Authors: Stella White
“Alright, we’ll go back to being boss and assistant again. The best things in life are worth waiting for.”
He raised his glass and I mine, and we toasted the agreement.
****
On Monday, I went back to work as though nothing happened. Tom had changed. His passion towards work overtook him and his nightlife faded considerably.
A few months passed and he hadn’t been with anyone in a while. He seemed to distance himself from many of the women that had thrown themselves at him in the past as if a part of him died. I felt sorry for him.
He started spending a lot of time with his brother’s family. Before our trip to Paris, he barely would see him once a year but now it seemed to be once a week. Tom would show me photos of him giving new toys to his brother’s children and how happy they were.
In those few months I had learned something else.
I was pregnant.
I had a strong feeling it was his and I didn’t want to burden him further with the responsibility of being a parent.
“Tom,” I said one day after a meeting, “I think it’s time I move on. I’ve been working towards a few projects of my own with the money you’ve helped me raise and I think I have some good prospects.”
He flashed me his smile again, and I was struck by how sad his eyes looked. He embraced me, and my feelings were swept away. I kept myself straight faced, which was the hardest thing I’d ever done.
“Don’t make me wait.”
Was all he said.
I pushed myself away, knowing that, if I stayed any longer, I would become a mess.
“I’ll have my things packed and be out of the house before day’s end. Thank you again, Mr. Ellis.” I said.
I turned and left, leaving him standing there sullenly.
As I exited, I wondered if I’d gone too far, if there was something else I could’ve done to know if he wanted me for my business savvy or my looks. But, I couldn’t decipher anything at the moment.
At the mansion, I began to pack everything I had, which I realized was not much. Then I heard a knock on the door.
“Hey, Nia.” It was Brent. “I know we don’t talk much, but can we have a chat?”
I cracked the door and let him wander in.
“This place is way better than the shack I’m living in. You must be one smart cookie,” he said admiring my living space.
“Did you come here to talk or to admire the scenery?” I asked rudely.
“Whoa, calm down,” he said while stepping back toward the door. “I just have one thing to say so I’ll say it. You got Mr. Ellis twisted up good. I never seen him like this in the last ten years I been workin’ for him.”
“Are you referring to how he doesn’t seem to sleep around as much?” I asked.
“No, I’m referring to how he keeps askin’ me what you’re up to. He wants to know if you’re seein’ anybody or if you are feeling taken care of.”
“He asks about me when I’m not around?”
“He does. I never seen him like that for anyone.”
I finished packing my bag and zipped it closed. I took a moment to take in all the sights from this palatial bedroom and let out a deep sigh.
“Let’s go, Brent,” I said.
I made for the door, but Brent wouldn’t let me carry my own bags. Like a gentleman he took the bags and followed me down the front stairs.
I had him take me to a hotel downtown for the evening and scheduled time with a real estate agent while on the way. My excessive funds from working with Mr. Ellis had continued to grow over the past few months into a small fortune.
I said my final farewells to Brent and entered the lobby. It was completely empty save for the one attendant at the front desk waiting patiently for business.
He looked at me, smiled, and handed me a room key. I found it rather odd as I hadn’t called ahead.
“Is this for me?” I asked.
“Of course it is,” he replied. “Room 1506. The elevator is around the corner.” Another on hand attendant swooped in to relieve me of my luggage and led me to the elevator.
We zoomed up to the 15
th
floor, and my curiosity swelled. I inserted my keycard into the door and swung it open.
Mr. Ellis was sitting on the bed, waiting patiently.
“How did you-“
“I work downtown, it’s only three blocks from headquarters,” Tom said.
“Mr. Elli-“
“My name is Tom. I told you months ago, Nia.”
He sat me down on the bed and stood over me.
“I’m going to talk, and you’re going to listen,” he began. “The last several months I’ve been meeting more with my brother and his family and you know what I learned? Don’t answer that, I still want you to listen. I learned what makes him tick; I learned why he wakes up every morning and goes to his dead-end job upstate; I learned that it’s not easy to be in love.”
He was pacing back and forth as he talked, and I smiled as he continued on.
“That’s right, Love. Love is what gets him out of the house in the morning so he can go work a dead-end job to provide for his family. I saw him get in fights with the person he loves; only to watch them kiss and forget it ever seemed to happen. It was like some kind of magic was happening in his household.
“I watched them play with their kids and how amazing it is to see someone grow up. I watched them roll their eyes and the millionth diaper they’d had to change, knowing that they’d have to do the same thing an hour later; only to give that baby a kiss on the cheek.
“Love and compassion are two things I’ve been trying to spread around the city, and, yet, I haven’t ever been able to find those things in my own life. These last few months I think I’ve started to find it, and would you like to know where it started? Guess.” Tom paused. “No, don’t answer that either. I started finding it the moment I caught you downstairs that night. I continued to find it in the airplane the next day, and I know I found it when I saw you exit that airplane wearing that black dress.”
I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks as he continued to talk.
“I want you in my life; I
need
you in my life. I don’t want to feel like I’m forcing this because I think you want me in your life as well.
“Nia, I love you. And, if you’ll have me, I want to start a family.”
I stood there shocked to hear all of it. All I could do is nod and smile as he leaned in for a kiss. I stopped him before he could, though.
“I need you in my life, too. But, I have a couple things I need to say first.”
Tom sat down in a chair nearby and listened.
“As it turns out, starting a family will be easier than you think.”
He thought about it for a moment, and then I could see his eyes start to beam. “You’re-“
“Yep,” I nodded. “And the second thing is: I only want to start a family as long as I can continue pursuing my own career as well. I want to be your equal and not your damsel.”
Tom nodded happily. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I gave him a loving embrace and kissed him all over his face.
We walked from the hotel arm in arm. Our future started that day and it never looked brighter.
*****
THE END
''You bitch, you fucking whore,'' Fabio screamed. ''Is this how you repay my kindness? Thirty years of marriage and this is all you can do to me.''
Maria rolled over and covered her breasts with a sheet. The man lying next to her looked at Fabio and wondered how he was going to escape.
''Was she good? Was she a good screw? I hope she was fucking worth it because you're gonna die a
long,
painful death,'' Fabio added, his voice cracking into a higher pitch under the strain.
He'd been home to Italy to see his very old mother. He hadn't seen her since the magnificent party he'd thrown for her at his brother's home in Naples more than a year ago when she'd turned a hundred. He'd come home before Maria had expected, to find her naked, on all fours, with a man banging her from behind.
Not expecting to find his wife in bed with another man, Fabio hadn't bothered to carry his pistol to the
bedroom. Instead
, he'd left it in his jacket which he'd hung up in the hallway. His house was the most heavily guarded home in Chicago, but he didn't think he needed to defend himself inside his own residence.
He walked round to Maria's side of the bed, wound his fist into her hair, and yanked her in one movement from the bed. She landed in a crumpled heap on the floor. ''Get out, you pathetic bitch,'' he said pushing her toward the door with his foot. ''Get out while I see to your lover. I'm gonna cut his cock off and hand it to you as a memento of the day you crossed me, your filthy piece of trash.''
Maria continued to crawl along the floor, eventually reaching the door. Fabio closed it behind her and turned to the man lying in Fabio's marital bed. Fabio didn't need a weapon to rip a man
apart; he
was perfectly capable of doing it with his bare hands.
''So, you think you can cross Fabio Affini, do you?''
''It's the first time we have met, Mr. Affini. I am very surprised by your lack of good grace.''
Fabio wasn't sure whether he'd heard the man correctly. ''What? Did you just say....''
''Yes.'' The man pulled his arm from under the sheet and pointed a gun at Fabio. ''You see, I always come prepared when I fuck someone's wife. Especially someone as dangerous as you. Now back up against the wall.'' Fabio walked backward and watched as the man got out of bed and put on his shorts. ''I said, get back,'' he repeated when he noticed Fabio creeping closer. This time, Fabio backed right off and waited. When the man had pulled his pants and shirt on, he pointed the gun at Fabio and opened the bedroom door. ''Thank you for your hospitality. Your wife, as you have no doubt forgotten, is the most amazing fuck. Did you teach her all those things?''
''Get out of my house,'' Fabio hissed.
When the man was gone, Fabio left the bedroom, ran down the stairs and called Christian. ''Get your ass over here now,'' he shouted.
While he waited
for Christian
to arrive, Fabio looked for his wife. He found her in the basement hiding from him.
''Why Maria? Why, after
all,
these years? I've taken care of you haven't I? You've never wanted for anything.''
She looked at him and shook her head. ''You have given me all the material things I needed. But the one thing I wanted most, you have been unable to give me.''
''What are you talking about?'' he asked.
She noticed how old he was beginning to look. When they'd
married,
he'd had a full head of black hair. Now, apart from a few strands of
comb-over
, he was bald. ''Love and affection,'' she answered. ''I needed your love more than
anything,
and you haven't been able to give
me it
. I have never felt you really cared about me.''
''You crazy bitch, of
course,
I cared about you. Even though you haven't been able to provide me with children, I still loved you. Maybe you were too self-absorbed to see it. I want you to get out of my house. Go wherever you want, I will give you money. But if you ever darken my doors again with your presence again, I will have you killed.''
He walked up the basement staircase and into the hallway. He lived in a mansion which he'd bought thirty years ago from the proceeds of the first really successful drug deal he did. It netted him five million. Thirty years ago that was a lot of money, and he was suddenly able to move with the jet set. He'd met Maria at a party on a ship in the harbor. Her father and mother had arrived a few years earlier from Milan with their daughter. He remembered how beautiful Maria had been that evening. She was still beautiful, but she'd crossed him in the most despicable
way,
and now he wanted rid of her.
''Christian. Do you know what happened to me half an hour ago?'' Fabio asked when a tall, dark and very good looking man arrived in his office.
''No boss. Something good I hope,'' he said, a cheeky grin etched across his face.
''No Christian. While you were, in all probability dipping yourself in some super model, I was being held at gunpoint, in my own fucking bedroom.'' Fabio's voice reached a deafening crescendo. To add effect, he slammed his fist on his desk which sent a pen flying up into the air.
Christian's expression changed. ''What? How?''
''You tell me. This house is supposed to be guarded like Fort Knox. I want you to find out why it wasn't.''
''Sure boss. Who was the man?''
''I don't know. But he was fucking my wife. She's in the basement. Go down and make her tell you who it was. Use as much force as you need.''
Christian went down to the basement and opened the door. He saw a tearful Maria sitting on top of the washing machine smoking a cigarette from a gold holder.
''Who was he, Maria?'' Christian asked.
''What are you going to do to me if I don't tell you?'' she said.
Her mascara had
run,
and her skin looked blotchy. She'd obviously been crying for some time. ''I'll have to torture you until you tell me,'' he said harshly.
'' That's Christian. Ever faithful to my husband. You'd jump
from
a bridge if he asked you wouldn't you?''
''Yes. He's been very good to me. Without him, I would have been a nobody.''
''You're the most
beautiful
man I've ever seen, but you're an asshole,'' she said. ''You're stupid for believing what he tells you. He's just using you.''
''The name please, Maria. I really don't want to have to hurt you. Spare yourself.''
She knew what he would do to
her,
and it would hurt. ''You will never find him, he lives abroad, far from here.''
''I won't ask again, what's his name?''
''Alexander
Gorev
.''
''And where does he live?''
''I just told you, dumb-ass. He lives abroad.''
Christian walked toward her and knocked the cigarette out of her hand. ''Don't ever call me that again. Now, where does he live?''
''He's Russian. He lives in
Moscow,
and if you're stupid enough to go there, you'll never come back.''
''Thank you, Maria,'' he said. ''I really wasn't looking forward to dragging it out of you. You know I've always thought you were a nice looking woman. If Fabio hadn't been my boss, I might have had a crack at you myself.''
''Don't flatter yourself,'' she said.
Christian took a look at her. Who knows, it may be the last time he saw her, he thought. He'd been working for Fabio for ten
years,
and he'd always fancied sleeping with her. She could have been his Mrs. Robinson. He would have like that.
''He's called Alexander
Gorev
, and he lives in Moscow, boss,'' Christian said.
Fabio looked out of the window and noticed the guards doing their rounds. ''Maria says there's no way we'll be able to get him.''
''If he's fled to Moscow, we probably won't. We don't have anyone there. Find out if he has
family
, anything we can use in the States to persuade him to come back. And find out why my guards missed him.''
''Maria. She told them he'd come to fix the boiler,'' Christian said immediately.
''Make sure she leaves as well,'' Fabio said.
Half an hour later, Christian returned with a smile on his face. ''She's got a daughter called
Amy,
and she lives in LA. She's an American citizen.''
''How the hell did you find that out so fast?''
''Maria knew more than I thought.''
''Did she tell you where she lived?''
''I had
to really persuade her
to tell me that, but yes.''
*****
''Right listen up Alberti,'' Fabio said as he looked at Christian and Alberti. ''Christian has found out that the dog that fucked my wife, has a daughter called Amy. We're going to kidnap her. This afternoon she's attending a friends wedding. Christian is going to the
wedding,
and he's going to charm her.'' Alberti nodded and drew on his cigarillo. ''Christian is going to befriend her, get her to the street under some pretense, and bundle her into the car. You are going to drive her to Oaktree Lodge and keep her locked up.''
''Okay boss,'' Alberti said.
''Remember Christian, no fooling around with her. I know what you're like. If you put a finger on
her,
I'll cut your hand off.''
Christian recognized the look Fabio was giving him and knew he meant it. ''Don't worry boss, I'll behave perfectly.''
*****
When Christian walked into the wedding
reception,
women turned their heads. The reception was in the garden of a luxury hotel in Beverly Hills. The guests were the smart set, people from Hollywood, and from big business. Christian also recognized a few people from his line of work, organized crime. He laughed to himself when he noticed the Chief of Police talking to man Christian new had murdered someone just two days earlier.
Christian didn't have an invitation, but no-one would notice, there were so many people.
''Hello and what's your name?'' a woman asked.
''Christian,'' he replied.
She was in her sixties. She had been good looking at one time, Christian thought, but she was way past her sell by date now. ''You're very handsome. How much do you charge?''
''What?'' he said.
''You're price, what is it? Dear boy, do you think I could get a man as nice looking as you into my bed without paying him?''
''I'm not a gigolo.''
''But you do have a price don't you?'' she asked.
He flashed his white smile at her. ''Yes of course. Five million dollars, now fuck off out of my way.'' The woman looked frightened and moved away.
''That wasn't nice,'' she said.
''What wasn't?'' Christian asked.
''The way you spoke to her. She's old.''
''Not too old to ask me to fuck her,'' he protested.
''I'm Amy,'' she said.
Sometimes Christian wondered about life. Here he was trying to find Amy, and something had brought her to him without him even having to try.
''Nice to meet you, Amy,'' he said. She was wearing a long silver dress that revealed her breasts and clung to her hips. She had long dark hair which curled it's way to the middle of her back, and the most beautiful face Christian had ever seen.
''How do you know Madison?'' she asked.
He had no idea who Madison was but guessed she was the bride. '' Oh, I'm on the grooms side. Went to school with him,'' he bluffed.
''It was a terrible shock her getting pregnant so soon after they'd met, wasn't it?'' Amy said.
''Oh yes, such a shock,'' he replied hardly able to keep a straight face.
One hell of a good looking guy, Amy thought as she let her eyes flow over him. Tall, athletic and the most wonderful eyes., Decent bulge as well, she noted.
''Come and dance with me,'' he said taking her hand. Before she had time to respond, she was in his arms being carried effortlessly around the dance floor.
''You're very beautiful,'' he said. ''What do you do for a living?''
''I'm a student of music.''
''You can play my instrument all day long,'' he joked.
''Vulgar,'' she said.
''That's me, though. I say what I want. I don't care whether you think it's vulgar or not.'' She gasped when he pulled her tighter to him and navigated them around another couple.
''You dance well,'' she said, aware that her thigh was dangerously close to the place where it shouldn't be.
''Self taught. Hundreds of hours dancing with beautiful women like you.''