“Hi,” I said nervously. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Neville.”
“It’s Victor.”
“Right. Great to meet you. Victor.”
“Welcome aboard. How was your morning at the new gig?”
“Great, sir. I’m excited to get right into prioritizing these legacy database systems…and whatever else Zoe needs.”
“That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear. Tell me a little more about what you mean by prioritizing the old databases.”
“Well…I don’t want to bore you with the details. I’m sure you’re busy.”
“I am busy, but I asked. Feel free to bore the hell out of me for…” he looked at his watch, then he added, “…for another four minutes.”
“Okay.” I took a breath, then I launched into it. “From what I’ve learned so far, the company went through a technology modernization, yet some staff are continuing to use several pre-existing systems. Usually that happens for one or more reasons. First, force of habit. They’re used to the old systems. Second, data migration issues. Users sometimes aren’t able to bring their data to the new system, so they keep their data on the old stuff. Third, functionality differences. A good example is one employee or a team may not be able to generate the same reports, find the same features or to put it simply, to do the same things with the data on the new system as they had before.”
He nodded insightfully, so I continued.
“There are a lot of other reasons, and I would guess that an organization this large has similar legacy systems in each department and subdivision. All of those old solutions are probably not talking to the shiny new technology, so there’s some duplication, redundancy and definitely that means it’s costing the company to maintain it all… not to mention the other threats to old systems. Viruses, security breaches and such.”
“So you’re saying they’re an exposure.”
“Possibly.”
“And it’s the same thing across all departments.”
“That would be my guess.”
“So how do we fix it?”
“Usually someone in the technology department would run an integration project… you know, figure out what old solutions are still being used, by whom, and whether the functionality is available in the new system. That’s a step the tech folks would take before and after modernizing enterprise-wide solutions. If some of the old tools aren’t available in the new system, then it’s a matter of deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. And there’s definitely a training component. I should mention, sir, there’s nothing very innovative about what I’ve just said. I mean, it’s pretty standard procedure. Textbook stuff.”
“Maybe so, but you can bet that if Zoe flagged this, the tech people have not covered it completely.” He looked at his watch again. “I’m out of time. Glad to have you on board. Your sister and Angelo put in a good word for you, so my only advice is to make sure you impress the hell out of Zoe. If you can do that, you’ll be laughing.”
“I’ll do my best, sir.”
“Sir? Seriously?” he asked, looking at me for clarification.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
“I’m twenty-five. That’s younger than Angelo. Do I look old enough to be called sir?”
“No,” I said apologetically. “You really don’t.”
“Call me Victor…or Vic.”
“I will.”
“Sweet.” He pulled out his buzzing smartphone from the pocket of his slacks. “I’ve got to get to a meeting, so have a good rest of the day. Let Zoe know if you need anything at all.”
“Thank you…Victor.”
It was after he continued down the hall to wherever he was going that I noticed the impressed and mildly surprised expressions of some staff as they popped their heads out of offices, and prairie-dogged up from their cubicles. The only face staring back at me with a genuinely pleasant look was Zoe’s. Thank God for that. The last thing I needed was to report to someone who felt I was their boss’s buddy.
A few hours later, I was finally finished for the evening. I said goodbye to Zoe and Marie, and I left.
Holy hell.
Sophia was waiting for me at the elevator bay in the lobby downstairs.
Again.
My face fell. “I know you want to celebrate my getting the job, but really? You couldn’t wait for me to get home?”
“Stop being so damn righteous. If I phone or text you, it means it’s important. Plus I have to work tonight, or did you forget it’s the weekend?”
“I didn’t forget, but what the heck is so important that it can’t wait an hour?”
She scowled at me for a second, then a broad grin crept up her face. “We hooked you up!” she shouted, pulling me in for a hug. “Did Zoe or Victor tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“You didn’t just get the temp job. Victor’s going to find a place for you. Like long-term. Like a real job! I told you I had a good feeling today.” She pulled back from the embrace and looked down my body. “And my outfit didn’t hurt your chances either.”
Sophia strutted out the revolving doors of the building in the opposite direction from the subway, wearing some stilettos that probably doubled as a weapon. That was when I noticed she was all dolled up. Her hair was pulled up in a cute braided messy bun, she was wearing a royal blue facsimile of the same fuchsia winter coat I had on, and she must have had a dress under her coat, because her legs were bare.
“Hey, do you mind telling me where we’re going and why aren’t we using the subway?”
“We’re celebrating. I’m taking you out for dinner and drinks. My treat. I still can’t get over it. Angelo and I hooked you up!”
I ran to catch up with her. “Wait. Hold on a minute. Did you just say you and Angelo?”
“Yep,” she said proudly. “He said he saw you this morning, but don’t you remember him? The Salvatore kids? It was four of them. Three boys and a girl. Dominic, Angelo, Lia and Franko.”
“From where?”
“Back when Dad had the shop.”
“That was more than ten years ago, Soph.”
“True, but I remember them.”
“Did we even go to the same school?”
“Yes, and we all went to mass together. You and Lia were in the same first communion class.”
“Lia… the name is vaguely familiar…but I don’t remember much. You kept in touch with them?”
“Kind of,” she said demurely.
“You have that look in your eye. I know that look. What are you hiding?”
“Me? Nothing. By the way, Angelo is bringing one of his friends, plus Franko and a few of his college friends. They’re meeting us at Rinaldi’s in…let me check.” she took out her phone from her shimmering silver party clutch. “In twenty minutes.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“If you had bothered to take my call earlier, you’d already know. Come on. It’s a five-minute taxi ride over, but there’s no way we’ll get a cab in this crazy part of town. Let’s just walk.” She looked down at my boots. Well, they were her boots, but I had to admit they were growing on me. “Try not to ruin those.”
“I would have taken them off, but you put my outdoor boots in your bag this morning.”
“It’s fine.” She stopped for a second to put her phone back in her clutch purse and gave me a once-over. “You can keep the outfit. It really suits you. The boots too.”
“Really? Thanks sis.”
“Anytime…hey, before we meet up with the guys, I need you to promise me something.”
“What?”
Her expression went from light-hearted to stern. “Stay away from Angelo Salvatore and his brother too, if you like them young.”
“Huh? You’re about to take me to meet them for dinner and you want me to stay away?”
“He and his brothers are…family friends. Well-connected friends, but it’s all business. They can be your friends too. Just nothing mor
e. The slight hitch is, well, Angelo is interested in you. That seemingly harmless fact makes me tense…and you know I never get tense. Never.”
I smiled at the new information. “He’s into me?”
“Christ. You couldn’t tell when the two of you met?”
“Well, maybe a little,” I admitted, then I blurted out, “I gave him my number.”
“You did what?” she shrieked.
“What’s the big deal? I gave him my number. So what?”
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph.” She pulled out her phone again. “I’m canceling tonight. You and Angelo in the same space…it’s just not a good idea.”
“Oh, come on, Soph. I need to let loose a bit. You said it yourself.”
“I did, but not with this guy.” She stared at me again. “You and Angelo Salvatore? Awww, hell no. Mom and Dad would turn over in their grave if the two of you…God no. Plus… No. Just no.”
“Why would you bring up Mom and Dad? Is Angelo…” I looked around to make sure no one was nearby when I asked if he was a mobster. “Is he in the family or something?”
“It’s not even that, though, yes, his father is one of the top guys. See? That’s yet another reason to stay the hell away from him.”
“But it’s not the main reason…which was what exactly?”
“You don’t need to know right now, okay? He’s just not the kind of guy you want to get too close to.”
“This morning you told me I needed to get laid. Now you’re telling me to stay away from him? Enlighten me, sis. How would you know what kind of guy he is?”
“I work the club scene. I see him everywhere…with different women every time. He’s my friend, but he’s a man-whore, okay? And that’s not even the half of it.”
“Okay. Man-whore. Got that part. What else?”
“He has certain…tastes, but I’m not saying another word. You’re going to have to trust me on this. He’s not your kind of guy. Hell, he’s not my kind of guy, either. That should tell you something.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this. I have a kind of guy, now? When was the last time I went on a date? Do you even know? It was back in college, Soph!”
“No it wasn’t. You went out with that guy…I forget his name…wait…no, that was back in college. Crap. Girl, you really need to get laid, don’t you?” All I could do was glare at her. “Sure, okay. We’ll go out and we’ll get you a nice one-night stand or something, but not with Angelo Not with anyone in the family.”
“You do realize you’re my sister and not my mother, right?”
“Damn straight, because Mom wouldn’t agree to fixing you up on a flipping one-night stand!” Sophia turned quickly and hurried off in the direction we had just come from. “We’re not discussing it anymore. We’re taking the subway home. We’ll do takeout, and then you’ll come to the club with me, and that’s all.”
I didn’t follow her. “Sophia Teresa Alessandra Bianchi!” I deliberately yelled out her full name to get her attention. “I’m going to meet them. Dinner and nothing more. You can either come along, or go home alone.”
That stopped her dead in her tracks. She spun around on her high heels and hurried back to my side. “Shit! Fine. That’s just great!”
I saw a lit up yellow cab in the distance and held out my arm. It changed lanes and inched forward, stopping at the curb beside us. “So you’re coming, I gather?” I asked calmly, opening the back door to get inside.
She narrowed her eyes at me, and cursed some more under her breath. “Yes. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Chapter Nine
Paige
The city lights blurred as we zipped through much lighter traffic of familiar back streets that led to the restaurant. Sophia didn’t have another word to say to me on the topic of Angelo Salvatore during the drive, or when the taxi finally stopped. I just wished I knew what she was hiding.
We walked into Rinaldi’s, a stately two-story turn-of-the-century gray brick restaurant. The maître d’ informed us that our party was already waiting, and led us through the quaint entry hall into the dining hall. We had been here for dinner before, but not since the owners had done an extensive renovation. It was a long, narrow space, like many restaurants in the area, and now its high, gilded ceilings, partly-mirrored mahogany walls and nicely spaced dining tables made the place seem much larger. I couldn’t wait to eat one of their celebrated steaks. Sure, everything on the menu here was expensive, but I was ready to celebrate. Plus Sophia was paying.
Our dinner party was in a secluded, close-off private dining area at the back. The room was elegantly decorated in a brick and beam style, which must have been a separate, more recent remodeling from the rest of the place. A cascading crystal chandelier with wrought iron shading hung above the long table at the center, which large enough to seat twelve, but was set with seven place settings tonight. Angelo was the only familiar face of the five men waiting for us. The energy in the room was relaxed and inviting, and all their welcoming smiles set me at ease right away.
“Ladies,” Angelo greeted us warmly, getting to his feet. “Glad you could make it.”
Sophia nodded. “Thanks.”
The men all stood up. Wow. Every one of them was at least six feet tall, ridiculously fit and attractive. No. Smoking hot was the best way to describe them. All except one wore well-pressed dress shirts, and either slacks or dark jeans. From left to right, there was Angelo, someone who looked like him, which I guessed was his brother, a broad giant with blond hair, an equally tall and wide African-American, and a trim but fit guy wearing eyeglasses.
“I should probably do some introductions,” Angelo announced. “Sophia and Paige, this is Jeff, a friend of mine.” He pointed at the man to his left. We shook his hand in turn as Angelo went around the table. “Next to him is Clive, then Tre, and you may remember my brother, Franko. Clive and Tre are his friends from college. They’re up from Baton Rouge for the weekend.”
“Good to meet you,” I said.
“Look at you, Franko!” my sister exclaimed, heading over to Franko’s side. He was the only one in a three-piece suit. “The last time I saw you, you were yea high.” She waved her palm down to waist height.
He grinned. “I’m all grown up now, sweet thing.”
“That I can see, and still all charm. Paige, don’t you remember him?”
“I…I don’t think so,” I said, smiling stiffly. I still didn’t enjoy being put on the spot about all those years ago.
Angelo pointed to the two chairs between him and his brother, and they each pulled one out for Sophia and me. I wasn’t surprised to end up beside Franko, with Sophia strategically positioning herself between Angelo and me. She could be fiercely protective at times, and clearly wasn’t taking any chances now that she knew he was interested.
Menus and bottles of wine were already on the table, so I checked the menu while Franko poured me a glass of red. Sophie made small talk with Angelo.
“You really don’t remember me?” Franko asked after my glass was filled.
I gave him a good long look, and shook my head. “I wish I did. Sophia was the outgoing one…why?”
He placed his napkin back in his lap and picked up his glass. “I’m pretty sure my sister had both of you over for sleepovers. I don’t believe she had any other friends at school who were twins. Italian identical twin sisters with green eyes…you’re not that easy to forget.” Noticing the looks he got from his friends, he put the topic to rest and picked up his menu. “We should get to eating. Jeff’s taking us out after.”
Dinner was ordered and eventually served. The conversation stayed light and lively, with much of the talk being led by Franko about football, as both of his friends played on the college team.
I excused myself from the table to use the second-floor restrooms while we waited for the first course. On my way back, Angelo was waiting on the landing. My breath hitched when I met his gaze across the hall. My sister had essentially cut off any possible chan
ce for either of us to be more acquainted over dinner, and now, with no barriers between us, all I wanted to do was get closer. That was the problem with Sophia’s warning to stay away from him—it only pushed me to get closer. Not that I was a rebel, but it was hard enough to keep my distance given the fact that it was the third time I’d seen him today, he was instrumental in helping me line up the most promising job opportunity I’d had since graduating from college, and he was hot as hell. Oh, and the energy between us could probably light up a city block.
Wrapped up in his intense stare, and setting aside everything Sophia had said about him being a mobster, man-whore and totally wrong for me, I approached him like a moth to the flame.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” I told him when I got to him.
“Or never leave each other’s side,” he murmured, stepping closer until only a few inches separated us. He loomed over me in the most seductive way. “Can you guess what I’d like to know?”
“I’m not great at guessing,” I breathed out, neglecting to mention that any activity requiring coherent thought would be near impossible for me while I was standing this close to him, inhaling his clean, citrusy cologne mixed in with his masculine scent. At this proximity, I should have taken a step back, but I didn’t. I didn’t move, other than to brush a stray strand of her hair behind my ear. “Maybe you should just ask.”
“A few things. Well, more than a few. I’d like to learn everything there is to know about you…but that may take a while. So let me start with something both simple and confounding to me. What is it about you that makes me sure we’ve been here before?”
“Here… as in Rinaldi’s?”
“No.” He leaned closer, sliding a hand around my waist. “Here as in so close I can taste you.”
“I don’t…know.” With his hand on me now, I could feel the heat his body gave off. It was warm and inviting, pulling me in without any effort at all on my part, burning me up from the inside out, spreading heat out from my core like a wildfire. I was aching, and there was no avoiding a force this magnetic.
Club Prive: Un-Leashed (Kindle Worlds Novella) (A Bad Boy Crime Family Romance Book 1) Page 4
