Chapter 23 - Malia (1)

I avoid Giovanni the entire night. He sees me across the room and stares at me with a heated gaze that melts my insides into mush and I look away, pretending he doesn't affect me, which is total bull.

The Manor is packed, everyone celebrating Halloween night, and so  I have every excuse not to be available where he can corner me. I don't know what he wants, and I don't want to know—even though I'm actually dying to know, I don't want to admit that out loud.

While I was busy catering to VIPs before midnight, I made friends with one of the patron's bodyguards. I was standing off to the side near him and he started a conversation. He went to Brooklyn College too, although he's three years my senior and he's on sabbatical, doing security for a rich family for a year now. It was nice talking to someone new. We exchanged numbers and he asked to meet me for lunch when I'm free. I didn't see anything wrong with it. He seemed cool, so I agreed.