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This engagement certainly hadn’t quite been what Franny had expected. In the middle of her and Schlomo getting to know one another better he had been called away on business. Needing to ensure that one of his new casinos he was building went all to plan and that there were no interruptions. I’m t wasn’t ideal, but the Puttanesca knew this was how it was to be from time to time. She had watched her own father leave on business time and time again, her mother keeping the household together while he was away. Though at that point and time she didn’t have a household to manage, she had a salon.

Months had passed. And while he had been away she had busied herself with her business and wedding planning. Which to be fair was easy to do when she had several sisters willing and eager to help. And if not them then she could always count on Azzura. The Machiavelli had impeccable tastes she could admit and was lucky to have her as a friend. They had written letters back and forth. Each one she had received kept tucked away in a box, pulling them out from time to time to read them over until the next one arrived in response to her own. It was actually nice to do it this way, it seemed easier for him this way too. And she got to know Schlomo more and more as time went on. Though perhaps his letters weren’t quite as long as her’s as she tried to stuff each one full of everything she could think of to tell him about or answer his questions, perhaps with just a touch of rambling mixed in.

It was fine, she couldn’t complain. Not when she knew eventually he’d be returning even if he couldn’t give her much of a definite timeline for that.

The sound of the bell over the door jingling drew her attention as she was going through product in the storage room, taking a bit of inventory before she left for the day. Having sent Ellis’s and Addy home not too long ago. All the appointments they had for that day were completed so she assumed it was one of her sisters returning to check and see if she needed help, even though she had shooed them both off.

Settling a small box down in a table, Francesca let out a small sigh before calling out to whichever one of them it was. “If that’s you Addy or Eloisa I told you to go home already.”

Brushing her hands over a black apron that shielded her stylish outfit while she worked, the vampire left the back of the shop to head out into the front area. “Don’t make me—“ As she rounded the corner she stopped in her tracks. Sky blue eyes blinking a few times in surprise as she took in who it really was that had entered the salon. “Schmooey? I didn’t know you were coming back today.” A smile parted her pink lips as she crossed the space. Eyes dropping to the bouquet in his hands then back up to his face. “If I would have known I would have freshened up a bit at least.” Or at least dressed a bit more finely than her usual blazers and skirts. Her gaze and her smile softened a touch, while they might not have spent much time in each other's company face to face the past month or so she had found herself growing quite fond of him through their letter exchange. “Welcome home.”

For a moment it had almost seemed like he had been caught off guard by her welcome. But what else would you say to someone who had been gone and was finally coming home? It would likely be a common occurance going forward when business took him away to places that Franny could not follow. When he came home; she would be there to greet him.

A laugh bubbled in her throat as she arched a slender brow. Pearly white fangs flashing in a wider smile. “It’s different when you do it for a special occasion though.” She did put a lot into her appearance. It was just the way she had always been. Her and Eloisa had alway been into fashion. They liked being stylish, trendy, always put together because one never knew when you needed to be prepared for such things or who you might neet. It was one of the reasons the sisters had started this business, while still a front for their father’s darker, more questionable activities they could fill this space with their talents in helping others look nice as well. Be it hair, nails, makeup whatever.

Plus the gossip could be juicy from time to time.

Taking the flowers she brought them up to her nose, letting her eyes slip closed as he breathed in their sweet scent. They were really nice and she was flattered he had thought to bring them for her. Pulling the flowers away from her face she opened her eyes, hesitating for only the briefest of moments before stepping close and leaning up to place a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Schmooey, they are lovely.”

At his question she brightened. Excitement thrumming through her at the thought of finally being able to spend some time with him now that he had come home. It’s all she had really wanted the past several weeks, the few moments they’d had before he left seemed so short and distant now. “Not busy at all. Let me go put these in water and lock up. Then we can go wherever you like.” Turning on her heels she made her way to her office in the back to dust off one of the flower vases they kept around to pull out from time to time when the salon decor needed a bit of a change.

Franny had been prepared most of her life for this kind of thing. Being married off to another house for some kind of connection or strengthening of bonds. All the Puttanesca sisters had. Although; the others had simply taken things into their own matters really. Only a few arrangements had been made.

That fact that the Rothsstein family was smaller didn’t bother her in the slightest. No, it was more of a relief than anything else. The Puttanesca was a large family, even outside her and her many sisters and their brother. It was busy. Noisy. Rambunctious cousins and wards from other houses. There was rarely a moment's peace within the walls of her childhood home and one could get easily lost or forgotten among the members of her family. Especially when her father paid little mind to anyone besides Nico.

No, she couldn’t complain. It would be nice, for once, to leave the noise and chaos behind for the most part.

When she was done setting the flowers in the water filled vase she grabbed her purse, hanging her apron up on a hook before checking her hair in a mirror as she left her office and returned to the front area where he waited for her. A smile on her lips as she headed for the door, pulling out the keys to lock the door behind them once they had left. “There is a little coffee shop about two blocks north of here. It’s nothing fancy but it’s nice and close to the salon. Luckily it open pretty late”

Once they had left the salon, Francesca locked the door and slipped the keys back into her purse. Her gaze lingering on the mostly quiet night time street. Their salon wasn’t anywhere near the central hub of Hemlock nightlife but they got some decent foot traffic nonetheless. Turning in the direction of the coffee shop she began to walk. “I hope everything with your new casino went well.”