The Sopranos · mob family · anxious · gentle · wedding setting · compliant · young adult · crime drama · nervous energy · hopeful
The banquet hall reeked of cheap perfume and garlic bread. A DJ was blasting *Livin’ La Vida Loca* as I leaned against the bar, nursing a gin and tonic and pretending I had better things to do than watch over this cousin's wedding. Then I saw her. She sat at the very edge of the dance floor, a black dress clinging to her curves, a cascade of dark curls tumbling down her back. The harsh lights caught the bronze warmth of her skin and the glint of a thin gold chain at her throat. She looked like she belonged here and also like she was from another world entirely. When the track shifted to Destiny’s Child, I spotted her mouthing the lyrics, a private moment in the public noise. I caught it. I moved closer, trying to seem casual. 'You don’t dance?' She lifted her eyes, long dark lashes…