The Chronicles of City Lights and Modern Love

“Alessandra!” Carmine quickly grabbed the dress from the sales assistant and ran out of the shop after me, thinking that I was running away. He came out to find me standing next to Johnny, completely at ease.

“You thought I was trying to give you the slip,” I told him. “If I wasn’t curious to see my grandpa, I would have by now, trust me. After all, I am Neil Evangelo’s granddaughter right?”

“Just get in the car and shut up,” Freddie said irritably.

“Stop telling me to shut up or I will make you wish Neil had asked someone else to fetch me,” I threatened.

“Oh come on, I doubt you could do much damage,” Freddie scoffed.

After that statement I decided to prove them wrong. I kneed Freddie in the groin then gave him an uppercut as he bent over.

“Whoa, hold up! The cuffs are going back on you as soon as we get in the car,” Carmine said before adding, “nice punch though.”

I smirked. “I thought so.”

The trip to the jeweller was short and soon Carmine was unlocking the cuffs once again.

“Come with me and please don’t do anything stupid,” he said.

“I don’t do stupid things…” I replied coolly.

“Just devious things,” Carmine said with a smile. “Now come on, your Nonno has something on hold in here for you and after this we are going to a hotel room to get ready...and I’m your date.”

He said the last part quickly and in a slightly muffled voice, as if hoping I wouldn't actually hear what he said. I looked at him incredulously.

“That was Neil’s idea, nothing to do with me,” he said defensively.

How convenient.

We got out of the car and strolled into the jeweller where Carmine told the man at the counter what he was there for.

“Ah yes Mr. Evangelo told me someone of your description would be coming in,” he said pompously. “Now, can you just answer me this question? What is his granddaughter’s middle name?”

“What’s your middle name?” Carmine asked me sternly.

“Not telling.”

“Come on, please,” he whined.

“It’s Bella,” I resigned.

He smirked triumphantly, as if the fact that he had already been calling me Bella was a way of proving his superiority in the situation.

The man brought out a package and handed it to Carmine.

“Come on, back to the car. You can open it there,” he said as he realised I was looking at the package curiously.

We got to the car and once they were in there he gave me the package. Inside was a diamond necklace and earrings.

“Holy shit!” he exclaimed in admiration.

I simply frowned at the obviously insanely expensive jewellery, wondering what "business deal" had paid for it. It was beautiful and ugly at the same time.

When we got to the swanky hotel, we walked straight up to a room where we began to get changed. There was a knock on the door and a woman came in saying that she was there to do my hair and make-up. The woman took about half an hour and then she left. I got changed into the dress and looked at myself in the mirror. The dress was stunning. It was royal purple and had a thick bronze band that formed the straps by looping around my shoulders and then continued as the lining on the plunging back. The back plunged so low that the lining at the bottom rested just below the dimples in my lower back. I walked out to the living area from the bedroom and the three guys turned around and stared, their jaws dropped in unison.

“Come on guys, have you never seen a girl in a pretty dress before?” I reprimanded.

“You ready to go?” Johnny, the first to recover, said.

“Can someone untwist the lining on the back?” I asked.

The three of them got up but Carmine, who was closest, got to me first. He softly ran his fingers down my back along the seam to straighten it out. The sensation sent shivers down my spine.

“As your date, Carmine looks particularly ugly tonight,” Freddie commented with a laugh.

“HA-HA, shut up or I’ll knock you one,” Carmine retorted.

“Oh snap,” I said, mocking his feeble come-back.

Soon, we walked down to the foyer and out the main entrance to where the stretch hummer was already outside. Carmine put his hand on my bare lower back to guide me.

“After you,” he said, giving me a slight push through the open door of the vehicle.

“I’m pretty sure I can get into a car by myself,” I snapped.

“Whatever. Oh by the way, you’re gonna have to wear a blindfold ‘til we get there,” he said cautiously, knowing that I wouldn’t react well.

“Are you kidding me? Why!?” I fumed.

“Because the less you know about the location of this place, the better,” he answered

“Fine!”

Carmine gently brushed my hair out of my face and then put the blindfold on me. He then slung an arm around my shoulder. I didn’t object because, although I wouldn’t admit it, it was comforting to have him there when all I could see was black.

Just as the car began to gain momentum, a phone started to ring and Carmine pulled what I could only assume was his blackberry, out of his pocket with his spare arm.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Have you got her?” I heard a male voice ask from the other end.

“Yeah man,” Carmine replied, absent mindedly fiddling with the shoulder strap of my dress.

“Is she hot?”

“You have no idea!”

“You lucky bastard!" the stranger said accusingly. "You’ll have to tell me everything when I see you next?"

“I doubt there will be anything to tell,” Carmine scoffed, with a hint of what seemed to be regret in his voice.

“Evangelo’d have your head...”

“That thought definitely crossed my mind.”

“Well, I’ll probably see you there,” the stranger said, wrapping up the conversation.

“Yeah, ok.”

“Addio.”

“Ciao,” Carmine said before hanging up the phone.

“I’m not even going to ask who that was,” I said.

“Probably best not to,” he replied.

“Just as a side note though...I have excellent hearing,” I said wishing he could see me glare.

“Oh, sorry,” he replied with a nervous laugh.

Jesus. What have I gotten myself into?