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[work (the butcher)]
Dec. 13th, 2017 02:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
carolinelichfieldCaroline's got the shop mostly to herself today. Benny's got Benny things to do, so he's ducking out for most of the day. Fair enough. Means she's stuck on counter duty longer than usual. Not the most exciting. But it's not bad. It's been slow for a while when this guy comes swaggering in. He's obviously mob but, in Caroline's opinion, it's also pretty obvious he's not made yet. He's coming on a little strong with how tough he wants to seem for him to really be in good yet.
He makes a show of strolling around the entire storefront and eyeing everything. If Caroline didn't know better, she'd think she was about to get one of those 'pay us protection money' talks. But Benny just paid Vitti's guy. Like two days ago. And Benny always pays. Hell, last time the guy stuck around for half an hour to talk about how Benny's family's been. So... what the hell is this?
"Can I help you?" Caroline finally asks, very politely.
He grins unpleasantly. "Uh, yeah actually you can," he says, changing course toward the counter. He comes up and leans on it in a way that's supposed to intimidate her. Mostly it annoys her and demonstrates what cheap fucking cologne he uses. "See uh, I guess you guys don't know but uh, things are changing around here."
"In what way?" Caroline uses the same very polite tone, but she's rapidly losing patience. And boy, after this she's gonna re-petition Benny for her right to have a baseball bat or something behind the counter. This is ridiculous.
"See, we know youse guys pay the Manettas." He pauses and gestures vaguely toward her. Caroline even nods agreeably, because they do and that's not a secret. "But the Manettas..." he trails off and seesaws his hand. "They're on their way out. You don't wanna stick with them no more."
Caroline blinks. Wow. Wow. Who the fuck is this guy. "We don't?" she manages after a moment. Since he's so damn chatty, she'll just let him finish talking. Maybe he'll even tell her who the hell is making a play here. This is a solidly Manetta/Vitti neighborhood. Is and has been. What idiot is trying this?
He smiles again and shakes his head. "Nah. Nice folks like you? You want people you can depend on." He looks very proud of himself. "People like... the Maronis."
There's a beat of silence. And then Caroline laughs. It's not a kind laugh. "Are-- are you kidding me?"
The idiot's grin fades. He looks like he'll get around to looking mad soon, but it'll take him a minute. "No. I'm not kidding. Look--"
Nope. Caroline shakes her head and holds her hands up in a very clear invitation for him to stop fucking talking. "No. You look." She leans forward into his space now. "This block? This whole neighborhood? Has been Manetta for fucking years. Shit changes hands sometimes, sure. But to take over someplace like this that's been solidly one family's turf longer than your mama's let you stay out after dark?" She's started poking at his chest at some point during this and she's actually not sure when that was.
"You'd really have to mean it to make something like that work out. And the Maronis?" Caroline scoffs. "You guys don't have the fucking balls to pull this off. Get the fuck out of my store."
Oh hey, he finally looks mad. "Listen you bitch, I tried to be nice--" He lunges and tries to grab her shoulder, but Caroline jerks back out of range. "Get the fuck back here!"
Caroline laughs again. "Oh no, don't worry." She edges around the counter slowly but steadily, mostly hoping to get him far enough away that she doesn't break anything. "I'm not going anywhere, asshole."
He makes a show of strolling around the entire storefront and eyeing everything. If Caroline didn't know better, she'd think she was about to get one of those 'pay us protection money' talks. But Benny just paid Vitti's guy. Like two days ago. And Benny always pays. Hell, last time the guy stuck around for half an hour to talk about how Benny's family's been. So... what the hell is this?
"Can I help you?" Caroline finally asks, very politely.
He grins unpleasantly. "Uh, yeah actually you can," he says, changing course toward the counter. He comes up and leans on it in a way that's supposed to intimidate her. Mostly it annoys her and demonstrates what cheap fucking cologne he uses. "See uh, I guess you guys don't know but uh, things are changing around here."
"In what way?" Caroline uses the same very polite tone, but she's rapidly losing patience. And boy, after this she's gonna re-petition Benny for her right to have a baseball bat or something behind the counter. This is ridiculous.
"See, we know youse guys pay the Manettas." He pauses and gestures vaguely toward her. Caroline even nods agreeably, because they do and that's not a secret. "But the Manettas..." he trails off and seesaws his hand. "They're on their way out. You don't wanna stick with them no more."
Caroline blinks. Wow. Wow. Who the fuck is this guy. "We don't?" she manages after a moment. Since he's so damn chatty, she'll just let him finish talking. Maybe he'll even tell her who the hell is making a play here. This is a solidly Manetta/Vitti neighborhood. Is and has been. What idiot is trying this?
He smiles again and shakes his head. "Nah. Nice folks like you? You want people you can depend on." He looks very proud of himself. "People like... the Maronis."
There's a beat of silence. And then Caroline laughs. It's not a kind laugh. "Are-- are you kidding me?"
The idiot's grin fades. He looks like he'll get around to looking mad soon, but it'll take him a minute. "No. I'm not kidding. Look--"
Nope. Caroline shakes her head and holds her hands up in a very clear invitation for him to stop fucking talking. "No. You look." She leans forward into his space now. "This block? This whole neighborhood? Has been Manetta for fucking years. Shit changes hands sometimes, sure. But to take over someplace like this that's been solidly one family's turf longer than your mama's let you stay out after dark?" She's started poking at his chest at some point during this and she's actually not sure when that was.
"You'd really have to mean it to make something like that work out. And the Maronis?" Caroline scoffs. "You guys don't have the fucking balls to pull this off. Get the fuck out of my store."
Oh hey, he finally looks mad. "Listen you bitch, I tried to be nice--" He lunges and tries to grab her shoulder, but Caroline jerks back out of range. "Get the fuck back here!"
Caroline laughs again. "Oh no, don't worry." She edges around the counter slowly but steadily, mostly hoping to get him far enough away that she doesn't break anything. "I'm not going anywhere, asshole."
