Page 44 of Taken By Sin
A perfectly combed pompadour with a midnight Armani suit fitted to his lean frame. I came dressed in a cute pair of jean shorts and one of his t-shirts tucked into the front. Bria said he would love it, and as his eyes raked over me when we met in front of the house, he definitely does.
“I guarantee you the owner isn’t even Italian.”
A smile plays on my lips. “The reviews were really good. Plus, I miss pizza! I haven’t had any in a month. We had pizza night every Friday it at Saint Mary’s.”
“Fine,” he huffs, “but next time, I’ll bring you somewhere better.” I didn’t tell him where we were going, I just searched for the nearest pizza place.
The waiter brings out the steaming pizza on a metal plate, and it looks divine. Sin let me order it just how I like it: pepperoni, sausage, extra cheese, extra pineapple.
A gasp escapes him as I fold my slice. “Bella!” he cries playfully. “You eat like a New Yorker.”
He gives in, taking a slice from the tray, inspecting it. “I knew there would be something wrong with you.” My eyes widen until I notice from his smile that he’s teasing me. “It’s just a shame that a girl as hot as you would order pineapple on a fucking pizza.”
I toss the paper from my straw at him. “It’s good!”
“This is not fucking pizza, Mags.”
“It is! It’s delicious.”
“Well,”—he sets his slice down and takes a sip of his drink. “You’re going to meet my father tomorrow.”
“Really?” I stiffen, nerves taking over. “He’s coming here?”
“No, I can’t bear to take another bite of this. We leave for Italy in the morning. You’ll get real pizza there.”
“I work tomorrow,” I complain.
He throws his head back. “You having a job is going to interrupt my plans,” he growls. “We’ll need a week, so tell your boss and let me know when will work.”
I nod excitedly, hoping Victoria doesn’t mind my absence so soon. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. It’s my first day, after all!
I wish I could make this up, but alas, I can’t.
The board outside of Alice in Brewland has an additional asterisk added.
Magnolia’s Magic $7
Lavender latte iced with a magical potion that is definitely not poison.
*It’s just dry ice*
*It’s also Magnolia’s first day!*
I snap a picture, grinning. Maxwell is beside me, having walked me here. Surely, he won’t stick around for my entire shift. “That’s cute.” He smiles, gesturing to thesign.
“You’re going home, right?” I worded that too harshly. “I mean thank you, for keeping me safe.” I gesture to the near-empty road, trying to conceal my back-and-forth feelings of having a guard.
“I’m going to stick around here.” He shrugs.
“Max, you can’t.” I sound like a child not wanting their parent to stay through their first school day.
He holds his hands up. “Don’t worry, you won’t even know I’m around. Besides, I won’t be inside. I’m going to just spend my day relaxing around the area. There’s a million shops.”
“Won’t you get bored?” I ask.
“Nah, I’m getting paid to basically make sure you don’t die. I think we’re safe here, so I'll just get paid to chill in the city.”
I give him a grateful grin before entering the shop. The bell overhead chimes, alerting Victoria to my arrival. She spots Maxwell passing by as I take a moment to inhale the rich aroma of coffee beans that permeates the entire store. “Good morning, my favorite co-worker!” she sings.