Love Is Mafia

The Date

The plates arrived.

The restaurant was nearly empty. Warm light from the hanging lamps.

Demian smiled. The waiter set down a plate he hadn’t ordered.

“Excuse me. I think there’s a mistake.”

The waiter didn’t meet his eyes.

“What do you want me to do about it?”

He walked away.

Demian looked down at his plate. Violet watched him.

“Demi. You should talk to the manager. You didn’t order that, and the waiter was incredibly rude.”

Demian smiled.

“It’s fine, Violet. Maybe he’s having a bad day. People can be rude when they’re under a lot of stress.”

He grabbed a napkin.

“I’m going to go wash my hands. I’ll be right back.”

Violet tracked him with her eyes until he disappeared down the hall. Her smile vanished.

She motioned for the waiter.

“Excuse me.”

The man approached.

“You’re going to swap this plate for the one my boyfriend ordered. And you’re going to do it fast. I don’t intend to get my hands dirty, but those two gentlemen outside...”

She glanced at the window.

“...they haven’t had a chance to commit a violent act all day. And they are dying for one.”

The waiter looked out the window. Outside, two men in black suits watched him from a car. They smiled. Raised a hand in a friendly wave.

The waiter swallowed hard.

“Y-yes, miss. Right away.”

When Demian returned, the plate in front of him had changed. It held exactly what he’d ordered. In a ridiculously exaggerated amount. A literal mountain of food.

Demian raised an eyebrow.

“Looks like he regretted it.”

Violet rested her chin on her hand.

“He wants to apologize, Demi. On his knees.”

Demian smiled.

“Well, I don’t need him to kneel. Knowing he changed his mind is enough. He probably thought it over and decided to do the right thing.”

Violet smiled back.

“Yes, Demi. Looks like he understood what he did was wrong... and that he shouldn’t do it again.”

Demian nodded. They started eating.

* * *

Minutes later, they stepped out of the restaurant.

Quiet night. Crisp air.

Demian stopped by the door. The waiter lay on the ground. Clothes torn. Face swollen.

“My God!” Demian rushed over. “What happened? Are you okay?”

The waiter barely lifted his head. Pale. His eyes met Violet’s. She watched him in silence.

The man swallowed hard.

“I-I fell... I’m really clumsy...”

Violet stroked Demian’s arm.

“See, Demimuffin? He’s fine, he just fell. You’re fine, aren’t you?”

“Y-yes... perfectly fine...”

Demian frowned.

“I don’t know, Violet. Maybe we should take him to the hospital.”

Violet sighed.

“These shoes are killing me, Demi... my feet hurt from walking.”

Demian crouched in front of her.

“Hop on then, I’ll carry you.”

Violet climbed onto his back.

“Thank you, my hero.”

“What was I saying?” Demian asked as they walked away. He didn’t look back.

Violet rested her chin on his shoulder.

“You were saying that after a good meal... the best thing is a Demichocolate.”

Demian laughed.

“Oh yes. The nectar of the gods.”

Violet closed her eyes.

“I never want this night to end. I’m so happy when I’m with you.”

“Then let’s make it last forever.”

Behind them, the restaurant fell silent.

From the shadows, a man in a dark suit grabbed the waiter by the collar and dragged him away without a word.

A black Mercedes pulled up to the curb.

The man opened the back door. Tossed the body inside. Slammed the door shut. Tapped the roof twice with his knuckles.

The car peeled away, disappearing into the dark.

The man adjusted his jacket. Lit a cigarette. Kept walking.

The Flower Shop

Demian walked with a box of chocolates in his hands. The gold foil reflected the midday sun.

On the facade, the Violet’s Flowers sign gleamed, freshly painted. A group of men in suits unloaded pots, cut stems, and organized flowers.

The air smelled of roses, fresh cement, and perfume.

A small bell chimed as he walked in.

Violet turned instantly.

“Demibaby, you came. And you’re wearing the shirt I gave you. You look absolutely beautiful in it.”

“Yes, thank you, Violet. I liked it a lot. And since I was coming to see you for the grand opening, I thought it would make you happy to see me in it.”

“You know me so well, Demisweetie. You look so, so handsome. I can’t take my eyes off you.”

Demian looked around. The employees moved vases and adjusted flowers without taking their eyes off their work.

“Your employees seem very excited.”

“Yes, Demi. They’ve been working very hard to leave the... flower shop perfect for the opening.”

One of the men approached with a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

“Boss Demi, I made a drawing for you.”

He unfolded the paper. Stick figures with names written above.

“Look, this is you, this is Miss V, and these over here are us.”

“Wow, this is really good. I didn’t know you were an artist, Frankie Fine-Cut.”

“Thank you very much, Boss Demi. I’m glad you liked it.”

Behind him, a few men clapped proudly for a moment and went back to work.

A tall man stepped out of the shop. Demian recognized him. Their eyes locked.

“Look who’s here... the justice machine, the incorruptible man. What’s a superhero like you doing in a place like this?”

“Well, my girlfriend owns the place.”

“Wow, I see. Your girlfriend owns it.” The man laughed. “I knew even a guy like you would fall one day.”

“Well, that’s love.”

The man looked at him for a moment.

“All right, I must go now. Take care, hero. Good to see you on the right side.”

Demian tracked him with his eyes until he disappeared among the flower stands. He turned back to Violet.

“Do you know that man?”

“No, never in my life have I seen him. Maybe he was a customer.”

“That man is a cop.”

“A cop? What was a cop doing in a... flower shop? But Demi, you seem off. Is something wrong?”

“Pardon my language, Violet. That man is not a good person.”

“Did he do something bad to you, Demi? If he did, tell me.”

“Years ago, I found out he accepted bribes, ran a protection racket, he even helped build a casino on the orphanage’s land.”

Violet looked down.

“I see this person has hurt my Demihoney.”

“It also bothers me that they didn’t fire him. He had powerful friends. I gathered the evidence, but I couldn’t catch him. I want you to promise me that if that man ever comes to threaten you, you’ll tell me, and I will put him in his place.”

“I promise, Demimuffin. Thank you for always protecting me.”

Violet kissed him. Demian smiled.

* * *

Later, with the shop empty, Violet came back inside. She took off her gloves. Left them on the counter.

“All right, I want you to tell me who that trash was and what he was doing here.”

The water running over the freshly cut stems was the only answer for a few seconds.

Vinnie the Surgeon answered without looking up from the bouquet.

“He was a dirty cop, Miss V.”

“And can someone explain what a cop was doing in my... flower shop?”

“He said he wanted to see you to negotiate police protection. He said he had a great offer for you. I told him to leave because we are an... honest flower shop. But he left his card.”

Violet took the card. Twirled it between her fingers.

“I think we could use a little protection, don’t you, boys?”

Nobody answered. Only the sound of shears cutting flowers.

* * *

The corrupt cop sat across from Violet in a windowless room. The air was dry. It smelled like metal.

“Wait a moment... you are the supercop’s girlfriend. This is brutally funny. The incorruptible judge is dating the mafia queen.”

“Shut up, trash. Let’s get straight to business.”

The man swallowed hard.

“The boys explained to me that you wanted to offer us protection, and I thought it’s not a bad idea to be more protected. So I prepared my offer inside that door over there.”

“Behind that door? Why not right here?”

“That would be too obvious, don’t you think? The mafia giving money to the police in plain public view. Besides, what’s behind that door doesn’t fit in briefcases. It’s too much to put in such a small space.”

The cop smiled.

“Then I can go see my payday.”

“Of course you can. In fact, I insist that you do.”

He stepped inside.

The door closed by itself behind him. He tried to open it. It didn’t move. The surface was steel, thick and cold.

The lights turned on.

Inside there were several people: an old man, a man in shackles, another hitting the bars of a cage with a cup, and one playing a sad tune on a harmonica. The echo repeated the notes in the air.

“You must have made the lady’s boyfriend feel sad, too. I served him the wrong plate and then I was rude. What did you do?”

The cop looked at the one in shackles.

“And you?”

“I stained his shirt. It was an accident, I swear. I already learned my lesson.”

The cop turned to the harmonica player.

“Wait a moment... are you M. Night Shyamalan? What did you do to end up here?”

“Demian doesn’t understand my movies.”

The cop’s breathing quickened.

“But we are getting out of here, right?”

One of the chained men looked up.

“I don’t know. Ask Old Roberts.”

From the corner, a raspy voice.

“My friend Martin and I have been here for many years. I don’t remember how many. Martin, how many years have we been here?”

There was no answer.

The light spread into the corner. Next to Old Roberts, a skeleton rested against the wall.

The cop began to pound on the door.

“Let me out! I’ll apologize for everything! We can make a deal! I’ll give you free protection, money, whatever you want!”

A metallic sound came from the ceiling. A screen lowered. Violet appeared on it.

“Get out of there? Don’t make me laugh. I don’t make deals with scum like you. Evil people must get what they deserve.” She laughed. “I’ll never forgive you for what you did to my Demi.”

The man said nothing.

Violet looked to the side.

“Well, later we will continue with the fun. Right now, I have a date with my beautiful Demi. In the meantime... enjoy your stay.”

The screen turned off.

The echo of the harmonica kept sounding, slow and out of tune, in the dark.