Exploding: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection #1) Page 6

  James let out a chuckle, holding up his hands when she glared at him. “I’m sorry, okay? I’ve just never heard of anything so ridiculous. And your first date was at nineteen? It makes no sense. You’re a knockout.”

  Fallyn smirked, despite herself. “Thanks. It wasn’t because no one asked me out. That was the rule of the house for me. Eventually guys stopped asking, or I stopped listening.”

  “You’re exaggerating.”

  “I had to take my brother Danny to the senior prom.”

  James snorted, covering his mouth to hold back the laughter.

  “I took Kill to every function when I worked at the art gallery while I was in college. To say that I’ve got barely any experience with men is an understatement. Trust me, you don’t want a piece of the crazy.” The oppressing burden of defeat and loneliness weighed down on her shoulders. “I’ve made my peace with it. I told myself after the Jeremy fiasco that I wouldn’t drag any other guy down with me. I’m in the pit. No sense in you throwing your life away. Jeremy moved to another state to escape us, you know. You seem pretty established here.”

  James began to understand how deep the situation could get if he threw his hat into the mix. “Okay. I get it.” He took a step back, trying to wrap his mind around the strangeness of Fallyn’s life. “Am I allowed to drink coffee at your store?”

  “I… no,” she ruled, trying to firmly resist his cologne, his lure, his smile that, despite her horrific story, he still found a way to wear a hint of as he looked down at her heart-shaped face. “Absolutely no coffee.”

  “But I drink coffee every morning. Sometimes I even take over a table at a coffee shop and spend an hour or two making phone calls. Yours is the nearest one to the office.”

  “No coffee. Not if you value your kneecaps. My brothers have a sixth sense about that kind of thing.”

  “How about this? Let me see your cell.” He took the phone she handed him and punched his number in under the name “Larissa”. “See? Now we can talk at least, and they won’t have to know. Then we can get to the bottom of why I can’t shake you.”

  Fallyn’s cheeks heated. “Can’t shake me, huh? Even after hearing all that?”

  “Are you kidding me? Now you’re the forbidden fruit. If there’s anything you need to know about lawyers, it’s that when we’re told no, all we hear are the many arguments we can use to get a yes.” He took a step to close the distance between them, his finger under her chin to tilt her face up so he could get a better look at her. “I’ll call you tonight.”

  Fallyn leaned up on her toes to steal a light embrace, inhaling the cologne that was strongest in the crook of his neck. “I’ll answer.”

  9

  Phone Calls with Larissa

  Fallyn wasted no time hiring a second and third baker, seeing her business problems with new clarity after her encounter with James. She picked the women who could start the very next night. Just the brief venture from the shop left her with more kitchen work than she had anticipated. She made batters, iced cakes and chipped away at the many custom orders that were piling up.

  When Rina and Loretta came in ready to be trained the following evening, Fallyn was overjoyed at the prospect of getting to go home and actually take a shower. She dreamt about putting on clean pajamas. She longed to return James’ message with more than a quick text between rushed meals.

  Loretta had just left a bakery two towns over because of the low pay, and Rina was fresh out of culinary school. They were fantastic hires, and found their rhythm not too long after studying the recipes Fallyn had honed through years of trial and error. Loretta was a husky woman in her forties who had a loud voice, used mostly to wrangle her two children, whom she couldn’t stop showing the staff pictures of. Rina was a cautious but chipper twentysomething who didn’t mind taking orders from Fallyn and Loretta. Fallyn quickly saw after a handful of days that Loretta cast herself in the mama bear alpha role, so she began considering the woman for a managerial position. That way Fallyn could have a bit of time away from the never-ending work weeks she seemed chained to. As the days passed, she began to breathe easier.

  “How’re the numbers, sweetie?” Kristy inquired as the workday wound to a close, leaning over Fallyn’s chair at her desk to read over her shoulder. Kristy was Declan’s casual girlfriend of three months, whom her brother had insisted she hire to work the counter for the night shift. Fallyn liked Kristy well enough, but the woman treated Fallyn like she was a kid sister, and not an equal or her boss.

  “Looking good. Given that we doubled our staff this week? I think we can handle it and still make a decent profit, provided the crowd stays consistent. Tomorrow I can actually chip away at the custom orders.” She stretched, enjoying the luxury of the motion. “I can sleep in my own bed!”

  “Like a real rock star,” Kristy kidded, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder. “I think it went well out there tonight. You’re doing good, kiddo.”

  Fallyn smiled, but inwardly cringed at the demeaning nickname. She didn’t mind “sweetie”, “honey” or the other affectionate terms, but “kiddo” felt like a slam her family used too often, though she knew Kristy meant no offense. “See you tomorrow, and thanks for all your help.”

  Fallyn closed the books and bid Rina goodnight, leaving her to bake the hundreds of muffins she had been doing on her own the many nights before. She packed up her things and headed home, not answering with more than a grunt when Jen chastised her on the phone for working a fourteen-hour shift.

  Fallyn’s home was her haven, and she relished that she lived there by herself. The moment she stepped inside, a layer of stress disintegrated automatically. The soft peach accents of her living room enticed her to relax and stay awhile. Fallyn peeled off the skirt that had felt springish and cheery when she’d put it on before the sun rose, but now it was weighted with wrinkles and food stains. She stepped into the shower and washed away the sleepless nights and days. She scrubbed away the responsibilities of her life. She rinsed off the anxiety that had been creeping upon her with every passing day, taunting her that the work of her adventure might prove to be too much.

  When she slipped into her pink boy shorts and tank top, she barely made it to the bed before her cell phone chirped. She grinned with secretive delight, locking her door (though she lived alone) and turning on the ceiling fan to drown out any giddiness that the world might overhear. She answered with a cheerful, “I’m hoping you’re the handsomest Larissa I’ve ever seen. Otherwise I got all happy for a platonic call from a potential vendor.”

  James chuckled, his easy smile touching her insides from clear across town. “I’ve got no hints of platonic intentions for this phone call.”

  She thrilled at his playfully sexy nature she was only just becoming accustomed to over their back and forth the past couple days over text. “Is that so? What sort of things did you have in mind to discuss?”

  “Filthy things. Things like dirty muffin pans. Disgusting tabletops with coffee rings on them.”

  “Oh, that gets me so hot,” Fallyn joked in a faux-sexy voice. “How was your day for real?”

  “My day was better than usual. Apparently one of the senior partners’ jobs isn’t so much working on cases, but securing new big-name clients. It’s lots of dinners and cocktails for him, and a whole lot of delegating to the various attorneys for me. Hard to keep everything straight, but I’m getting there. I think I’m getting my system down.”

  “One day you’ll be the senior partner. Then you can tell me the horrors of the upper crust. You can complain how awful it is that they only put one olive in your martini instead of two.”

  James smiled at her good nature. “It’s what I worked for, but now that it’s here I feel like a poser. Like I should still be down in the trenches with the guys I hired in with, and now I’m assigning work to them.”

  “Politics didn’t seem to be your kryptonite. I’m sure it’s just like any other new job. Overwhelming for the first couple weeks, and then you
take the training wheels off.” Fallyn’s nose wrinkled as she slid under her covers. She smiled with contentment she hadn’t felt in ages. She yawned, stretching like a cat under her peach and cream colored comforter.

  “I’m keeping you up. You should go to sleep the second after you tell me when I can take you out on a date. The phone is nice, but I can’t see those sexy legs over the phone.”

  “You can see your own sexy legs just fine,” she teased.

  “Sure, but mine are all hairy. Not the same.” His tone changed. “I can take you someplace out of the city, if that works better for you.”

  “James, it would have to be far out of the city, and I would meet you there.”

  James frowned. “I haven’t been on an actual date in a long time, but isn’t the guy supposed to pick the girl up?”

  “Not if the guy doesn’t want his plates run by Carrigan.” Fallyn sighed, closing her eyes. “Carri’s a cop. You sure you don’t want to just cut your losses? I can’t imagine you’d have a hard time finding a date without all the drama.”

  “I want to see where this goes. Saturday night. There’s a hole in the wall restaurant on the west end of the city I think would be perfect. Cesca’s Eatery. Do you know it?”

  “We can’t go there.”

  “Your brother works there, too?”

  Fallyn sighed. “No, but the family who hates mine owns Cesca’s, so that’s off limits. Anything on the west side is a no-go zone.”

  James frowned. “I’ve never run into so many obstacles before. How about Mexican Vila in Clintondale? Do you know it?”

  Fallyn shook her head. “No, which makes it perfect. Eight o’clock?”

  “See you then, flour girl.”

  Fallyn went to sleep within seconds after they ended the call. She drifted off into dreamland with a smile on her face.

  10

  The Magic of a Good Cannoli

  Saturday couldn’t come fast enough. Fallyn smiled through each custom cake she made, knocking out the orders with renewed gusto after a solid night’s sleep. Her dreams had been filled with mischief, involving James and his playful smile. She called him on her lunch break, grinning at the lightness in his tone when he spoke to her.

  “Who’s that?” A voice asked from behind her. She hadn’t heard anyone enter the kitchen, and jumped at the intrusion.

  Fallyn whirled around, her cheeks pink at getting caught. “Oh, hey Kill. It’s one of my vendors. Larissa,” she said into the phone, making sure James caught the message to go covert ops. “My brother’s here, Larissa. I’ll work out the details later about the icing.” She hung up before James could answer and give away the fact that he was a man.

  Kill nodded, kissing her on the top of her head in greeting as he took off his jacket. “Hey, Fal. I had a break from the restaurant, so I thought I’d come by and let you put me to work.” He rolled up his sleeves and put on an apron, frowning at the girly color. “Don’t you have any plain white aprons?”

  “Nope. And you don’t have to do that. On your breaks from work, you’re not supposed to work.”

  “I don’t mind. I’ll start in on the dishes while you make a list for me.”

  Fallyn wanted to argue further, but knew there was no point. Killian was the eldest, and what he said went without question throughout the O’Keefe family. He was fifteen years older than Fallyn, which made him almost old enough to be her father. Killian treated her like she was his favorite child.

  She wrapped her arms around Killian’s waist and buried her face in his chest, smiling as he softened. “We have to hang out soon where no work whatsoever’s involved. I’m getting old, and it doesn’t suit me.”

  Killian nodded into her hair. “I told you this business would be too much for you. How about I have Declan start working here in the evenings with Kristy? Then once he gets the hang of it, he can take over.”

  Fallyn stiffened. “That’s not what I meant. No, Kill. This is my business. It’s supposed to feel like this. If you wanted a few hours to just hang out with me, I wouldn’t suggest you stop working forever.” She shrugged out of the embrace. “I’m doing a good job here.”

  “You are. Just let me know when it gets to be too much.”

  “Back off, Kill.” Fallyn resolved no matter how hard the work got, it would never be too much. She would sooner close the doors than have her brothers swoop in and take over, making her obsolete.

  “Fine, jeez.” Killian started washing the sink full of dishes. “I talked to Vince this morning.”

  Flashes of her playful fight with the enemy colored her cheeks, so she turned her back to her brother and went back to finishing the cake batter. “Yeah? I hope you didn’t fight. When he dropped off the peace offering, he sounded sincere that he really wanted to start a new precedent of no more wars.”

  Killian nodded as he rinsed out a large pot that Fallyn could hardly lift without grunting. “I believe him, too. Back in the day when I was a teenager and you were a kid before everything went south, Dad and Papa D used to meet up once a week to discuss business. Vince and I were thinking of setting up a similar deal. He suggested your shop, because it’s on neutral territory. I thought that was cool of him, since he’s ceding home court advantage by meeting in a place we own. Nice gesture. Plus, it’s in public, so people in the know can see the two families sitting together instead of flinging bullets at each other. What do you think?”

  Fallyn tried to rein in her reaction. “Um, I guess that’d be okay. But it’s a business, Kill, so I don’t want a bunch of henchmen scaring my regulars.”

  “Open barely a month, and you already have regulars? Good job.”

  “If you can keep it civil, that’s fine. I don’t want any fighting in my shop. I mean it. Even if he starts it, I’ll kick you both out. You don’t want that. My stilettos are downright painful if they catch you right.” She pointed to her light gray heels that had thin pink vertical stripes down the sides. “Pretty, right?”

  “I never understand why you ask us if we think your shoes or your outfits are pretty. Like we know anything about women’s shoes.” Killian stood straighter to stretch out his back. “And I can control myself around Vince. How do Monday mornings sound?”

  “It’s Monday morning now! Is he on his way here?”

  Killian had the grace to appear sheepish. “He’ll be here in about an hour. That’s cool, right?”

  “So what if I’d said no? What then?”

  “I knew you wouldn’t say no. And no disappearing when he comes around. You always do that. Make sure you at least say hello. I’m really trying to make things good for our families, Fal.”

  “I know. And for the record, I wasn’t always running away. I was sent away. Lots of times by you, if your old man memory’s still hanging in there.”

  “Hey now.” He took the jab with a small smile. “Thanks, though. Really. It was a hard time getting to agree on any neutral place. Yours was the only one he’d budge on.”

  Fallyn hoped her brother couldn’t see the pink in her cheeks when she glanced at the spot Vince had held onto her to keep her from falling onto the heat. “Next time you come offering to do dishes, I’ll be sure to look for the strings you’re attaching to your favors.”

  Killian shot her a wide smile. Since their mother had passed two years ago, neither Killian nor his father had been given to much smiling. It wasn’t since Fallyn had returned home that he remembered to indulge in the light expression at all. “Make me a list of what needs to be done around here, and I’ll get started. You’ve got me for an hour before Vince gets here.”

  Fallyn used the opportunity to finish off the morning baking that was not as daunting a task after Rina had done most of the prep the night before. She smirked to herself as she added a new item to the menu, tending to it in between knocking off the finishing touches on two more custom cakes. When Jen’s pinched voice called to the backroom that Vince was here, Fallyn was just finishing up her projects.

  Killian washed his han
ds in the sink to clean up for his meeting. “Alright, Fal. I’m all finished with your list. I’ll be out in the cafe with Vince. See you out there.” He shot her a glance that held a mild warning to it. “I mean it.”

  “I know, I know.” Fallyn removed her apron, straightening her pink fitted blouse and gray knee-length skirt that swooshed around her thighs with the grace of a kiss from a feather. She plated the new pastry she’d made special and walked out to the dining area five minutes after her brother, a pleasant smile fixed firmly in place. Her light expression fell when she saw Angelo and Tony standing outside. As predicted, the customers cast them fearful glances, some skipping over her store and moving on down the street to give the feuding families a wide berth. She kept her tone light as she set the plate down between the two men. “I thought I said no henchmen at my store.”

  Vince gave Fallyn his usual stoic glance as he leaned back in his chair. “I told them to wait outside. This is still a new treaty, mind you. You can’t expect me to walk into your bakery by myself.”

  “Fine, but only for today, and they don’t step a toe inside. Understood?”

  Vince nodded, a small smirk playing on his sculpted lips. “What’s this?” He motioned to the plate between them.

  Fallyn stood at her brother’s side, glad that he didn’t see her slip Vince a smile in return. “An Italian boy who can’t recognize cannoli? Never thought I’d see the day you’d forget the important things.”