CHAPTER 9
Catalina
Monday
"Lo, are you ready?"
Making my way down the hall, I stopped at her room to see if she was ready, and I wasn't the least bit surprised to find her still in pajamas.
"Bitch, you do realize it's only 10:30 in the morning and the interview is at noon, right?" she asked me playfully, rolling her azure eyes, and jumped out of her king-sized bed to get dressed.
"I'm just so freaking excited. This is my first interview in over five years. I really hope he likes me enough to hire me." My heels clicked as I paced on the marble floor. I couldn't sleep last night. I was way too excited. It was like someone told my 10-year-old self that I was going to Disney or something. Not only was I eager for the interview, but I'm thrilled to finally get to meet my best friends' brothers or at least one of them.
"Did you even sleep?" She laughed at the nervous state I was in.
"Not really. I'm too nervous and excited." I shrugged and hesitantly shook my head, not wanting to admit that I stayed up all night.
"Look, I know you're nervous, babe, but you should've slept." Lola huffed, pulling her shirt over her head. Then she slid her long raven hair out of its ponytail holder, letting locks fall freely around her shoulders.
"And no need to worry, love. I know once Nico meets you, he's going to like you a lot. Particularly in that little number right there." She smirked, motioning her finger up and down at my outfit.
"I hope so. I need this, especially after that visit from Liam yesterday. It just confirmed what I already knew that I needed to find my independence." I shook my head, remembering the incident that took place downstairs yesterday afternoon. "Do you think it's too much?" I asked, looking down at the white silk wrap dress that had a deep neckline, and nervously bit my bottom lip. This isn't something I would usually wear, but I'm feeling daring today.
"Hell no, Mamacita. You look hot as fuck. Besides, it's a club, and we're in Miami, so I think it's fitting." She winked at me.
"Thanks, boo. I'll meet you downstairs and hurry up. I want to be early, not late. Making a good impression is important to me." I made my way out of her room before turning back to glare at her, and she laughed while waving me off.
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The ride over was pretty quiet and I couldn't stop thinking about how I still needed to talk to Lola about how weird she's been acting. I wasn't going to bring it up to her before seeing her brother, though. She's been so excited about seeing him that there's no way in hell I'm ruining this for her. I thought I was the anxious one, but she's been acting like a little kid on their way to meet the real Santa, and I've only seen her like this a few times over the years. It's quite enjoyable to witness my best friend like this because she always tries to be the tough one in our friendship. So, it was a welcomed change.
"Where's your head at, little Lo?" I asked, averting my gaze from the window to my equally anxious counterpart.
"I'm just nervous as fuck, C. I haven't seen Nic or E in like ten months, so my stomach is in knots. What if I've asked too much of them?" She raked her fingers through her inky hair and gave me an unfamiliar, nervous smile. Gosh, seeing her like this is so foreign to me, I couldn't help but chuckle and she shot me a death glare before I playfully threw my hands up, surrendering.
"I'm sorry. I'm just not used to seeing you like this. It's cute. But love, you are so cute when you're nervous."
She remained silent, her hands gripping the steering wheel for dear life.
Reaching over to massage her right shoulder. "It's gonna be fine, babe. I bet he's just as nervous as you are right now." I gave her a sincere smile. "Plus, I'm sure if it was too much, he never would've asked you to lunch, right?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right," she mumbled, sounding utterly unsure of herself. "Well, we don't have any more time to talk about it... We're here." She pulled up to the massive industrial metal covered in frosted glass modern looking building and threw the car into park.
"Holy crap, we're here," I said, looking around with widened eyes, and I unbuckled my seatbelt.
"Yup... just in time too," Lola glanced down at the time on her wristwatch.
"Hey, go in and do your thing. I'll be there in a bit."
I nodded, way too nervous to speak and pushed the car door open. I stepped out, smoothing down the fabric of my silk dress. Taking a deep breath, I shut the door behind me to make my way towards the intimidating building in front of me.
"Good luck, bitch, not that you need it!" Lola shouted from behind me. I turned and winked at her before walking into the club. Taking in my surroundings, I didn't see or hear anyone, so I moved further into the giant dark room.
"Hello!" I called out, still not finding anyone.
"Hello, you must be Miss Castillo. Mr. Mariano is expecting you."
I heard a woman's voice coming from behind me, causing me to jump. When I turned, I was met with a gorgeous tan woman with the most stunning green eyes. Holy shit, she looked like a supermodel.
"Follow me." She twirled on her heels.
"I'm Isabella, by the way. I've worked for the brothers for three years. They are demanding but fair, as long as you do what is asked of you." The pretty woman continued, not bothering to turn back and look at me as we made our way up the steel staircase. My heels clicked against the metal planks as I ran my finger along the red and burnt orange brick wall. Just as I had when I was a child and I was forced to play outside with the other children in the group home.
"Catalina Castillo, but you already knew that. I think? Nice to meet you," I rambled in a small voice, looking at the back of her perfectly curled blonde hair. We finally stopped in front of a big factory metal door, and she knocked twice and opened it, not waiting for a response as she poked her head in.
"Domenico, I have Ms. Castillo here to see you."
"Thank you, Bells, please send her in." I heard a man's hollow voice coming from the other side of the door, and the velvet tone sent a shiver down my spine.
Isabella stepped aside and motioned her hands in the direction of his office. I made my way around, and she winked at me, almost to say good luck. I sent her a tiny nod as I walked inside the room, closing the door behind me.
"Have a seat, Ms. Castillo." The man named Domenico signaled to the chair in front of his desk. Not bothering even to lift his head to look at me. "My sister tells me you've been down on your luck lately and that you need a job. So, she thought I could help," he said deadpanned, face still in his computer.
Oh my God, he hated me already. This was a mistake. The man wouldn't even look up at me. But I need to push through. Push through, Cat. You got this.
"Yes, I guess you could say that. I've had some misfortune, but I'm looking at this as a fresh start." I ran my hands over my dress, smoothing it out once again, trying to sound optimistic. It's a nervous habit.
"A fresh start, huh?" Still looking down, he typed away on his laptop as he continued asking me questions. His thick tattooed fingers were moving a mile a minute. "I've looked over your work history, and you've only ever worked at a diner. So, tell me, Catalina, what exactly do you know about working at a nightclub?" He closed his computer, and looked me up and down before meeting my gaze, his jaw tight.
Holy shit, he was freaking gorgeous. His dark hair styled in a classic undercut, showcasing the geometrical tattoos on each side of his head. My eyes followed the intertwining symbols down his neck, and I quickly realized they decorated most of his warm ivory skin. I had never thought that much ink on one person could look so damn good, but this man was something else entirely. Almost like he was made to wear the art that blanketed him. He was art, and please don't even get me started on how perfectly chiseled his jawline that had the ideal amount of stubble was. Just enough to cause goosebumps to spread through your entire body as the sensation of the tiny bristles brushed up against the sensitive skin that covered your inner thigh. And oh, my goddess, the enormous muscles protruding through his black form fitting SikSilk was enough to nearly send me over the edge.
A slight shiver traveled through me as I shamelessly continued to drink in the adonis that sat before me, and my breath suddenly hitched. My gaze connected with the most extraordinary pair of slate blue eyes, staring back at me. Well, almost through me. It's strange, and I can't put my finger on it, but something so familiar about them.
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