Chapter 55
The sound of grunting and groaning as the men carried the oversized rug which was under the sala, chair and coffee table in the other room out of the condo, made Alere grimace. Why were they so loud?
She pointed at the dog. “no pooping on rogs!”
“She doesn’t understand Mom. She’s only a baby.”
“She’s so cute.” Genevra gashed as the dog rolled onto her back with her legs up. “Look how loveable she is.”
She began scrubbing the floors ignoring Antero who was quickly warming up to Genevra who was getting the puppy to lick her whole face while she scratched her belly. She shot an annoyed glance
“Genevra,” Bastiano grunted and kicked her foot as he came into the room, “your butt is hanging out of your skirt.”
“It’s not my fault,” she wriggled in it. “It’s short. If I’d known I was coming over to crawl on the floor, I’d have changed into something else.”
“Oh, so you recognize when a woman has to get on the floor she can’t be wearing a skirt?” Alcee griped at her.
Geneva showed the grace to blush at the comme
Torg reached for the mop bucket. “I’ll get the little mess from hall. Maybe you own something Genevra could wear so she can play with the dog. Your father clocked her today and I don’t want to split the team by sending her back to the hotel. Her condo isn’t ready yet and she’s bern staying with Bastiano but I need him here for a bit so we can work on some strategies once Ant is in bed.”
“Come on Genevra, I’m sure I own something which won’t make you break out in a rash.”
Genevra took Alcee’s hand and got on her feet and then followed her down the hall. “Is it true he bought this place without even talking to you
“Yup.”
“Do you like it?” Genevra looked around. “It’s very,” she made a face, “I don’t know brown.”
Alcee laughed, “let me guess. The condo they’re getting ready for you is all munimalist with white lines, black accents and no warmth?
“1 like a clean look. This looks too much for me.”
“Too much.”
“Yes. There is too much of everything. They walked into the bedroom, “even the bed is ge
She looked at Genevra, “did you seen the size of the man who sleeps in it?
Genevra shrugged, “I guess but why does it need to be so clunky.”
“It’s not clunky. Why are you so rude?” Alcee grin
griped as she pulled open the closet and stepped inside it.
“I’m not trying to be rude. I’m simply not understanding”
“You’re twenty–one and you don’t know how to keep your mouth shut? My kid has autism and even he has better manners.”
“He has autism?” Cenevra paused. “Is that what’s wrong with the boss too?”
Alcee snickered at the question, “probably.” She made a face, “though I’d argue there is nothing wrong with them. Antero simply thinks of things in a different way than neurotypical people. He doesn’t read social cues very well. He prefers a rigid schedule. He doesn’t thrive when there is chaos, loud noises or too many people.”
“My mother would call this introverted,”
“She wouldn’t be wrong,” Alcer was flicking through the racks of her clothing and then recalled a gift Susana bought her the year before she’d not worn yet. She rifled through and then found it. “Here. What about this?”
!!
Chapter 55
“You have a Balenciaga tracksuit?”
“Yeah, Susana regifted it to me. Some guy who was hot for her bought it and she hated it, and she boxed it up for me for Christmas thinking it would be funny.”
“The jacket alone cost five grand,” Geneva was shimmying out of her work attire as if desperate to try on the outfit. She took a tank top Alcee dangled in her fingers and pulled it over her head before she hopped into the track pants. “Oh my god they feel divine. She twisted and turned in the mirror as she put the jacket on. “I feel like a model.“
“You look like a clown. Why are the pants so big?” Alcee shook her head in amusement.
“It’s fashion.”
“You think the house Torq bought me is big because it’s not streamlined and minimalistic and yet you want to wear this.”
“It’s couture.”
“It’s something,” she shook her head. “Come on. Throw your clothes in the bag to take home with you after.” Alcee tossed a bag at Genevra who grabbed it in the air but was still staring at her reflection. Suddenly it dawned on her why this woman was so enthralled. “It’s an act, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“All this,” she pointed to the bag where the clothes were going in. “Your parents don’t give you unlimited credit or a giant wardrobe filled to the brim. You don’t have girlfriends you spend weeks with on yachts or parties you go to in Ibiza. You want it to be true but it’s not.”
Geneva’s bottom lip trembled, and she shrugged her shoulder. “I was never good in school. I wasn’t pretty enough to be a model. My father is one of Torquato Lozano’s soldiers. My brother is his capo regime. I’m nothing but trouble. I tried to find someone who would spoil me and love me, and I ended up getting the hell beat out of me. My parents like their little farmhouse. I always wanted more. I simply wasn’t pretty enough ne smart enough to get it
“You should try acting because you had me fooled,” Alcee smiled at her. “I thought you were a very rich and spoiled princess.”
“In my dreams,” Genera whispered and then looked back to the mirror. “Your home reminds me of my mother’s home. In my head I thought Torquato Lozano with all his billions would be very sleek and sexy.”
“He’s literally a clomping ogre giant. There is nothing sleek or sexy about him. You know who is?”
“Who?”
“Have you met my boss?”
“Tank?”
“Jesus, no. Kylen. He was watching your ass hard today. If you want pretty things, I bet he’d buy them. You might need to put out a kid or two.”
“Alcee!” Genevra blushed hot pink.
“The way all these guys were throwing around arranged marriages and the men getting everything they want, why can’t you go for what you
want? He’s interested ”
“He’s old.”
“Experienced.”
“I’ve only been with two people and um,” she whispered, “do you want the truth?”
“Sure.”
“I’m still a virgin.“_
“You had a threesome!”
- y. I was brought into the threesome not for him but for her and it wasn’t him I was messing around with, it was her.”
“You’re gay?”
Chapter 55
“No, I mean, I never thought so but I was messing around with her behind his back. Then he found out and tried to pressure me and she caught
1 us, and she was mad because she thought we were sperial, and she shot at me with a pistol and threatened to kill me. Other than her fingers and tongue, I’ve not been sexual with anyone. I twisted the story a bit because I didn’t want anyone to find out. She let me wear her clothes and bought me new ones and nice jewelry, I guess I was gay for a price,”
“Oh my god.” Alcre started laughing, “Geneva, you might be the most interesting person I’ve ever met. Let’s get you some of Lozano’s really expensive wine to eat with the shitty pizza they brought. I need to know more about this woman and her husband.”
POST COMMENT
Chapter Comments
Visitor
I absolutely adore this book
Wendy Brenna Bendsen
as a mother to two neure atypical boys I think it’s amazing when I read stories with autistic people. All those weird quistions from out of nowhere is my everyday life
