Previously:

"What are you going to do about her?" Berga asked.

"I'll guess I'll just have to keep showing her how little she means to me until she gives up."

Luck didn't want to be violent toward a woman.

"For some women, that would make them like you more," Charlie said.

"Really? Well, what kind of chance does that give him?" Berga asked.

"Not Emilia."

Luck sounded very certain.

"She needs admirers to feel good about herself. She won't stick around if I refuse to play along."

"I hope you're right."

"If not, we can always gently run her out of town," Berga suggested.

"If we start with that, it'll just make her more determined to stick around. She'll take it as a sign that I still care enough to do something about her. No, I'll just have to keep showing her that I don't care and I'm not taking her back."

Chapter 8: Emilia

Luck kissed Charlie goodnight as they stood in the open doorway of her apartment. He placed on hand on the side of her face as he looked at her.

Charlie placed her hand over his. She was still concerned.

"Don't worry. We'll get rid of her."

"I just don't want to lose you."

"You won't."

Luck kissed her again.

"Goodnight, Charlie."

"Goodnight, Luck."

They parted, and Charlie watched Luck walk away before closing her door and locking it.

Charlie got ready for bed, putting on a warm, pretty flannel nightgown. She was just climbing into the bed she shared with Lia (who was already asleep) when their doorbell rang.

"Get that Charlie?"

Lia rolled over as she said it, still half-asleep.

Charlie pulled on a robe and went to answer the door. She wondered who it could be at this time of night. Had Luck come back for some reason? She doubted it. He should be on his way back to help his brothers with closing.

Charlie reached the door and looked out through the peephole in case it was someone dangerous waiting on the other side. To her surprise it was Emilia. Charlie was debating whether to open the door or not, when Emilia suddenly began banging on the door as loudly as she could and yelling. She was making a noise that could wake the dead, so Charlie quickly opened the door to stop her.

Emilia stopped her banging, but it was too late for some of her neighbors, who had woken up grumpy and were peering out of their doorways with suspicious and angry expressions.

"S-sorry about that..."

Charlie apologized to them sheepishly.

"Well, step aside," Emilia said.

Charlie stared at her.

"Are you going to let me in, or do I have to start banging again?"

"How did you know where I live?"

"I paid an information broker. Are you going to let me in?"

Charlie reluctantly stepped aside to let her in.

Emilia made herself right at home, taking a seat on their small couch. Charlie closed and locked the door then went to sit down opposite her in a chair. She was wondering what Emilia was doing there, when Emilia said:

"Aren't you going to offer me tea or coffee?"

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"And your point is?"

Charlie sighed and got up to make some tea and cut a couple of slices off the lemon poundcake she had made earlier in the day.

Emilia followed her into the kitchen, watching her. "Flannel, huh? Hmph. You have no sex appeal."

Charlie ignored her and continued to wait for the water to boil in the teapot. She wished it would hurry up.

"You're a decent piano player and your singing is passable, but other than that, I don't know what Luck sees in you. Although, he does like looking after people. Is that what this is? Pity?"

Charlie was seriously tempted to punch her in the throat.

"What's the matter? Aren't you going to answer me?"

"Are you going to actually listen if I do?"

"Maybe. What do you have to say?"

"I say my relationship with Luck is none of your business."

"Funny. He said the same thing."

"Then maybe you should listen."

"I think it's you who should listen. How far have you gone with him?" Emilia moved close enough to whisper in Charlie's ear. She smirked a little evilly. "Don't you want some pointers on how to please him?"

Charlie really wanted to hit her with the teapot, but she restrained herself.

"Go ahead. Ask me any question you'd like. I was Luck's first, you know. We did everything together."

Charlie clenched her fists at her side.

"You want to show me you know Luck better than I do?"

Emilia stepped back as Charlie turned to face her. Charlie's expression was hard. She didn't like Emilia, and she wanted her gone.

"Well, of course you do. We've only just had our first date, after all. So of course you'd know more about him than me. What does that have to do with anything? Who cares?"

"You do," Emilia said slyly, sensing the anger that Charlie was working so hard to keep under control. "You hate me, don't you. You want Luck all to yourself."

"Isn't it the same for you?"

Emilia smiled.

"But the difference is I'll win."

"I don't have to take this from you. Get out. Get out of my apartment now."

Charlie stepped out of the kitchen and pointed to the door.

"I don't feel like leaving yet. I haven't even had my tea."

"Tea's off. Get out."

Emilia smirked like she had won and went over to the couch to collect her fur coat. Then she headed for the door and let herself out.

Charlie followed and shut the door in her face without saying goodbye. Then she locked the door and stood there for a few minutes, fists clenched while she glared at the floor.

The teapot whistled. Charlie didn't move for a moment, but then she remembered Lia was trying to sleep, and she went back into the kitchen to take care of it. She brewed herself some tea to calm her down and sat at the kitchen table holding the cup in her hands.

Charlie didn't think Luck was a virgin. So she knew, of course, that he must have been with at least one other woman before, but to have it thrown in her face like that…

Charlie sipped her tea, trying to calm down. She remembered what Luck had said.

Charlie, I need you to remember that no matter what she may say, you're the one I love. You're the one I want. Not her.

She sighed and sipped her tea, holding onto that idea.

—∞—

Late morning. Somewhere in Little Italy.

Charlie was shopping, picking up the groceries she would need to make tonight's meal of caponata. She was looking at eggplants, when someone stepped up to stand next to her.

"Are you cooking for Luck?"

Charlie nearly grimaced at the familiar voice. She turned her head to look at Emilia, who was staring right back at her.

"What do you want?"

"I want to know if you're cooking that for Luck."

"If you must know, I'm cooking it to share with my roommate."

"I see. In that case, I'll let you get on with it. Go on."

Charlie picked the eggplants she wanted and paid for them. Then she moved on.

Emilia followed her, watching her every move.

"Are you making caponata? That's one of Luck's favorites."

"I'll have to cook it for him sometime, then."

Charlie was surprised when she was grabbed from behind and swung toward a brick wall. Charlie put her free hand out in front of her to stop herself from slamming into the wall, which would've crushed the shopping bag she was holding. She felt something go wrong in her wrist, but knew it would fix itself, so she focused on the person who had assaulted her.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked Emilia, turning around so she could face her, putting her back was against the wall.

"You're going to cook for him? I don't think so."

Charlie was startled by the change that had come over Emilia. She was no longer the cool beauty who had taunted her calmly in her apartment. Emilia was glaring fiercely at Charlie, and her face was twisted into an ugly scowl. She grabbed Charlie's wrist hard, and Charlie winced.

But before Emilia could do anything else, another hand was grabbing Emilia's wrist.

Charlie was surprised to see that it was Ennis.

"You're hurting her," Ennis said to Emilia. "Let her go."

"This is none of your business."

Emilia hissed at her.

Ennis squeezed Emilia's wrist until she was forced to let go of Charlie. Once Charlie was free, Ennis released her grip on Emilia, who held her wrist tenderly with her other hand.

"Who are you?"

"She's my friend," Charlie said.

Ennis liked that Charlie called her a friend. It made her feel warm inside.

Emilia looked between Ennis and Charlie.

"This isn't over."

With those parting words, Emilia fled.

"Thanks, Ennis."

"Who was that person?"

"Luck's ex. She suddenly showed up last night and started causing trouble."

"Should I have stopped her?"

"No, I think it's better we have as little to do with her as possible."

"I see. I'm glad I ran into you. I could use your help."

"What with?"

"Firo said he wanted to eat spaghetti and meatballs, and he's always cooking for me, so I thought it would be good if I could return the favor… but I've never cooked before."

"Well, it helps to start with a recipe. Do you have a cookbook?"

"No."

"In that case, I'll give you my recipe for spaghetti and meatballs, Let's get the ingredients, and I'll write the directions down for you. I don't suppose you know how to use a stove?"

"I've never had to before."

"Okay, I'll help you with that, too. What time were you thinking of cooking for him?"

—∞—

"She showed up on your doorstep? And you let her in?" Luck said when Charlie told him of Emilia's visit sometime later at Coraggioso.

"I wouldn't have, but she was banging on the door and disturbing the neighbors. I had to do something."

"Did she do anything to you?"

"She said some stuff to hurt me, but she left when I told her to get out. I'm more concerned about what happened while I was shopping today..."

"What happened while you were shopping?" Berga asked.

"She mentioned caponata was Luck's favorite, so I said maybe I should cook it for him sometime, and she snapped. She swung me into the wall and grabbed my wrist and glared at me with a scary expression on her face."

"Did she hurt you?" Luck asked.

"Did you hurt her?" Berga asked.

"No, Ennis happened upon us and intervened. She grabbed Emilia's wrist and made her let go of me. Emilia seemed to be scared, because she said, 'this isn't over' and ran off."

Luck held his chin, thinking. If Emilia was already targeting Charlie, then there was no point trying to hide his relationship with her.

"Maybe you should stay with me, until Emilia backs off."

Charlie was a little surprised and managed not to blush.

"Yeah, there's no telling what Emilia will do if you managed to rile her up like that," Berga agreed.

"…..."

Keith agreed with that statement.

"Why did she react that way? All I said was that I would cook for you..."

"Emilia can't cook. She's terrible at it. She probably felt threatened when she heard you could do something for me that she couldn't."

"That's ridiculous. If she has as much money as she appears to, she could hire a cook to do the work for her."

"Emilia isn't always the most rational person in the world."

"I'm beginning to get that."

"Will you think about staying with me?"

"Okay. But I need to talk to Lia first. And I'm going over to Firo's to help Ennis cook meatballs and spaghetti. We're making enough for four, so maybe you could come, too?"

"I'd like that, but I thought it was your turn to cook for Lia?"

"And I will. I'll cook for her as soon as I get home, and she can heat it up in the oven when she's ready to eat."

"Sounds like you have everything figured out."

"You go ahead and keep an eye on Charlie. We'll handle things here."

"…..."

"Thanks, Berga, Keith."