Chapter 41 RóISE

Tuesday

"Just to be clear, Dean Howell, you are saying it's okay for me to attend classes tomorrow?" I ask after his stammering apology over the phone.

"Yes! Yes. Definitely."

Okay, that's definite .

"What changed your mind?" I ask suspiciously.

"I didn't change my mind." Gaslighting, it's not just for politicians anymore. "I wanted to ensure your safety on campus."

Yeah, so not what he said yesterday. "And now you're sure I'm safe?"

"Yes, of course."

"What exactly is going to ensure it?" I push, not ready to let it go.

"Well...um...your security detail..."

"Has been with me for weeks."

"And well, your professors have been encouraged to curtail any gossip about you during class."

Huh. This has my almost fiancé's bloody thumbprint all over it.

Does he think getting me back into school for the last week of classes makes up for losing my senior year and my degree?

Not that we talked about that last night. But there's no way I'm attending classes in person as an underboss's wife. Catalina takes online classes, but I don't know how I can do my senior year that way.

I barely got any sleep last night, trying to figure out a way and I still don't have any answers .

But if Miceli donated a single penny to the school to make this phone call happen, I'm going to empty Pusheen's litter box onto the driver's seat of his McLaren Speedtail.

"Thanks for letting me know, Dean Howell."

"So, you'll be back tomorrow?"

This sounds more like threats than bribery, but even Miceli isn't going to threaten the dean with physical violence.

Is he?

"I'll be there." This might be my last week at college.

If it is, I'm going to make sure I get every minute out of it.

Wednesday

"Okay, spill. You grew up in the mob?" Carrie drops her plate with a BLT and fries onto the table and sits down in the booth across from me. "I thought you might be secret royalty, but the mob?"

"I can neither confirm or deny." Taking a bite of nachos, I watch for the others.

Traci is on her way over with her favorite Mediterranean salad, but Aleks is in line for a protein smoothie and Goodwin is waiting for her plate of Kung Pao Chicken.

"Come on." Carrie makes a gimme gesture with her hand. "Tell me something."

"In some circles, I'm considered a princess if that makes you feel better." I scarf down another chip loaded with cheese, taco meat and a slice of jalapeno.

Carrie's eyes round. "You mean mob princess is really a thing?"

"I'm not saying I have any syndicate connections, but it's a thing."

"Oh, girl. What the actual fuck?" Traci slides into the booth next to Carrie, stealing a fry from her plate. "Where were you yesterday?"

Carrie returns the favor, grabbing a cucumber slice from Traci's bowl.

"In light of the rumors circulating about me the dean thought I should stay home for a day." I'd thought indefinitely, but he'd personally called me late yesterday afternoon to apologize for the supposed misunderstanding.

"That douche-canoe!" Traci points her fork in the general direction of the administrative building.

Carrie's blonde head leans forward and she whispers, "Did your uncle threaten him?"

I roll my eyes. "Not likely. You know I wouldn't even be here if my dad hadn't set the tuition money aside for me."

Uncle Brogan has never attended a single one of my performances and my friends know it.

"What did I miss?" Aleks slides into the booth beside me .

He's been buffing up and I have to scoot over so as not to get squished by his broad shoulders.

"Nothing," I mutter.

"Our girl is a mob princess. She's connected." Carrie makes air-quotes when she says connected .

Goodwin puts her plate down before dragging a chair from a nearby table and positioning it at the end of the table. "Connected to what?"

"I never said that," I protest.

Traci wiggles her eyebrows. "The mob."

"Oh, that." Goodwin shrugs. "That's not new, right?"

I nearly spit out my bite of nachos. "What do you mean? You knew?"

"Well, sure. I mean, it makes sense you use a different last name here, but we've all met your cousins and grandmother. Maeve Shaughnessy was married to the mob boss back in the day."

Tracy picks the perfect bite of her salad, balancing lettuce, feta, a single olive slice and a bit of cucumber on her fork. "How do you know all this?"

"My dad got his start with backing from Fergal Shaughnessy."

Goodwin is a legacy. Her dad's famous for his smooth baritone and has two platinum albums. Her great-aunt made it big in British theater. Goodwin is a good singer too, but she prefers stage direction.

"Just because my grandfather bankrolled your dad starting his career doesn't make him a mobster."

"You said you could neither confirm, nor deny," Carrie says.

Traci's dark red faux-hawk bobs in vehement agreement. "That's practically an admission."

"Correct." Aleks sucks at the straw in his protein shake. "Your family convinced the college administration to let you come back?"

"Hey...you know about the dean suspending her? Why didn't you tell us?" Traci demands.

Goodwin stirs rice into her Kung Pao Chicken. "Of course he knew, his boyfriend has work study in the dean's office."

"Why didn't you say?" Carrie asks.

Aleks pushes his empty smoothie cup away. "I was going to tell you in Script Analysis, but she was back."

"Fair," Traci says.

Goodwin bumps Aleks's shoulder. "You're forgiven, but I'm not sure what for."

Carrie laughs and then explains.

Goodwin shakes her head. "What a tool. "

I'm not sure if she's talking about Boaz or the dean.

"I think we should put a steaming pile of dog shit in the dean's car, though." Traci munches another one of Carrie's fries.

It's so close to my plan for Miceli if he paid off the college to let me return, I raise my fist for a bump. "Great minds."

"Right on," Traci bumps my fist.

"The fuck was he thinking?" Aleks demands.

Carrie's face forms a rare frown. "Can you believe Boaz?"

"You should get one of your uncle's friends to give him a beat down," Goodwin mumbles around a bite of Chinese food.

"Unnecessary," Aleks says complacently.

Alarmed, I ask, "What did you do?"

"Yeah, what did you do, Aleks ?" Traci asks with relish.

Aleks shrugs. "He'll think twice about messing with one of us. That's all I'm saying."

"He's in my Stage Management and Direction class. Which he sucks at." Goodwin looks around the table, like she can't find something and I put the extra bottle of water I bought in front of her.

She smiles. "Thanks. Anyway, Boaz left in the middle of class, moaning and clutching his stomach. I thought he ate something bad for breakfast."

"Oh, you put an emetic in his protein smoothie, didn't you?" Traci grins.

Boaz works out at the same time as Aleks on Tuesday and Thursdays. He's always trying to beat Aleks's reps, but yeah, good luck with that. Aleks is a beast.

"He made Rosy miss a day of classes. Only fair he missed one too."

I've got great friends. Knowing they'll do their senior year without me makes me want to cry.

"You guys, promise we'll always be friends , no matter where we end up," I say impulsively.

"Promise, " Traci says.

Aleks nods once . "'Course ."

"You bet." Carrie says.

Goodwin salutes me with her bottle of water. "Always."

Can underboss's wives have friends in the theater?

This one will, I promise myself.