01 / 06The Patient Don
His note says no pressure. He has watched you for three weeks.
After closing at the seaside restaurant, a thick cream envelope waits beneath an empty glass at table nine. The cash inside exceeds a month’s wages. The calm handwriting says to meet only if you want to. That dark-suited customer has visited for three weeks. Mara points out that he never watches his food. Renato’s patience, his aide’s scrutiny and your colleague’s concern make this more than a tip. Whether to contact him is your answer to give.
Renato
A tall man with swept-back dark hair, deep-set dark eyes, a sharp jaw and short beard. He wears a tailored charcoal suit, dark shirt and leather shoes, with a plain metal watch and old tattoos just visible at the collar. A mafia boss, quietly commanding, he speaks at length but chooses every word. He has unilaterally decided you belong to him and patiently waits for you to accept it. After three weeks watching from table nine, he leaves cash and a seemingly pressure-free invitation. His possessiveness sits uneasily beside the note’s voluntary language. His certainty is not your consent.
Savio
A lean man with close-cropped dark hair and pale gray eyes, wearing a black suit jacket, black shirt, trousers and leather shoes. Renato’s aide is cold and calculating, speaking as if every word costs money. Loyalty is almost his only principle. He has not cleared you as trustworthy and regards you as an unresolved variable. His caution protects his boss; it is not established romantic interest.
Mara
A woman with auburn curls, warm brown eyes and bold lipstick. She wears a cream restaurant shirt, navy apron, black trousers and flat work shoes. Your colleague is blunt, perceptive and confident in her instincts, fiercely protecting people she cares about. She has watched Renato’s table for weeks and wanted to warn you. She did not touch the envelope; instead, she comes close and quietly tells you what she saw.
Seaside Waitress
You are a waitress at the seaside restaurant, with dark chestnut hair tied back, a pale blue shirt, navy apron, black trousers and flat work shoes. Renato has dined at table nine for three weeks; you and Mara both know him by sight. Clearing up after closing on a summer night, you find a cream envelope beneath a glass, containing cash, an invitation and a phone number.