My name is Kinda, a lady in her mid-twenties whose life has turned out to be meaningless, albeit, lucky enough to find something to keep me busy. As I stood in front of the mirror, trying my best to put on a smile, I thought I should be happy about my new job, even if my outfit bothered me a bit. It was cute with a white blouse, short pin stripped skirt with matching vest, and black heels, but a bit too revealing for my taste. At this thought I couldn’t help but laugh, in the past few years I had worn plenty of more degrading outfits on the job. Still I was trying to restart my life and this mini skirt and low cut shirt weren’t helping with my ‘trying to be more classy’.
“Oh well Kinda, it’s time to suck it up.” I said to myself, pulling my hair back into a loose ponytail with a few strands poking out. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes tight, going to that place way in the back of my mind where everything was perfect. Holding onto the feeling that place gave me, I snapped back to reality. Before the feeling left I grabbed my bag with a smile and drifted out of the door.
As I stepped into the game house I gulped, the guys looked a lot more intimidating up close. The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming. Oh yeah I forgot to mention, my new job just so happens to be me working as a waitress at an illegal game house ran by the mafia. Thought it might be a lil’ bit important for you to know. Before I had a chance to even think about running away I felt a hand on my arm and I turned to see my friend, Antonio, grinning at me.
“Toni! I am so glad to see a friendly face.” I cried out my Brooklyn accent showing greatly as I let my guard down. His grin matched his sparkling green eyes as he threw open his arms, waiting for his general hello hug. I obliged him and pulled him close, glad that his familiar warmth calmed my nerves. “I am so nervous Toni …” I whispered to him after I finally let go. “I thought you might be but don’t worry, most of the guys that come in here are more focused on the game than you. Besides I will be right behind the bar if anything does happen. Just relax and try to enjoy yourself a little bit,” he said happily before pulling me along to the bar, not waiting a single second before putting me to work. It figures my best friend wouldn’t dare miss a second of an opportunity to make money. Still gotta love him I guess.
The day went by alright, better than I had imagined at least. I was glad that Toni had been right about the customers not paying much attention to me. Then just as I was beginning to think I might actually enjoy working here, the two biggest and smelliest guys I had seen all night entered. I had a twinge in my stomach that told me to be careful around them, but I ignored it, putting on my best smile as I went to take their order.
“Woah! Look here Tommy, a new girl! Such a pretty young thing too.” One of them said with a wicked yellow-toothed smile. Tommy chuckled beside him as the man looked me up and down before he snapped his fingers saying, “Bring me the strongest thing in the house would ya, doll face?” I let out a breath, that I didn’t even know I had been holding, and turned around to go fetch their drinks.
As I did so, I felt a hand slowly trying to lift my skirt and I turned around quickly, turning a dangerous shade of red. “Hey keep your grubby hands off me, I ain’t no whore!” I screamed, again my accent slipping as it always did when I was angry or nervous. As soon as the words left my mouth though, I regretted it as I saw the look in the dude’s eyes. “You are whatever I say you are; you feel me? You are working for us now and if you don’t watch that little mouth of yours girlie, you will be in deep trouble.” The unknown man said with a growl. Anger bubbled inside me and I did the stupidest thing I could in that situation, I slapped him. Again I regretted my decision when I saw a fire light in his eyes. “Now you are gonna get it!” He growled as he grabbed me by the collar, lifting me into the air.
For a minute I was certain I was going to die but suddenly all the chatter in the room, since no one even looked away from their cards to help me (bastards), stopped. Then a voice with a genuine Italian accent, unlike the fake ones that the mobsters often had, called out “Put her down Laban.” I don’t know why but I felt the man, Laban, give a small shudder as the small man spoke.
“Aw come on boss I was just having a little fun with the new girl. I won’t hurt her too bad.” He whined lowering me ever so slightly. As he did so, I managed to sneak a glance at the man, who turned out to be really cute with dark auburn hair and dark eyes. If I hadn’t been scared for my life I might have enjoyed looking him over. Slowly the man leaned over slightly, raised his eyebrow and asked calmly “Are you arguing with me?” With these small words Laban gulped loudly and dropped me unceremoniously to the ground. I huffed, straightening my skirt and acting tougher than I really felt. I pouted putting my hands on my hips. In reality I wanted to pass out but that just didn’t seem like the best thing to do in the particular situation. “Now I think you owe this bella donna an apology.” He said a small smile forming its way to his lips.
“Yes boss Romano. Lo siento señorita… it won’t be happening again.” Laban said, in a Spanish accent with a small twitch in his eye as he addressed me. I nodded once, not really accepting his apology, but deciding it wasn’t really worth the fight. Besides I was still pretty shaky and didn’t think I would even have the ability to speak yet. So I was more than glad when Laban and Tommy left, sulking and feeling even better that this “boss Romano” was looking at me as much as I was looking at him.
“Are you ok?” He finally asked only after everyone had gone back to their games and jobs. I nodded feebly, trying to hide the blush that had crept onto my cheeks. “Good, those two are such bastards … if they didn’t have such good connections I wouldn’t keep them alive.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “So um anyway I am really sorry for how they treated you … I promise it won’t happen again. How about I make it up to you, my brother owns this really great restaurant. If you are interested of course!” He rambled closing his eyes and turning bright red.
I stifled a small giggle at his blush. I found it funny that he stood up to those big guys with no problem but couldn’t manage to ask me out without talking a mile a minute. I saw him peek one eye open and I answered, “I would love to, after all you did save me back there. But I am kinda… still working,” gesturing to my outfit.
His eyes popped open and he piratically screamed “Oh that’s not an issue at all! Antonio, you tomato bastard, I am taking erm um … what’s your name?” He whispered to me shyly with a blush. I giggled again and answered him, where after he said dreamily, “What a pretty name! Anyway … I am taking Kinda out to eat so don’t give her a hard time, or you will regret it!” Toni bit his lip roughly, trying to hide his smile, and nodded as he wiped out a glass.
As I followed ‘Boss Romano’ out of the game house I glanced back at Toni, who gave me a wink, telling me silently to have a good time. As we walked through the night air we didn’t talk until I finally asked, “So who are you exactly?”
“Oh I guess I didn’t introduce myself, did I? Everyone calls me Boss Romano after a weird cheese incident a few years back … but you can call me Lovino.” he said running his fingers through his majorly gorgeous auburn hair. I said his name slowly, savoring the feeling of it rolling off my tongue. As I did so, Lovino turned a new shade of red and with a small smile said, “You say it so nicely, Kinda.”
“You are such a flatterer Lovino.” I laughed tucking a strand of hair behind my ear nervously with my pinky. “So tell me about your brother, what kind of restaurant does he own?” I asked after a couple of minutes of walking in silence. I gave a little shiver as the night breeze hit all of my bare skin.
I then felt a jacket being wrapped around my shoulders and Lovino said, “I seriously need to tell those bastards they need to change the uniforms, here, you can wear this to keep you warm.” I blushed slightly and pulled the jacket closer, breathing in his scent which was like a mix of tomatoes and old spice. “Anyway my fratello, Felicano, is a little bit pazza, you know, crazy. He is so child-like and sometimes it’s so annoying but if I ever need him, I know he has my back. Unless it’s in a fight then he will probably just run away but … to tell you the truth I don’t even like to fight. Oh and he has an Italian one of course!” he added on a side note, trying to distract me from his previous comment.
“You, the leader of the mafia is afraid of a fight? Seems slightly ironic to me. You seemed pretty confident when you stood up for me anyway.” I said giving him a playful bump with my hip. Lovino almost fell over and I laughed as I grabbed his arm, steadying him. “You really are a softie aren’t you?” I asked as he led me into a warm and romantically lit restaurant.
He opened his mouth to shoot me a reply but he was caught off by someone screaming out “Big brother Romano!” Then suddenly Lovino was pulled into a hug by a man who could only be his brother. “Fratello, it has been so long since you came to visit me … oh and you brought a girl!” the younger man called out and suddenly the hug was shifted to me.
“Damn you bastard, get off of her and go make us some food!” Lovino yelled pulling me away from his brother and smacking him in the head, forming a lump. Felicano starting to pout and cry a little but none the less he ran off back to the kitchen. “Sorry you had to see that but, sometimes it is the only way to get him away. Now come on Kinda, I always have a reserved seat.” He said and before I could reply, his hand was in mine pulling me through the maze of tables.
Lovino finally stopped in front of a corner that was closed off by a small curtain. He opened it up for me and moved quickly so he could also pull out my chair. I had been around mobsters my whole life and this was not how they acted, it was actually rather nice. As I sat down I rested my head on my hand and stared around the room, wondering why we were closed off from the rest of the place by a thick curtain. He must have seen my pondering eyes because he answered “Usually the people I take here require a bit of privacy. I have to say I like being here with you better.”
I blushed at the compliment and instead of saying anything back, turned my attention to the glass of Chateau Margaux that he was pouring for me. I took a small sip, swirling it around in my glass. “So is your brother in the mafia too?” I asked wondering if the kid like man I had just met could possibly be in the family. After all it just seemed very unlikely but more often than not it ran in the family.
“Um … no he just runs this place. When our father was about to pop his clogs, he told me to make sure that my little brother was happy and safe so I took up the title of the Godfather and let him run the restaurant. So I never really wanted the job, I am actually not a very violent person. And why am I telling you this? You probably think I am weak now.” Lovino said turning a darker shade of red then the wine. He seemed so embarrassed to admit how he got his job so I figured it was only fair I told him how I got mine.
“I use to work for a Russian man named Ivan who turned out to be the leader of a human trafficking ring. I managed to get off the streets thanks to Antonio, who managed to get me into the bar. You got the job to protect your brother and I got it because I use to be a hooker. Now you tell me which one is worse.” I whispered, my eyes tearing up as I told him about my past. I know we had just met and I barely told anybody but … he had saved me and opened up to me. I at least owed him the same.
“Kinda …” he whispered my name gently, with no more trace of roughness, and I looked away, unable to look him in the eyes any longer. Now that he knew what I use to be he probably wouldn’t be interested in me any more. Why did I have to be such an idiot and tell him about that! Ugh what was this guy doing to me. He then reached across the table, lifting my head up softly with his hand. “I kill people and sell drugs for a living. Nothing you could have ever done or will ever do could make you seem any more beautiful to me then you already are.”
Then before I could respond his face met mine, brushing out lips against each other gently. Just as quickly as the kiss had happened he was back to his normal bad ass pose and I couldn’t help but smile, I knew that behind his harsh exterior was a sweet scared teddy bear. “Lovi~” I said fondly which made him twitch a little. “I don’t care what you do either because now I know … you really are a good person.” I said in a whisper looking into those deep brown eyes of his.
“Yeah… yeah, but tell anyone, la mia principessa, and I will have you put on my list.” He said with a small half smile forming on his lips. I laughed and smiled at him sweetly. With him I knew no matter what I did it wouldn’t matter to him, and that single thought was enough to make my life a bit brighter. I had finally found some light, at the end of the long dark tunnel I was in.
1. Bella donna- pretty girl
2. La mia principessa- my princess
Seth Kinda 