Page 97 of Mafia And Maid
***
I’m listening to the radio in my car a few days later when they mention that Gilded Shelter is in town for their sold-out concert. And I get an idea…
I know tickets will be nearly impossible to get for such a popular band, but I have connections—people who owe me favors, people who can get things done. I make a few calls and ask around, and within the hour, I manage to get two tickets for tonight. I get them couriered to the casino, my insides lighting up at the thought of surprising Rosa.
Late afternoon, I return home earlier than normal and walk into the kitchen.
“Hey,” she says. “You’re early.”
“Yeah.” I don't even try to hide my grin. “I've got something that I want to give to you.”
She watches me pull out the tickets from the pocket of my jeans and hold them out for her to see.
“Are these…?” she starts to say before her voice trails off.
“Tickets to the Gilded Shelter concert tonight,” I finish for her. “I thought maybe we could go together.”
She gasps, and her hands fly to her mouth. “I can’t believe this! How did you get these?”
I shrug, trying to play it cool. “I have my ways.”
Her eyes are sparkling as she throws her arms around my neck, and I find myself hugging her back, enjoying the warmth of her embrace.
“Thank you, Camillo.” She giggles, a bright happy sound filling the room.
I pull back and look at her, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction at her reaction. “You deserve it,” I say simply. “Now go and get ready. The others can have takeout tonight, and Alessio said he’ll look after Ethan. We leave in an hour.”
***
The energy in the arena is electric, and I can see the excitement radiating off Rosa as we listen to the warmup act. She’s practically bouncing, her eyes wide with anticipation. When Gilded Shelter finally takes the stage, the crowd erupts into cheers, and Rosa joins in without hesitation. She sings along to every word and does more of those sexy moves of hers.
I find that I'm watching her more than I’m watching the band, and I like this side of her that I'm seeing, and I’m drawn to it in a way I hadn’t expected.
After a while, I notice that she’s stretching onto her tiptoes as she strains to see over the heads of the people in front of us. And without giving it another thought, I reach out and put my hands around her hips and start to move her.
Her head swings to me. “What are you doing, Camillo?”
“Lifting you onto my shoulders so that you can see better.”
Her eyes widen in alarm. “You can’t carry me on your shoulders. I’m too heavy…”
My brows knit together in confusion. “Of course you aren’t,” I say.
“But—”
“But nothing,” I growl. She’s nothing compared to the weights I lift each day, and I raise her up as if she’s as light as a feather.
She exhales a yelp of surprise, but then, she’s laughing, her hands gripping my shoulders as she balances herself on me. From her new position, she's got a perfect view of the band, and I can tell by her reaction that it’s the best seat in the house.
As the band continues playing song after song, even I start to enjoy the music and let go a little. Everything about the night is amazing, but the best thing by far is the woman on my shoulders who's singing her heart out with sparkling eyes. With her, I feel something I can’t quite put into words, but it’s there, growing stronger with every passing minute.
When the concert finally reaches its end, the band take their final bow and give a last wave to all the fans, and I lower her back to the ground. She’s buzzing with excitement, and her face is flushed with happiness. We're about to turn to leave, but before we do, I find myself stopping her, my hand gently grasping her arm.
She looks up at me, and her eyes sparkle in the dim light of the arena. For a moment, I just drink her in, taking in the way her hair falls in soft blond waves around her face, the way her lips curve into a smile, and leaning down, I press my lips to hers.
She kisses me back, her hands coming up to clutch at my shirt as she leans into me.
And when we pull apart, the way she looks at me makes my heart race.