Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Of course. I’ve seen it before.”
“Comfort breeds softness.” Carbone’s watching me as he says it. “And in my trade, softness is a liability. Would you agree with that, Mrs. Spadaro?”
“I’ve found the opposite can be true. Softness is necessary sometimes. Too brittle, too hard, and you can snap or shatter.”
Carbone grunts but clearly doesn’t like my answer. “How long have you two known each other?”
I glance at Prime. He doesn’t seem bothered by the question. “Deanna’s been my personal assistant for a few years.”
“You worked together before getting married? And you still work together now?”
“That’s right,” Prime confirms.
“It’s an interesting arrangement, this marriage of yours. From what I understand—“ He flicks the lighter and taps ash into a tray. “Your lovely wife here was not your first choice.”
Prime drinks his wine. Sweat dribbles down my arms. It’s common knowledge that I was swapped in as Prime’s wife last minute, but I was assured it wouldn’t be an issue. Normal, in his world, is how Prime described it, and I believed him even if that seems bat shit insane.
I don’t like the way Carbone’s bringing it up now though.
“Deanna and I have always had a mutually beneficial relationship. I fully admit I was prepared to marry another woman that day, but my original fiancée backed out and Deanna stepped in to take her place.”
“Not a marriage of love then, I take it.” Carbone’s smile makes me squirm.
“Love can surprise you sometimes.” Prime’s voice is quiet. He’s looking at me with a strange fondness and my stomach lurches when he touches my hand. He’s acting, playing a role just like I am, going through the predetermined motions. This room is a cliche, our words are cliches, everything about what we’re doing is cliche, words banged out on a typewriter by some cheap Hollywood hack. I do my best to gaze lovingly back at my husband, which is what’s expected of me. While inwardly, I want to scream.
“Is it surprising you, Mrs. Spadaro?”
I know the proper forms. The correct response. But suddenly, for a reason I can’t really understand, I get the feeling that’s not the right play here. Maybe it’s the way Carbone’s watching with that ferret-like intensity, a sharpness to him, ready to slice apart our pretty fiction.
I shake my head happily. “Not in the least.”
Carbone’s eyebrows raise. “What do you mean?”
“If you’re asking if I’m in love with Prime, I’m telling you I’m not.”
Prime’s grip on my hand tightens. “Surely you’re joking, my darling. My heart’s bleeding here.”
“I’m not joking in the slightest, darling.” I bat my eyes at him and smirk. “Why should we pretend? We’re not married because we’re head over heels.”
“Then why are you married?” Carbone’s leaning forward now. He’s interested, I can tell. I bet he expected me to play along and act like the smitten bride, but I’m flipping the scene on its head and going in a new direction.
“Prime’s got money. I have needs.” I gesture in the air like Carbone can figure out the rest.
Carbone’s cigar puffs and smoke rolls into the air. “Is this true, Prime? A marriage of convenience?”
Prime doesn’t even hesitate. “Now you see why I married her.”
“She should have been your first choice.”
“Now that—“ Prime leans over and kisses my cheek chastely. “I can fully agree with.”
Carbone grunts but the waitress comes into the room then. She brings a full meal, family style: several plates of pasta, a large bowl of salad, small cups of soup for everyone. Prime strokes my fingers while she serves, apparently unbothered that I decided to go with something closer to the truth.
And it makes more sense. Everyone knows I was swapped in last second. Why try to pretend like we’re madly in love?
Play it like it is. A convenient arrangement for everyone.
“It’s refreshing, you know, to hear you speak so plainly of your marriage.” Carbone picks at his plate. “So often men in our position take a wife out of family obligation but tries to pretend like she’s the love of his life.”
“It does happen though.” Prime surprises me by pushing back. “I meant it when I said love can show up almost anywhere.”
“True, true, but love isn’t necessary when there’s a contract in place. For example, I don’t love you, Prime Spadaro. If I can continue this trend of plain speak, I find you boorish and difficult, an example of what’s wrong with the freshly moneyed underclass.”
Prime pours himself more wine. “I’ll win you over if you give me a chance.”
“I suppose you will true. You are rather charming. However, I’m not interested in a friend. I’m interested in a stable, reliable partner.” Carbone gestures at me with his fork. “Like your wife here. She’s a model we should all follow, isn’t that so? But like I said, love can be a problem, and I wouldn’t want to see your heart get broken if our business venture didn’t pan out. Do you follow me, Prime?”