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“If you need anything, though, I’ll be around.”
I nodded and bid her goodbye, as she ran off in her green apron. I would spend more time with her and find out what it’s like to work for Angelo. She seemed to have worked here for a long while, she could know things about him that only time could unveil. I was thinking about Angelo too much. Maybe it was because I was bored, maybe because I had actual feelings for him. I wasn't ready to explore the matter further.
Resuming my tour around the house, I came across the library. I remember the first time I saw a shelf of books here and how stunned I was to discover that Angelo was an avid reader. When he spoke, you could tell that he knew a lot about many different subjects, almost like he had been in all those different places, experienced the different cultures. But he read a lot, and every morning, a boy came to deliver newspapers at his doorstep. I, on the other hand, was quite a lazy reader and I blamed it—like I blamed my lack of inclusivity for other activities—on my job, which never gave me extra time in the day. But Angelo had a much busier schedule, and he made out time for it all. He wasn’t a Don out of laziness.
After the library, I walked past the swimming pool, which held a lot of memories, too. Just thinking about it made me queasy, made me warm on the inside. It was currently my favorite spot. Maybe when Angelo gets back, I would be waiting for him here with a bottle of wine, wearing a swimsuit. I smiled at how pleased he would be at that. Were there other women that he had fucked here, also? I did not know why my brain thought of it, but now I could not shake the thought that Angelo might have brought other women here, too. Our spot. I had only been here for a couple weeks, and I was already feeling entitled.
I dipped my feet in the water and was surprised by how cold it was. It was quite a sunny day.
“A good day for a swim,” I said to myself. And then, without thinking further on it, I stripped out of my clothes and jumped in the pool. Since it was a warm day, this was my preferred method to cool down, and I really enjoyed swimming, but I never had enough free time on my hands to go to a beach or pool.
I was completely naked because I had not seen anyone around, save for Dorothy. But, as a cruel twist of fate, no sooner had I dipped into the water that Angelo’s friend came around. It was Benny. Instead of struggling to get my clothes on time, which was seemingly impossible, I totally immersed myself in water, leaving only my head above the surface.
“Oh, hello. I didn’t know you were home,” I stuttered. “I didn’t think anyone was.”
Why was he standing there instead of backing away or at least turning to give me some privacy to throw on the robe? He just stood there, staring at me with a hard gaze. I was frozen in the moment, stuck on the next move to make.
“Angelo doesn’t like getting his pool dirty.”
A nervous chuckle escaped my mouth. The fact that he assumed that I was getting the pool dirty just because I decided to have a swim in it was not lost on me. Angelo let me visit the pool whenever I wanted; in fact, he loved seeing me here. Perhaps he was just jealous, I thought. I’d never had a real conversation with him before. Something about the man scared me, and my guts were never wrong. But I would not be the one to drive a conflict in his relationship with Angelο. They seemed to have known each other for a long time. I had only been here for a couple weeks.
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m sparkling clean,” I said, hoping he would go or turn away to let me dress.
He stood there still, his hands thrust into the pockets of his white pants, staring at me with disapproval glaring on his face. I didn’t care what he thought of me. It was Angelo’s house and he wanted me here. That was what mattered.
“I’ll never be able to understand what he sees in you.”
The statement stunned me into silence. I opened my mouth to say something just as vile as that one statement, but I could not find the words to repay him. This was Angelo’s best friend. Why would he say that to me?
I dipped my head into the water, as if that would calm the heat inside me, and resurfaced a minute later. He had a victorious smirk on his face, happy that his comment had stung as much as he intended to. I smiled back at him, pretending to be at ease.
“You have no idea what you’re getting into, do you?”
“I’m a grown woman. I think I can make my own choices.”
“You’re only as grown as your bank account allows. What happens when Angelo breaks free from whatever charm you’ve used on him? What happens to your mother and your fancy new supplies? Last I checked, you don’t have a job. I’m only trying to make you see that this… this relationship is headed nowhere. You’ll have your heart broken for no reason, girl. What do you think happens when he finds someone new, which he surely will in a matter of, say, weeks? Or do you think you’re the only one?” He laughed, and it sounded as wicked as he looked.
I had no idea why Angelo would keep someone like this on his side for all these years.
“I’m his best friend. He might not see it today or tomorrow, but I’m always looking out for him.”
“Why don’t you go where you’re actually needed, then, and leave me alone?”
He smiled and left with a mocking bow.
Thebastard! I hadn’t asked to be here. I was brought here and kept against my will, so damn him for saying all those things to my face. I growled, knowing they would stay in my head, and they would probably torment me for a long time to come.
He said Angelo would find a new girl, as though he randomly picked women off the street.
You have no idea what you’re getting into...What hurt me the most was how right he was about most things. I didn’t know him well enough to be sure that he would not pick some random girl from the streets to replace me. A tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it off quickly and immersed myself in the water again, long enough to drown.
I would continue my stay in this house on one condition: that I never crossed paths with Benny again. But who was I to tell Angelo that I didn’t want to see his best friend in his own home anymore? My shoulders shuddered as the tears came down. When it seemed like they would never stop. I held my breath under the water until I resurfaced, gasping.
Drowning myself was no solution. It was time to find out what I could do about Angelo, through whatever means possible.
I dried my body and donned my dress. Angelo’s office was two doors away from the master bedroom. It was one of the few rooms in the house that I had never been in. He had said it was off-limits, but he wouldn’t know it if I explored it when he was missing. What’s more, he could only get mad.
A part of me was frightened as I stepped into the room. I was scared of what I might find, and how it might change things between the both of us. If there was a change in my mood, he would notice that I had found something out. But this was all Benny’s fault. It was like he was doing all he could to drive me away, to “open” Angelo’s eyes. I saw it on his face each time we were together, or when he came to deliver news for Angelo. Maybe he was right. But I was going to find out things for myself.
