If y'all want, please comment where you're from!!! I would love to know.
"What are you talking about?" I made it a point to not immediately start explaining myself, or else I would look guilty.
I turned around slowly, partially because I need to get my thoughts together, and the other part was because I needed to see his facial expression. I needed to gauge the seriousness of the situation in its entirety before giving too much up.
Of course, to fuck with my senses and all ability to focus, he was shirt-less, and the gym shorts he decided to throw on was riding ridiculously low on his hips. The sun did me no favors either. The sweat on his chest glistened from the light casting into the room. He looked straight out of a movie meant for lonely single women. His face was serious though, reigning in my urges.
"Quindi suonerai stupido per questo ragazzo?"(So, you're going to play dumb for this guy?), he chuckled, humorlessly, while his muscles flexed, "Mona, I am losing my patience. You know exactly what I'm talking about and now you're going to explain."
I could feel the tears build up in the corner of my eyes almost immediately. It wasn't like I had planned to cry to get out of the situation, I just could sense how upset he was with me and how bad I had screwed up. It felt like there was a brick lodged tightly in my throat and no matter how much I tried to swallow; it wouldn't budge.
He sighed, growing more impatient by the second. I understood his frustration, I did. I couldn't forget how I acted when I thought he was cheating on me and now the roles were reversed, and I wasn't giving much insight into the situation.
"Levi is just my friend, Rafael. Nothing more."
He was quick to fire back, "From where?"
I hesitated on my answer, because it was bigger than what he might have originally thought. If I had mentioned that I met him at the art show that I attended, now I'm including my mom in the situation and would also most likely have to reveal that the painting that stared at him when he walked into the closet was gifted to me from Levi.
"You know what? It doesn't matter," He walked past me, just barely brushing my shoulder, to head into the bathroom, "Have your stuff ready, you're leaving in an hour."
It took me awhile to register that he said only I was leaving in an hour and that he didn't include himself. By the time I was ready to ask him about it, the door slammed shut behind him. The shower ran a minute later.
----
I finished my task of getting the sheets off the bed and setting them in the corner of the room. I moved on to getting all of my stuff packed and moving it downstairs myself. It was heavy but I didn't want Rafael to have to take it down, not while he was so mad at me.
I fixed myself a plate of granola and yogurt and took outside to eat near the pool. The sun was stronger today than yesterday. It felt good, especially because inside was so cold. Everything was serene, and gentle. The kind of peace my mind needed with all that was happening in my life.
There was a knock on the sliding glass door, that had me almost jumping out of my seat. One of Rafael's henchmen was calling me back inside. I gathered my empty bowl, took one last look around, and then reluctantly headed inside.
There were two men waiting for me, "Good morning."
They both nodded at me and then looked at each other. Deciding to give them space for whatever they might have been telepathically communicating, I walked to the kitchen and washed my bowl.
"Mrs. Boerio?"
I shook out the bowl and placed it in the drying rack, "You can call me Mona."
I turned around so that my attention was focused on him. He had no facial expression, nor did he seem like he was going to call me Mona even though I told him I allowed it.
He cleared his throat before talking again, "Mr. Boerio had to leave for an emergency, so he asked us to escort you to the plane. We'll need to leave in the next thirty minutes."
I nodded my head to avoid talking. I knew I would display some kind of emotion and that wouldn't be appropriate to do in front of his men.
I turned back around and dried my hands. Had I really been outside that long that he had time to slip out of the house without so much as a goodbye or a wish of a safe travel.
"Well I'm ready." I swallowed the impeding lump in my throat, "My luggage is already downstairs. I'm ready to go now, actually."
They didn't hesitate to grab my bags and rush us to the car. I wondered why when they gave me 30 minutes at least. I had no reason to linger, but still, I didn't like being rushed. The drive to the plane seemed shorter than when we arrived. We were there in what felt like less than an hour and then we were on the plane, taking off. I avoided the bedroom like the plague and decided to sit the entire time. I did a little studying and used the rest of the time listening to music and looking out of the window into the clouds.
Santiago was waiting for me when I got off the plane. He was excited to see me for some reason and couldn't stop asking questions about the trip. I obliged, wanting to get the situation from earlier out of my mind. I told him it was the best trip I'd been on and that I couldn't wait for the next one, omitting any bad that happened. Even though he worked for Rafael, I considered him family.
"Raf's gonna be in a better mood these days, I hope." His smile was ear to ear, "He was just moping around, mad as shit all the time this past week. I think this was what he needed."
Well... he was in for a surprise.
"He's traveling these next few months," he cleared his throat, "When I heard about his dad, I didn't think you guys would be going on your trip but, he's a strong man."
I set my phone down, fully tuned into the conversation, "His dad?" Mr. Boerio Sr. was a good man, who I loved with all of my heart. He was a soft kind man, who was always positive. No matter what the situation was, he always tried to make me smile or laugh, a true ode to how he was as a husband, Both of Rafael's parents were delightful and pure, in contrast to his lifestyle.
He nodded his head, "Yeah. Heart attack." He glanced at my confused face in the rearview mirror, finally registering that I had no idea, "He didn't tell you?"
I shook my head, a little embarrassed, "He probably didn't want me to worry."
Santiago hummed in question but didn't say anything else. I didn't either. Instead, I buried deep in my memory for any indication that he might have been in distress while we were on the trip. I shamed him for using his phone while on our trip. He was probably getting updates about his father, and here I was getting upset at him for little stuff. And I didn't make it better this morning when I wouldn't just come clean about Levi. I was the problem. I wanted it to be all about me all the time and I didn't realize he had so much going on in his life either.
Santiago dropped me off to an empty house. He helped bring my bags in and then he was gone. I didn't bother bringing my suitcase to my room. I left it in the foyer and wandered into the kitchen. The house was so quiet, I could hear my own breathing. I had grown used to my mom being around, so it felt lonely without her, especially since I couldn't wait to dish about the events of my anniversary.
There was a note with my name on it sitting on the counter. I didn't bother opening the letter. That was my moms signature way of letting me know she was out of town for a while.
It suddenly dawned on me that I had class tomorrow and I had gotten barely any online work done for my pathophysiology class. It was the class I hated the work, and the one I almost failed my first go around of nursing school. This week, we were diving into what crohn's disease could look like in a patient. Ulcers, edema's, and fistulas were etched into my brain after an hour of reading over the pathophysiology. I was now going to be paranoid and monito my poop like a hawk. I tried to move ahead and delve into the next chapter, but I wasn't confident that I could retain all that information and more, so I stopped myself.
I explored the online curriculum further, trying to jot down important dates, and clinicals. I had one this upcoming week, which made me want to shoot myself. We we're starting with adult patients, and they weren't always the most pleasant to work with. I shut my computer, deciding that I was going to enjoy the few hours I had left of my weekend doing something I would enjoy. And that was how I found myself unlocking the door to the house my husband and I shared.
----
I wasn't expecting Rafe to redecorate, but it baffled me how everything looked exactly the same from when I left. It was sparkly clean and smelled like the lavender cleaner I liked to use. I took my coat off and set it on the couch, along with my purse and my keys. I ventured upstairs where our room was, surprised to find the room door opened. I knew there wouldn't be any visitors but still, it was common courtesy to shut the room doors.
The room still smelled like me, which was a little strange considering he was a man who liked to wear cologne. The bed was made up perfectly, the carpet looked vacuumed, the blinds were still drawn, it was the perfect crime scene. The crime? A man who did not sleep at home. It looked like a showroom straight out of a magazine, not a single piece of dust was out of place.
I walked into the closet and grabbed my least attractive swimsuit and a towel. Deciding that I would save the argument for another day, I temporarily ignored the fact that Rafael was not sleeping at the house and instead set my mind on the hot tub that waited for me outside.
We hardly used it since we had jets in our tub that could do the same job, but outside felt nice enough that I would be comfortable in the hot tub. I turned on the functions like the maintenance man had once taught me to and waited until it heated up. We had an outside bar fully stocked for reasons beyond me, but today I think I was going to put it to use for a virgin pina colada. I enjoyed the one I had in St. Maarten and thought maybe drinking one would bring back the serenity of being on the island.
Fifteen minutes later, I was in the hot tub, sweating my pores out, and sipping my drink. This was better than getting a massage in my opinion.
-----
Monday dragged on slowly and Tuesday afternoon did too. I had started sleeping back in my house, moving things back little by little from my mom's place. I didn't realize how uncomfortable I was at my mom's place. When I dug through my suitcase and my little purple vibrator appeared under my underwear, I realized just how uncomfortable I was there. I hadn't used it once while I was at my moms, nor did I even remember I had it. Needless to say, I would be using it a lot more often since I was in my own space, and my husband wouldn't be around.
I dusted off the excess powder from my face and sprayed some matte setting spray on. It was almost time for me to meet Levi at the car show. I told him I would come after it started, so that I could escape the excitement of everyone who really wanted to be there. I was dressed in a crop tee and loose-fitted jeans, paired with sandal heels that weren't that high. I opted for my Louis Vuitton clutch rather than a purse. This was as casual as it was going to get with me.
I sped all the way to the show, because I ended up leaving much later than I had planned and Levi was blowing up my phone. I pulled up to the valet, barely telling them my name, before practically running inside. Vintage cars lined up on the sides waiting to be explored. There had to have been over five hundred people here, easily. It was a large building that I knew could handle the capacity, but it was still pretty unsettling that there was that many people there.
I didn't spot Levi first, he spotted me. He was dressed in a suit with no tie. The first two buttons of his dress shirt were undone reveling his tan chest. He had a fleet of three men with him, all dressed like they we're security detail.
Levi wrapped me in a hug when he approached me. It caught me by surprise, so I stumbled back a nit before regaining my balance. He pulled away, chuckling. Looking at him closely, you would think he had to have been some kind of runway model. He was just that attractive. It made me feel so average compared to him, I knew I was beautiful, thanks to my mother and father's background.
"I'm happy you're here." He brought a glass of something dark brown to his lips and took a small sip. "Henry, dale una copa de vino." (Get her a glass of wine).
A man with a ponytail and dark green eyes nodded his head before walking away from us. He instructed the rest of them to follow from a distance in Spanish. He grabbed a hold of my hand and pulled me to a polished cherry red car that seemed too small for him to have been able to fit in. It was labeled a 1959 Corvette, with a price point of $60,000.
"What do you think?"
I looked over the car, trying to find the best part of it. I guess the color was beautiful and would stand out among all these other classic cars. I just couldn't find the hype behind a show like this.
"I think the color is beautiful. A total chick magnet."
He laughed and took another sip, "I'm thinking of getting this one for Papa Colombo. He needs something new in his life, and his birthday is coming up." He walked around the car, closely inspecting every angle. He swiped his finger on the surface, satisfied with the paint job. If he could, I didn't doubt that he would marry the car.
"Would he be able to even fit in the car?"
Henry returned with a glass of white wine. I took it and thanked him.
"This isn't for driving, Mona." He laughed through his nose, "It's just for show."
Maybe I just wasn't as rich as them, but I didn't see the reason behind buying something like that just for show, "Oh, then I guess it's a nice car."
We walked the entire place, surveying every other car. He was getting more drunk as time went on, borderline slurring his words. He had been overly chatty to a few of the people around us and would sometimes loudly exclaim how much he liked or disliked a car. I was embarrassed to say the least. I hoped everyone could see how sorry I was from the expression on my face.
While Levi chatted with a group of men, I took the time to slip away to a light blue vintage car. There was nothing especially spectacular about it. It had four doors unlike most of the other cars around the place. The seats were white leather that was just not popular now a days. It reminded of a car from a movie set in the eighties. I pulled out my phone and snapped a couple photos. It would make a nice background picture.
"They'd look better if you were in them."
I hesitated on turning around. Something about it seemed like a trap. I just knew by the deepness of his voice that he was going to look equally as good.
I finally turned around so I wouldn't seem rude. Boy was I right. I never grew up being into white men, but I did admire how good looking some of them we're. His large frame towered over mine, causing me to step back so I could look up at him. His plump limps were set in a side smile, showcasing his pearly whites. He had light freckles on his cheeks that I could only see because I was so close to him. Something about him gave me Travis Kelce vibes. What was it they said about gingers, again?
"Should I take one with you in it so you can tell Instagram you were here?" It was only then did I hear his accent. He was English.
I chuckled and handed him my phone, "Actually, I don't have an Instagram. This one's for my mom."
I leaned against the car and let my hair fall into my face partially. I was really glad I had straightened it for tonight. It made hiding easier.
He took a few, making me switch poses every once in a while before handing me my phone back. I swiped through them to see they were actually taken really well. The lighting was perfect, along with how close he took the pictures.
"Are those just for your mom?"
I looked up at him from my phone. He had a smirk that I was sure dropped some panties on a regular basis. I knew what he was trying to ask, without outright asking. He wanted to know my relationship status.
I smiled and put my phone in my back pocket, "Oh, I don't know," I moved my head at an angle to make it seem like I had to think about it, "My husband might want to see them, too."
"There it is." he laughed softly, "I should have seen it coming. You're too beautiful to be single."
I might have been at the rate I was going with Rafael.
"Thank you."
I felt someone slide their hands on the small of back, all the way to my waist, to pull me into them. I didn't even need to turn to know who would do something like that. Whiskey. His alcohol of choice followed him around like baggage. That combined with his cologne almost made me gag.
Levi held out his hand for the man to take, "Levi Colombo." The way he said his name made it seem like he was a big deal. He was, but he didn't need to intimidate the guy.
The guy shook his hand but kept his eyes on me, "Jamie Burroughs."
I cleared my throat and eased my way out of Levi's hold. It was clear that a pissing match was about to happen, even though I had no intention of going home with either men. Noticing my discomfort, Jamie backed away.
"I'm guessing you're her husband?"
My eyes went wide at the assumption. Maybe in my father's universe I was, but in this very realistic one I was hitched to a man that held my heart.
Before I could answer, Levi was responding, "She's spoken for." Another sip of that damn drink, "Jamie Burroughs? That sounds familiar."
Jamie nodded his head and showed us his phone screen. He was on the baseball team, "I play baseball. I'm the pitcher. If you've gone to some of the games you'd recognize me."
I nodded my head. I wasn't easily impressed by famous people. I rubbed elbows with some of them at regular events Rafael and I attended. They were regular people.
"Where's your family from, James?"
I shook my head at how rude Levi was being. Burroughs was a mob named I recognized. They weren't as prominent in New York as they were in Chicago, but still got the job done, nonetheless. Levi was trying to 'I'm bigger than you' Jamie and I did not like it one bit
"Jamie." I corrected.
Levi chuckled and took another sip of his poison, "He can speak for himself, sweetheart."
I grabbed his bicep to pull him towards me. I could see that we already had a crowd watching to see what would happen next. The last thing I needed was to make the local news, being somewhere I had no business being.
"That's enough. You're drunk. I think we should go."
I let go of him and went to walk away when he pulled me back by my arm and pulled me into him. His lips forcefully made contact with mine, catching me completely by surprise. At first I couldn't move, frozen by the sheer audacity of this man. But then, I remembered that he was the reason there was a strain on my marriage and that I had no desire to be kissing him at this moment. I pushed against his body, trying to get him off of me. When that proved difficult, I mustered all the strength I could and slapped him.
The disconnect made me fly back and fall on the ground. I heard the unmistakable sound of my screen cracking in my back pocket. I was sure we had gathered the attention of almost everyone in the place. I was madder than I was embarrassed.
I got up quickly and stormed out. I probably looked ridiculous, but I didn't care. As soon as the valet saw me, he jogged out to get my car. I dug in my bag and pulled out a wad of twenties. My car pulled around in less than two minutes, making me thankful for how fast young people move. I handed him two hundred dollars and got in my car.
I saw Levi and his entourage coming out of the building, so I sped out of there.
I didn't realize how mad I was, until I looked down at the speedometer. I was going over 80 in a 55-speed limit zone. I pulled off to the side of the road and took a few deep breaths. This was no doubt going to be the paper and then would be circled back to Rafe as if he wasn't already wary of Levi.
I pulled the phone out of my back pocket, forgetting that I even had it there in the first place. The screen looked like someone had shot at it. I knew that it was just the screen protector, but it still made me mad that I was still put in a predicament for my phone screen to even be crushed.
I shot Rafael a text explaining the situation and one of the pictures I had Jamie take for me. I sat in the car for five more minutes after that so that I could collect myself more. In that time, it showed that Rafael had read my texts but hadn't bothered to reply.
I started my car back up and drove in silence to my house. The sound of the road calmed me completely. I felt the most serene when I pulled up on my street and could see my house. It was surrounded by trees, and a long pathway that stretched for half a mile.
I noticed a black car sitting in the driveway when I pulled up. My initial thoughts were that Rafael was back from Italy and we were going to be able to talk to situation out and we would just go back to normal.
But then, I saw a high-heeled foot step out of the backseat. I didn't immediately recognize the person until my car was close enough to illuminate light on them.
There she stood in the flesh, looking the same as when I met her. Ana Garcia.
Fun fact there is a Colombo crime family based in New York that I had no idea existed until after I had names picked out and everything. If y'all are interested read up on it, they're a big deal.