Susan's POV
I pounded on Laura's door like the mob was after me - which, technically, they were. "Laura! Open up! This is a code red emergency!"
The door flew open, revealing my best friend in her pajamas, clutching a half-eaten pint of ice cream. "Susan? What are you doing here? And what are you wearing…" she squinted at my outfit, "what looks like a three thousand dollar Valentino dress with no shoes?"
I pushed past her into the apartment, slamming and locking the door behind me. "Where were you?" I demanded, rounding on her. "Where were you yesterday when I needed you?"
Laura at least had the decency to look guilty. "I'm sorry! I had my final medical board exam this morning, and I've been studying non-stop for weeks. I couldn't risk…"
"Oh, save it for your future patients!" I collapsed dramatically onto her couch. "Do you know what happens when your best friend isn't there to stop you from making terrible life choices? YOU END UP MARRIED TO THE MOB!"
The ice cream spoon clattered to the floor. "You what?"
"If you had been there, I wouldn't have gone to that club. I wouldn't have drowned my sorrows in tequila. And I definitely wouldn't have proposed to a complete stranger who turned out to be THE ACTUAL GODFATHER!"
"Back up," Laura held her hands. "What do you mean 'drowned your sorrows'? What happened at graduation?"
I laughed. "Oh, you missed quite the show! Nick proposed. Not to me, obviously. To Emily. His cousin. Who isn't actually his cousin. RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CEREMONY!"
Her eyes widened, "No he didn't!"
"Oh, he did! Right after I got my diploma. Got down on one knee and everything. And where was my best friend? The one who always said Emily seemed sketchy? The one who could have talked me out of going to that club? THE ONE WHO COULD HAVE STOPPED ME FROM MARRYING A MAN WITH BULLETPROOF WINDOWS?"
Laura sat down heavily. "Okay, start from the beginning. And please tell me you're joking about the mob thing."
"Oh, I wish I was!" I jumped up, pacing her small living room. "So there I was, drowning my sorrows, when I found this gorgeous Italian man in my seat. And drunk me, in all my infinite wisdom, decide 'Hey, you know what would show Nick? Getting married!"
"No…"
"YES! And not just to anyone. No, apparently, I managed to drunk-marry my father's boss. Who by the way, owns half the city. The illegal half!"
Laura's eyes popped out of her head. "Are you telling me you married Raphael Marino? THE Raphael Marino?
I stopped pacing. "How do you know who he is?"
"Susan, everyone knows who he is! He's only the most powerful… wait." Hey, eyes narrowed. "Is that why you're here in a designer dress with no shoes?"
"Funny story," I laughed nervously. "I might have… hit him with a vase and ran away?"
"YOU DID WHAT?"
"In my defense, I was hungover! And panicking! And he kept calling me 'Cara' in this sexy Italian accent that was very distracting!"
Laura jumped up, running to her windows to close all the blinds. "Are you insane? You can't just hit a mob boss with a vase and run away! They probably have people looking for you right now!"
"I know!" I flopped back onto the couch. "What am I going to do? I can't go home - they'll look there first. I can't go to my parents - they're probably being watched, and that is if he hasn't locked them up in a dungeon by now."
"Wait," I sat up, an idea suddenly coming to mind, "What if I go to the police?"
She gave me a look. "Suze, honey, who do you think the police work for in this city?" My stomach dropped.
She sat down next to me, both of us staring at the wall in silence.
"So," she said finally, wiggling her eyebrows, "other than the whole organized crime thing… was he hot?"
"Laura!"
"What? If I'm going to die for harboring a fugitive mob wife, I want the whole tea!"
I groaned, covering my face with a throw pillow. "He's so freaking hot Laura. The sight of him this morning made me instantly wet."
Laura giggled, drawing closer. "Tell me you at least had sex before running away?"
I snorted. "Please. I might have been drunk enough to marry him, but I definitely wasn't drunk enough to have sex. Besides, he's way too proper for that. Probably wouldn't dare touch his drunk bride." I paused, frowning. "Though I did wake up in different clothes… but that doesn't anything, right? RIGHT?
"Suze…"
"No, no, I would know if something happened. I would feel different." I started pacing again. "Plus, I made this whole big speech about no sex before marriage ever again - which technically wouldn't apply anymore since we ARE married, but that's not the point!"
Laura laughed. "You really don't remember anything?"
"It's all a bit fuzzy after the Elvis impersonator. I vaguely remember singing in his car… oh God, did I really serenade him with 'That's Amore'?"
Laura burst out laughing. "What? Please tell me someone recorded that!"
A sharp knock at the door made us both freeze.
"Ms. Bennett?" a deep voice called out. "This is Marco from Mr. Marino's security team. We know Mrs. Marino is in there."
Laura mouthed 'Mrs. Marino' at me with raised eyebrows.
I grabbed her arm. "How do they know I'm here?"
"Probably because you took a city bus," Laura hissed back. "You know, those things with cameras. Or they probably had you followed."
Another knock, more insistent this time. "Mrs. Marino, your husband would like to speak with you."
"Yeah, I bet he would!" I called back. "Right before he makes me sleep with the fishes!"
"We don't actually…" Marco started.
"Don't you dare say you don't actually do that!"
Laura looked between me and the door. "You know you can't stay here forever, right?"
"Watch me!" I grabbed her hands. "Get me out of here. Please, Laura. You owe me for missing my graduation disaster!"
She signed heavily. "Fine. But if we end up in the concrete shoes at the bottom of the Hudson, I'm never forgiving you."
"Deal!" I hugged her tightly. "Now, quick - what's the fastest way out of here? Mrs. Chen in 4B, is she around?"
Laura grinned suddenly. "Well, I happen to know she is visiting her daughter this weekend, and her balcony still connects to the fire escape…"
"I love you, you brilliant almost-doctor!"
"Yeah, yeah. But you're explaining everything to me properly once we're safe."
We darted into Laura's bedroom, and she pushed open the window, revealing a narrow fire escape. We climbed out onto the metal stairs, our hearts racing as we descended into the darkness, aiming to reach Mrs. Chen's apartment without being seen.
As we snuck out through Mrs. Chen's apartment, Laura suddenly grabbed my arm, halting me.
"Suze wait." she whispered urgently.
I turned to face her, my eyes narrowing in annoyance. "What?" I hissed impatiently.
Laura's gaze locked onto mine, "We're missing something here. Why would one of the hottest men in the city agree to marry you just like that?"
I froze.