Saturday afternoon consisted of several things. First was the sunshine. It was the beginning of August and the temperatures were high. But the warmth was a comfort. Second was the fact that I had the music up at full volume while I danced around the apartment in my underwear and there was no angry bastard around to complain about it.
He was off having sex with another woman.
In most circumstances, that would be devastating news. But I was hoping that it would result in Desmond wanting a divorce so that he could be with whoever this woman was. It would save me from having to ask for a divorce. It would allow me to leave the marriage safely. And all I had to do was hang in there for a little longer. I had faith that this would work.
After I had a shower, I stood in the mirror and smiled at my naked figure. It wasn't because I thought I looked fantastic or I was self obsessed. It was because there wasn't a hint of bruising on me. Whoever Desmond was screwing must have had a magic vagina because he'd been level headed all week.
Well, as level headed as Desmond can be.
He still threw a tantrum over the fact that I forgot to refill the salt shaker. I spent about two hours cleaning salt out of the carpet, couch and television unit after he threw the bag at me. But all things considered, that was tolerable.
When I was done admiring my clear skin, I dressed in a black off the shoulder playsuit. It was simple but cute and it went well with flip flops. I figured that I didn't need to dress to the nines for a dinner at Aiden's apartment. I twisted my hair into some soft waves and did a little bit of make up as well. I felt great as I headed downstairs with a bag containing a few things that we'd need for tonight. Aiden was waiting in his car. He'd let me know that Maddie had given him the address and I decided not to panic about it.
He seemed to understand that I didn't want him and Desmond crossing paths. It wasn't spoken out loud but I still knew that he was respecting that without making me say it. I climbed into the SUV and he handed me an ice tea while he stared over me, his gaze hidden behind the sunglasses. "You look beautiful," he said.
"Oh," I blushed and accepted the drink after I'd put my seatbelt on. "Thank you. You look great. Casual suits you."
He grinned. I meant it though. He looked incredible in his suit pants and crisp shirts. But he looked equally as handsome in his fitted black t-shirt and jeans. He had his hand rested lazily on the steering wheel, his other elbow was leaning on the centre console and I wanted to photograph him. He looked like one of the men that appeared in my Pinterest feed when I was drooling over hot celebrities.
"So," he spoke, startling me from staring at him for too long. "How are you? About the thing with your— boss?"
I sipped on the ice tea for a moment while I thought about it. "Better," I nodded, watching the streets pass outside. The beach on one side, the establishments on the other. "Yeah it still sucks. But I think now that the shock has worn off, I'm not as wound up about it. I'm sorry by the way, for being such a mess that night."
"Please don't apologise," he glanced towards me for a brief moment. "I think it's incredible how empathetic you are. You have a big heart. That's nothing to be sorry for."
My heart started to get all erratic as I grinned. Hearing him compliment me was something that I couldn't imagine getting used to. It warmed me all over. I felt it rush through me, coursing in my veins and accelerating the beat in my heart. Like a drug, but nothing could compare to this man.
As I picked up my drink from the cup holder, we drove over a pothole and Aiden cursed, apologising as I dropped the drink on to the floor. I picked it up as fast as I could but a little of the liquid had seeped on to the clean carpet.
"Shit," I put the drink back and started searching for a napkin. "I'm sorry."
"Ari, it's fi—"
I pulled open the glove compartment in front of me and paused at the sight of a handgun sitting in the middle of other items such as a car manual, pamphlets and even napkins. It took me a moment to snap out of the stupor that I was in while I stared at the weapon.
"Uh, why do you have a gun in here?"
Aiden was still relaxed. His posture hadn't become rigid or uncomfortable. His tongue lapped out at his lip and he was quiet for more than a pause before he turned to me and smiled. "I'm in the repo business Arian. People don't always appreciate their things being taken from them. It's for self defence."
"But I thought you owned the business," I questioned. "Don't you have staff?" I grabbed a couple of the napkins and ignored the glistening handgun while I shut the compartment.
"Yes, I have hundreds of staff all over Florida that take care of the hands on stuff. But people will still pick a grievance with the person who's in power. Isn't that how it goes?"
I finished dabbing up the small mess and tucked the napkins into my door handle as I shrugged. "Yeah I guess so. Have you ever had to use it?"
It was hard to see with his glasses on. But his brows furrowed for a moment. I had never used a gun or had interest in owning one. There was no chance that I would bring a loaded weapon into the house with such a psychopath who could turn it on me. But I supposed if he needed to protect himself, that was fair.
"Yes," he answered with an apologetic smile. "I've had to use it."
I kept quiet but I felt my brows raise with incredulity. I couldn't imagine having to shoot another person. I decided not to ask about it because I doubted that it was something that he'd want to talk about. I understood it though. The amount of times that I thought Desmond might have killed me and I wished that I'd been able to protect myself.
"I can get rid of it if it makes you uncomfortable," he said, shooting me a questioning glance. "I'd throw it out the window but then it might end up in the wrong persons hands. We don't want that."
He gave me a small smile and I nodded. "That wouldn't be ideal. But I'm alright. It's fine."
_____
"So then I just roll the dough through this machine and it turns it into pasta?"
I watched Aiden turn the handle on the pasta machine that I had brought from home. I'd attached it to the countertop and he insisted that he roll the dough when I was finished making it. As he twisted the handle and fed the dough through the machine, his spare hand guided it across the bench so that it didn't bunch. His large hands were so delicate and gentle. It was mesmerising to watch.
"That's perfect," I giggled as he gave me a proud nod. "It has to be quite thin and then we cut it into circles so that we can pack it with the lamb mince."
"I've never had tortellini cooked from home before," he mentioned, starting the process of thinning out the dough again. "The sauce smells good."
I glanced over at the stove top where the sauce was simmering. We'd been cooking for a couple of hours and expected people to begin showing up in an hour or so. But once the pasta was done, it didn't take long to go from pot to plate. It was a relief that Aiden kept aprons because my front was covered in flour, sauce and other ingredients which I was no longer able to identify. But I was having an incredible time with him.
He finished thinning out the pasta and we stretched it from one end of the bench top to the other. We used a ring cutter each and began making circles about the size of our palms. Occasionally Aiden's arm would graze mine or his hip would brush against me and my stomach would fly into my throat. Being near him intoxicating. It was a huge distraction. But I focused on what I was doing and attempted to calm the nerves.
We both glanced towards the entrance when footsteps approached and Hunapo came strolling in. His dark skin had a sheen to it and patches of sweat covered his tank top. He looked as though he might have been exercising. It wouldn't have surprised me if Aiden had a gym in this apartment.
"Hi Hunapo," I grinned and gave him a small wave. "How are you?"
He nodded with his usual timid smile. "Good thank you Arian. Uh Aiden, the phone in your office has been ringing for about ten minutes."
"I know," Aiden said, not bothering to look at his friend. "I can see the alert on the machine."
My brows furrowed with confusion and I followed Hunapo's stare to a phone and base secured on the wall. Sure enough, there was a blinking light flashing. "That's such a good idea," I laughed with excitement. "You can just ignore calls without listening to the ring. I love it."
Aiden let out a light chuckle through his nose but carried on making pasta circles with a small smile set on his lips. Hunapo cleared his throat, seemingly becoming a little more awkward. "I think it's important boss."
Aiden sighed. He rested his hands on the countertop and exhaled with frustration. "I'll be back in a moment Arian," he told me. He stepped behind me and placed his hand on my back as he passed.
He seemed tense and I felt for him. No one wanted to work during their weekend. I watched him leave and Hunapo kept his gaze down on the floor as he wandered towards the fridge to get a water.
"Will you be eating with us, Hunapo?"
There was a quiet pause as he guzzled his water and came to a stand beside me, inspecting the ingredients laid out before him. Hunapo wasn't tall. Taller than me but shorter than Aiden. I still loved his hair. Those thick almost dense looking locks that were cut in a crop on the top of his head. I wanted to touch it. But I didn't.
"What are you making?"
"Tortellini," I smiled and wandered over to the fridge to get the lamb mince. I set the bowl down and used my fingers to scoop some of it out before I rolled it into a ball and placed it in the middle of a pasta circle.
"I'm a pescatarian," he shrugged after quietly watching for a moment. "The sauce smells good though."
"I had no idea!" I gasped and stared at the bowl of mince. "I could leave some pasta aside and mix it with the sauce once it's cooked? Or I could make you something else. I—"
"It's fine," he interrupted with a light laugh. "I have a meeting tonight and there's usually food provided."
"A meeting?"
"For addicts," he answered with a slight nod.
"Ohhhh," I quietly said and felt a little embarrassed for asking. "Well, next time, I'll make sure that I have a vegetarian option prepared."
He gave me a grateful smile and wandered out of the kitchen so that I was alone. I couldn't stop smiling. I could feel it. My cheeks were bordering on sore from all of the grinning. But I couldn't help it. I knew that this feeling wasn't permanent. I never knew how long it would last. So I embraced it and savoured each moment as if it was the last.
"Don't tell me that he wifed up while I was gone."
My head snapped up at the sound of a female voice and I saw a drop dead gorgeous girl leaning against the door frame. She was thin with that same Carmel skin tone that Aiden had. But her hair was ash blonde and pulled up in a bun on the top of her head. She was wearing a cropped hoodie and shredded jeans with fishnet stockings underneath. However, when I saw the bright emerald green in her calculating gaze, I knew who she was.
"You must be Zoerina," I grinned and rounded the countertop. "You are gorgeous. I'm—"
"Irrelevant," she interrupted with boredom. She looked just like Aiden with that stare. Her pixie shaped face and flat stare. "Trust me honey, you won't be here in the morning. Just like the rest of them. There's no point in getting to know each other."
I took a deep breath and attempted not to appear offended. Aiden had referred to her as the black sheep of the family, so perhaps she was just a little rough around the edges. She had definitely made the wrong impression about who I was.
"If I was a meaningless one night stand, how would I know who you are," I said, watching with a wince as her face fell. "Aiden and I are jus—"
"Zee?" Aiden's voice could be heard just before he appeared, staring at his sister with bewilderment. "What are you doing here?"
She tore her perplexed gaze from me and smiled at her brother. "Well I live here, A," she gave him a jab in the shoulder and then gestured at me. "I was just accusing your girlfriend here of being a tap and gap victim. Looks like we have a lot to catch up on."
Aiden's jaw clenched as his gaze darkened and he looked between us with frustration. It was impossible not to watch how he could appear so frustrated but still be the picture of calm and approachable. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. "Can we talk for a minute, Arian."
"Cute name," Zoerina shrugged and folded her arms. "But I'm a little offended A. Don't you want to know where I've been."
"No," he answered, not taking his questioning stare off me.
"I've been in Paris, London, India, Australia. I did a small stint in some tiny village in Colombia and I shit you not, those people make some dope hallucinogens—"
Aiden rolled his eyes with exasperation. "Arian?"
"Yeah, sure," I stepped into place beside him and let him lead me out of the room. I peered over my shoulder to see that Zoerina was watching us head up the corridor with furrowed brows.
"Fine," she shouted after us. "I'll just be down here, telling myself about how the last two years have been on the fucking run!"
____
Thanks for teaching me how to cook Tortellini Momma. We haven't had that in ages. Let's do that again soon please.