Ch.7 - "What you all about today? Have a face stuck in a book with sunshades, is it?"

I was driven home. Luca Marino’s chauffeur drove me. The irony of it all was that I was driven by someone who held me captive few minutes ago.

Trust, I had tried resisting every effort of his to get his chauffeur drive me home. But he, as defiant and mysterious as ever, made conditions be it that I wasn’t going to be released unless I agreed. I had no choice.

I had even attempted to drop at a close bar near the house. But, the driver totally stalked me even when I dropped from the car.

I had a cup of beer with him creepily watching me. I had to stick my face in a book of magazine, taking my sunshades from my bag to avoid his face.

I was so going to kill Luca Marino the next time I saw him.

How dare he?

This was an offence punishable by law.

Even if I had no balls to report to the police, I didn’t know why I thought of that. I worked in a strip club, a place where I was used to mafia ruling underground, guns flying and dirty cops too.

I knew better than doing anything stupid as that.

“Hey, Sasha.” I said briefly to the middle-aged bar tender. She was a brown skin woman and had a mole just above her to show how sassy of a bitch she was. Her dress was cut to her cleavage which bounced at her every attempt to move. If anything, she was confident.

“What you all about today? Having your face stuck in a book with sunshades, is it?”

I laughed at that statement, knowing that she knew me to be better than that.

“Circumstances I must say.” I defended nodding my head towards the driver that got me down here.

He was still staring at me head on that I wondered if he ever laughed.

“Ah, have a dick chasing you at that. I’ll hit that at my play time. Damn, those muscles are a hit. Who is he? I haven’t seen him around.” She asked.

“Nobody you should know of. I have to leave now, Sasha.” I get up leaving half of my beer and closing the magazine.

“Where are going, doll? You haven’t finished your drink.” She asked.

“I’m in a hurry. I have something to do. Bye, Sasha!” I mouthed off.

“Your loss, my gain.” I laugh at that statement. I look through the corner of my eyes only to find her gulping my leftover cup of beer.

Guess Sasha would always be Sasha.

                                    ~ ~ ~

I’m lucky to find Calily sleeping since she got two days off from work. My phone’s switched off. I switch it on only to find messages from my mum.

Are you okay? You’ve not been replying my messages.

She really needed to write the fact that I wasn’t a kid anymore in her head. I was freaking 25 and could handle my business myself. But, she never did.

As a single mum, she had raised myself and my brother, Francesco. She was just too protective of us. That made Francesco rebel. He spends most of his teenage years getting drunk, fucking wasted, joining gangs.

This was why my mum put him in a boarding school. At times, I even doubted if he wasn’t in the mafia cause he was too secretive and underground.

I’m okay, Aida Esposito, you worry a lot. I replied back. I knew she disliked being addressed as an elder. My mum always wanted to be young and radiant.

She had once called me off for calling her mum in public. She totally shuns me because of just that to the extent people started thinking of us as blood siblings.

My phone rang seconds after. She’s the one.

“Serena, darling. Are you alright, my dear? Oh, my goddess, you fucking scared me.” She cried out.

“Oh, my goddess, you used the ‘f’ word mum.” I mimicked over the phone. I’m on the sofa when I sight Calily. She comes out of her bedroom. Her hair looked like a nest.

She yawned loudly.

“Hey, bitch.” I signaled that my mum was on line. She gave a shush sound.

“Are you being serious? I was fucking pissed off. You should understand this, love.” She defended.

“You did it again, mum.” I said again. I wanted to give her a reason to hang up.

“Okay, but you shouldn’t go off to me like that. I’m your mum. Do you want me to get a heart attack?”

“No, mum.” I admitted.

“Then don’t switch off your phone like that for almost two days again. I get that you moved out because of my protective ways yet you don’t have to close me off.” She said.

“Alright, mum. I won’t.”

“Yeah, how’s your job? I still don’t approve you stripping till now.” I roll my eyes.

“It’s great. I don’t want to meet any of your friends for a job.” I said.

“Okay, if you change your mind, you could always come back.” I gave the feral look to Calily. She knew my mum was trouble.

“Yeah, mum.” I grunted out.

“Okay, then. Bye!” She said.

I hung up immediately.

My mum had big issues.

“Mum got us there again, is it?” Calily cried out from her bowl of popcorn in the sitting room.

“Spare me the crap talk, girl. What movie are you seeing?” I asked delightfully as I walked into the parlor.

“Work it. I’m really into the movie.” She replied.

“Before we see it, I’m no fool.” She paused the movie.

“Tell me what the actual fuck happened yesterday. You rushed out leaving me clueless.”  I debated with myself whether to tell her or not.

After seeing it would be of no use, I narrated it all to her. The magnificent house, the men who kidnapped me, the wrong identity and misunderstanding.

All the gist left her open mouthed. For some reason, she became more pissed when she found out my kidnapper was actually Luca Marino.

I wondered why that would make her so angry. From all I knew, she was a huge fan of his and wanted us both to make babies.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------