Psuedo-Psychic Mobster

March 7th, 2024 - Manhattan, NY, NY

I knew lying to people was wrong, but it didn’t stop me from doing it for money.

“I can see… a red car… crossing your path….”

A young woman sat before me. “Oh, my mother’s car?”

“Is your mother’s car… red?” I tried to stay mysterious, but I was confused about what the young woman wanted.

“Yeah! I love it! ‘bright red Ferrari! I can’t wait to get my own someday.”

“Would you like me to look into your future for a new car?”

“Oh, yes! Absolutely!”

My earpiece underneath my veil buzzed before Luca spoke. “Give the boss’ daughter exactly what she wants.”

“I-uh- I need more information to focus my power.”

“Oh, okay!” Guilia nodded and smiled. “How can I help?”

“Tell me about your dream car.”

I knew I was a liar, but I didn’t realize it would spare me from my debts after I owed the Italian mafia fifty thousand dollars.

“Well,” Guilia spoke again. She painted her lips with a saffron color, and they were glossy. Like her large brown eyes, they glistened with the crystal ball's light. Her small, Roman nose was highlighted by the glow, as well. “I love that my mom’s Ferrari is red, it’s so her… But if I were to get one, I’d like mine to be pink!”

“Good, good,” I encouraged her because my debt depended on it. “Tell me more about this car.”

“I’d have leather seats, but white leather, so they’re easier to clean, and they don’t get too hot in the summer!”

“Tell me more!” I began to flail my arms around the ball more vigorously around the ball. 

“I’d get seatbelts in the front and back rows so my friends can come with me! I’d have black pom-poms on the rear view mirror!”

“I can see it!” I acted more dramatically in my role. “I can see it!”

“Really? You think it’ll happen?”

My earpiece spoke again. “We need at least a month to get the car here.”

I thought quickly. Okay, one month… April is next month… April is super rainy… And May if they run late…

“If fortune favors you, you may find good news on… a rainy day.”

“A rainy day?”

“Rain, lot’s of rain that day.”

“Okay, hold on, I’ll write this down.”

My earpiece buzzed for a final time that evening. “We need her to go to the dealership to get it.”

“And on that day, you’ll win a raffle at a gathering, which will require you to travel many miles to the location of the gift.”

“Okay! Okay. Thank you so much!” Guilia shook my hand. 

I cracked a smile, which chipped at my makeup designed to make me look old. ”May you be blessed, young Guilia.”

Guilia stood up and ran out of the parlor. Her jade green dress complimented her golden skin and black, curly hair.

I could hear her talking to her friends. “She said it might happen!”

Oohs and aah’s drifted away from my parlor before Luca entered the room.

“That was very good.” His thick Italian accent only added to his flair when fidgeting with his key. “Have you done this before?” He bent down and unlocked my ankle cuffs.

“No,” I sighed in relief. “I just based myself on some movies I’ve seen.”

“Well, I’m impressed.”

“How often should I do this before I’ve paid off my debts?”

“Well, let’s do the math. Let’s say you make forty dollars per hour. So you ‘work’ eight hours per day five days a week, figuring out what the bosses’ daughters want.” 

“I’m making that much?” I was shocked. “That’s a lot of money.”

“In order to pay off your debts,” Luca ignored me; he glanced at his fingers. “you’d need to work for thirty-two weeks to come out over, but I’m nice, so we can do thirty weeks and come out about even.”

“Alright… So seven months….”

“That’s right.”

So I worked for the mob as a fake fortune teller half the time, an organizer for the other half, spying on Guilia, Bella, Aria, and Aria’s cat Captain Cannoli, developing plans to meet their every desire.

On days when Guilia, Bella, and Aria would text my burner phone and ask for a reading, I’d drop everything in the office to get dressed in my garb and pull psychic abilities out of thin air. 

June 23rd, 2024 - Manhattan, NY, NY

Luca spoke to me in the office I was given to research the boss’ daughters. He sat in the chair in the corner of the room, keeping an eye on me so I couldn’t escape.

He sighed in boredom before speaking. “Mannaggia! It’s hot as hell in this office.”

“You’re telling me.” I leaned back in my chair. It allowed my eyes to rest from staring at my computer’s screen for the past few hours.

“Hey. I know a guy, who knows a guy-”

“-who knows another guy-” I teased.

“-shut up -who knows how to make gelato.”

“That’s too bad. I have to stay here for the next three months, no outside time.”

“Hear me out. You, me, sneak out the back. We get some ice cream. We come right back. You don’t run away, and we both get ice cream.”

“How do you know I won’t just run away?”

“Well, that’s the thing. You’re a little noodle lady. We pretend to be a couple. I hold your hand the whole time. You try to run; I break your fingers.”

“Well, if I don’t complete my work, I’m going to be back in debt again, so we might as well get some ice cream while I work.”

“See? Compromise. I knew you’d crack eventually.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“So let’s split!”

Luca stood up and walked over to the desk.

“Arms, please.” He extended his hand toward me. Even though we became more comfortable with each other over the past few months, he was still well mannered.

I lifted my hands and handcuffs off my desk and over to him.

“Grazie.” He winked at me.

I winked back. “Prego.” 

“Oh, you know some Italian?”

I shrugged. “Just what I’ve picked up over the month.”

“Oh, okay.” He nodded in understanding. “So you’re a quick study?”

I thought for a moment. “I guess so.” 

I stood up and walked with Luca to the front door of the brick complex.

“Remember. No shenanigans. No running. Yes?”

“Yes, I get it.”

Luca guided me down a few blocks to La Prima Donna, the bakery and ice cream shop with fancy opera house details.

“Oh, I used to come here often!” I felt excited to try some things that used to bring me comfort.

“You did?” Luca’s head snapped toward me. 

“Yeah!” I felt nostalgia wash over me. “Back when I used to have my job.” 

“What did you do?” Luca looked at my hand for clues.

“I was a nurse,” I smiled. “I used to work in pediatrics.”

We entered the ice cream shop to see a few customers enjoying their treats.

“Ay yo, Nick!” Luca shouted from the door to my embarrassment.

“Luca!” The gelato master shouted from the scooping area. He patted his hands after rinsing them and exited the counter space to greet Luca and me. “So who’s the cute broad?”

“This is Natacha!” Luca gestured toward me with his hand.

He smiled at me and took my hand before kissing it. “Natacha, huh?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “It’s very nice to meet you.” 

“Oh, so she’s all prim and propper, yeah?”

I felt flustered. “Oh- I guess so, yes.”

“I’mma call you ‘Prim’ then.” Nick joked. “Come, come ‘on back. It’s too hot by the door. Come.” Nick guided us back to the selection area.

The conversation drifted about our origin, relationship status, and plans for the future. Finally, we got our ice cream and were seated towards the back of the ice cream parlor. Luca and I gave ambiguous answers to it all.

“Cara mia, I’ve been thinking,” Luca said after taking the last bite of ice cream. He had begun to call me pet names, which at first he apologized for, but after my consistent acceptance of them, they became part of our routine.

“That’s surprising.” I had half my scoop left.

“Hey.” He looked up at me.

I giggled. “Okay, but seriously. What’s up, Luca?”

“Were you in that strike? You know, the one from four years ago.”

“I was.” I nodded. “I worked for twenty-four hours straight, working with kids with cancer, a little girl died towards the end of my shift, and right before I went home, I got called into my boss’ office. She said to me, ‘your performance isn’t enough. So we’re deducting your bonus and your pay’.”

“That’s terrible.”

“I started the strike, so I lost my job. This act was with forty thousand dollars in loans. It became fifty after I deferred my loans for so long that they became too expensive per month to pay off.”

“Natacha,” He put his large hand on my shoulder. “why didn’t you find another job?”

“I couldn’t.” I shrugged my shoulders. ”No one would hire me.”

“So you took out a loan with my uncle?” He seemed concerned and sympathetic. However, he wafted judgment towards me.

“I did it to pay off the old loan.” I looked at his green eyes. “I still couldn’t pay it off, so Dante said I could pay off my debts… differently. So now I’m here.”

“Sweetie, no.” He gently shook my shoulder. “You shouldn’t be in debt to us.”

“No, I am. I should be.” I shook my head. “I did this to myself.”

“No, no, no. Natacha, listen.” We paused before walking into the store. Luca turned my head towards him. “I think you cared for my sister.”

“I’ve cared for a lot of dying children, Luca.” I felt he was being too dramatic, so I put my hand on his shoulder. “I probably won’t remember her.”

I tell a lie again. I thought. I remember every child I’ve helped to pass away. Not all their parents even care to say goodbye, so I must remember them by myself.

“Nina. Nina Calabrese.” Luca looked into my eyes. “Does that ring a bell?”

I felt my eyes widen when hearing her name again.

Shoot, I’m caught. Nina was the last patient I ever had. But, of course, I remember her.

“Um- actually- yes.”

“She was my sister,” I felt an air of sadness in his voice. “my youngest one.”

“Oh.” My eyes widened even further.

Luca looked into my eyes. “You sat with her while she passed.”

I paused. I tried to play it cool again. For me, it was easier to ignore how many times my heart had been torn to pieces than to allow myself to acknowledge I was, in fact, so shattered that I didn’t know where all my heart’s pieces were.

“Again, Luca. I do this for all my patients.”

“No, Cara mia,” he slightly raised his voice. “you did something special for all your patients.”

“Even if I did,” I pointed my finger at him. “that doesn’t get me out of debt.”

“No. No, no, no. It should.” Luca looked like he was getting upset. “It just feels wrong.”

“It’s not wrong, Luca.” I rubbed his arm. “I’m just glad I get to pay off my debt from college, finally.”

Luca shook his head. “ I’m not understanding. Did my uncle know you cared for Nina?”

“No,” I stated bluntly. “I didn’t realize Nina was his niece.”

“You should tell him!” He gently shook my shoulder. “I should tell him! We owe you our peace of mind; we can at least forgive your debt.”

“Why, though? This work puts a roof over my head and clothes on my back. It’s the first time in a year I haven’t had to worry about becoming homeless-”

“Natacha.” His mouth gaped open. “Are you serious?” 

“I’m dead serious. I went to college directly after high school, and I had half my loans covered by scholarships-”

“What?” Luca was astounded.

“-and yet… I made twenty-five dollars per hour.” I looked away from him. “When you can’t decide whether to eat a sustainable meal or pay your rent in the same week, working for the mafia tends to look more appealing than nursing.”

“Natacha, that’s awful.” Luca’s anger seemed to drift from me to my hospital. “So you’re here willingly? There’s no need to-to treat you like you’re some sort of prisoner?”

“Yeah, of course. Sometimes, I miss caring for patients. I think ‘maybe I can run away, I can go back to nursing in another country,’ but I wouldn’t have enough money to take a cab to the airport.”

Luca seemed to soften and appeared guilty. “Do you… like what you do now?”

“Actually, yeah. Absolutely.” I nodded. “In addition to having the nicest clothes I’ve ever worn, a beautiful condo pretty much to myself, quality groceries purchased and delivered for me, and ten years of loans paid off in one, I enjoy seeing people live after I help them.” I drifted off into my tangent.

“I sometimes forget that people die instead of leaving your care.” Luca put his massive hand over mine. “It just feels like you were part of the family the whole time.”

“Yeah, no. I agree.” I smiled at his touch. “Getting to have a relationship with somebody who is not sick, and the last time you see the person and their family, you know you’ll see them again? That’s good stuff.”

“When you’re done… uh… here… are you going back to nursing?” Luca questioned me further.

“Nope.” I shook my head. “Well, at least not back to palliative care.”

“What will you do instead?” He looked at me with deep concern. “Once you get to leave?”

“Well…” I sighed. “I was hoping to stick around… I kinda like it here.”

“You do?” He had a faint glimmer in his eyes.

“You’re good company.” I smiled at him.

“Oh. Really?” He softly smiled back.

“You cared for me when I got the stomach bug in April. If my job includes a partner that helps me not die alone from asthma complications and vomiting so hard, there’s nothing left in me but bile and other nasty things I shouldn’t mention while people eat, I’d stick around. Wouldn’t you?”

“You know what? I don’t know….” He contemplated. “I was born into this… I never chose to be here.”

“Luca, you have better benefits than a union in the 1980s. I’ve met your cousins, AKA your coworkers, and they’re all wonderful. Your uncle made this deal with me, so he’s a great boss-”

“Well, that’s true.” Luca continued to smile through his thoughts. “I guess you’re right. My hardest work was in college, and even then, I had family supporting me.”

“You see?” I joked with him. “That’s nice. Don’t take advantage of that.”

“I wish you had this support, Natacha.”

“Me too, Luca.”

October 31st, 2024 - Manhattan, NY, NY

I sat in my office of the condo that was given to me during my stay while I worked for the mafia.

I knew I was leaving in the morning, but it felt strange having nothing packed after being here for so long. I figured that Luca hadn’t said anything because he was upset that I wouldn’t ask to have my loans forgiven.

Luca entered the office. He leaned on the frame of the door, dressed in his favorite suit; a black two-piece, with a white oxford. He wore no tie, and kept the top of his shirt open. He fastened his watch onto his forearm as he spoke to me.

“Hello, Cara mia.”

“Luca.” I sugared my voice as stood up, and moved the tulle from my yellow gown away from where I needed to step. 

He took a breath before speaking.

“You look stunning.”

“Thank you!” I curtseyed. “I just adore the jewlery you’re letting me borrow, these pieces are amazing.”

“Borrow?” He shook his head before slapping his forehead. “Oh no, I guess I forgot to tell you.”

“Luca, we both forget many things.” I pulled his hand off his face. “No hard feelings, what has happened?”

“I talked to my uncle. All these things are yours, forever.”

“Wait… are you serious?” I took a step back from him. “Are you actually serious?”

“Yes, Natacha. I am.”

I felt light-headded. The world began to swirl beneath my feet.

“Natacha?” Luca nearly shouted in panic.

The world began to go black. I held onto my desk while I tried not to faint. “I am just fine. I am just very, very surprised.”

My knees buckled underneath me, but Luca was close, so he caught underneath my arms and placed me back on my chair.

I woke up to Luca fanning my face. 

“Luca?” I felt groggy.

“Mi vita, I’m so sorry.” He cupped my face.

“No, I’m sorry Luca.” I sat upright in my chair. “I shouldn’t act like this.”

“I would have let you sit first.” He said. “I never meant to upset you.”

“You didn’t upset me.” I shook my head. “It’s just been so long since I’ve gotten good news.”

Luca paused. He bit his lip before blurting out. “I want to give you a life with only good news.”

I stared at Luca; I had no idea what to say.

He continued. “Over these months, I’ve loved spending time with you, even in this small space. The thought of being strangers again tomorrow morning makes me miserable. You should stay with me. I need you to.” 

I was groggy, but I knew what I wanted; not the condo, or clothes; Luca. “Then I will.”

Luca kissed my hand. “Cara mia, I am yours, and yours alone.”

“Good.” I smiled.

And thus, I was his.