Chapter 1
Adelina Fox:
It was good to finally be home. I had spent four long years away at a college out of state. I now had dual degrees in criminal justice and data analytics. And I just finished the police academy. I was set to interview with my city’s police department next week. I couldn’t wait to start my future and to move out on my own again. Don’t get me wrong - it was good to finally be home. But there was something about living with my dad and brother that was easier to deal with when I was only visiting for a short time.
Ever since my mother passed away 7 years ago, home just isn’t the same. It's still my home. Comfortable, safe, familiar. Yet, it feels like there's a hole that can never be filled without mom here.
Still, as I finished unpacking the rest of my clothes, I laid back on the canopy bed I missed so much while I was away. The tall black wooden posts and creamy-white drapery feel cozy and classy all at the same time. I had fairy lights strung throughout the hanging fabric and I couldn’t wait until it was dark enough to turn them on.
“Addy!”my dad called from downstairs. I reluctantly stood back up and make my way to the kitchen where my dad is. He is dressed in his Arlington Police Department uniform which meant he was probably about to leave for work. My brother, Benito, didn’t appear to be home. “Addy, I’m about to leave for work. Benny is out with friends and I’m going to leave you some money to order dinner. Are you going to be alright by yourself?” he asked.
“Yeah Dad, I’ll be ok. I lived on my own for four years at college. Plus, I'm going to see if Gabby will come over and hang out,” I said he hugged me and kissed the top of my head.
“Okay baby, you be safe and remember to lock up before you fall asleep. I love you.”
“Love you too, be careful,” I said as he rushed out the door. I pulled out my phone and texted my best friend, Gabby. She went to the local community college and worked two jobs to help her parents pay the bills. Her dad was a deadbeat gambling alcoholic and her mom was an enabler.
hey, are you free tonight? I texted. I waited but she never opened the message. She must have been pulling a double shift again.
I looked in the fridge. I was not in the mood for take-out food. The fridge was what I expected it to be. A case of beer, some moldy take-out, and condiments. I sighed and looked at the wad of cash dad left on the table. He left $200 which was normal for him. He always left way too much because and said it was incase of an emergency. And an empty fridge where I was living was definitely an emergency in my mind. I grabbed my keys and the cash then headed towards the grocery store.
I pulled into the only grocery store before the city blocks started. It was pretty empty, which wasn’t surprising for a Friday night. I grabbed the basics that I knew I could cook and have enough leftovers to feed Dad and Benny. Some chicken, some pastas, fresh veggies, ingredients for pasta sauce, bread, milk, cereal and a frozen mac and cheese for tonight. I knew I would be too lazy to actually cook tonight but I would meal prep some stuff tomorrow.
Once I had all my groceries, I made my way to the wine isle and started to look through the bottles. I was in the mood to sit on the couch and drink some Pinot Noir tonight. I was reaching for a bottle when I heard a deep voice.
“You know, I think a white would better suit your ingredients,” the man said smoothly with a bit of an accent. I couldn’t tell the accent from that little bit but it was cute. He was tall - maybe 6′3 and was built like a wall. He had dark curly hair and brown eyes. He flashed a smooth smile as I turned to him. The man looked to be about my age but I’d never seen him before.
“I’m sorry? What was that?” I asked politely trying to pull my mind off of his apparent hotness.
“You’re making Alfredo, right?” he said it as a statement and less like a question. “You have heavy cream, minced garlic, chicken, and pasta. Sounds like Alfredo to me,” he said pointing to the items in my cart. He was right. I did plan on making some Alfredo. “You might break my Italian heart if you don’t pair that with a chardonnay,” he said handing me a bottle of expensive chardonnay with a confident smile.
“Thanks... but you’re not completely correct,” I said playfully placing the bottle in my cart. “I do plan on making Alfredo but the frozen mac and cheese calls for a Pinot Noir. Sorry if that was too much for your Italian heart,” I said adding the bottle I was reaching for into my cart. He looked taken aback but the shock was quickly replaced with a wicked smile.
“I could tell you were a princess by your beauty... but a principessa Italiana,” he purred. “Bellissimo.”
“Thank you,” I giggled. He was quite refreshing compared to the frat boys I’d been tolerating for the last four years. “My mom taught me to cook, but I’m not that Italian and I certainly don’t speak it.” He acted like he was shot through the heart and I giggled a little more.
“I’m Matteo,” he said.
“I’m Addy.”
"What's that short for?" he asked.
"Adelina." I said.
“Adelina, but not that Italian?” he smirked.
“My last name is Fox,” I laughed. “So only Mama was Italiana,” I said and he smiled coolly.
Then suddenly his phone started ringing. “Well, it was wonderful to meet you Miss Fox. I hope to see you around,” he said then answered his phone and walked away speaking in hushed Italian. I was definitely disappointed but I did need to get these groceries home and in the fridge. I checked out and headed home. I put the groceries away and made my frozen mac and cheese. I just sat down on the couch when Gabby called me. I picked up immediately.
“Hey,” I answered the phone.
“Are you finally home?” she squealed.
“Yep, home for good. Or at least for a bit.”
“Sorry I never responded to your message. I was working.”
“No worries, I figured you were. I was just seeing if you wanted to hang tonight but I’m in my PJs and halfway through a bottle of pinot." We giggled a little.
“How about tomorrow night?” she asked. “Let’s go out. Like out-out. There’s a new club that opened last summer and I think you’ll love it.”
“Say less. Where will we pregame? My house or yours?”
“Yours, mainly because I’m going to steal an outfit for the night,” she said. “See you tomorrow at eight?”
“Sounds like a date,” I said as she squealed again with excitement.
The day seemed to fly by and the next thing I knew, Gabby was bursting through the front door. She had a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a small speaker in the other. ‘The Bitch is Back’ by Elton John blared through the speaker.
“My bitch is finally home!” she said running over and throwing her arms around me. Gabby was the kind of girl most guys wanted - no - drooled over. She was short and thin but had big boobs and a perfect bubble butt. I was tall and had smaller boobs but a curvy hourglass shape.
We got dressed and made sure we were both the perfect level of slutty. I had on black denim shorts and a lace bralette top. It had a built in push up bra which made my boobs about a cup bigger than they were. Gabby was in ripped up light wash denim shorts and a very tight cropped tee with a deep v-neck. I threw on my black converse, a gold choker necklace, and some gold stud earrings. Our makeup was perfect and we were the perfect level of tipsy when we were ready to leave.
We called an Uber and headed downtown. We pulled up to the new club Gabby had mentioned. It was a dark brick building with a large purple and orange neon sign that read Venus. The line wasn’t too long so we hurried to get a spot before it grew even more.
"So did you really sit in your pajamas and eat mac and cheese on a Friday night?" Gabby said to me disappointedly.
"I also went to the grocery store," I defended but it sounded lamer than eating mac and cheese alone. "And had a bottle of wine."
"Wow, sounds like a blast," she mocked.
"Okay yeah, picking out food wasn't exactly a wild night. But I talked to the hottest guy when I was picking out some wine. He was tall and had an Italian accent and ugh he was so delicious. His name is Matteo," I admitted.
"Why did you start with that?! Tell me everything!" she gushed.
I recapped the entire interaction as we stood in line. Gabby hung onto every word I said. I didn't talk to or about boys very often. So when it did happen, Gabby did her best to pry every detail from me.
We only waited about twenty minutes to get inside. The place was packed. The music was blaring and the bright lights bounced off of the dancing bodies. There were two floors. The large main floor we entered to and the open second floor that overlooked the dance floor. It looked to be made up of VIP rooms and booths.
Gabby led the way and ordered drinks for us at the closest bar. She ordered our club usuals - vodka crans. I can’t say I loved the drink but it was easy to drink. I took my first sip and it almost burned. I guess she had ordered doubles. I gave the bartender my card down for us to open a tab before Gabby even opened her purse. My dad had given me a very generous graduation gift in the form of a bank deposit. Plus, I was basically guaranteed a job at the police station with him working there. She shot me a look that was supposed to be mean but ultimately she pouted and thanked me.
“Thanks,” she said “But you don’t have to do that.”
“I didn’t ask for you to pay or if you wanted me to pay. But I am asking if you want to go dance,” I said and she smiled. We made our way to the middle of the dance floor. I always hated dancing when we first got there but that never stopped Gabby from making me dance. We danced with each other. We danced on each other. And I swear seventeen different guys approached Gabby but she turned every one of them down.
We had finished our first drinks and I was a little drunk. She pulled me back to the bar where we ordered our first drinks. Gabby ordered another double vodka-cran but I ordered a normal one. I certainly did not need the extra vodka at this point. I was still trying to be aware of my surroundings and make sure we got home safe. However, two drinks turned into three and I was glad we didn’t drive. After two hours and grabbing our fourth drink, we made our way back to the dance floor and walked through the crowd to find a spot.
I didn’t feel as drunk as I thought I should be. I guess college did something for my alcohol tolerance. At that moment I was enjoying the beautiful tipsy where I was still absolutely fine and functioning, but I wasn’t self conscious about dancing anymore.
