Once she is gone, I get back to it and work straight through the night. What woman would put up with this shit? Maybe Ma is right. Maybe it is time to settle down.
Once the deal is as done as it is going to get, I head home and wait for the meeting on Tuesday. Sleep is all I need after the six months I have had.
My flight to California is forgettable, but once I get there, the vice-president of acquisitions of Lazlo Gaming pulls out all the stops.
“Welcome to LA, Brendan,” Jason Sims, the man I’ve been dealing with at Lazlo, says as he shakes my hand in the airport.
“Thank you, Jason,” I say, getting into the limo behind him. Inside, he shows me facts and figures for the beta downloads. It is a surprisingly large number. The hotel they set me up in is beyond what I would have imagined for an overnight trip. It’s extravagant and unnecessary. The next morning, I get up and make the deal of a lifetime. In the end, I sold the game for one point eight billion dollars, but they made it perfectly clear that they would have paid whatever I asked for. Now, we are moving into the development phase. After they initially tested it, they decided they wanted me on board for the whole process, to which I agreed. It’s such a relief that it’s finally in writing. I will also get to work on new projects as they come to me on their dime, so it really is the ideal situation for me, plus I get to work with my own team. Just as soon as I hire them. I have never hired anyone before. It’s the beginning of what I hope will be a lucrative partnership. It should be interesting.
Later in the week, as I get ready to head out to Atlantic City, I realize that I am dreading this whole night. I am too old to go clubbing, but thankfully Sam was adamant about not going to strip clubs. I hate those places; they feel sad to me. Something about the desperation, drugs, and money that flow through there makes me think about broken dreams. It honestly creeps me out. As Sam’s best man, I am determined to give him exactly what he wants. The party itself is an entire week before the wedding, so he has time to sober up. And trust me, he will need it.
“Welcome to your last night out on the town,” I say, grinning as he opens his front door.
“Where are we going first?” he asks as I pass him a cigar. The bus I hired for the night is prepared to take us wherever we want to go, just as soon as we pick up the rest of the party.
“Atlantic City,” I tell him as the bus pulls away from his apartment building.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Chapter 2
Brynn Vitali
Ever since I skipped town last May to avoid a stalker, the threats against me have stopped, but my boredom is at an all-time high, and so is my anxiety. My family is in a particular line of work that makes a lot of enemies. That’s right, I am a mafia princess. Working at the Sex on the Beach nightclub on the Atlantic City Boardwalk has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. I hate what that says about who I used to be. I know my family would hate that I even work here if I told them where I was.
If the name does not tell you what this club is all about, the atmosphere and pretty much general lack of morals will. It looks like a seventies porno set threw up in here and left shag carpeting and brightly colored furniture behind. It is a monstrosity for sure. I am not sure who is behind the threats, but I knew I had to leave to protect my family and myself. It started with notes showing up in my purse whenever I was out. I would open them and promptly toss them. Threats are not new to the Vitali family, and that is how we handle them. My immediate family consists of my father, Fabrizio, my mother, Fawn, my oldest brother, Brando; still older than me brother, Bartolo; then me; and finally, the youngest, Bella. I have a million cousins, though my favorite is Albie.
However, our “you can’t touch me” mentality had run its course when I received a picture of my younger sister, Bella. It was taken up close, but you could tell she had no idea she was being photographed. She was laughing with a boy from her drama class. That note gave me two options: either marry the stalker, whoever he is, or disappear forever. The picture told me that Bella would face the brunt of refusal to do either. I chose the latter and took only cash, my important documents, and clothes, leaving my cell phone and credit cards behind. However, the first thing I bought was a new phone. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to not talk to my mom. For some reason, I didn’t think that it was fair of me to drag my family into a fight they had nothing to do with. They have enough going on with the day-to-day shit they deal with. I drove until I reached the ocean, which I have always been fascinated with. Atlantic City seemed far enough away to be safe but close enough if I decided to risk it and head home. I rented an apartment above a butcher shop and have been working here for almost a year now, but I miss my family and my mom’s authentic Italian cooking. I cannot even remember the last time I had a meal that did not come from the bar or a fast food joint. If I am honest, I miss my mom’s hugs more than anything. At least I get to talk to her every once in a while, but it’s just not the same.