mafia king

chapter 13 - doing some shopping

After spending some more time with Sandrino I got a text from my mom asking me to go grocery shopping for her. She started a new job as a translator for a company and didn't want to leave work too early in her first few weeks there. Times like these I was glad I didn't work in a stuffy corporate office. But ask me again later, when I'm freezing my balls off standing in front of a club, my answer will be very different. My mom, unlike my dad who died when I was just a baby, was only part of the mafia family by marriage, not by blood. My parents had been so in love that even the mafia obstacle hadn't come between them. Kinda romantic, kind of stupid is what her mother, my grandmother, had told me. My mom would roll her eyes but didn't disagree. Not since I had started my training at 12 years old and started working completely for the family after high school. I didn't mind as much as her. All my friends and family were in the business. What else would I do?

Sandrino had laughed when I asked if he wanted to come with me. Instead, he sent me a list of things he needed that I could buy too if I were in the city anyway. "And buy yourself something pretty too, gorgeous!" He yelled after me and I flipped him off while I walked down the stairs to the entryway. "Going shopping?" Mario came around the corner carrying his gym bag. He bleached his hair platinum blond. It suited him but he looked good in everything. He had crazy good genes. His whole family was gorgeous. If I hadn't fallen in love with Georgino I'd probably had a crush on Mario just because of his looks. And then fall in love with him because he was also a great person. "Groceries for my mom." I replied and fished out my car keys from the bowl in the hallway. "I'll come with you. I need to buy new shampoo for my hair." He eyed me from the side, waiting for: "It looks really great." I said and he grinned. "Oh, thanks." I snorted and held the door open for him. When we got to my car, he threw his gym bag in the trunk, and we drove into the city.

"So, how are you doing?" I slowed to a stop before the store. "Fine, why?" Mario pressed his lips together. "It's just that I haven't really talked with you for a while. Ever since you and Sandrino founded your broken hearts club, you only hang out with him." He accused and crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess I really have?" I said guiltily. "Yeah, and it's not your best 'best friend behaviour'. And it also bothers Marco, even though that stone of a person won't admit to it." Mario added a bit more fondly. "I think he would rather eat glass than admit to having feelings." "Yeah, but that's just how he is." Marco had always been quiet and reserved. I don't think he even cried when he was born. He was tall, brooding and melting into the shadows. "Are you trying to change the topic from your messed up love life to Marco?" "No! Alright, maybe a little bit." Mario lightly punched my shoulder and we got out of the car.

We were in the dairy aisle when Mario finally asked the question I knew burnt under his fingers. "Are you and Sandrino a thing now?" He handed me eggs and they nearly fell to the floor because he shoved them in my hands out of the blue. "No. We slept together once. It was fun and then weird so we stopped it." "By weird you mean your behaviour after sex?" I pushed the shopping cart into him. "I am very chill about sex." "No, you aren't." He laughed and I tried to keep a straight face but broke out laughing too. "Yeah, maybe I'm not." "You can't blame yourself. You only slept with Georgino and he is head over heels for you. You could probably talk about taxes and it would still be great." I smiled. He wasn't wrong. "I saw him after the kiss in the kitchen." "Was he angry?" "Yeah, but we settled it. Sandrino is convinced Georgino has it out for him because he has to work but I don't think he is that petty." "I don't think so either. Protective yes, but not annoyingly possessive." I sighed and took out Sandrino's shopping list. "This looks like a toddler wrote it." Mario took it and laughed. "Candy and Condoms." I grimaced and shook my head but because I was nice we went to the candy aisle. "Did you settle the Rose thing-." Mario asked after we put way too much candy for one person in our cart. "Not yet." "Why not? He still loves you." He held up his hands in a defensive gesture when I glared. "I'm not saying what he did was wrong. I still want to break his nose for you, but... what's the plan exactly?" "I don't know. I'm just so angry at him for lying to me for one whole year. And it isn't a small lie. He now has a kid and Rose." Mario opened his mouth to interrupt me. "I know. I know. He isn't in love with her but still. He could be open with her and not hide in the shadows like he had to do with me." Was it weird that I was pouring my heart out in front of shelves full of condoms? Probably. "You don't want to be his secret anymore." Mario said and I sighed. "Yeah. It would be easier for him and for me. You don't know how much it hurst when you get shoved in the background by the man you love so the others don't find out." Mario looked sad and leaned over to give me a hug. "That's heavy." He said and hugged me tighter as if to squeeze out my pain. It was nice but when he didn't let go people started to look. "It's weird to hug in front of condoms." I mumbled in his shirt and he snorted. "Alright, back to why we are here. What size does Sandrino need!?" "You just shouted that because you want to embarrass me." I whined and he nodded. "Very much so, but seriously. You are the guy who slept with him, so you know better than me. I wouldn't touch him with a ten feet pole." I blushed to the roots of my hair. "Just take a regular size." "That is disappointing. What's Georg-." I took the cart and raced out of there. Mario chased after me and I tried to act like I didn't know the guy who was throwing condoms at my head, screeching "Tell me!".