I look at the time on my phone. I’m already 15 minutes late.
“Crap! Got to go. See you Tomorrow.”
I hang up without saying goodbye. A knock rattles at the door again. Grabbing the tub for support, I haul myself up and tiptoe over to the door.
“Miss Gallo? Are you okay?” His rough voice muffled through the door.
It’s the big guy.Oh, Chester fried chicken!I must have missed him knocking on my bedroom door while I was on the phone. I’m notdressed, and my hair is still wet.
“Just a minute… ahh Mr. Carlos. I’ll be right out”
I can hear him laughing. “It’s just Carlos. I’ll be waiting out in the hall.”
Bloody Mary with celery!
Now I have to rush. I throw my towel in the corner and snag up my jeans; I jump up and down, trying to get them past my thighs. I pull my sweater over my head and toss my shoes on the floor. Stepping into them, I button my fly and do a quick check in the mirror. I look okay, pale, but screw it.
He doesn’t like me much, anyway. I bet now I’m in for another chokehold cause I’m late. Why can’t I get anything right with this guy?
I rush out my bedroom door, coming to a screeching halt, as I pat my hair down. Carlos is pacing the hall but stops once he sees me.
Stepping towards me under his breath, I hear him say, “lucky bastard.”
Well… my assessment of Alex, so far, he’s right. Lucky… not so much.
“Sorry, I got distracted talking to a friend.”
He points toward the end of the hall and starts walking. His long strides make me do a fast walk, trying to keep up.
“Ahh, don’t worry about it. He needs to sit and wait for a beautiful woman. He’s used to everyone jumping at his bark.”
He laughs now as we make our way down the stairs.
“From now on, just call me Carlos.”
He smiles down at me, and I smile back. I put my hand out once we reached the main floor.
“Izzy. My friends call me Izzy.”
“Izzy.” He lifts my hand and kisses the back of it. “Nice to meet you, Izzy.”
He drops my hand, and we turn, heading down a hall.
“Once he pulls his head out of his ass, you’re going to knock him right back on it Izzy. Come on, dining rooms this way.” He breaks out with a huge smile.
Opening the door, he lets me step ahead of him and I stop immediately. Alexander’s face is puckered in anger, his eyebrows pinched together and those grey eyes are almost a sliver, making me shrink in on myself. He’s standing up out of his chair, glaring at us.
He growls at me, “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been sitting here for over 20 minutes waiting for you to show up. Why can’t you just do what I tell you to do and be here on time?”
My hair is hanging down and hiding some of my face and out of nervous energy I pull my sleeves cuff down, my hand tugging at the edges. Is he going to choke me again? Slam me into the wall? Slap me? I just stand there waiting for another roar from him.
With a frustrating sigh, he mumbles, “Never mind, just come sit down and enjoy the dinner that Rose made for us.”
I slowly move towards my place setting, which is right next to his, not looking up at him at all. He places his napkin on his plate and goes to pull out my chair for me. As I attempt to slide into my chair without touching him, I am cautious, giving him a wide berth. I slid in and he gathers my hair in his hands, gently laying it along my back exposing my face. I no longer can use my hair as a shield from his penetrating gaze.
I lean forward and slightly turn my head to look at him. His eyes are still riddled with irritation, so I turn and look down at my plate. Alexander returns to his seat, replacing the napkin on his lap. My throat has closed up and inside I feel shaky, everything trembles waiting for the next bellow to come my way.
He clears his throat, speaking slightly softer, “So, do you like your room? Did you get yourself settled in?”
