AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You have to go home at some point. You can’t stay here all night.”
“Why not?” He pins me with a stare that pushes on my shoulders. “You’re telling me you don’t have a sofa?”
“You can’t sleep on the sofa.”
“I don’t sleep much. The sofa will be fine.” I’m suddenly reminded of his dead wife. Of course, he doesn’t sleep much. I feel guilty, but I’m not sure why. I try to distract myself by thinking about pajamas and toothbrushes, but Gianni doesn’t seem to concern himself with these trivialities.
I jump as my phone vibrates in my hand, the ringtone reminding me of the alarm.
“Hi,” I answer quickly, seizing the opportunity to turn away from Gianni.
“Hey, what’s going on with the alarm? Are you okay?” Frank asks.
“I’m fine. The house is fine, just a broken window.”
“I just saw the alert on my phone. I’m in the middle of a job. Do you need me?” He’s talking quickly, and I can tell he doesn’t have much time. He could be waiting for a celebrity due back from a flight, and he doesn’t want to miss the vital shot.
“It’s fine, honestly. You don’t need to come over. I have everything in hand. I’ve called the police and reported it. They’ll send an officer over in the morning. Nothing is missing, and they didn’t get into the house. Have you looked at the security footage?”
“Yeah, I checked it as soon as I saw the alarm had tripped. There’s a dark figure on the driveway. They walk up to the house, then out of shot, then reappear as the alarm goes off. They head off down the driveway from where they came.”
“Can you tell if it’s a man?” I don’t even want to ask, but I must.
“No,” Frank replies flatly.
“Shit.”
“Probably some kid.”
“That’s what I said.”
“Look, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Honestly, I’m fine.”
“Okay, call me if you need me, and when the police come in the morning, give them my number. I’ll send them over the footage, not that it will be of any help.”
“Thanks.” Gianni’s eyes are upon me as I end the call. “That was Frank. He’s watched the security footage, and it was just one person. It wasn’t clear enough to tell if it was a man or a woman.”
“I find it hard to believe a woman would attempt to break into your house,” Gianni muses out loud.
“That’s not very liberal thinking,” I sneer.
“I bet if you were to check the statistics for burglaries, they would be mostly carried out by men, not very liberal, but you can’t argue with facts.” I take a deep breath and place my phone on the side. I don’t want to get into an equal -opportunity debate with him, not when he’s made it clear he isn’t leaving any time soon.
Silence trickles through the kitchen before Gianni speaks.
“Are you hungry?” he asks. He has pulled his phone from his trouser pocket and is scrolling through the screen.
“I suppose.” I shrug. The night stretches before me. Gianni is here in this house with me, alone for the entire night. It’s not an idea I relish. There are too many hours between now and dawn where too many things could happen. I imagine the hooded figure on the driveway, and as much as I don’t want him to stay, I also don’t want him to leave.
“Chinese, Indian, Italian?”
“I don’t mind.” My stomach leaps at the mention of food. I’m ravenous. I want Italian, but I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of liking his native food. I’m being childish, but his presence has gotten under my skin. I haven’t had a civilized conversation with him since I started working at the shop, and now he wants to know my favorite food.
“Order whatever you like, but I hate prawns. I have to get out of this dress.” My cheeks burn as I realize what I’ve said. I dart out of the kitchen, leaving Gianni to order food. I need a moment away from him. Otherwise, I’m in danger of suffocating.
I go up to my room, gulping air as I go. This evening is spiraling. An hour ago, I was in a restaurant with people I did not want to be with, and now I’m here in my parents’ house with my boss, a broken window, and a crime number. I’m awash with annoyance, and he’s ordering takeout like we’re old friends.
