Seven Days: A young black woman makes a deal with a mob boss.

by Diana Hoffman

  "Yeah, I'm thinking that's what it's called. I wouldn't know. I'm just a lowly detective making an honest living. Hell, I'd have to fork over my kid's college tuition to stay in a room so fancy. Quite a step up from your old neighborhood."

  Victoria walked toward the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked, trying to be nice in hopes that he would leave soon.

  "Sure. Coffee, black. Thanks. So, how is it that you know my good friend, Nic?"

  "We dated. We recently broke up, end of story," Victoria stated matter-of-factly, as she poured him some coffee from her breakfast tray.

  "Is that right," Marsh said, grinning and walking toward her.

  "Yep."

  "Why did you break up?"

  "That's really none of your business," Victoria said, handing him his cup.

  "I can question you here in your comfortable hotel room or downtown under some harsh florescent lights if you don't play nice, Victoria," Marsh warned. "And remember, it's not nice to lie to a detective."

  Victoria was scared. She had never even been given a ticket before, and here she was about to lie to a cop.

  "He's married to his work. I've been an afterthought for the most part. So it wasn't a hard decision."

  "And what work might that be?"

  Fuck! Perhaps she shouldn't have brought up anything dealing with his job.

  "His restaurants and club."

  "Hmm...are those the only businesses that you know of?"

  Victoria tried not to swallow. "Yes."

  "And you wouldn't be lying to me, correct? Because that would not work well in your favor."

  "No."

  "What about--"

  "Excuse me, Detective Marsh, but I thought you were investigating a shooting at Calamity's. What does any of this have to do with Nic?" Victoria asked.

  "Nic might be related."

  "You think he's a suspect? That he would level his own girlfriend's work place with an Uzi, then show back up to the scene of the crime to comfort me?"

  "I didn't say he was a suspect, I said he could somehow be related. And how do you know it was an Uzi?"

  "I don't, I just guessed. It was a lot of shots at once like I stated in the report that day. And I highly doubt Nic has anything to do with it. But truthfully, I don't know much about him anyway, so if you have questions about the shooting at Calamity's, I'll answer, but more on Nic, I won't be able to help you," Victoria said, praying that he couldn't see through her bullshit.

  Marsh just continued to stare at her, and then slowly sipped his coffee.

  Victoria wanted him to leave so bad. She didn't like this guy one bit. He seemed like he was just waiting to catch her in something. The less she said, definitely the better.

  "Where did you go?"

  "What?" Victoria asked.

  "You left town...even though I asked you not to. Where did you go?"

  "I, um, I was scared after the shooting, and decided to take a vacation to Nic's mom's house."

  "And where does she live?"

  Not a chance. "Okay, this is going to sound silly, but I was on some pretty heavy medications, and I don't really remember going or coming. It's a small town, and I'd probably never remember the name of it."

  "Try," Marsh said, staring her down.

  Victoria sighed. Why wouldn't he just leave?! "Hmm, nope, not coming to me. I'm sorry. But if I think of it, I'll call you."

  Marsh made a clicking noise from the side of his mouth, as he walked closer to her. "So when you say you were Nic's girlfriend, does that mean he paid you?"

  Victoria almost choked. "What?" she asked, setting her cup down.

  Marsh continued to stare at her. "Basically, did he pay to fuck you? A lot of men like him have these mistresses that they set up. I know he was with you while he was still married. He was paying for you to stay at his condo, and I'm assuming the trade off was sex, am I right?" Marsh asked, taking another sip.

  Victoria glanced down at her cup of coffee. An asshole like Marsh wouldn't understand that she and Nic's relationship was so much more than that. That she loved him and he loved her. A man like that couldn't possibly understand that Nic wanted more than just sex from someone like her. No matter where she came from. But she figured in this case, the more Marsh thought he was right, the better. Let him think falsely. So Victoria held her tongue.

  "Yes," Victoria whispered.

  "Thought so. And how did you two meet?"

  "He financed my father's restaurant."

  "And are there any documents to prove this?"

  "I don't know, it was between the two of them. I just worked there."

  Marsh walked around the counter and stood in front of her. He placed his cup down and slowly raked his eyes over her body until he reached her eyes. Victoria was disgusted at his open gaze. She pulled the short robe tighter to her body.

  "And how much did he pay to keep you?" he asked, leaning so close to her, she could smell the warm coffee on his breath.

  It hurt every time. Every time someone equated her worth to money. Her body as something that could be bought. And she knew Marsh had said it to hurt her. But she wasn't going to let him get away with it.

  She placed her hands on her hips. "More than you can afford," she shot back at him.

  Marsh grinned and stepped back. "Touché," he said, taking another sip from his coffee and turning around.

  "Well, Miss Davis, if you have any more 'useful' information regarding the shooting...or Nic Andretti, do let me know," he said, walking to the door. He opened the door, but stopped before he exited. "Or information on Jimmy Vitelli, Raymond White, Eddie Larkin, and the new guy, Antonio DiCaro, who I believe, according to hotel security, checked you into this hotel. Nic sure is a generous ex-boyfriend to let you use his card. Good day."

  Victoria tried to shut the door, before he stopped it. "Tell your boyfriend—excuse me, your financier that he will make a mistake, and I'll be there when he does."

  Victoria tried to look bored as she rolled her eyes. She finally shut the door and leaned against it. Shit, he probably saw right through all of her lies. Especially since he knew Antonio checked her in with Nic's card. Victoria felt sick to her stomach. She needed to lie back down. But before she could reach the room, she heard her cell phone ringing.

  She didn't recognize the number, but she recognized the city. "Hello?"

  "Vicky?"

  "Mama?" Victoria asked, not believing who it was. She hadn't heard from her parents in...well, since that day.

  "Oh my God, child, are you alright?" her mother said, worry in her voice.

  "Yes, mama. I'm fine."

  "Thank God. I didn't know what had happened. A cop stopped by the apartment asking questions about you and that man."

  "What? What did you tell him?" Victoria asked, sitting down on the couch. She prayed her mother and father didn't say anything that Marsh could use against her.

  "I didn't know what to tell him. I said that after you and your father got into an argument and he, well, he made you leave and you were living with that man for all I know."

  "Mama, is that exactly what you said? Nothing else?"

  "Yes, I believe that was it. I mean, I didn't know what to say, I hadn't heard from you in months. I just told him that your daddy didn't approve of who you was with, and that we hadn't seen you. Was that okay?" Olivia asked.

  "Yeah, that was good. Thank you."

  "He said something about a shooting, and since we didn't know what he was talking about, he wouldn't tell us. What shooting?"

  Victoria leaned her head back against the couch. "Well, I worked at this place named Calamity's and there was a shooting. They're just investigating the place and everyone who was a witness."

  "Oh. But you're okay, right?"

  "I'm fine, mama."

  "Good."

  Neither knew what to say. Both were remembering that last day Victoria spent with her parents.

  "So...how's daddy?" Victoria asked. She wondered if she really
even cared, but she asked anyway.

  "Same," her mom sighed into the phone. She didn't offer anything more, and Victoria didn't ask further.

  Victoria heard her mom clear her throat. "I got your number from that cop, I hope that's alright. I just hadn't heard from you and didn't know if you were okay, considering this whole situation you were in. I hope you don't mind."

  "No, I don't mind," Victoria said. She waited, as she heard her mother go silent and then sniff.

  "I—I miss you, Vicky. So much," she heard her mother whisper. "Maybe...I could stop by and see you?"

  A warm feeling flooded through Victoria's body. She really had missed her mother, no matter how awful they parted. She and her mother were always on the same team, and they both knew how difficult her father could be. Victoria remembered so many times wishing her mother would just leave him. That one day she would tell Victoria to pack and they would head out into the world on some adventure that would take them to some exotic location where her father wasn't allowed. She had wished so bad, but it never happened. Instead the further her father was involved in his failed businesses, the more he dragged her mother down with him...and her mother's spirit.

  But for the most part, Victoria stayed out of her parents' relationship. She kept her mouth shut, did her homework and reported to her father for work. And the day she graduated from high school, when most kids receive a party, money, car or college-bound gifts—the next morning Victoria received her first double shift. The first of many to come, but she did it without complaint. She had thought about just getting on a bus and never looking back, but it was her mother's sad face that kept her from leaving.

  "Um, sure. You can come over," Victoria said, wiping away a tear as she gave her mother the address to the hotel. She quickly showered and changed into a cute shirt and jeans. She pulled her curls back into a ponytail and sat at the counter, waiting for her mother to arrive.

  As she sat waiting, she hoped she looked presentable. The last thing her mother really knew about her was that she had slept with a stranger to pay off a debt. Not exactly something she ever wanted her mother to know...even if she had done it for her.

  The phone ringing caused her to drift from her train of thought. She hopped up and sprinted to the counter to answer it.

  "Mrs. Andretti, there's a Mrs. Olivia Davis here to see you. She gave us the name Victoria Davis, but when she described you, I thought I would check with you first," Ellington said.

  "Yes! Yes, that's my mother. I'll be down to get her."

  "No need, ma'am. I'll personally see her upstairs for you."

  "Oh. Well, thank you." Victoria would never get used to people treating her like she actually mattered. She walked to the door and waited. In a few minutes, she heard a knock and immediately pulled open the door.

  "Mrs. Andretti, your mo--," Ellington tried to get out before Victoria moved past him to hug her mother. She didn't know why she felt so emotional about their reunion, but she did.

  "Hey mama," Victoria said, smothering her mom. Olivia hugged her back and the two walked into the hotel room.

  "Oh, thank you Ellington," Victoria said before closing the door.

  Inside, Victoria offered her mother something to drink and the two settled down on the couch. Olivia picked some imaginary lint from her blouse and Victoria tried to think of something to say.

  "I've never been in a hotel this beautiful before," Olivia said finally, looking around.

  "Yeah, it's really nice. I still don't know what I'm doing here."

  Victoria stared at her mother. She looked really tired and Victoria knew why. It took a lot of energy to deal with her father on a daily basis.

  "So, that man said your name was Victoria Andretti. Anything I should know about?" her mother asked, glancing at her fingers and then raising an eyebrow.

  "Oh, no. We're not married. I think Nic...I don't know why he did that, maybe for less questions."

  "I'm confused, Vicky. I thought, well, that whole debt deal you had with him, and now he has people calling you Mrs. Andretti? What's going on?"

  Victoria walked over to the couch and sat down. "Mama, it's all so confusing. But I'm going to be honest with you about everything that's happened, so you can understand, and see if I made the right decision."

  Olivia nodded, sat down beside Victoria and placed her purse on the floor. She looked over at her only daughter. "Okay, lay it on me."

  Victoria told her mother the whole story. She left nothing out as she told her about how at one point she couldn't stand him, but somehow fell in love with him. She told her about their trip to Bali, the shooting, kidnapping and end result. Her mother would every now and then raise her hand to her mouth or chest, but remained quiet.

  "So, that's how I ended up here," Victoria finally said, standing to pour them something to drink.

  Olivia shook her head. "Well, he sounds like an interesting man, Vicky. Dangerous...but interesting. But you two aren't together anymore, so what will you do now?"

  "I don't know. Do you think I made the right decision?"

  Her mother sat her glass down on the table. "Now that I can't tell you. All I can say is that if you are waiting' for that man to change...it might not happen. I've been waiting' for your daddy to change for years, and you know that's been a losing battle. But I don't know this Nic, so I can't judge him."

  "Mama, that didn't help at all."

  Olivia laughed. "I'm sorry, but I'm just saying what I know."

  The two retired to the table once Ellington brought up their lunch. A fancy feast of things neither one of them had ever heard of.

  At first they ate in silence, but then Olivia spoke.

  "Vicky...I'm sorry."

  Victoria looked up from her plate. "For what, mama?"

  "For everything that happened that day. I'm so sorry."

  Victoria felt a heavy sadness cloud over her. Remembering her mother's face that day as she said nothing and let her dad kick her out. Her lack of response hurt Victoria more than her father's heated words.

  "Mama...why didn't you say anything? Why did you let him do that? I don't understand...I just--," Victoria couldn't finish her sentence. She stared down at her plate. Suddenly, she had lost her appetite, but she continued to take small bites. Anything to keep from looking at her mother.

  Several seconds went by before she heard her mother answer. "I guess I was just so sick and tired of arguing with him. It was making me sick, and I decided to be weak instead of strong. I can't believe I let him put you out on the street. If I had it to do over again, I would have told HIM to leave, and I hope you believe me. I'm so sorry, Vicky," Olivia stated, dabbing the corners of her eyes with her cloth napkin.

  Victoria knew she wasn't ready to forgive just yet, but one day she would have to let it go. Despite everything that had happened, her mother was very important to her. But today she just couldn't let it go, so instead she changed the subject.

  "Why didn't you ever leave him? If you say he wouldn't change, then why stay?" Victoria asked. She picked over her food while she waited for her mother to answer.

  "I guess I held onto the hopes that he would change. At some point, I waited and waited, but he never did."

  "So...why are you still waiting?"

  "I'm not."

  Victoria dropped her fork and looked up. "What?"

  "I left him this morning. I took my bags to Roberta's place, and that's where I'll be staying until I figure out what to do next."

  "What?" Victoria repeated, jumping up from the table and hugging her mother.

  "See, we both can be strong by ourselves," Olivia said smiling and holding her daughter.

  Nic sat staring at the empty wall in his room. He had taken a shower, but had yet to put anything on, other than the towel that was wrapped around his waist. After they had gotten rid of Eddie, he had barely gotten any sleep. He thought figuring out who had caused Victoria harm would have made him feel better...but it didn't. He thought that torturing that son o
f a bitch would have made him feel good...it hadn't. Because even after all of this, sure she was safe, but she wasn't with him. She had asked that he stay away from her. But there was no way in hell that was even possible for him now.

  He sat staring at the wall, but looking beyond it, as images of Victoria's face flooded his eyes. Her beautiful smile and long, wild curly hair. He had memorized every contour of her face and body. His favorite expression of hers was right after she came, she would slowly open her eyes to look at him. If he could freeze that look, he'd carry it with him always. That look caused his heart to flutter.