The next morning, Nikki woke up still annoyed with Esposito for questioning her judgement. She knew that he meant well, but she didn’t like to be second-guessed about her leadership skills. Fortunately, she would be going shopping in New York that day with Stefania and Gina, so it was a good opportunity to take her mind off things.
Nikki got dressed in a hurry, deciding on a white sweater that fell just above her waist, a pair of tight red slacks with a thick black leather belt strung through the loops and her knee-high black leather boots with a stiletto heel underneath. She put on all of her gold jewelry and headed downstairs to see if the other girls were ready to go.
When she got downstairs, Nikki slung on her leather blazer and full-shield sunglasses before motioning that it was time to leave. Jasmine was waiting by the SUV as they came outside and opened the back door for Nikki to get inside. As soon as the door closed, she had a cigarette in her mouth, awaiting the flame of her lighter.
What was supposed to be a relaxing day was anything but for Nikki, who was on edge throughout. Any time they stepped outside, she had a cigarette in her mouth and as she attempted to deal with the wait for news that Al had finished the job given to her.
Finally, after lunch was finished Nikki stepped outside into the brisk November air, lit a cigarette and called Al on her cellphone to see if she had any news.
“Why the fuck haven’t you been answering my texts?” Nikki demanded when Al picked up the phone.
“Relax,” Al responded on the other end. “I’ve been a little busy.”
“Did you end it?” Nikki asked, ignoring her best friend’s previous comment.
“No,” Al said flatly.
“What the fuck?!” Nikki shouted into the phone. “You told me you wanted to take care of it. What’s the goddamn problem?”
“He hasn’t been alone all day,” Al said simply. “Plus it’s a bit bright outside.”
“You better get the fucking job done,” Nikki snapped before hanging up.
Nikki clearly had no shame in having an argument on the phone on a busy street corner in New York, but when Gina saw that her daughter was upset, she left Stefania with Jasmine and walked outside, butting up her leather coat and lighting a Marlboro Light 100.
“Is everything OK?” Gina asked her daughter as she pulled on her cigarette.
“No,” Nikki barked. “I gave Al one job and it’s not done yet.”
“I think she just wants to be careful, honey,” Gina assured her.
“I think you should mind your own business,” Nikki snapped back as she crushed out her cigarette underneath her boot before lighting another.
“Now, hold on,” Gina said. “Don’t take anything out on me. Al is your best friend, you just trust her.”
“You know what?” Nikki said through an exhale. “I’m tired of people second-guessing me. I run this fucking business and when I give someone a job, it better get done.”
Gina decided it wasn’t a good time to argue with Nikki and she let her continue to rant until they were finished with their cigarettes. It seemed to make the younger of the two Perrillo women feel better when she was finally finished and went back inside.
Nikki tried to get through the rest of the day, but she was still obviously on edge and it was apparent to everyone on a few occasions, including one outburst that could have terrified the devil.
Walking along the sidewalk, a short man in a hurry was talking on his phone when he bumped into Nikki, causing her to drop a shopping bag. She was immediately livid with him. With her high heels, Nikki could look down at him and even without a cigarette in her hand, smoke still likely would have come out of her nose.
Nikki stepped towards the man and with one swift motion, she slapped the phone out of his hand as he apologized profusely.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Nikki barked at him. “How do you just barrel into somebody on the busiest sidewalk in the world?”
“I’m sorry, miss,” The man stammered as the young woman clad in leather seethed in front of him. “I was in a rush.”
“So because you’re in a rush, it makes it OK for you to run me over?” Nikki spat.
The man simply stared at her without a clue as to what he should say. It was apparent his apology wasn’t going to be good enough for her.
“Well?” Nikki continued. “Are you just going to stand there with a stupid look on your face?”
Nikki shoved the man backwards, and at that point, it was time for Jasmine and Gina to pull her away from the situation before it got worse. Nikki was still fuming once she got into the back of the SUV and Jasmine pointed it towards home.
Thankfully for everyone in the car, Nikki received a text message from Al that simply said, “Done.” It immediately put her in a better mood, as if an enormous weight was lifted off her shoulders. Perhaps it was the magnitude of the decision she made or perhaps it was because Esposito questioned her, but Nikki was stressed out by it and now she could finally relax.
When they got home, Jasmine took Gina home and Nikki put her new purchases away. When she came downstairs, Stefania was sitting on the couch. With a freshly lit cigarette in her left hand, Nikki plopped down next to the teenager, who already had an unlit cigarette between her fingers. The elder girl held a lighter to the cigarette for her.
“Why were you so stressed out today?” Stefania asked after an exhale.
“Oh, just some business stuff,” Nikki assured her as she stroked Stefania’s hair gently.
“What do you do for work?” Stefania asked inquisitively.
“You know what I do, goofball,” Nikki laughed. “I own the club.”
“Is that all?” Stefania asked again.
“Of course,” Nikki said. “What’s with all the questions?”
“Some people at school have said stuff about my dad and my mom has said the same things before,” Stefania said.
“Well, don’t listen to what they say,” Nikki said. “Your daddy is a good guy, OK?”
Stefania nodded her head, but her parade of questions wasn’t done yet.
“Why did you get so angry with that man earlier?” Stefania asked. “It was just an accident.”
“I know. Sometimes I just get upset,” Nikki said as she pulled on her cigarette. “Part of why I’m successful is because I’m a strong woman. I don’t let anyone push me around. It’s not always nice, but when you grow up, you’ll understand better.”
Nikki put her cigarette out in the ashtray on the coffee table in front of them, kissed Stefania on the forehead and walked upstairs to go to bed.
When she walked into the bedroom, Esposito was already lying in bed reading a book. As Nikki took off her watch and began to get ready for bed, she looked at Esposito, who was now also looking back.
“It’s done,” She told him.
“I’m sorry I questioned your decision-making,” Esposito said.
“You should probably worry more about your daughter,” Nikki said. “She’s starting to catch on to what the family business is.”
“Oh boy,” Esposito moaned. “What am I going to do?”
“For now?” Nikki said. “Nothing. Until she starts asking specific questions, let it be.”
“You know, you could help me out by not being so confrontational in front of her,” Esposito said. “She adores you.”
“I’m teaching her how to be tough. I won’t apologize for that,” Nikki said as she slipped into a tank top and climbed into bed. “She’ll be stronger because of it. Just relax.”
It was ironic that Nikki spent the entire day hearing she needed to relax and it was going to end with her saying the same to someone else.
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The next evening, Nikki and Esposito had to attend Stefania’s school chorus concert, the first school event Nikki would see since her future step-daughter moved in with her father. It was also the first time she would go to a school-related activity since she graduated from high school. When she graduated, Nikki couldn’t have gotten done soon enough, but now she was excited to watch Stefania perform.
Nikki donned a dressy red top that fell just below her navel, along with a pair of tight black leather leggings and a thick black leather belt with rhinestones and a western buckle that hung loosely around her hips since there were no belt loops in her pants. She put on her knee-high black leather boots with a stiletto heel over her leggings and headed to the bathroom to finish her hair and makeup. When she was finally done putting her curly brown hair in a ponytail and a poof in the front, Nikki lit a cigarette and checked the large gold Rolex that slides freely on her wrist and walked down the hall to check on Stefania.
When Nikki entered Stefania’s room, she found the teenager staring blankly into her closet, not even close to being ready.
“Stef, you better hurry up or you’re going to be late,” Nikki said as she sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I don’t know what to wear,” Stefania moaned.
“What do you mean?” Nikki asked. “You have to wear black pants and a white shirt.”
Nikki got off the bed, walked over to the closet, put her cigarette in her mouth and pulled out a white blouse and a pair of black slacks. She also found a pair of black leather ankle boots with a stiletto heel and handed them to the 13-year-old.
“Here,” Nikki said as her cigarette bounced between her lips. “Problem solved.”
Stefania simply rolled her eyes and plopped onto the bed.
“What’s wrong, babe?” Nikki asked through an exhale.
“I’m just nervous,” Stefania said quietly as she reached for a cigarette of her own and lit up.
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Nikki soothed. “You’re gonna be great.”
“I hope so,” Stefania responded after exhaling a long stream of smoke.
“Is there something else that’s bothering you?” Nikki asked.
“No,” Stefania said flatly.
“Well, I don’t quite believe you,” Nikki said as she eyed the budding young woman. “But you have to get dressed.”
Nikki stubbed out her spent cigarette in Stefania’s ashtray before patting her on the head and walking downstairs. Esposito was sitting at the kitchen counter when Nikki came downstairs and he was nearly floored by her outfit. They were engaged, but Esposito could never get over how beautiful the 19-year-old was.
“You look gorgeous,” Esposito commented.
“Thanks, babe,” Nikki smiled as she dumped her wallet, phone and cigarettes into her black leather designer purse on the counter.
“It never ceases to amaze me how good you look,” Esposito said.
“Well, if you’re lucky I’ll let you see what’s underneath later,” Nikki said with a wickedly seductive smile and added in a wink.”
“Oh, I can’t wait,” Esposito said as he walked up behind Nikki and put his arms around her.
“Well, you’re going to have to,” Nikki said as she turned around to face him and playfully poked him in the chest with her finger.
Esposito let out a sigh and gave her a kiss.
“By the way, Ange, your daughter is upset about something,” Nikki said, patting him on the chest.
“What?” Esposito asked.
“I don’t know,” Nikki responded simply. “She said she was nervous about tonight, but there’s something else.”
“I wonder what it could be,” Esposito pondered aloud.
“Whatever it is, leave it alone until after the concert,” Nikki called as she grabbed coats for herself and Stefania from the closet in the adjacent hallway.
Nikki came back into the kitchen and put on her leather dress coat that fell down to the middle of her thighs and checked her Rolex again before calling to Stefania that it was time to go. The teenager walked slowly down the stairs and Nikki handed over her black leather motorcycle jacket.
“You look beautiful,” Nikki assured Stefania and ushered her out the door with a pat on the butt.
Once they were in the car, Nikki cracked the passenger window and lit a cigarette, turning back towards Stefania, who was doing the same in the backseat of the large Mercedes-Benz SUV.
“I’m really excited to watch you tonight, Stef,” Nikki said, trying to cheer her up. She quickly realized that it was going to be a futile effort and decided to leave Stefania alone for the rest of the drive.
When they arrived at the luxurious private school, Stefania spritzed herself with perfume and hopped out as Nikki and Esposito wished her luck. Nikki lit one last cigarette as Esposito searched for a spot in the snow-covered parking lot.
“You know, we have some time,” Esposito said coyly to Nikki.
“You’re right and I’m going to use it to have a smoke,” Nikki laughed. “I don’t need to be a bitch in front of all these kids halfway through the concert. Plus, I didn’t do my hair just for you to mess it up in the backseat of a school parking lot.”
Once finished with her cigarette, Nikki flicked it out the window and rolled it up before the couple headed inside. Not only did they get stares due to their age differential, but also the leather-clad young woman got some looks thanks to her outfit.
Despite the drama, Nikki thoroughly enjoyed watching Stefania sing. It was as if she was watching her very own daughter. It was feeling Nikki never thought she would experience, given she was never thrilled with the idea of having children some day.
When the concert was over, Nikki and Esposito waited for Stefania in the lobby and when she finally emerged, Nikki was beaming from ear to ear.
“Stef!” Nikki squealed. “You were awesome!”
“You were great, pumpkin,” Esposito smiled as he gave his daughter a hug.
It was obvious that something was wrong, as Stefania had a look of disappointment on her face.
“Thanks,” She responded. “Can we go, Nikki? I need to smoke.”
“Of course, babe,” Nikki told her, still brimming with pride. “Let’s go.”
Nikki put her arm around Stefania and led her out the doors and into the parking lot. Once they were a safe distance away from the doors, Nikki pulled out a cigarette and lit up before extending the lighter to Stefania’s waiting cigarette. She then put her arm around the girl again as they walked to the car, smoking trailing behind them. Surely there were some more disapproving glances when parents saw Nikki light Stefania’s cigarette so boldly in public, but the former didn’t care.
The ride home was relatively quiet and Nikki was aware something was up with the younger girl. Esposito wanted to ask, but Nikki motioned for him to remain quiet on the issue. Once they were home, Stefania immediately went up to her room. Esposito went to his office, while Nikki putzed around the kitchen for a bit before heading upstairs.
Before heading to bed, Nikki knocked on Stefania’s door and entered to find her lying in bed, watching television. She walked over and laid down next to her.
“So, do you want to tell me what’s up?” Nikki asked Stefania.
“Not really,” Stefania muttered.
“Why not?” Nikki asked again.
“You wouldn’t understand,” Stefania said.
“Try me,” Nikki responded.
After a bit of hesitation, Stefania finally opened up. “There’s this boy that I like, but he won’t go out with me unless I quit smoking.”
Nikki smiled. “I’ve been there.”
“Really?” Stefania asked. “What should I do?”
“Do what makes you happiest,” Nikki said. “I was a little older than you and I had only been smoking for a little bit. There was a guy that I liked and he said he liked me, but he didn’t like that I smoked. I picked smoking.”
“Why?” Stefania pressed.
“Because I enjoy smoking and I decided right then that I wouldn’t let anyone try to change me,” Nikki said. “If a guy really likes you, then he’s going to accept everything about you, even your flaws. You can’t let anyone make you feel like you aren’t good enough. You’re growing up to be a strong young woman and you can’t ever let that change.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Stefania said quietly.
“You don’t want to stop smoking, do you?” Nikki asked.
“Not really. How did you know?” Stefania asked.
“Because you wouldn’t be so grumpy,” Nikki laughed.
“That’s true,” Stefania said as a smile finally broke across her face. “Thanks for talking with me.”
“Anytime, babe,” Nikki said. “You can always come to me or your dad. I know he’d like you to quit smoking, but I don’t think he’d be happy if you did it for a guy.”
“Daddy doesn’t mind that you smoke, though,” Stefania said.
“Daddy doesn’t have a choice in that matter,” Nikki laughed as she kissed Stefania on the forehead and got up. “OK, I’m going to bed. Don’t stay up too late.”
Nikki walked down the hallway, relieved that she could squash Stefania’s disappointment. It also brought back some memories from her experience with Jeff years before. When she entered the bedroom, Esposito was also in bed watching TV.
“You’re just like your daughter,” Nikki smiled when she saw him.
“Is she still upset?” Esposito asked.
“No, we had a talk,” Nikki said as she sat down on the edge of the bed and unzipped her boots. “It was a boy she likes. He wanted her to quit smoking.”
“What did she decide?” Esposito asked. “I’m not sure I’m a fan of either scenario.”
“Well, when it happened to me, I didn’t pick the boy,” Nikki responded. “I doubt she will either.”
“You’re so good with her,” Esposito whispered as he crawled over and began to massage Nikki’s tattooed shoulders. “We’re both lucky to have you.”
“I know. Don’t you forget it, honey,” Nikki smiled. “Now that that crisis is over, I can be a little bad with you.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Esposito moaned excitedly as he began to undress his gorgeous girlfriend.
After a passionate session between the sheets, Nikki sat up in bed, propped against her pillows with a freshly lit cigarette in her left hand. Her arm was cocked at a 90-degree angle as her Rolex slid down her wrist, despite being completely naked otherwise.
She took a drag on her cigarette as she looked over at her future husband sleeping. Nikki was content with her life. For once, there was no stress. Although that’s always subject to change.
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Nikki should turn Stef onto one of her dad's cigars to toughen Stef up even more!
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