big eyes!

"Yes dear, and he has grown into a fine young man, perfect for you my dear daughter!" Mom says and dad nods in agreement.

I feel my blood start to boil and I know if I don't get out of there and then I will explode at the breakfast table so I excuse myself and run outside towards the back of the garden and start to scream my lungs out in frustration and anger!!......

After some minutes I see Kate come running towards me.

"Why?? Why do they always have to do this!! What's wrong with them!!" I yell and Kate holds me in a tight hug whispering sorry.

"It's not your fault that they ambushed you before I came down right?" I ask her and she nods.

"Yeah, they did because they wanted to know if it was a boyfriend you talked to last night.....but I know you are not officially together with Massimo so I've told them that you don't have a boyfriend yet and that seemed to satisfy them!"

"God, for once I wish you told them yes so maybe they would back down.....although maybe they would kill me over it for not telling them.....I don't know what to do now!!" I say while Kate rubs my back.

Some hours later, Kate and I came down from our bedroom after we'd dressed for the bbq.

My mother steals happy glances at my dress as approval but when she looks at Kate she pulls up her nose in dislike, she does not approve of her dress choice but Kate is Kate and does not care what people think!!

At the beginning of the evening, my father starts the bbq when the neighbors arrive with their son and I see my mom smirking from ear to ear.

"Hello Julia, long time no see!" says Bob and his parents Betty and David.

"Yes...yes indeed, well I have been very busy at the University so it's understandable right!" I say uninterested.

"Ah Bob, I already see you've met our lovely daughter Julia who's finally back from University. She is beautiful, isn't she? Besides the brains!"

My mom laughs at Bob and I suddenly feel very awkward! So I walk away from him and her and join Kate who is talking with Granny.

"Hello dear, come sit with us!" She says and I sit down with a glass of wine.

"So what do you think of Bob, my dear child?"

"Oh Gran, please not you too!" And she starts to laugh.

"I knew it! I already told your mother that it's not a good idea to try to match you with that boring Bob but yeah you know your parents If they have something in their minds then it's hard to change their minds!"

"Thanks, Gran for taking my side, and yes I know firsthand how they are and that is the reason I went away in the first place!"

"So my dear, do you have somebody special back at university? If you don't mind me asking again?" She smirks and I laugh sheepishly thinking of Massimo...

"Well there is a guy or I should say a man that I'm attracted to and I I think he likes me too and..."

"Girl, hey loves and adores you!" Kate blurts out suddenly and I feel my cheeks are heating up.

"Kate, stop it!" I whisper afraid my parents will hear her.

"Why? Julia, it's the truth! You know it yourself and you also have feelings for him, you told me yourself last night so I'm just simply stating the facts here!" And I gave her a look that shut her up after that.

"Really? How interesting! So what's his name and what does he look like Julia?" Granny asked curiously.

"Ehm....tall, dark and handsome..." I tell her with pink cheeks.

"My my...well, I'm happy if you are happy dear....and is he also coming tonight?"

"Ehm no...I didn't ask him"

"Why not?" She asks.

"Well...I don't know....we are not officially together yet so yeah"

"Okay I understand that but don't forget your parents will try to get you together with that Bob person so beware!"

"Ok, granny thank you!" I say and think of a way to stay as far as possible for the rest of the night from Bob.

We all have dinner together at the big garden table, enjoying the food, Kate has an amusing conversation with Bob which he seems to enjoy very much but my mom is furious, I see it on her face, that Kate is keeping Bob away from me.

After some time she asked if Bob and I would serve the dessert to all of us so I get up with a sigh and walked towards the kitchen to get it. He puts the pancakes while I put the ice cream.

As we walk back to the garden I suddenly hear a familiar deep husky voice entering my ears and my eyes turn into saucers when I see the man in front of me turning around dressed in a black buttoned shirt with black dress pants and black shiny shoes and a red rose in his hand...."Massimo!" I whisper.

"Hey Baby Girl, I was in the neighborhood for business so I thought I should surprise you!" he says coming up to me while I just stand there frozen at the spot while the silence falls as a thick blanket over all of us.....