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She still refused to answer me and my frustration grew. “Lucia, you have to understand this situation, it’s… it’s not as cut and dried as all that.” Instead of heading back in the direction of home, I went in the opposite direction. I couldn’t be sure of our privacy if we went back and I needed to get through to her hardheaded ass so that she didn’t do this shit again.
There was a nice little park a few miles away and that’s where I headed now. “What’re we doing here?” I stopped the car and walked around to let her out. “Oh so now you’re talking to me?” I helped her down and kept her hand in mine. She must not be too pissed because she wasn’t trying to pull away.
“Did you have breakfast, or was that cup of coffee it?” I know she has a penchant for forgetting to eat. It’s not a diet or anything like that as I’d once believed, she just can’t eat when she’s stressed. And I know this because for the last six months at least, I’ve been the cause of her stress.
“I’m not hungry.” I ignored her and walked towards one of the carts outside the park entrance. I chose an apple and some juice for her, not trusting anything else on offer. I’ll feed her once we returned to the house. Maybe by then she’d be happy again and I would see that beautiful smile instead of the look of misery she now wore.
We walked in silence for the first few minutes, each of us lost in our own thoughts. “Where do you see this going Lucia? What is it that you want from whatever this is?” I’d always taken her feelings for granted, but never once had I given much thought to her wants. Just because she was in love with me, that didn’t mean she wanted to spend the rest of her life with a man that was eleven years older than she.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t play games with me Lucia, it’s too late for that. Now answer me and don’t you dare lie to me, I’m not in the mood.”
“Why do you want to know? So you can laugh at me?” She was fucking serious.
That really got me to stop and look at her. What an odd thing to say. “Why would you think that?” This didn’t sound like her usual monotone and there was something off about her come to think of it. She seemed, almost defeated. Something I’d never seen her be before.
She turned and started walking again and for a minute there I didn’t think she was going to answer me. I was ready to bully her into answering when she finally spoke.
“I had a visitor last night. Someone who had the decency to tell me the truth.”
“What, what visitor?”
“It doesn’t matter.” We were in a little copse of trees hidden from sight and I stopped and turned to her again.
“It matters to me, now tell me what you’re talking about. Who visited you?” Her words weren’t making any sense, but what’s new. I had to shake her to get her to answer and when she did I was left lost for words.
“Your mother’s personal assistant. She couldn’t even bring herself to do her own dirty work so she sent her lackey. Or maybe it was your idea.”
“Lucia, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Would you please explain.” I was starting to get a bad feeling in the pit of my gut but I needed her to say the words.
“She’s been spying on us, on me. Your mother put her up to it. She saw us, yesterday. I tried telling her that it didn’t matter. After what you said I’d made up my mind to leave, even though I was still stupid enough to doubt my decision. But after she showed up it just made me see that that was the best decision all around.”
“What did she say?” I was pissed beyond words. How had I not known this was going on right under my nose? I’d been so careful not to show my hand. To always be circumspect where she was concerned. I thought I’d done a good job of hiding my feelings from everyone, but I forgot that my mother knew me so well.
6
“She said that your mother was very displeased with my behavior. That I was making a fool of myself running after you. A man who is way out of my league.” I listened to her, to the hurt in her voice and wanted to smash my fist into something.
“Go on.” I’m sure there was more to it. That wouldn’t have sent my girl running, she’s more the type to spit in the enemy’s eye than tuck tail and run. “Tell me all of it Lucia.” I turned her face up to mine so she could read the seriousness there.
