I get to work making things perfect. I’ve even brought a bottle of wine in case that’s called for. I’ll have to tread carefully though; at our last date, Sofia didn’t drink very much. I decide I’m going to hang onto it, and only break it out if it comes up in conversation.
I place the picnic basket on one corner of the blanket and sit down to enjoy the view. After a few minutes, I wonder if I got here too early. Or maybe I’m too late. I don’t know which direction she’s coming from or how long it will take her to get here.
Just as I’m about to text her, I catch a glimpse of her through the trees. “Sofia!” I call out.
She turns to inspect the trailhead, smiling brightly when she catches sight of me.
CHAPTER 10
SOFIA
Under ordinary circumstances, if I saw a guy waiting for me with a picnic basket at his feet, I would be charmed. Okay, I am charmed, but I’m trying not to be. I have to remind myself of all the shady characters I saw going in and out of the restaurant. They are the same people who work for Frankie’s father. He’s not an innocent friend, but a member of a powerful organization that uses violence to keep people in line. I have to remember that for my sake.
But as much as I need to keep myself detached, I can’t look like I’m trying to keep my distance. So, for the good of the investigation, I allow myself to be moved.
“This is so sweet!” I cry, stepping through the trees to the babbling brook.
Frankie holds his hand out and helps me walk across the water. We kiss briefly, and it’s nice. In fact, I feel a spark, but I keep that observation to myself. I sit down next to him, and he stretches his legs out straight.
“Where did you find this place?” I ask.
“I just found it now,” he informs me.
“It’s perfect,” I say, playing the part of a lovestruck young woman.
“I’m glad you could come,” he replies. “I didn’t know if you could get away. Because of your job.”
“It’s just part-time,” I say, not giving him any details.
I should have come up with a backstory instead of leaving it to chance. I hate fumbling around and having to keep track of all the lies I’m telling him. Of course I don’t have any other choice, but it feels dirty. I would have been much better off if I sat down and wrote out everything that happened in my fake life with my fake parents and my fake job. At least then, I wouldn’t have to scour my imagination for ideas on the fly.
“What do you do?” he asks.
“It’s nothing,” I respond. “How has your day been so far?”
“So far?” he wonders, leaning back to gaze up at the clouds. “It’s been okay. I did some studying. I had a very strange encounter with my stepmother.”
“What happened?” I encourage him to talk, taking mental notes.
“She’s pregnant,” Frankie says.
“Really?” I ask, showing a little more enthusiasm than I should be. “How far along?”
“I don’t know,” Frankie responds. “She’s barely showing. But she had a crazy reaction to my asking for a picnic basket.”
“Is she okay?” I interject, suddenly worried about this woman I’ve never met.
None of my research points to Marlena Corello as the instigator of anything. There are some fuzzy details about her past and her family, but I’m sure they’re meaningless. The point is, if she’s aware of what her husband does for a living. I don’t think she’s involved.
Unlike Frankie. I’m sure he’s both aware and involved. He would have to be. This kind of thing is like a monarchy; the power gets passed down from father to son. If Frankie isn’t calling the shots yet, he will be. It’s only a matter of time.
I wonder if Frankie knows about Danny. I decide to test the waters. It’s as good a time as any, and I have to admit, the picnic thing is getting to me. I almost feel safe here with a man I don’t even know. He’s saying all the right things and hitting all the right notes. If things were different, I might let myself get close to him. But I’m on a mission. And I’m ready to take things to the next level.
“She’s fine, I think,” Frankie responds to my last question.
“Frankie,” I begin, “do you have any other siblings?”
“No,” he says, reaching for the basket. “This will be my first. It’s kind of strange to be my age and waiting for a new baby brother or sister.”
