Fiancé
HOLLIS
After having a private meeting with Don Pedro about his various investments and some of the ways he could consider managing them better. I stood to see him and his daughter off, but he announced that he was meant to be at another important meeting and pleaded that I see that Elsa got home in one piece.
The man had pulled me hurriedly to see him off and when I got back to the table, I met a fuming Elsa, with my cellphone placed on the table. I had left with Don Pedro hurriedly that I forgot to tuck it back into my pocket.
“You have a fiancee?” She asked before I could settle into the opposite seat.
“What?” I asked ignoring the anger splashed across her face.
“Some chick called and said you’re her fiancee” Elsa replied.
I picked up my phone and checked through the call log. A call from Alessia, I sighed when I started fixing the puzzle. Ugo must have gotten pissed and made an announcement that is going to rock her world and mine in a not-so-good way.
“Damn, what did you say to her?” I asked carefully signaling Rocco’s presence.
“Seriously, that’s all you care about? What I said to her is the only thing bothering you? You have a fiancee, don’t you think I deserve some sort of explanation and apology?”
“Why, I didn’t lead you-on or give you the impression that something is ever going to work out between us. Listen, I have to go.” I told her as Rocco approached the table. “Rocco will get you home safely.” I said more to Rocco than Elsa.
I was worried, about Ugo. If she intentionally told Elsa that I was her fiance just for spite, then she was obviously upset. I was behind the wheels of my Audi as quickly as I could and started speeding back to Willowbrook.
After an hour and a few minutes, I was back home, unannounced. I almost ran to my apartment. I met Ugo, curled up on the couch, asleep, probably cold. Carefully, I pulled off my jacket and lifted her up gently. Her entire body jolted in my arms that I slide under her back and knees, lifting her up off the couch. It took a moment or two before her immediate instinct took over.
“Shhhh,” I murmured against her skin as I pulled her against my chest. “We’re going to bed,” I added, walking through the apartment toward the bedroom door.
“I want to sleep on the couch,” I heard her insistence.
“No.” I stated, the tone of my voice left no room for arguments. But as always, Ugo would never take a simple no without getting on your last freaking nerve.
“Yes.” She started as usual. “Beside, I was comfortable on the couch.” She insisted. I noted the annoyance in her voice. And I began even to wonder why she was mad at me, really.
“You won’t be sleeping on the couch.”
“Why not, I’ve been sleeping on the couch since I got here.”
My hold on her became tighter, a reflex action that came to surface with just the thought of not sleeping on the same bed with her. A short soft moan escaped her lips right before she stopped herself. It was all my fault, I left her the very first day she got here and went off to attend to the damn club. Now she’s been sleeping on the couch?
“You are my fiancee, remember. So you will sleep in the bedroom and not some couch that will give you back aches. Moreso, we’re passing a narrative that we’re lovers. It won’t stick when any of my men comes in and meet you sleeping on the couch.”
“Why. But no one is here to see where I’m sleeping.” Ugo insisted.
“My men come and go at all times when they need me.” I replied, lacing the truth with a bit of casually-baked lie.
“So, you do care about appearances.” Came the next question that made me roll my eyes at her. “That’s pathetic!”
“In this life, Ugo,” I snapped, “appearances matter a whole lot. It’s why we dress the way we do, why we have codes and rules. Anytime you stray from the appearances that outsiders come to expect from you, you open yourself up to speculation, you make yourself appear weaker.”
“So you’re saying.”
Goddamn, half of this woman would be enough to drive me insane. But I have one of her. So I won’t think of ever ruling out the possibility of running mad one of these days.
“You’re sleeping inside here, on this bed, my dear fiancee.” I added as I lowered her onto her side of the bed.
“Don’t fucking call me that.”
“Oh, you called yourself that, not me. Don’t blame that on me.”
“I will blame it on you. What the hell do you take me for. You left me here since five freaking days. I call to find out how you’re faring and some cheap ass fool picks my damn call telling me you were using the shower. You think that’s some great stuff.” She barked at me, her eyes were bloodshot and I was certain her pulse and respiration would be over the room as well.
“Ugo,” I called softly. “Elsa must have said that just to spite you.”.
“Oh, she has a name. Spite me, why would she want to spite me. Does it look like I care. You can screw the whole town if you want to.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to screw anybody. I only want to screw and be screwed by one person.”
“Lucky you.” She spat out.
“I wasn’t in any bathroom, Ugo. Elsa’s Dad and mine are childhood friends. She only accompanied her Dad to an important meeting with me. She probably answered my phone when I went to see her father off.” I still explained, even though she kept insisting she didn’t want to hear it. I started taking off my wirstwatch while standing on my side of the bed. I watched her turn her face to the side like I was demonstrating some stupid strip-tease. Not like I wouldn’t think about giving her one.
“Ugo, like it or not, you are now entangled with me, a mafia Boss. As long as I breath, you are untouchable. Not only will I protect you, but when I officially introduce you to my family, you will become one of us and have more people that would be willing to lay down their lives just to keep you safe.”
“I don’t need any of that. I didn’t ask anyone to die for me.”
“You have little or no choice in that. You are my woman. And a high-value target for the anyone who wants to fuck with my Family.”
“Christ! just what a girl wants to hear right before bed,”she said, shaking her head.
“I need you to know.” I said, reaching for my belt.
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“What does it look like I’m doing?” I asked, removing my belt, then rolling it up in my hand, securing it before putting it aside.
“Then,” she started. “ah….. well then,” I listened, while unbuttoning My shirt. And I noticed she couldn’t get herself to look away as I slipped off the grey fabric and exposed the body beneath it.