Valerie slaved over a hot stove for at least twelve hours and if another timer went off she swore she'd lose it.

And one rang.

Shoot me.

Reluctantly pulling herself from the couch where her favorite Lifetime movie was playing, she headed towards the oven. It was one of those crazy surrogate mother films where the surrogate ends up falling in love with the husband of the couple she's carrying for. Valerie absolutely loved the fight scenes even though they were completely unrealistic.

Why do all the wives never know how to fight? Like if you're running at me with a baseball, knife, and or trying to strangle me with an extension cord you're getting beat the fuck up.

Yeah, she definitely was one of those people who talked to the television as the movie was playing.

Sue her.

When she walked into the kitchen the smell of cinnamon and warm peaches wafted into my nostrils and Valerie was reminded again why she loved Thanksgiving. Grabbing her pink and green themed oven mitts her eyes were graced with the sight of crust browned to the upmost perfection.

Dragging the tin foil pan out from the oven, Valerie heard footsteps behind her. She glanced behind her to see that Nicki had materialized in her robe, practically swaying.

"Can I be the taste tester for your famous peach cobbler? Oh please please please?"

Nodding her head with excitement and placing the heavy tin on the counter, Valerie carefully cut out a small square of cobbler out and placed it on Nicki's waiting styrofoam plate. The gooey peaches spilling from the secret recipe pie crust was enough to make anyone orgasm on the spot just from the taste.

It was just that good.

Nicki was practically salivating onto her plate by the time she was passed a plastic fork. She dug right in, the the juice from the peaches covering her mouth in a thick gloss. Sighing contently, she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and looked at Valerie with her slightly hooded eyes. "Val, this shit is absolutely amazing. Remind me why you haven't auditioned for that Chopped show we always watch together?"

Valerie shrugged, blushing as she placed some aluminum foil on the cobbler and set it on the kitchen table so it wouldn't be forgotten when it was time to go. Every year Valerie had nearly ten pound bags of food that she lugged onto the bus with her because she had no car and no one in my family was gracious enough offer their services to get to the house they all ate at.

Tragic. I know.

But this year, Luca was coming, and it hadn't slipped her mind since the arrangement had first been made.

What the hell was I thinking?

She just felt bad for him for a second. Even though she loathed her family mostly, everyone deserved to be with someone on the holidays. Nicki was the only one she gave a pass to be alone on holidays because she had enough familial PTSD to never want to be around people ever again. However, her family was one that you just couldn't bring company around. They were crazy.

Yet here she was... bringing company around.

Glancing at the clock, she was she was running awfully late.

He'll be here in an hour! I don't even have a number to stop him from coming to get me!

Springing into action, undressing as she went. Valerie's apron was a distant memory on the kitchen floor in two seconds before she hopped into the shower scrubbing the flour, chicken grease, and chicken broth anywhere from my body.

Clothing herself in a bright pink robe, Valerie brought out her worst enemies; devil and his minions. Her blow dryer, flat iron, and stiff bristled brush. After vowing to love her hair, Valerie hadn't straightened her hair in years and the natural curl pattern had literally just recovered from years of perming when she was little, but today was a special occasion. She wanted to feel different for a change.

There was nothing wrong with that!

She was about to straighten this curly mane. By any means necessary.

Valerie screamed.

She groaned.

She cried.

In the end though, the land of straight hair welcomed her and hair fell down her back like a waterfall of ink. Although her scalp had it's own heartbeat, damn she looked good.

If she did say herself.

Just because it was Thanksgiving, and of course nothing to do with Luca coming at all...

Not.

Valerie also decided to put make up on, which was so ultra rare, she believed she hadn't done it since her senior prom. Four years ago.

Finishing off her face with brown lip liner and signature pink gloss, she walked into the living room to show Nicki how she looked. Too engrossed in a movie to notice Valerie's presence initially, Valerie gave a loud nasty sounding theatrical cough.

When Nicki looked over, her jaw dropped and she immediately starting squealing.

She darted over to Valerie's place in and ran her fingers through her now silky hair, still excitedly squealing.

"She's a girl! Oh my gosh! You've gotta be getting some good dick tonight or something!" Nicki gushed, hugging her friend. Valerie's heart was swelling with pride, if Nicki was proud, she looked about a thousand times better than her self confidence was allowing her to feel.

It felt great.

"You really think I look good?" Valerie asked in a hushed tone as the girls hugged in the middle of their living room. She felt Nicki nodding into her shoulder.

"Valerie, you look absolutely hot. Susan won't be able to say shit about how drab she thinks you look tonight, boo." This made her smile. Knowing that she'd give her sister a run for her money brought an even bigger smile to her heart.

Practically floating into her room after that confidence boost, she chose to wear a  deep plum sweater dress that went slightly above the knee, and paired it with brown fringe boots.

When she checked her phone it was five minutes until Luca said he'd be arriving. For some reason she was giddy. Like she wanted to see Luca.

When she definitely didn't.

Or so she was willing herself into thinking.

As Valerie gave a last minute check over her food pans and other dishes, she found herself silently counting down the time until Luca said he'd be arriving. It scared her shitless.

Minutes later a sharp knock came from the apartment's front door and Valerie practically sprinted there. Her heart dropped a little when it wasn't Luca's brooding personality taking space in her door frame, but a smaller man with salt and pepper hair and in a dapper looking tuxedo.

"I am Brian O'Neil. Mr. Giovanni's head of security and personal chauffeur. I have come to collect you."

Nodding at his introduction, Valerie looked at the pans of food waiting on the counter. She didn't want to hold up the ride making two trips bringing everything down.

"Hey Brian, um would you mind helping me carry some food out to the car? Is that out of your job description?" She sheepishly asked, totally ready to be denied.

Brian looked taken aback by her shy demeanor, but then pulled out a grin of his own. "Of course, Miss Stevens. Lead the way."

Nicki watched with curiosity as the two loaded up their arms with food.

"Bye baby! Have fun!" She singsonged to Valerie as Brian closed the door behind them once they got everything.

Brian led her out of her building to a waiting black BMW, the windows were darkly tinted so you couldn't see who was inside. Brian opened her door before proceeding to put her food in the trunk of the car.

Valerie found herself nervously shivering as she got comfortable in the car, the dim lighting inside the car taking a bit of getting used to as she clicked her seatbelt on. That's when she finally noticed she wasn't alone in the car at all. Luca was next to her, drinking in her appearance like she was a glass of water and they were in the middle of the desert.

Today though, it was definitely warranted. She glanced down at her freshly shaved and shining legs and mentally patted herself on the back.

If she was Luca, she would have to stare for a minute too.

However Luca's stares were a force to be reckoned with. It was amazing how quickly the cool car had heated up between the two of them because Valerie swore she could feel her cheeks begin to flame, just as his gaze heated up as well.

It was her turn to drink him in, and never did he disappoint. As always his hair was gelled back, his signature side park always making her feel like swooning, but today he didn't have on a suit. Valerie slowly appraised him as he did he in all his dark washed jean glory and ironically, he had on a deep plum button up. She sighed in her head, they were one of those couples.

They were not even a couple!

Thanksgiving was already getting to her and she wasn't even at the main event.

Shaking off the nerves of it all, she realized she was still staring at Luca. Valerie tried to give him her best smile.

"Happy Thanks-"

"Your dress is too short."

At this rate, Valerie was gonna roll out of the car before she even got to Susan and the rest of the terrorists in her family.

Valerie glances at her lap again, offended he'd even say such a thing. Out of spite, she resisted the urge to squirm and try to pull the fabric down, like a chastised school girl. "Then don't fucking look." She spat, her feathers ruffled already. Smoothing her hair back she tried to look out the window and ignore him as Brian pulled off from the curb.

Luca's dark chuckle filled the cab of the car. "I'm not complaining, sweet." He admits, Valerie hears his clothes shuffling a bit. She prays he isn't getting closer.

When she looks back she sees he's just slouched a bit, scrolling through a document on his phone.

"Then why say anything? I swear you just like to pick at me. I can be a real sweetheart, ya know?" She rages a bit, annoyed that she found herself always having to take an attitude or defense with him. Luca glances at her, taking his focus from his screen and takes her hand.

She didn't realize she was fidgeting with her nails until he did so. He intertwined their fingers and began to rub circles on her knuckles with his thumb. What surprised her was that his hands were a bit rough, calloused. Like he'd done hard laborious yard work or something at one time in his life, it intrigued her seeing that for as long as she's known of them the Giovanni's had been rich.

"Valerie, you're nothing I can't handle. I do like fucking with you, but let's just keep that between us, yeah?" He reveals as he absently still scrolls through his phone.

Her jaw drops.

Hearing him curse firstly, made her want to drop her draws immediately. Secondly...

He does this shit on purpose?!