Date night

Posted on Sun Jul 5th, 2020 @ 5:46am by Level 3 Carmine Mannarino & Blank Lupe Mannarino
Edited on on Sat Aug 15th, 2020 @ 12:41am

Mission: It's... A Bus Station
Location: New York City
Timeline: April 28th 2020

Carmine and Lupe were dressed in their finest clothes. He had on a really expensive suit, while she had on a dress that showed off all her curves. They stepped out of the Uber and headed into the Jazz club that was their destination. Carmine wasn’t huge into Jazz, but his wife was. And Date night was a twice a month thing. One week he picked a place. Next time she picked. The weeks in between the kids had to agree in a majority vote on a place to go.

As they stepped in, the waiter waved to them, as they had been coming there for years now. They went to a table on the side, one where he could rest against the wall, and she leaned into him. He had been in a bad mood for hours now. Ever since he had spoken to the man about North Carolina. The waiter came over and took their drink order and meal order, before moving off to the kitchen. The first act was taking the stage.

After the first act had gotten though about half his set. She could feel how tensed up he was. Plus he barely watched the city pass from the subway to the Jazz club. He was big on watching the city pass by. He loved this city, no matter how dirty, crowded or polluted. Lupe craned her neck and asked. “What’s wrong mi amor?” She asked, the last part was in Spanish. It was a thing with them. He knew Spanish, thanks to her. She knew Italian, thanks to him. Her and her daughters used Spanish words for him, Him and his sons used Italian words.

“Something at the station, Bella Rosa.” Carmine said as he tried to forget what had happened.

“Carmine, you have been with the company for fourteen years and in the Bronx since it opened. You haven’t been this angry in ages. Something has you worked up.” What Lupe didn’t tell him, was that she already knew about this. Their boss had spoken to her a day earlier, to see if Carmine would go for it. Plus he had talked to her afterwards.

“Dey wanna move me. Outta state, il mio amore.” Carmine replied in a thicker than normal accent. For years, while he was busting ghosts. He tired to muddle his accent. Some of the crew had been from the Midwest, or west coast and they didn't understand his accent.

“For good?” Lupe asked him.

“Said I could come back, But wants me to try it. The founders said they want me ta take on a bigger role.” Carmine said to her as she turned a bit to face him. “I tink dat dey stoopid. Ain't no leader."

Lupe smiled at him. “Why? Don’t you think you can make it as a leader?”

“‘Member dat Brock fella? Da ‘noyin one?” Carmine asked her in hushed tones.

Lupe arched an eyebrow. “Carmine, that man was so stupid...how they let him strap a pack to his back was beyond me. How many people did he burn because he couldn’t handle the pack?”

“What if I’m like him?” Carmine asked.

“You big lunk. You’re smarter than he was. He was just an ass kisser. You already take control when you go on a job. So take the raise in pay that comes with it.”

“I don’t know. Can I do it?” Carmine asked.

Lupe groaned, then sighed. “As your wife. Your best friend and your partner in this adventure of life, I say give it a try. I believe in you. The children believe in you.”

“But what about you and them?” Carmine asked.

“I’ll go with. I could do with a change of scenery. Plus we know I'll never get made chief mechanic here. I looked at the company listings when I heard they were opening a new station. North Carolina needs a mechanic who is familiar with our equipment. Not some new idiot who has never touched a nuclear accelerator before. So I’ll work until they get a full timer. Then I’ll pull part time again and raise the little three. We can have your aunt move with us and watch the little three. She keeps them in line, The big three have a year of high school left. After that, the girls all plan for college. If the little three wanna move.”

"Still don't know." Carmine said, shaking his head.

“Carmine, I believe you can be more. I believe that you could rise up in rank. To quote one of the founders, as he so often says. You have the tools and you have the talent. Beyond that, you have a wife and family that believe in you.”