Survive As We May

Target

"Where is the caviar?!" I hear him scream, so when I meant selling like a professional I may have overstepped my position. I was more a waitress who held the champagne. But all I had to do was present some of my work and I know I could change Julian, my bosses, mind.

The girl on my left comes out with the caviar and exits the kitchen. This was my chance not that everything was running smoothly.
"Sir, wait please. Let me have one minute of your time" I say chasing after him as he checks the appetizers.
He doesn't respond so I persist, "sir please, I came to you last week but you were busy now that you have some free time perhaps we can talk?" He turns abruptly.
"Listen Valerie.."
"Valentina" I correct him he waves it off and continues, "I meet seven or eight of you a day, you think you have skills, your parents love your doodles, but I am six feet under in this gala and have no time to look at cheap, over pretentious art. Please get to work." He says snapping his fingers. I fume but if I want to get through to him I'd have to be patient so.. I grab a platter with filled Champaign and make my wait out into the sea of overly rich men and women dressed like overly rich men and women.

****
After my shift I make my way out and grab my new phone, listen no one passes up an x. I call up the insurance like I was supposed to do this morning and make my way to pick up cam from skating. But when I get there there's already a familiar car parked into the rinks lot and I get out quickly running into the school. Inside I find cam with her tiny skates in hand and her shoes already on and a man speaking to the instructor. He's well dressed in a suit and his hair dark. Oh shoot.

"Mommy! Dwaddy is here!"she squeals running to me and pointing to Nicolo who turns to face me. I stop dead in my tracks. What is he doing here? I thought we agreed space!

"Valentina, let me explain!" I grab cam and start to make my way out to the car.
"But Mwommy! Wait! Your fworgetting Dwaddy!"she says screaming and crying out for me to stop.
"Get in camerri now!" I say angrily trying to buckle her as fast as I could. No way were we doing this. I get in the car and drive away as fast as possible. Once I reach the light I sigh out happily. At least I had escaped that confrontation.

I drive us to the house ignoring cam and her self righteousness and when we reach the house I pull up into the driveway and find the same black Chevy corvette in front of me. Oh this was gonna go down for real. I open up the car and get cam out immediately taking her inside only to find Nicolo standing in the living room.

"Go to the playroom cam" I say taking her stuff from her and watch her skip off.
"Get out" I say keeping it cool. No reason to lose my shnitzel.
"No, I own this house as much as you do" he says also keeping himself calm.
"Okay fair enough, what do you want?" I ask crossing my arms and waiting.
"To place up a perimeter of security around the house" he says. This is when I lose it.
"No! That's why I left, I have something good here and I'm not about to let you come in and ruin it. Now that we've spoken you may leave"

"Valentina enough with your stubbornness, I've stayed away long enough you'd had your space and now I want you to just trust me on this one please, your being targeted and for real this time. There is nothing to stop a killer from slitting yours and cams throat at night!" He yells.

"Oh nothing but the cameras you've set secretly everywhere around the house. Do I look dumb? That was your issue you always underestimated me. I don't need your protection and neither does cam, the alarm company does that for me" I say trying to end this unnecessary conversation.
"I want to see my daughter Valentina now either you share and start getting used to my presence or else I'll take her from you permanently like you tried to do to me." When he says this I feel a lump in my throat form.

He could do that, considering he is her real father and I'm not her real mother. I run my hand through my hair and sigh.
"Fine, threaten me, doesn't change anything. In fact it makes it worse. After all this time of being alone why target me now? Huh?" I ask my anger and desperation beyond concealing. I hated him now more than ever and hated how much power he had over my life. I live in the house he bought for crying out loud.

"I don't know, I thought once you left for sure they would try and get to you but now seems random." His demeanor softens and I nod.
"Fine, you can come over on Sunday's to see her and if you want take her for the weekends" I say my heart dropped and my cheeks flushed.

"Okay, thank you" he says.
"You can make your way out or stay whatever you want, it is your house" I add in and leave the living room to make my way upstairs. But I hear the door close behind me and I know he's gone.

It's been two months what changed? I make my way up and suddenly I feel nauseous. Oh shoot. I run up and make my way into the closest bathroom before hurling into the toilet seat.

Stupid school and work giving me a stomach bug.