I hear a shuffle, the sound of the metal gate rattling, the phone garbles with shouts and then I hear slapping noises.
“Get your hands off me, you crazy Pixie!” Danny barks.
I hear the sound of flesh slapping, an echo in the backgroundof a high-pitched yelp, then Anna’s angry whine, “Ouch! That hurt you dick!”
Danny growls back, “GOOD!”
For fuck sakes, really, Anna. I tap my father on his leg and point to the divider, then the floor. He presses the button, and the divider drops.
Danny whispers, “Boss? Let me open the gate and let her in. I can have this solved in two seconds.”
I yell, “NO! For fuck's sakes, just keep her at the gate. I’ll call you right back.” Hanging up I bring up the security feed; I click on the front gate feed, turning up the volume.
Danny and another guard are at the gate, and she’s pointing at their faces.
“You hairy assed, motherfucker! You let me in. I need to see her.” She has both of her tiny fists wrapped around the metal bars, shaking the gates.
Carlos’ head whips around at hearing her voice, his face turning white.
She stomps over to the camera, putting her face right up close. “If you hurt her again, I’ll make it my life’s long mission to find you and cut your balls off and stuff them down your throat.”
My father looks at me, his face pinched in anger. “Hurt her... Again?”
Her voice goes soft, “Hey Carlos, if you’re in there?” She backs up and waves, “I’d still be interested in that ride on your shoulders.” Her cheeks turn pink.
Danny rolls his eyes and glares at her. “Really? Flirting with Carlos?” Anna holds her hand out to him, giving him the finger.
My father and I look at Carlos. His face is beat red, and he hunches his shoulders up. She walks up to the camera, putting her one eye right into the lens.
That one icy blue eye blinking, “You arrogant, narcissistic, selfish prick! Let me in!” She backs up and slaps the camera and it shakes like an earthquake.
I look at Carlos. “Do you have Mighty Mouse’s number?” His face turns another shade of red as he nods.
“Call her now and get her off my gate.” He nods and starts calling her number. I watch as her phone rings and she opens her car door to pick it up. A huge smile breaks out on her face as she swipes it.
My father raises the divider again, and I die slowly, watching it close.
He takes my phone out of my hand and turns the volume down as he watches the shit show unfolding in my driveway.
Could this situation get any worse?
“I like her.” He points at the phone. “Will she be at the wedding? She reminds me of your mother when we first got married.”
“Excuse me?” I ask, shaking my head.
My mother would never act with such disrespect. She’s a gentle soul, a loving wife and mother. Not some crazy ass pixie on a death wish.
I look at my phone and Anna is sitting in her car, the door wide open, her legs stretched up and over the steering wheel, her tiny feet tapping on the windshield as her shoelaces dangle down. She’s flicking them back and forth as she talks to Carlos.
My father smiles reflectively and says, “I told you, it wasn’t easy when I married your mother.” His face darkens, and he looks at me. “But Isabella is different.”
Right now, I can not handle this. I rest my head on the back of the seat, rubbing my hands over my face. I’m so tired. Before Isabella, my life was simple. Now everyone is acting like unsupervised toddlers in a kindergarten class. Fuck my life.
My father hands me back my phone. “She’s leaving.”
I look down and watch as Anna closes her car door and backs away, spinning her tires, and spitting gravel at Danny as he shields his eyes. He gives her the finger and turns to walk back up the driveway.
I text Carlos: “Thanks, man.”
