Velvet Lullabies

"Sit," Massimo gestured to the open seats.

Adelina sat directly across from Lucian, in the light of day she could better admire him. He was a beautiful man. Tan skin with dark hair covering his head. He had emerald colored eyes which were rare in an Italian man and possibly why Adelina hadn't pictured him as a made man the night before. He was impeccably dressed in a three-piece Armani suit and black leather shoes, the man had good taste.

"Is your father joining us?" Massimo asked fanning his napkin across his lap.

"No, I don't typically bring my father on dates." Lucian replies with a smirk, looking Massimo in the eye.

Before Adelina could even process, she laughed. Never in her 21 years of life had she witnessed someone blatantly disrespect the boss.

Vinny gave her a stern look.

"Is this normal for you?" Lucian asked, that smirk ever present on his face.

"Lucian-" Lucian cut Massimo off with a wave of his hand.

"I was speaking to Adelina."

Her name on his lips sounded like heaven.

Adelina kept herself from looking to Massimo or her brother who she assumed were fuming from the lack of respect. “No,” She answered meekly, her voice betraying her. “This is the first they’ve joined me.”

He nodded. ”How many times have you been set up?”

“A few.” She answered meekly. It was true. Vinny had sent her out with men he approved of in the past. Each one she had scared off or found a way to run as fast as she could. She had no interest in being a perfect Italian daughter. She planned to get the hell out of Providence once she graduated, marriage and babies were not in her future.

He paused his interrogation to take a long sip of his cognac right as the waitress came over.

The waitress, a thin blonde with painted red lips, took her time jotting down their orders and leaning low to show off herself to the powerful men at the table. Lucian’s gaze never left Adelina.

"Tell me bella," Lucian began once the waitress was gone. "Do you always let your uncle and brother make decisions for you?" He said with a smile slowly spreading across his mouth.

The butterflies reappeared in Adelina's stomach. Is he joking?

"Lucian-" again he raised a hand to silence Massimo.

"Please let her answer." He said, his gaze never leaving Adelina.

"I, uh, I'm not answering that." She responded quietly, her eyes drifted down to her lap where her napkin was crumpled and fisted up in her hands. "Is that a trick question?"

"How so?" Lucian mused.

"Are you trying to see how well behaved I am or defending my honor?" she responded quickly before thinking better of it.

At this, Lucian let out a throaty laugh. "I'm not trying to trick you, Adelina. Just trying to get to know you."

"I'm here," she told him quietly. "So that should answer your question."

"Do you not want to be here?"

"It's not personal."

"Forgive me if I take it as such." He paused again to take a drink.

Adelina wanted to scream that she didn't have a choice in the matter. That she was dragged here against her will. That if this was any other family she would be sleeping in her dorm room, eating breakfast at the cafeteria, and be surrounded her friends. Instead, this was her family and she was in the middle of an arranged date that she had no say in.

"So, Massimo says you’re in college. Brown, yes?"

"Yes."