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Putting Down New Roots Started by: Sofia_Viacelli on Oct 26, '16 15:10

A few months away from the city had done Sofia a lot of good; more than she thought.  It had taken a few of her cousins a while to convince her to come back.  Sofia, still young in her early 30s, was beginning to feel time slipping away.  She was the only one left in the family living in America with a college education, and the only one that could run the business end of the winery and vineyards.  She had gotten tired, and it was starting to show.  Reluctantly, she agreed, and spent the summer among the vines and her family.  The time away allowed her to decompress and spend quiet time with her thoughts.  By the time the summer began to cool off, she was ready to return.  Sofia had new goals- for the business and for herself.

She arrived in Detroit to chilly air and bright fall leaves.  Within a few hours of arriving, she rented an upscale, three bedroom apartment and had the movers bring her things from storage.  Sofia considered starting her marketing calls right away, but decided it would be better to wait until things are a bit more settled.  Instead, she decided to have some dinner and see the sights.  She pulled a soft, black wool coat over a calf-length, dark gray skirt suit.  Finally, she pinned up her dark hair with a pearl comb that belonged to her Aunt Regina, and left the apartment.

On recommendation from a cab driver, Sofia chose to have dinner in a quiet, dimly lit restaurant and piano bar.  She was seated at a small table, given a menu, and a wine list.  Naturally, she looked over the wine list, curious as to which wineries she was going to be competing with.  A waiter appeared to take her drink order, to which she asked for a dry martini.  When the drink arrived, she settled back in her seat and listened to the soft tones of the piano and continued to study the wine list.

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Kate Logan glared at the man sitting across the table from her. He was a tall, well built man in his prime with small thin mustache adorning his tight-skinned face. She might have been interested in him, except that Randolph Wyatt was an arrogant asshole.

 

"Look, sweetheart, the Detroit Free Press-"

"I'm not particularly sweet, actually. At least not to you. And as far as you're concerned, I don't have a heart."

"Hey it's a just name. Don't think you're in a position to complain when you're begging me for-"

"I'm not begging, Mr. Wyatt. I simply made a proposal to lease your printing equipment. If that doesn't sound like something you'd be interested in, I'll find another way."

"Miss Logan, if you'll relax, have a drink with me... I'm sure we can work out some kind of arrangement."

Kate seemed to smile- although she appeared more like a predator bearing her teeth than a person sharing a pleasant expression. She seemed slightly underdressed for the restaurant, although the long brown jacket covered up the denim- and the gunbelt at her side. She had, at least, left the hat at home today. Her short blond hair, still slightly damp from her earlier shower, hung above her shoulders. Kate sighed as she thought above having to take another shower later- Wyatt just made her feel greasy. A special talent of his.

"No, Mr. Wyatt. I think we're done here."

Without a further word, she rose from her chair and made her way to the bar. From the corner of her eye, she watched Wyatt storm off. She had some thinking to do. Plans to make. Might as well have a couple drinks and listen to the piano. As the player's fingers began to lightly fall on the ivory keys, Kate pointed to a bottle of whiskey and flashed two fingers. Today? Today required a double.

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Sofia, like any other normal person, couldn't help but let her eyes follow the suited man storm out of the restaurant.  She tracked his path backwards to another table, where sat a pretty, young woman with blonde hair and a rather unique look about her.  A waiter stopped by to ask if Sofia wanted another drink.  She nodded, then added.

"Put the lady's drink on my bill, please."

From across the room, Sofia recognized the look of a business woman fed up with dealing with self-important, chauvinist men.  She had seen it and felt it all too often.  Knowing nothing else about her, Sofia knew she deserved that drink.  She quietly watched the server take the drink and speak to her briefly.

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Kate turned with the drink in her hand, raising her glass and an eyebrow in an inquisitive, thankful toast to whoever had bought it for it. If it was Wyatt, it was going in his face- but, as she scanned the crowd, she made eye contact with her benefactor as the waiter mumbled who it was. Walking over to the table with her whiskey, Kate slid into the seat opposite the woman.

She was pretty, whoever she was. A classic beauty with rippling dark hair that would have made Kate self-conscious a decade before. She was elegantly dressed, a sharp contrast to Kate's practical denim and long jacket. Kate would have to stop coming to places like this, but Wyatt had insisted. Her preferred style didn't exactly fit in here. Although, on second thought, perhaps that's why he'd insisted so strongly on this place.

Perhaps she'd have to change her wardrobe.

With a barely perceptible shudder, Kate made herself comfortable on the chair.

"Name's Kate Logan. I appreciate the drink, Miss...?"

She left the end of her sentence open, fishing for a name.

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Sofia smiled softly and sat back a bit, crossing her legs at the knees comfortably and smoothing her gray pencil skirt over her knees. 

"Sofia, but without the Miss."  

She raised her own martini toward the woman, a gesture of a toast.

"Sofia Viacelli.  I couldn't help but notice that gentleman leave with such bluster.  He seemed like a pezzo di merda, and I thought you could use a smile."

Lifting the glass to her lips, she took a sip.

"Men are a bother, no?"

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Kate chuckled.

"They're good for a couple things, maybe. But it's nice to meet you, Sofia. I appreciate the drink."

"And I think the whole place noticed him leaving. Not that I'm particularly bothered by it. I'm just often frustrated with some of this business crap. Makes my life more complicated."

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs and smiling.

"So what do you do, Sofia, when you're not buying women drinks?

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Nodding as she listened, Sofia silently thanked herself for taking those few months away- to relax and steel herself for the inevitability of the same kind of business exchanges.

"My family owns a winery and vineyards in Catania, Sicily.  Technically, I'm the owner, but my principle duties are marketing and franchising."

She takes another sip of her martini.

"I actually just came back from a few months in Sicily, seeing to some things there and preparing to begin finding new distributors in Detroit.  So, I'm new to the city and thought I'd start with a nice dinner on the town."

Cooly, she added

"Buying a lady a drink was an unexpected bonus."

Sofia noted the woman's unique dress.

"Tell me, Kate, are you from Detroit yourself?"

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Kate raised her glass in a mock toast.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Sofia, but "marketing and franchising" sounds kind of boring. Do you like it? I mean, I like drinking wine as much as the next gal...

Quietly, Kate considered the benefits of knowing someone who regularly shipped things into the country. In her other line of work, knowing someone like that could come in quite handy. Something to keep in mind for later. "Hey, how do you feel about smuggling cocaine?" wasn't really something you dropped on someone in the first few moments of meeting them. Actually, she'd done it before... but that was a more extreme situation.

"Hope you enjoyed your time over there- never been out of the country, myself. As you, uh, probably guessed... Kate felt the other woman's eyes appraise her attire and smiled... I'm not from the city. I grew up in Texas and bounced around for a couple years. I've worked some odd jobs in the last few years, but now that I'm in business- that guy from earlier was someone I thought I had a deal with- well, maybe I'll have to update my wardrobe. But we'll see."

Kate smirked.

"I can be pretty stubborn."

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Sofia smirked, shaking her head.

"Nonsense, I happen to think you look lovely.  You are woman who hasn't forgotten where she comes from- that is something I admire.  You and I are the same in that respect."

She finished the martini and set the glass to the side.

"I was born and raised in Sicily- a simple, barefoot girl among the grapes.  Since then, I've very nearly traveled the world and helped my family legacy profit very richly.  In all that time, the only thing that changed about me was my age.  I try very hard to remember exactly who I am and where I came from.  It is a point of pride that no one in this "man's world" can take away from us."

Sofia paused, chuckling slightly.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to get onto a tirade.  Let's just say you...inspired me."

Noticing the menu beside her and remembering that she'd not ordered yet, she glances back to Kate.

"Would you like some dinner?  It's been too long since I've had a woman to talk with."

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Kate grinned as she raised her hand to order another whiskey.

"If that was a tirade, you're much, much more polite than I am, Sofia. Much more well traveled, too. I wouldn't want to get into any details, but perhaps I could pick your brain on a couple topics related to business later in the evening. I've always been... more direct. Sometimes too forceful. Picking up the nuances of business has been... let's say an adventure.

And I'd be happy to have dinner with you. Do they not have women in Sicily?"

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With a chuckle, Sofia glanced down at the menu, then back up at Kate.

"None that would have anything to do with me.  You see, where the United States has lots of industry and progress, Sicily is still a very primitive place.  The men work, and the women tend to domestic matters.  Outside my own home village, girls still go to the river to carry water home."

She looked off for a moment, quaintly smiling at the memory of the place.

"I am a strange person to most of them- they don't know what to do with me.  Fortunately, for me, I seem to have found the company of a business woman like myself.  May I ask what business you are in, Kate?"

She had already decided on her meal, so she handed Kate the menu.

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Kate leaned forward with one elbow resting easily on the table; her other hand rested on her knee.

"Oh... all sorts of things. I- well, probably the most appropriate one to discuss with you would be the newspaper. That's what I was arguing with my  previous dinner partner about. He was fine renting me some equipment when he thought I was a charity case, but now that I'm at least somewhat successful he won't play ball. This particular publication serves a... special audience. It's kind of a long story."

Kate glanced down at the menu and sighed, closing it quickly.

"And hey, I'm feeling adventurous. Why don't you pick me out a winner for dinner?"

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Sofia was about to respond when the waiter arrived.  She gave him a genuine smile and sat up.

"Ms. Logan will be joining me for dinner.  We'll begin with the caprese, then the prime rib with lemon-garlic shrimp."

The waiter nodded and took Sofia's empty martini glass.  She watched him retreat until he was a safe distance away, then refocused on Kate.  Sofia had learned the underground business by the time she was 13, so it was clear that there was more to Kate than simply a news writer.  She grinned slyly and lowered her voice.

"That sounds very interesting- I'm sure your with your intelligence and wit, the paper has a fascinating...cover story."

She winks and watches Kate's reaction carefully.  Sofia was rarely wrong- her instincts had been finely tuned over the years.

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"Well, a good cover story is so important. It's actually a fine line to walk. Most people want to see a cover story that makes them feel safe... normal. Maybe something a little out of the ordinary- but nothing that would grab the attention of the authorities who had a nice, respectable headline. But the interior of the paper? That's where it gets interesting, in my opinion. That's where there are so many stories about criminals, gambling, sex, drugs, and violence. But you can't put too much of that on the cover or it'd just cause issues."

A wolfish grin spread across Kate's face that she didn't bother trying to conceal, and she raised her whiskey in a mock toast before drinking.

"If you know what I mean."

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Sofia was more than impressed with the way that Kate so cleverly wove her answer- confirming her assumption without actually doing so. In the moment of knowing silence between them, the waiter returned with a fresh martini for Sofia.  She waited until the waiter was away again, then lifted her glass, as if to answer Kate's.

"A questa cosa nostra."  

She took a shallow sip of her drink then sat it down, resolving to make this one last a good bit longer.  No reason to loosen inhibitions.  This night was going far better than she had imagined.

"My family business, however lucrative and very well-known, has a side that is...well...less well known.  My affairs outside of the business are very flexible.  I have numerous contacts and affiliations- and I like to be of service where it can be mutually beneficial." 

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Kate smiled to Sofia over her glass as she drank, listening to the woman speak before Kate replied in a shocked murmur that didn't reach beyond their table.

"Well, I never would have guessed that the proper looking Sofia would walk on the wild side. Perhaps we could come to an arrangement? Particularly considering that I dislike many of the... intricacies of the business world. My talents lie in other areas."

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"Oh, with no doubt, I believe you and I could work very well together."

Sofia knew she liked Kate from the instant they started speaking.  She couldn't help but chuckle to herself, thinking how much Regina would have liked her.  She stayed quiet for a moment, as she recalled earlier in the day when she'd passed by a mirror and could have sworn she saw Regina looking back at her.  Sofia had scowled, shaking her head; "no, I'm not that old yet."  But, in many ways, she was very much her Aunt Regina made over.  Only, Sofia planned to have many more years to go.

A server appeared and sat a rather attractive looking plate before them both.  There was a slice of perfectly cooked prime rib, four good-sized grilled shrimp, and a piped rosette of garlic mashed potatoes.  He offered them freshly cracked pepper, asked if any more drinks were required, then disappeared.  Sofia inhaled the scent of the succulent meal- she really was famished.  Taking a fork and knife, she began to cut into the meat.

"I'd like to know more about the equipment you are looking to purchase; if I may."

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Kate moved her chair closer to the table and tucked in. For the first time all evening, she reached for her water. After a few bites, she came up for air.

"Sorry- I've been pretty busy the last couple days. You know when you just have so much going on you forget to eat? I think I had a hot dog last night and today..."

As she trailed off, she simply returned to her food for another couple bits.

"Anyways, the equipment. It's printing stuff for the newspaper. Not exactly the sort of thing lying around that I could slip into my pocket. And "purchase"? I suppose we'll see."

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Sofia slowly chewed her food, enjoying each flavor as they danced across her tongue.  Her own diet had been sparse, at best, lately.  This was a nice meal, but the company was far better.

"Pocket, no; but such things can be...carefully acquired."

This was not the place to discuss such business.  Like Regina would say- even the walls have ears.  Sofia took a bite of the potatoes, then another drink of the martini, then put her fork down.

"We should discuss these sorts of things in a better environment- I would like to.  For now, though, I would like to know about Texas.  I've never been there."

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Kate, after tearing into dinner in a truly predatory fashion, popped the last of the shrimp into her mouth and leaned back as she pondered.

"Well, I can't really tell you about all of Texas. The biggest thing about Texas is that Texas is the biggest thing, if that makes sense. Look at Italy, for example. How many Italys could fit inside of Texas? Two or three, I'd say. It's just fucking huge."

A woman at the next table glanced over at the expletive and Kate winked at her, raising her whiskey to her lips.

"But I can tell you about my part of Texas, which was a tiny ranch in the ass end of nowhere. Lots of sand and dirt. Lots of heat. Don't get me wrong; it's not the Arabian desert or whatever. But all the plants do look kind of roasted, at least where I was from. I feel like a village in Texas is pretty much the same as a village anywhere, you know? Poor people just trying to scrape out a living. But it's got more than that, too. Cities- I went to Dallas a couple times."

She shrugs.

"It was a nice enough place to spend the first fifteen years of my life, I suppose. Then a shitty place for the next five, although Texas had a lot less to do with that than some other factors in my life."

She drank, thinking of her father. 

"Tell me about Sicily. You do lots of wandering in fancy vineyards, stepping on grapes in your bare feet?"

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