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“Can you do it or not?” I press.
She fixes me with a hard stare. “Of course I can do it, asshole. The question is, should I? This isn’t just playing with fire, Angelo. It’s like juggling nitroglycerin while dancing on a tightrope.”
I meet her gaze steadily. “It’s for Fee and Lou. I need to get cash to buy the building from Gino.”
Genesis’ expression softens slightly. “Ah, the dynamic duo. You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
I ignore that question. “Will you help?”
She sighs dramatically. “Fine. But when this inevitably blows up in our faces, I reserve the right to say ‘I told you so’ while we’re running from the Feds.”
“Deal,” I agree, relief washing over me.
Genesis cracks her knuckles. “Alright, let’s commit some high-class felonies. Just another day, right?”
11
SOFIA
My heart is heavy as I approach Perfezione, the fire damage evident from even down the street. It hurts so much to see my shop so badly damaged.
A red-haired man in his mid-thirties wearing a crisp suit is waiting outside, clipboard in hand. Must be the insurance agent.
“Hi, I'm Sofia Saldano,” I introduce myself, extending my hand.
He takes it, holding on a bit too long as his blue eyes rove my body. “James Porter. Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Saldano. Though I wish it were under better circumstances.”
I withdraw my hand, forcing a polite smile. “Shall we go inside?”
As we enter, the smells of smoke and char assault my senses. James whistles low. “Quite a mess. But don’t worry, I’m sure we can… work something out.”
The way he says it makes my skin crawl, but I ignore it. “The fire started here," I explain, leading him to the hole in the window where clearly, someone threw the igniter.
James follows closely, his eyes roving over me instead of the damage. “I see. And were you here when it happened? Must have been… hot.”
I grit my teeth. “No, I wasn’t. It was the middle of the night. Can we focus on the assessment, please?”
“Of course, of course,” he says, jotting something down. “So, tell me about your… assets.”
I take a deep breath, reminding myself to stay professional. If I piss him off, he might deny the claim. “The shop’s inventory was mostly destroyed. We had custom suits, dresses, and a lot of vintage fabric.”
Thankfully, only the front of the shop was damaged. The small kitchen, dry cleaning area, and library were all unscathed.
James nods, stepping closer. “Vintage, huh? I bet you look great in vintage. Or out of it.”
That’s it. I’ve had enough. I turn to face him, my voice ice-cold. “Mr. Porter, I’d appreciate if you kept this strictly professional. I’m here to file an insurance claim, not to be harassed.”
He has the decency to look somewhat abashed. “My apologies, Ms. Saldano. No offense meant.”
“None taken,” I lie. “Now, can we please continue?”
The rest of the inspection goes more smoothly, though I can feel James’s eyes on me the entire time, but I ignore him. I don’t have time to deal with him.
Dealing with the fire damage is hard enough without having to fend off unwanted advances.
I look around the shop, memories flooding back. The first suit I ever made. Lou taking her first steps right over there. Zip teaching me how to use his old shears.
Tears prick at my eyes, but I blink them away. I can’t fall apart now. There’s too much at stake.
