“I had the team working on it. I wanted it ready for your last birthday, but the paint wasn’t right, so we were delayed a few months.” This fool really stepped out of his shoes before climbing into the driver’s seat.
“Later, I’m gonna take Gianna home now.” I started to walk away.
“No, get in; I’ll take you.”
“I’m not taking off my shoes.” He actually pouted when I said that, and the twins chimed in with their reluctance to do the same.
“Fine, just make sure there’s no dirt on them.” This guy. We waited for Gianna and Rosa, who went back inside to grab her bag.
“Thank you very much for dinner, Mrs. Russo. It was excellent.” When did she turn into a diplomat? She said her thanks and goodbyes to the elders before we all piled in with her sitting in the middle of the twins in the back of the car.
Lance’s shit kept me distracted until we were pulling into her driveway. I fought an inner war with myself about letting her go in there. Everything in me revolted at the idea. It’s silly because I have no right, but the thought of letting her walk through those doors repulses me. And yet, common sense tells me that I don’t know this girl, barely just met her, and have no place here. Sometimes common sense can get fucked.
I was the only one who got out with her and walked her to the door. “Give me your phone.” I hadn’t seen one in her bag earlier and gathered she kept it on her.
“I don’t have it with me.” That sounded odd, but her following words were even worst. “It doesn’t accept incoming calls anyway.” She bit her lip as if she hadn’t meant to say that. I didn’t think twice about reaching in my pocket to give her mine.
“Here, take this until I can get you one.” I showed her where to find the number. This number is the same as the one on my watch; call me if you need me.”
“I can’t…” There was fear in her eyes when she looked up at me, and my gut turned. “Open the door.”
“What? You’re coming in?” I didn’t answer, just waited for her to do as I say.
She unlocked the door with a shaking hand, and I almost stopped her and took her back to the car. I hadn’t planned for this, so I wasn’t prepared, but it goes against everything I am to leave her like this, scared and alone. “YOU…” Victoria and who I guess is her mother, were waiting just inside as we walked in, almost as if they’d been listening for the door.
They hadn’t seen me as yet, because I came in behind her, but I saw them. All I needed was the look on their faces and the tone of that one word to tell me everything I needed to know. “Oh, hello, who are you?” I’m pretty sure she knew, and since I wasn’t here to see her, I ignored her question. “Where’s Mr. Fontane?”
“Come, I’ll take you.” Already there was a notable difference in her demeanor. She was back to being that cowed scared little girl I’d met on the school grounds. She kept her head down as she walked by the two of them, leading me down a hallway to a room all the way at the end on the left. “This is his study; he usually reads in here after dinner.”
“Dad?” She knocked on the door before opening it.
“Oh, Gia, you’re back; how did it…Oh, hello, who have we here?” He stood from his seat behind the desk. Weak! His weakness came off him in waves. Not in his stature, he looks like any other man in his late thirties early forties, but there was a softness about him that someone like me is trained to see.
“I’m Gabe Russo; my parents asked me to bring your daughter home safely; sorry things ran a bit late.”
“Oh, that’s okay; your father called and told me she was invited to stay for dinner.” Love, he loves her; it’s in the look he gave her. So, what the fuck is going on in his house?
“Gianna, step outside, don’t leave before I say bye.” She looked from me to her dad with a questioning look on her face, and I waited to see what she’d do. She just nodded and left; good girl. “Sir, I guess my father told you that my sisters need Gianna’s help and how important it is. You don’t know my sisters…why are you looking at me like that?”
“You called her Gianna. No one has called her that since her mom. It’s been a while since I’ve heard it, that’s all. Go ahead, as you were saying?”
“As I was saying, my sisters can be very dog with a bone about these things; they’ll probably be calling her up at all hours for answers. Your daughter doesn’t have a phone.”