Do you have a job for me?

Danielle 

After a few moments, Loredana and Alessandra arrive at the club too, and I finally get the distraction I was looking for. 

With dancing and chatting, the evening flows rapidly, even if I choose not to drink tonight. 

At the end of the evening, my feet hurt so much that I slump into a lounge seat happily. 

I can see Roberto and Giovanni discussing in the corner, and I’m suddenly met with Giovanni’s angry glare but I’m too tired to care. 

Loredana slumps into the seat next to me, and I giggle as she wiggles closer to me. 

I guess her drunken state makes me courageous because I utter the most stupid thing I could think of, respecting my mother’s wishes. “Do you have a job for me?” 

Loredana jerks up immediately and looks at me with wide eyes. “No!” 

I stare at her agape. “What? Why? Am I so ugly? Wouldn’t you be able to sell me profitably enough?” 

She scrunches her nose at me as she caresses my leg. “Honey, are you sure this wasn‘t Vodka in your glass there? You aren’t ugly! You are the most gorgeous creature I know. Heavens, you would be my best seller!” 

I pout at her as I moan, “Why not then?’ 

She sighs, setting her glass on the table before us. “Dani, what’s wrong? Didn’t you want to get out of all this? Getting into their business deeper would not help get you out. At all.” 

I look at my hands in my lap, before I start playing with my long necklace. “My mom stole my money again.” 

She shakes her head with a saddened expression. “God, babes. I’m so sorry.” 

“Six months of savings, Lore! Gone! I can’t keep going like this, I need to make more money.” 

My eyes wander to Giovanni instinctively and damn, why can’t he look less angry for once. “I won’t ever be able to get out anyway, but maybe I could afford my own apartment or, I don‘t know, open a bank account for once.” 

Loredana scoots closer and hugs me tight. “I’m so, so sorry!” 

She breaks the hug just in time to catch a tear of mine with her thumb. 

“Don’t! Just give me a job,” I plead her. 

Shaking her head again, she takes a deep breath. “Okay, listen. I have some sort of a group date tomorrow evening. We meet at an elegant club and dine without any strings attached. They are about to close a big business deal and want some pretty girls around them to celebrate it. One of my girls is sick and you would be a perfect fit-in. Also, the gentlemen always pay what they get, so if after the dinner you want to go home, you go home. What do you think?“ She asks me, and I nod smiling. 

“Sounds perfect to me.” 

She smiles at me while caressing my hand. “Do you want me to get you something stronger now?” 

“Yes, please.” 

As she gets up to cross the dance floor and get to the bar, I let my eyes roam again to Roberto, who is still talking agitatedly with an enraged Giovanni. 

I lean back into my seat and pick my phone out of my clutch to check for any messages. 

Just as a smile is about to creep up my face from a message I got from Carlo, I see that my brother tried to reach me about 20 times. 

Oh, God, I’m going to die! 

As Loredana passes me the drink in a fancy glass and takes her seat next to me, I show her my screen. 

“Can I stay with you until tomorrow? I don’t think I’ll make it to the appointment otherwise.” 

She nods worriedly. “Sure, I’ve enough things I can lend you to wear for the gig, and we can go do some lingerie shopping tomorrow.” 

Spotting my shocked expression, she puts her hand on my knee. “You know, just in case.” 

With a wink, she takes a sip of her drink.

A few hours and a little more tequila shots and Long Island iced teas later, Loredana is telling me some conspiracy theory in a slurred speech. 

I laugh hysterically as it doesn’t make any sense. 

Everybody is about to get to their car, and I inform Angelica that I would be driving with Loredana because I would spend the night with her. 

We hug goodbye and split in different directions. 

“She is too drunk. She shouldn’t be driving.” 

We turn around to see Valeriano holding Amelia’s hand, while Giovanni is walking a little bit behind them. 

“And you should mind your own damn business”, Loredana yells, slurring before bursting into a fit of giggles. 

I chuckle as I reach out to hold her to keep her from falling over. “I’ll drive. Don’t worry.” 

As soon as I have the key in my hands, Giovanni is already approaching me. “You shouldn’t be driving either. I saw you drinking as well.” 

I hiss as he pulls the keys out of my hand because it grazes my already ripped skin. 

With a fast movement, he grabs my hand and opens my palm for him to inspect. “Sorry, Danielle. I didn’t want to hurt you.” 

Huh?! 

“It’s ok. It’s not your fault. It’s an old wound.” I stutter along, as my skin burns up under his touch. Quickly, I lower my gaze and free my hand from his. 

“Old wound? What do you mean by ‘old wound’?” He asks, and Loredana groans as she leans into me, nearly spilling the beans casually. 

“Her mother is a bitch!” 

I gasp at her hoping she wouldn’t say more to it. And I feel so ridiculous for being ashamed of him knowing about what I have to go through at home. 

“That’s not true. She does her best but she is sad because she misses my dad.” 

That little spark of something I have never seen in his eyes turns into discontent. 

And I’m exaggeratedly happy that Valerio butts in with his fiancée to say goodbye. 

As they are walking away to get to their car, Giovanni gestures with his head to his. “Let’s go, I’ll take you home.” 

“And my car?” Loredana yells while tripping over her own feet. 

“I’ll have it brought to your house tomorrow. Now shut up and get in.” He opens the door to his sleek car and lets her slide on the back seats. 

Closing the door, muttering something angrily, he opens the door to the passenger seat waiting for me to get in. 

I stand rooted in my spot, and he growls at me. “What do you need? An official invitation, Danielle?!” 

God, how I hate that name. 

“Maybe I should get in the back with her. Just in case something happens.” 

He sighs annoyed, “What should ever happen, Danielle? Just get in already.” 

I push past him, my skin sizzling as my shoulder graces his firm body. Hiding in the darkness of the car, I hope my blush dies down before he gets in. He closes my door gently, walking around to get in on the driver's side. 

As he gets the engine to roar to life, he clicks his tongue, checking on Loredana humming in the backseat. “She’ll be asleep in a minute anyway.” 

And he was right. 

Not even five minutes into our drive home, Loredana starts snoring softly sprawled out over the back seats. 

I giggle as I look at her and turn around to follow the landscape flying past the window. 

Giovanni drives silently for a while before he speaks, having me jump. 

“What did Gioia mean by saying that about your mother?” 

Oh, God, please no! 

I shrug, fixating my gaze on the passing scenery. “I really don’t know. Don’t think too much of it. She is so drunk.” 

I try to cover my shaking voice with an awkward laugh, but as I turn to look at him, my fake laugh dies in my throat. 

He is clutching the steering wheel, his eyes filled with hatred directed at the street in front of him. 

God, he looks like he's going to kill someone. 

“Gio?” I ask feebly. 

“Why are you lying to me?” he asks calmly, making me shudder. 

I take a deep breath trying to calm my nerves. “What?! I’m not ly-” 

“Oh, come on, Danielle. How stupid do you think I am? We grew up together, I had you chattering around me for ages. God, I was even inside you. I’ve registered every little reaction of yours. Don’t you think I‘d recognise you lying to me by now?!” 

A little mewl leaves my lips at the memory. 

That’s true, we did get off together once, but I don’t think he would remember it. 

He had a lot of beauties between his fingers in the meantime and also, we were heavily intoxicated. That was also the night that, paired with the following days, broke my heart so much that I decided to stop taking any more of that poison. Even if it killed me for the next months and years. 

“You are like an open book to me. But okay, let’s play your little game. If everything is fine, tell me why you were crying in the lounge then!” His knuckles have turned white in the meantime, and I don‘t like this interaction at all. 

“I didn’t-” I start, but get interrupted right away. 

“Danielle,” he growls, making me flinch. 

I’m used to people yelling at me, so him having his temper in check has me freaking out. 

He suddenly steers left, stopping the car on the side of the street. 

He looks over his shoulder to check if Loredana woke up, before facing me. “Why do you keep lying to me?"