Page 7 of Vengeful Mafia Prince

"You got good grades?" I ask, leaning back from the table a little so I can talk to her properly. She looks a little surprised that I'm asking, and after a moment of silence, she replies.

"Yeah, my studies aren't difficult for me. But this is my first job. I know, I know, it's kind of pathetic, but my dad wanted me to stay focused on my studies during my first year."

"So you're going to take a while to adapt to the office," I finish up for her.

She nods. "Yeah. But I'm not sure how long Kyra is going to keep me around if I keep screwing things up like this."

I chuckle. "Your father owns the place. I think you're going to be fine."

A storm cloud crosses over her features for a moment, and she lifts her chin slightly.

"See, that's the thing. I don't want people to think I'm just working here because of my dad. I want... I want them to take me seriously. I don't want everyone to look at me and think there's no way I would be here without my father. Even if that's basically true."

I nod. There it is again, that soft spot of hers—she wants to be taken seriously.

"So how much information have you got so far?" I ask.

She holds out a notebook she's been scribbling on. Written there are the names of all the heads of departments along with the bullet points of what they need to know.

"I just started cross-referencing them to narrow it all down," she explains. "I'm getting there. Slowly."

"Keep going," I urge her. "We'll be done soon if we work together."

She smiles slightly, looking up at me beneath her long lashes. "I really appreciate this, Johnny. Really."

I nod, and then we return to work again. This is the first time we've really been alone together, and I want to make the most of it. We've headed out for lunch a few times, too, but other coworkers have always been around. This is the chance for me to really prove myself to her, really show her that she can trust me and that I'll be there for her, no matter what.

We work for another couple of hours until it's late and the dark has started to settle outside. For a while, I even forget what I'm actually here to do. I'm so deep into my role as Johnny that I had to remind myself a couple of times I'm someone beyond that.

Finally, she leans back from the desk and lifts her fists into the air triumphantly.

"That's it, it's all done," she announces, turning to face me. Her eyes look brighter than before as an obvious weight lifts from her shoulders. "I just need to get these printed and distributed in the meeting room, and then we're done."

"I'll help."

We finish up the last of the work that needs to be done, laying out the papers at the relevant table spots for the meeting tomorrow. She hums to herself lightly as she works, a happy little noise that clearly speaks to how much she's looking forward to being done with this day.

She grabs her bag and slips on her coat as we head for the door together. I insist on walking her to her car, though she tries to tell me not to bother.

"You've already done enough for me as it is tonight," she tells me softly. "You don't have to waste any more of your time with me."

"I'm not wasting it," I reply firmly. "It's late. It's the city. You shouldn't be walking around out here by yourself."

"Yeah, who knows who could be out here, huh?" she jokes as she leads me toward her car.

I grin. "Yeah, who knows."

We reach her car, and she pauses outside of it. I can tell she's still feeling some kind of way about accepting my help, but it's given me a chance to get to know a little more about her. I know I'm going to be able to work something out.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I guess?" she asks, and I nod.

"See you then."

All at once, she leans up and gives me a hug. The smell of her perfume, like warm roasted vanilla, fills my senses. I put my arms around her, a little surprised, and she pulls back swiftly. From the look on her face, I'd say she didn't know she was going to do that up until the moment it happened.

Then she climbs into the car, pulling the door shut behind her swiftly. Even from here, I can see the warm glow on her cheeks. I can tell she can't quite believe she did that. She drives off quickly, and I watch as the car vanishes around the corner.

I grin as I make my way back to my car. In just a couple of weeks of working here, I know I'm already starting to get close to what I came here for. It might not be easy, but judging by how quickly she seems to be giving in to my advances, it looks as though it might be simpler than I imagined.

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