Signora Alessi

A café on Via Roma, mid-summer afternoon. Pristine black table legs peeking out from underneath a smooth white table cloth. A single untouched cup of coffee and a single slice of chocolate cake atop a black plate.

"Ah, well good afternoon, Signora."

A light chuckle from lips painted scarlet as the sunset as a gloved hand settled the fork back onto its napkin.

"Back again, Signore Russo? That's just about every day this week, isn't it?"

"Tesorina, you make it seem as if I have been here for days. It is only Tuesday! May I join you?"

A delicate yawn covered by less delicate hands. Odd for a woman of such a social class and appearance, but enchanting to him nonetheless.

"I suppose so. The cakes here are perfetto!"

She had called over a waiter and asked another slice of cake be brought out. Before the waiter had ducked away, he stumbled out a request for a cup of black coffee, where as his partner's cup had some amount of cream in it.

"So, I do not suppose you just happened to be in this section of the town once again, Signore? Do you work around here? Surely there are closer cafes to your usual spots?"

He had chuckled, taking a sip of his freshly-placed coffee and frowning. The waiter had accidentally added sugar. With a sigh, he continued drinking on, not willing to make a fuss over such a trivial matter. The coffee had not tasted bad, a tad sweet, but not worth the trouble.

"Why do you assume such things about me? I am not in some wrong part of town, although if I may, you seem to be. I thought Alessi Manor was on the upper side of the city. You are a bit of a way from your territory, are you not?"

Isabella Alessi had glanced the man up and down with fiery eyes, as if challenging him to continue on in his own assumptions while ignoring hers. Finally, the corners of her lips brushed her cheek in a satisfied grin. He had gotten into her good graces, now he just had to turn up the charm.

"So, what is a bell'angelo like yourself doing in such a busy part of town? You must have grown bored with the peace and quiet of the Marina. Come to give the rest of Pietrasanta a taste?"

"If you absolutely must know, Signore Russo-"

A single shot, red mixed with brown frosting, and silence before an eruption of screams.

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Flowers to match the lipstick she wore that day. A single casket, white as the tablecloth. The sun glittered across the nearby lake in the same way it had danced across her kind blue eyes. And in a single moment, a chorus of weeping erupted the same as the screaming.

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"Signore...? Signore Russo?"

Her laughter leaped through the air in bounds, eyes crinkling from the smile taking up her face. She laughed so hard that no gloved hand could cover it this time, and only when the laughter died down did she take another sip of her coffee.

"Signore Russo!"

"What?!" the man shouted, surprising a few of the surrounding patrons before they took a look in their direction and, upon seeing who had made the sound, turned away with pity in their eyes. Pity that only made him scowl in their direction before his eyes fixated themselves on the empty seat across from him.

"Signore, I...I asked if you were ready to order?" the waiter asked gently with a sorrowful smile.

The man did not move his eyes from the chair, scowl turning into a mournful frown.

"A coffee with cream...and a single slice of chocolate cake, per favore."