9 — Date Night
October 8, 1938
"Hey there."
Pauline looked up from her work and smiled, more than a little surprised.
"Nunzia!"
"The very same. Thought I'd surprise ya, 'stead of waitin' around to meet up."
"Well, how'd you know I'd still be here?"
"Bit of a suspicion," Nunzia shrugged, stepping into the office.
"My brother Dom had a run in this morning, before dawn, with a P.I. of very particular description. He was at the house all day moaning about to Papa while Carmine helped me finish moving my stuff. Given it seems like your boss is on a big case..."
"Your brother?" Pauline murmured.
Suddenly, she felt more than a little whoopsy.
"Yeah. Oh, Dom's a mess. No wonder your boss thinks he did somethin'."
"Nunzia, I... If your brother might be involved in a case... Well, perhaps it would be best if we didn't see each other for a while. Just so nothing gets confusing."
Nunzia's posture went stiff, her eyes squinty, and she jammed her hands in her pockets.
"I... But we... Oh. Oh. Okay."
She spun quickly on her heel and disappeared out of the office almost in a flash. Just as quickly, Pauline shoved the papers aside, stood, and rushed into the corridor.
"Nunzia?"
The dejected figure, slouching hard to one side, was already half down the stairs. Pauline went after, tripping a few steps from the top and almost crashing into her quarry. She half-caught herself against the wall, and Nunzia turned and looked up to her.
"Okay?"
"I... Please don't rush off so. I'm sorry I was... Well, look, I need my job, and I'm not sure how my boss would feel about us if..."
"You think he'd be bothered you're seein' a Tamburo, right?"
Pauline nodded, and suddenly Nunzia threw her head back, laughing.
"What's funny about it?" Pauline asked.
"You're afraid he'd be bothered I'm a Tamburo, but not that I'm a woman?"
"You'd be amazed at what the boss is willing to ignore."
Nunzia moved back up the few steps between them and slipped an arm gently aside Pauline's waist.
"Doll, what your boss don't know won't hurt anything. He doesn't hafta know about me. At least, not anything that'd bother 'im."
"Nunzia, I do wanna keep seeing you, but..."
"Lina, I promise, I'll make sure everything's okay. I swear it. I'll keep my head down around your boss, whatever it takes."
"Why? Why not just duck out of this whole mess? Most people would."
"I ain't most people, Lina. Besides, I really got a feelin' for you, ya know? Genuine. Dunno if you feel the same..."
"I think I do. I really think I do."
Nunzia grinned, grazed a kiss along Pauline's cheek, and took her hand.
"You need any help finishin' up your work?"
"I just have a few things to file. Then I can close up and head out."
"Well, what say I keep you company? Then... Well, when we head out, I got a surprise for you."
"Surprise? Oh, go on an' spoil it for me."
"Well, I'm all moved in to my new place. Was hopin' you'd come along and gimme a little house warming. Well, apartment warming."
"Oh? And is it just the apartment that needs warming?"
Shrugging, Nunzia grinned and pulled their embrace a bit tighter.
"Maybe."
They rushed back up to the office together.
Pauline's work was done in ten minutes, and after the office was locked up, she and Nunzia hurried down the stairs and out of the building.
"I tell ya, principessa, I got a great night planned for us."
"I don't doubt it," Pauline smiled as Nunzia stepped away to wave down a cab.
"That the guy, boss?"
Dom squinted hard.
"Nah. Too short and scrawny. Looks like dark hair."
"Well, they come down from that office."
"Could be anyone," Dom shrugged.
"Guy we want's a P.I. The bitch there could be his secretary. Pro'ly gettin' picked up for a date."
The couple they were watching got in a cab. Rey clutched the wheel of the car, raring to go.
"Wanna follow 'em, boss?" he muttered.
"Nah. Nah, that's not who we want. Yet. If they are mixed up with that P.I., though... Well, we'll be back to keep an eye on 'em."
Posted Oct 9, 2019, 7:07 AM UTC · edited