Indebted to the Mafia King
Date Night

Chloe

I never expected that being in a ferry heading to the city with Tony for a date would be the way I'd end this day. My life was never predictable before, but being asked on a date by him was never a thought that crossed my mind. Sure, he didn't have to say it outright that it was all just for show, and I didn't feel the need to clarify with him either, but I can't help but wonder if there's more to it than he's letting on.

I'm probably kidding myself, I know. But as we stand side by side, leaning on the railing and overlooking the moonlight reflecting on the water, my mind goes back to the day we met two years ago in this same place, and my heart betrays me. Again.

I still remember exactly how I felt when I saw him. When he shattered my phone and ruined my purse. And when I boldly sort of invited him on a date. I was so intoxicated by his presence back then that I still don't know what came over me. We never talked about that day, and I wonder if he still thinks about it as frequently as I do. Or did it mean nothing to him? I don't know why he never brought it up-except for when he briefly mentioned it at our wedding-but I know why I didn't. I'm too scared he will tell me he doesn't remember much. Or worse, that it meant nothing to him. I don't know what would hurt more.

And that's still the same reason why I don't talk about it now. My mouth opens and closes a few times before I decide I'm not bold enough. I don't know why I felt encouraged back then, but I'm certainly not that girl anymore. Tony seems to notice my uneasiness and steps over, getting closer to me. I wish he hadn't. Now, with the night breeze blowing his musky scent toward me, I can't focus any more than I could a second ago.

His eyes roam over my face and his brows crease slightly. "Is everything okay?" he asks considerately. "I know it was a last minute thing, but I thought it'd be nice for us to have a moment alone. Armando told me the guys were starting to suspect."

Ah, so that's the reason why he's bringing me on a date. Of course...

"Yeah, don't worry. It's completely fine," I assure him nonchalantly. "And I agree. If we want to make this work, we need to play our part, I guess."

"I..." he continues, dragging the word as he seems to consider the right ones to use next. "I heard the wedding party will happen on Sunday. Did your mom tell you about it?"

I nod, letting out a sigh. That's all she's been talking about ever since Tony gave her the green light to organize something. It was supposed to be a small gathering at the house, mostly a meeting for the wives to make a big deal out of nothing like they always do. But knowing my mom, I am positive it will be far from it.

"Judging by that sigh, I am assuming you're not excited for it?" Tony asks in an amused tone, a smile splattered on his face.

"Yeah, well, you know my mom. She will turn this into the event of the year," I reply, rolling my eyes.

Tony chuckles. "From what I've seen of her expenses, you're right on that."

"Oh, God. I am so sorry about that. I tried to convince her to do something small, but she never listens to me," I whine, embarrassed by her actions. She shouldn't be spending Tony's money like that, no matter how much he has. "It's okay, I don't mind, really. Although, I must agree with you. I'm not much of a big party man myself, but Nicky is a tough nut to crack."

"That she is," I muse with a laugh.

We remain in silence for a minute until I say, "Now that I think about it, I don't think I ever pictured myself having a huge wedding. It was always her dream, not mine."

Tony nods at me, his ice blue eyes glooming as he stares at the darkness ahead of us. "I never wanted to get married."

I ignore the way his words feel like a knife to the heart. Sometimes I wish he wasn't so honest with me.

"Is that because of Dante and Eleni?" I ask. I can understand how their love story might have given Tony a sour taste on what a married life is supposed to be like. His job is certainly not fit for a family life. But he also needs to understand no one should live alone, without someone to take care of them and be there in times of need.

"Yeah," he finally answers me, and our eyes meet. It's like a current of electricity travels through my spine, down to my core. I can't stand to look at him, but I also can't peel my eyes off of him.

We don't say anything else after that, focusing on the city lights pointing in the horizon. An hour later, we're sitting in a restaurant I've been to a couple of times before on different occasions. It's not crowded, and it is a secluded place, so I'm grateful for the privacy it offers.

The dimly lit atmosphere is more romantic than I'd like to admit, but I don't remark that to Tony. I didn't feel like that the other times I came here, but with him it just feels...different.

The waiter comes and hands us the menu, and I quickly pick what I want. Tony does the same and orders us some wine to go with our meal. I was planning on having some by myself tonight, so it's nice to be able to stick to at least a small part of my plan.

The glasses of wine come soon enough, and I rush to grab it, taking a huge sip. I hadn't realized how tense I'd been during the entire way here. Being around Tony makes me so stiff, I feel my muscles need some relaxing right now.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you... is everything back home to your taste? Does Ellie need anything? Or you?" he asks bluntly.

I swallow the wine in my mouth and nod at him, surprised by his question. "Of course. Everything is more than perfect. What else could I possibly want?"

He shrugs, sipping from his own wine. "I don't know. Maybe someone to cook? You don't have to do that every night for me."

"I know. You've said that a couple of times already and I told you I don't mind. I like cooking, and it makes me feel somewhat like a dutiful wife." I smile at him.

"You were the one who said we're not really married, so..." he notes, raising his brows at me.

Damn, he's so effortlessly sexy. Under this dim light it is even harder to pretend he doesn't stand out from everyone around us.

"Still, I don't know what else to do with my free time anyway. I am still not sure what I want to work with, and until Ellie goes to school, I think I'll just hang around the house," I explain casually. "I am sure you figured out by now I'm not the best Saints wife material." I chuckle.

"I'll have to disagree with that," he tells me seriously. "I like the way you care about others. I don't see a lot of those women doing that. It's easy to become superficial in this world, and I don't see a hint of that in you. And I like that." His complement catches me off guard and I don't know how to react to it. It's great that he noticed that. I would never want him to see me as someone who doesn't care about anything other than money and status. His eyes are studying me from over the rim of his glass and I have to look away so as not to give away how much he affects me.

Someone standing near the bar counter waves at our table, and I frown, not recognizing who it is. But it becomes clear to me the man is not waving at me when Tony stands up from the table and says, "Excuse me, I'll just greet the owner real quickly. He did me a huge favor getting this reservation for us at the last minute, so I want to personally thank him."

I nod and watch as he heads toward the middle-aged man who shakes his hand warmly. Their interaction is brief, but my eyes are glued to them, especially when Tony smiles at something he says. His smile is like a breath of fresh air. He looks so carefree and young. I barely get to see him smiling, let alone laughing, but I can't deny the sight is mesmerizing.

And that's what makes me realize how my feelings for Tony are still very much present. I never denied they were still here, but being away from him made me bury them in a way that it was almost like they never existed. But living with him now, having him take care of me and my daughter, is doing something to my heart. I never thought Tony would want me. Not in this way. Our night together might as well be a mistake from his perspective. But even so, I ended up being his wife. Even if it's a fake one. I never heard of him doing anything of the sort for any woman before. And he must have met a lot of troubled ones leading the life he does in the underworld. When Tony returns to our table, I clear my throat, taking another sip from my wine. He is still smiling as he sits down across from me.

"Care to share what was so funny?" I press, watching him curiously while leaning back on my chair.

Tony raises his brows at me. The place is dark, but I can still see the way his cheeks blush a little. It's endearing. And sexy.

"Sure you want to know?" he asks with a smirk on his lips.

My eyes widen in surprise. "Yeah? Why not? Is it something dirty?" I blurt cheerfully.

Tony shakes his head, equally entertained. "Not really. The opposite, in fact. He was just saying he doesn't know how I ended up with someone as beautiful and elegant as you. He used to call me 'man-whore', although I feel that's totally uncalled for," he grumbles, rolling his eyes dramatically.

A laugh blurts out of my lips and my head falls back. I wasn't expecting to be amused by it, knowing it references Tony's past sex life-possibly still present-but still, it amuses me more than it should.

Tony is looking at me with a puzzled expression, but his lips are still curled up in a grin I can't ignore.

"What?" I ask after composing myself.

"Nothing. I just think you should laugh more often. You look even prettier than usual," he points out, and my heart does backflips, the butterflies in my stomach fluttering their wings so fast I might explode from inside out. Oh, God. What do I do with this man?!