Elena could only stare at Massimo as she clutched the tossed dress—it was a nice material but nothing flashy, which only confused Elena more.
"I thought we finished all the mafia meetings for the day?" Elena asked.
Massimo nodded. "We did. This is for a mafia meeting."
Massimo picked up the new sneakers from the hotel bed. He carefully began untying them and loosening the laces before he handed the shoes directly to Elena.
Elena's bafflement must have shown on her face because Massimo suddenly frowned.
"We've been in California for nearly a month," he explained, "but we haven't done anything beyond work. You've worked very hard, Elena—you deserve a small break. And since you shouldn't go out alone, I thought I'd treat you to a night out in style."
"That's all very nice," Elena began
