Riley Lynn (P.O.V.)
"Hey, does the last name Luciano ring any bells for you?" I asked Tamia, exactly one week after the whole restaurant fiasco.
We were currently at my other part-time job, which is at a small café, named Dream Bean. Tamia is my best friend. She may have filled that role solely because I did not have any other friends and we worked together a good portion of the week, but I was more than content with her. She was cute and friendly and an all-around good girl. The type of person everyone needed in his or her life.
"If I answer your question, will you fishtail my hair for me?" She responded, pointing at her dark hair tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head.
"I was already late for work and couldn't really do anything with it." She explained.
She was lucky that the café was not particularly busy today. We had a few customers but there were mostly students that came in for the free internet and scenery.
"Fine, fine, sit down."
Tamia cheerfully took a seat on one of the stools lining the countertop. Fortunately, the coffee shop was pretty dead, as it usually was in the afternoon, so I had plenty of time to fix her hair up.
"I am actually worried that you do not recognize the name," She said to me.
"Although, no, scratch that, you do live under a rock most of the time."
I tugged on her hair a little harder than I had to.
"Is he an actor?"
"No, why would you think that?"
"Uh, he kind of looks like one."
She whipped her head around to face me.
I quickly let go of her hair so I would not end up pulling on it.
"You saw him?" She exclaimed.
"Careful, and yeah, he was that guy I told you about at Michelangelo's the other night. Who is he?"
"Think about his name carefully for a moment," she replied, looking forward again.
She gestured for me to finish the braid.
"Are you sure you have not seen it anywhere?"
I pursed my lips, rolling a hair tie off my wrist so I could lock the braid in place.
"No. I really cannot remember. That is why I am asking you."
"Do you remember your twenty-third birthday?"
As it was a night to remember, I nodded.
"Do you remember where we stayed?"
"That hotel near the casino," I answered, silently wondering where she was getting at.
She turned around to look at me again and nodded.
"And what was that hotel called?"
"Luciano Express, but why..." The connection took a moment.
My jaw nearly dropped.
It explained so much. Me being supposed to know who he was, his attitude, the fanciness, the ten thousand dollar tip.
"Oh man."
"Seems like you recognize it now." She giggled.
"Ah geez, no wonder why he knew so much about average customer times," I mumbled.
The restaurants at the Luciano hotels were a hell of a lot more extravagant than Michelangelo's. Vincent probably ran some of them too but why had he been dining at Michelangelo's anyway?
Surely he got free meals at his own restaurants.
"It is going to be hard to track him down."
"You want to find him? Why?"
"Well, the thing is..." I pulled out the receipt from that night and handed it to her.
I kept it because I knew Vincent had been way drunk when he wrote it, and it did not feel right just taking the money. It sat in my bank account, untouched. I wanted to return it.
Tamia's jaw dropped as she saw the tip amount.
"Wow, he must have really liked you! What is with the random forty-three cents and that weird note? He wants you to be his girlfriend. You did not mention that you two were flirty-flirty. What exactly happened again? You should definitely call him. And you should get me a job at your work."
I shook my head.
"No way. I could never let someone like you work there. You would be eaten alive."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean that you are too cute for your own good. I would be afraid of you getting harassed and besides, I am returning the money."
She handed me the receipt again.
"Why? That would really help you out, Riley."
"Yeah, but it is not right. He was really drunk."
"So? Drunk and rich. I doubt someone like him would even notice they were missing ten grand. Ah, it is so annoying to even think about. You should just keep it," she advised, poking at the finished braid.
I slapped her hand away.
"Do not touch it. You will mess it up. And I am not keeping it. It feels weird."
Besides, the note had said the tip was an advance.
An advance for what, I did not know, but an advance was something you had to pay back, and I would rather just avoid the whole thing altogether.
Tamia turned to me, her hazel eyes taking on a serious edge.
"All honest heart aside, you should at least keep it for emergency money. What if something happens to you or your brother or your apartment? How much do you have saved up on your own?" She had a valid point there.
Not enough was the answer to that.
And as much as I did want to keep the money for extremities, I could not bring myself to do it. It just did not feel right. Taking money from drunken people was like taking candy from a baby.
"I just cannot keep this money. I would feel gross. I am giving it back."
Resigned, she sighed lightly.
"I know. I would probably do the same in the end. It kind of sucks though. Ten grand to the rich is nothing. Ten grand to us is everything."
"Hey, at least we appreciate each dollar more than them," I responded brightly.
"Mhmm," she responded, trailing off and gazing out the door.
Then her eyes widened, and she turned back to me.
"Oh my god." She pointed toward the door. "It is... Luciano... Look!"
Just then the door jingled, signaling the arrival of a customer, I pivoted to see none other than Vincent Luciano coming through the doors. I felt like I could spot that confident gait and that trussed up hair from a mile away.
I stood rooted to my spot in front of the counter.
What in the world was he doing here?
"Riley," he greeted me, a handsome smile on his face.