Page 26 of Made to Sin

“Well, I’m a bit confused. How did I catch your attention out of everyone at the event? I’m glad to be here, but I’m just shocked at the sheer luck.”

My fingers absentmindedly thrummed on the armrests, my feet shook against the floor, and my breathing fastened. I sucked in a deep breath, calming the jitters under the suspense of waiting for her answer. What were seconds stretched to feel like minutes.

“I didn’t choose you, dear. I was doing a favor for Luciano. The boy said you were very passionate and asked if I had any openings. He was the one who told me all those good things about you, so if you want to thank anyone, it would be him.”

Though I had an inkling it was Luciano’s doing, I didn’t think it was out of the goodness of his heart. Everything that couldn’t stay still earlier froze.

Hesitant to believe it, I asked again. “Luciano found this opportunity for me?”

Her smile widened at the mention of his name. “Yes. I owe that boy more than I can repay, so letting you in was the least Icould do. I’m happy you’re enjoying yourself too.”

This opportunity was rising to be one of the nicest things someone had ever done for me. While the list wasn’t long, a warmth coated my body at the gesture. Even after finding out that he lied, I didn’t have the will to be upset.

My curiosity wasn’t satiated, but I chose to stop prying. Eda was biased, and I didn’t need more reasons to want to join his fan clubs.

“Thank you for clarifying everything with me. As you said, regardless of why I’m here, I love what you are doing for victims,” I said, my smile tighter than when I walked through the door.

“You’re welcome, dear. Come back any time if you have any other questions.”

The chances of me bringing this topic up or Luciano was close to zero. Talking to Eda didn’t clear my head the way I intended it to. Instead, I trudged through the rest of my shift with lingering thoughts of the man who was too easy to think about.

—

After sorting donations, Emily and I were tasked with loading food bags into a truck, so they could be delivered to victim centers. One day, I would love to go along with the delivery team and meet the survivors. It was too ironic to go now. When the time came, I wanted to be able to say I survived too.

Until then, someone had to work backstage.

I didn’t consider myself athletic by any means, but my arms had never worked out as hard as today. If I kept at it, Pilates would be a breeze in comparison.

I was drenched in sweat when Arnold picked me up. A breathless greeting was what I managed to murmur before fervently gulping down the cold water he brought. It was unhealthy to chug down that much fluid in one sitting, but I guiltily finished the whole sixteen-ounce bottle within less than three minutes.

Letting out a satisfied sigh once I was done, I leaned against the leather seat, watching as we drove past the Beneveti buildings.

“How was your day,Signora?” Arnold asked, surprising me as he rarely made conversation first.

I guess he was wondering about my first day out alone, given any other incident I was always surrounded by Marco’s men at every corner.

“It was amazing…” I recounted my day, enthusiastically filling the peppered-hair chauffeur in on what he missed.

What caught me off-guard was Arnold’s laugh when I relayed the story about Arlene’s husband. Secretly, I suspected he could relate to the kindred soul. When I called him out on it, he simply let out another contagious laugh but didn’t deny it.

I knew there was a hidden rebel somewhere in all of us. I was just waiting for the day mine was brave enough to make her appearance.

“I’m glad you had lots of fun,Signora.”

Though Arnold couldn’t see from the front seat, I was grinning from ear to ear. “I’m glad so too.”

IGAVEMYHOUSEKEEPERAbored look, eyes droopy and lips pursed, fed up with her tactics to keep me outside on a random afternoon. “Maria, where’s my husband?”

Despite the relaxation that came from basking in the sun’s beams by the pool, I didn’t need to suntan for two whole hours. My skin didn’t burn easily, but it was a possibility on a day as hot as today. I already felt the sunscreen melting off my body.

The normally headstrong lady avoided my gaze. “SenhorCamello is busy working.”

It told me what I needed: my husband was currently upstairs screwing some random girl.

I sighed. “We both know that’s not true.”

“A maid is helping him.”

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