“I am confused. Is your phone on?!” my father asked“Uhmm… yes,” I answered quickly, still lying “Well, please turn it off. It keeps ringing every time I try to call Alessandro,” he said “Okay,” I responded.I turned to look at Alessandro and hoped he would turn off his phone, but instead, he was in more panic about my father standing on the other side of the door. So, my father tried to call Alessandro again and his phone rang loudly once again. “Tori!” my father called out angrily. I wondered how my father had not figured out that Alessandro’s phone was inside the room. He automatically assumed it was mine. “I told you to switch off your phone.” my father said “I am sorry. I am turning off my phone now.” I replied slowly while looking at Alessandro, hoping he would get the hint. He eventually did and slowly pulled out his phone and turned off the volume, and then pushed it back into his pocket. I heard my father on the other end pressing a few buttons, and then the phone rang
“Anyway, ladies, I will check in on you two later.” my father said as he stood up. “Let’s go and shoo these people out of the house.” My father left the room with Alessandro, leaving me in Roni’s room with her. “So, he is a quick man,” Roni said “What do you mean?” I questioned back“He comes up with lies quickly,” she replied “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Tori, we all know he was not in the bathroom. I heard you guys talking as soon as you left my room. I knew you guys were definitely in your room. There was no way you were just standing in the corridor. And then, when Dad came to your room looking for you, he tried to call Alessandro, and we all heard his ringtone coming from your room. Dad probably heard it but is just praying and crossing his fingers that Alessandro was not in your room.” she answered. There was really no point in lying to Roni. She had managed to really catch us before. So, everything else she saw was just a confirmation of all that we had done
Oh, just how I knew we were definitely going to be seen by my father, and he was definitely going to leave the other dry conversation to attend to us. I was still in Alessandro’s arms. I could not break away because he gripped me tight, but then my father approached us long ago. I decided to let out a few tears and then start screaming like a kid. Alessandro caught that quick enough and slowly started rubbing my back to comfort me. “What’s wrong with Tori?” my father questioned again“I don’t know. I guess she is just feeling sad or something.” Alessandro responded. I continued to let out a few more fake tears, feeling also content that he got on the plan so quickly and was able to help me reply. “Tori, Tori… are you okay?” My father asked as he rubbed my back. I shook my head quickly. “What do you want? What do you need? Come on, talk to us.” my father asked, sounding really worried, which caused actual tears to roll out of my eyes because I had not seen him become that soft, e
“All set?” Alessandro asked me as soon as he saw me“Yep,” I replied“I feel underdressed. We were just going for a walk, and now you’re out here dressing up like it’s a fashion show.” he laughed.We walked out of the house after saying bye to my father, who looked like he did not want to be there in the living room but rather on the walk with me and Alessandro. “Hang on, you have something,” he said as he walked up to me and wiped my thigh. “Got it. You’re all good now.” He stared at his glove after wiping away whatever was on me. It was as if he had some weird obsession with keeping them clean. “What’s with the gloves?” I asked, finally breaking the silence“Oh, there was just a tiny stain on them. I thought they were ripped,” he replied.That was not what I was asking, but I nodded as if that was the response I was looking for. “Why do you always wear gloves?” I asked, hoping that time around, he would give me the answer I was looking for. “Why not?” he chuckled as he answered
Everyone else had gone home as well as Roni and her husband and Alessandro as well. It was just Dad and I alone in the house.He had spent the whole of the previous night playing his music and wailing away the whole night. I knocked on his bedroom door. “Come in,” he repliedI twisted the door handle and opened the door. I found my father seated my his radio player and photo albums scattered around him and a bottle of wine. “Come in, my cupcake,” he answered. I walked in and sat next to him. “Don't tell me that there are more people here. If there are, just tell them that I am asleep, and I will see them later,” he said“Oh no, there is no one else. It's just me.” I answered“I was meant to ask you, how was your walk with Alessandro?” He questioned. Just him bringing up the name sent chills down my spine. I thought of the kiss, the conversation, his scent and the hug. I hated that I thought of him at the mention of his name. “Tori?” my dad called out. “Oh, I am sorry. I zoned
I froze at my door, wondering what he meant by Roni mentioning something. My father had already hurried off with his cheerful and happiness while I was stuck wondering how he found the time to set up a date for me. After a few minutes, I came back to my senses and rushed to get my phone. I scrolled through my contacts to call Roni. She did not pick up after the first attempt, so I tried again, and she eventually picked up after 4 rings. “What the hell did you tell Dad?” I asked in a low voice“Well, good afternoon to you, too,” she replied “Okay, okay. Whatever…Good afternoon. Okay, so what did you tell Dad?” I continued to ask “What do you mean?” she asked me back.“Roni, all the times you play dumb, I like it, and I sometimes find it cute and funny, but right now is not one of those times.” I answered irritatedly, “So, cut with the crap and tell me what the hell you told Dad.”“Now you know how it feels when someone acts silly.” she laughed on the other end of the phone. At tha
“What’s the occasion?” he asked as his eyes continued to scan my body.My father had also reached the door and peeped around me to see who was standing there. Hearing Alessandro ask me what the occasion was ached my heart, slightly. If he was asking, it meant that he was not the one I would go with. It meant that my father had matched me with someone random. But why was I surprised? There was no way my father was going to set me up with his friend. “May I come in?” Alessandro asked“OH!” I stepped aside and let him enter the house. My father also did not look too pleased. He went back to his phone and continued to play his music loudly as he danced around. “Is he okay?” Alessandro questioned “Yeah, he is just re-living his high school moments as he goes down memory lane thinking about my mother,” I answered “Do you think that’s okay?” “Yes, I think it is okay. He has not hurt anyone. He seems happy. I mean, he is peaceful.” I answered. Alessandro nodded and we both continued to
“Right, I don’t want to keep you guys waiting too long. Go and have fun.” my father saidI turned around and gave my father a slight hug and then looked over at Alessandro who was too ashamed to look at me. It was as if he saw the pain in my eyes of having to go with someone that I already did not find attractive from the get-go. “Have fun kids!” my father called out as we walked towards the car. His car looked better than the last date’s car. It did not look like it would delay and die down but I walked past Alessandro’s big car. It was different from the one I had seen him drive before but I just knew it was his because I knew how my father’s car looked and it had the name ‘RUSSO’ on the number plate, once again. I dreamt of hopping into that car instead and driving away with Alessandro instead. “Let me open the door for you,” he said as he hurried to the passenger side. I hoped he was not insisting on opening the door for me because it had some faults. I prayed that he was actu