Down to Business (Business Series)

by Alexander, J. C.

  I can’t remember when my pants and underwear disappeared, but I do remember when he laid on top of me and forced himself on me. I started screaming for him to stop and tried to get away, but I was uncoordinated and he was strong. I vaguely remember him grabbing my arms, holding them down, and him telling me to stop crying. Instead of letting me up, he kissed me so hard that his teeth dug into my lips and he penetrated me. I felt so violated and it burned like nobody’s business. I gave up and lay there sobbing and looking up at his face, the face I had fantasized about. I waited so long to look into his eyes, and all I saw staring back at me was frustration and hormonal lust. By the time he finally got off, I was a sobbing mess. He replaced his clothes and told me he was going to get me some tissue and some beer. I don’t know how long I waited, but he never came back. I got up from the bed to go find Lindy and collapsed on the floor. The pain between my legs and the drugs were a toxic combination. The need to vomit suddenly came over me, so I crawled to the bathroom across the hall.

  I reached the bathroom and emptied my stomach. Afterwards, I was coherent enough to use my phone, so I called Lindy, but I got her voicemail. I called her seventeen times before I gave up. Defeated, I locked the door and curled up on the bathroom rug, too sick, violated, and helpless to go find her. I wondered why I had done this to myself.

  I’m not sure how long I was alone before she finally came to my rescue. I had passed out and when I woke up, I was laying with my head on her lap. She was crying and calling my name while using a damp wad of toilet paper to wipe my face. She kept saying she was sorry and she promised me that she would never let it happen again. After that night, we decided we would rather drink alone in her basement than go to parties…until tonight.

  Tyler took Lindy by the hand and dragged her off toward the backyard where the wet t-shirt contest was happening. I had no interest in seeing that, so I hung back.

  The moment I was out of her grasp, she turned around and looked at me with concern. “Come with us!”

  “I’m fine. I’ll wait here!” I shouted back.

  She frowned at me and disappeared out the sliding glass door after Tyler.

  I moved aside as more people pushed their way to the kegs. Just when I was starting to regret letting Lindy out of my sight, Vinny stepped through the doorway and a shock of excitement went barreling through me.

  My elation only lasted a moment, as two girls came in after him hanging onto the back of his t-shirt. He walked right past me without even a glance and got them all drinks. Afterwards, they left the kitchen, heading for the front of the house.

  I found myself unable to quell my curiosity as to where he was going, so I followed his footsteps, ending up in the living room. I scanned the crowd for him, but all I found were random strangers staring back at me. I squeezed through the crowd doing my best not to spill my beer, and ended up in a room with three ping-pong tables.

  Half-dressed guys were assembled at each table with their own cheerleading squad. I realized there was a beer-pong contest happening. One of the contestants was only wearing his boxers and a giant yellow foam cowboy hat. He was really good at ping-pong. After beating two opponents, he got up on the table and did a victory dance. It was short-lived however, as his weight caused the table to collapse and fold up on him like a sandwich.

  Ping-pong balls and beer cups went flying as he crashed to the floor in a loud clatter. I covered my mouth and laughed with the rest of the crowd. He climbed out of the debris, and stood back up with his hat down over his eyes. A hush fell over the room until he threw his arms up and let out a howl of victory. Everyone cheered him on while he removed his boxers, tossed them in some girls face, and went streaking out of the room in only his cowboy hat. I shook my head and laughed again, thinking this party was much more amusing than I thought it would be.

  As I turned to leave the room to see where ‘Woody’ went, I collided right into a guy’s chest and spilled my beer on him.

  “Whoa!”

  “Shit! I’m so sorry!” I said, watching my beer run down his shirt. I turned around, my face burning as I frantically looked for napkins, paper towels, anything I could sop the mess up with….and somehow I ended up with a girls discarded shirt.

  “I’m so sorry,” I apologized as I held out the discarded shirt. “This is all I could—” My words caught in my throat and shock trickled over me as I looked up into Vinny’s familiar light brown eyes.

  “Hey, don’t worry about it,” he said, swiping his hand over his soaked shirt.

  “Vinny?” I cried out, my voice laced with that annoying excitement that kept springing up whenever I saw him.

  He paused and looked up at me, obviously just recognizing me. “Autumn?”

  “Yeah!” I said and laughed.

  “I barely recognized you.” He smiled and looked me over. “Did you get a haircut?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded enthusiastically.

  “You look great.”

  “Thanks...” I replied, feeling another burst of heat flow over my cheeks. I covered my beer with my hand to keep it from splashing him again as more students filtered into the room.

  “Are you here with Tyler and Lindy?” he asked, bracing one hand on the wall over my head to keep from smashing me. His clean sexy scent filled my senses and made me forget where I was.

  I nodded, feeling the heat radiating off his body and I suddenly needed to sip the half-spilled beer in my hand.

  “I thought you said you didn’t like partying?” he asked with a laugh, watching me sip my beer.

  I looked up into his face, and lost myself in his eyes. “Yeah, I guess I changed my mind. I thought I’d try something new. Are you here with someone?”

  “No,” he answered, his face skewed by the ambient light, “I wasn’t planning on staying long.” He rubbed at the front of his wet shirt again.

  I frowned. “I’m really sorry about your shirt.”

  “It’s okay, I have a clean one in the car. I just got done at the laundry mat before I got here.”

  He leaned into me as another horde of people pushed into the room.

  “It’s getting claustrophobic in here,” I said, not minding him getting closer.

  “Yeah, no kidding. Did you want to get some air? I need to go to my car and change my shirt.”

  “Yeah,” I answered without hesitation and abandoned my beer on the nearest table. I felt sparks travel over my body when his warm hand captured mine and he led me through the crowd.

  When we reached the front door, a comforting gust of cool air carried us out onto the porch. I drew a deep breath of clean air, glad to be out of the house.

  He released my hand and I followed him across the lawn strewn with discarded cups. We crossed the street and followed the sound of an automatic door unlocking somewhere in the distance. Once we reached his sleek black Nissan GT-R, he popped the trunk and pulled a clean white t-shirt out of a clothesbasket. I could not help but notice everything was folded neatly. He did his own laundry and folded it? Vinny was one in a million.

  I nearly salivated as he peeled his wet black t-shirt off and tossed it into the trunk. He replaced it with a crisp white one and then turned to me and smiled. “Much better.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed, thinking I wouldn’t have minded if he didn’t have a replacement shirt.

  He removed his phone and looked down at it. “I have to go. I promised I’d visit my uncle. He’s in a home and I told him I’d swing by with dinner.”

  “Oh, okay,” I replied trying not to sound disappointed.

  He slid his phone back into his pocket. “Did you want to come with me?”

  Shocked by his offer, I simply blinked. “Uhm..okay.”

  “It’s not far, just over near the hospital.”

  I had no idea where the hospital was, but I didn’t really care.

  He walked to the passenger side of the car and held open the door for me. “Hop in.”

  And I did.

  I slid into the passenger seat and
he closed the door after me. I inhaled the aroma of new plastic meshed with the leather. It was new car smell, one of the best smells in the world. The driver’s side door opened, and he slid in, immediately turning the key in the ignition. The digital dashboard lit up giving everything a blue tint. Our location showed up on the GPS situated on the console.

  “Nice car.”

  “Thanks, I just bought it this summer.”

  He leaned over my thighs and removed a black case from the glove box. I felt the corners of my lips curve up as he opened it to reveal a pair of glasses.

  “I can’t see for shit at night,” he admitted awkwardly as he slid the glasses on.

  “They look nice on you,” I said, admiring how they didn’t deter from his sexiness, only gave him a more intelligent edge.

  He reached for the gearshift and we rolled from the curb in a smooth glide.

  “Are you cold?” he asked, his left wrist resting on the top of the steering wheel while he reached over to mess with the various knobs.

  “I’m fine,” I said as a comforting rush of warm air, fresh with new car smell, washed over my face. I clamped my hands between my thighs and felt my whole body relax into the warm leather seat. The car barely shifted gears as we turned out of the neighborhood and onto the main street.

  As we drove, I couldn’t stop myself from looking at him and his glasses made it feel far less intimidating to stare. Tingles of excitement traveled from my palms to the bottom of my feet while I studied him. His hair was thick and lustrous even in the dark. He had long lashes and lips that looked perfectly kissable. His straight, perfect, Roman nose actually fit his face, unlike the big nose Italian stigma. His masculine jaw line and defined cheekbones seemed to fade into his light stippling of five o’clock shadow.

  Would his unshaven chin chafe my skin if I were to kiss him? Or would it feel soft and sexy?

  A jolt of humiliation zapped through me as he caught me staring. The corner of his lips pulled into a smile. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, just enjoying the view,” I blurted. “I mean, the view…outside.”

  He laughed and a burst of heat flushed over my face.

  “I’m gonna to call in an order at Dino’s Pizza for my uncle. Did you want anything?”

  “No thanks, I already had dinner.”

  “You don’t look like it. You’re a toothpick.” He dialed a number into his phone with his thumb while he steered with his opposite hand.

  “I eat a lot actually,” I defended.

  “Hey Mike. It’s Vinny,” he said into the phone. “I need a twelve inch meatball sub with extra sauce, and an order of spaghetti with meat balls. I’ll be by in a few to pick it up. Yeah, thanks, bye.”

  He set his phone into the cup holder between us and shifted gears. “Do you like spaghetti?”

  “Yeah...I like it. Why?” I answered hesitantly.

  “Because I can’t finish a whole order of spaghetti alone,” he said with a wink.

  No way. There was no way I was eating spaghetti in front of him. Spaghetti was a lot like ribs; messy and reserved only for friends and family.

  I laughed at him and shook my head. “I’m not eating spaghetti with you.”

  “Why not?” he asked as if I was crazy.

  “Because!”

  “Because why?” he asked, smirking.

  “Just because…” I said looking away with a smile.

  “Because isn’t a reason.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “That answer I’ll accept,” he said with a grin, making me laugh.

  It only took a few minutes to get to Dino’s Pizzeria. Vinny left me in the car while he went inside to get the food. He returned a couple minutes later and handed me a white transparent bag that held a metal container full of spaghetti and meatballs, a sub rolled in white paper, and garlic bread wrapped in tinfoil. Just smelling the food made my mouth water.

  “This smells so good,” I mentioned as he got back into the car.

  “Yeah it’s good, but it’s not as good as ours.”

  “Ours?”

  “Yeah, my family owns an Italian restaurant in Manhattan called Mazzolas.”

  ‘Oh yeah, Lindy told me that,” I said, placing the food on the floorboard between my feet.

  “We serve only the best Italian food,” he bragged.

  “My family owns a bar and grill called Malones.”

  “Oh yeah? Where at?”

  “Upstate…in Hamilton, where I am from.”

  “Nice. I was wondering where you were from. I could tell you weren’t from around here.”

  What the hell did that mean? Maybe I really did look like an upstate farmer.

  “I’m majoring in Business Management, so I can take it over someday.”

  “I’m doing the same thing with Mazzolas. I’m overwhelmed just thinking about it.”

  “Me too,” I laughed, feeling relieved I wasn’t the only one. We smiled at one another and my heart fluttered. We had something in common. It was nice to finally have someone understand my point of view.

  We passed the hospital he told me about and pulled into the parking lot of the assisted living home. I was impressed by how nice and new the four-story building looked with its fresh yellow siding, large bay windows, and covered valet in front.

  Vinny pulled up to the curbside valet and passed the attendant his keys. I climbed out with the food bag, being extra careful not to tip it.

  Vinny met me at the curb and relieved me of the bag, then motioned for me to head through the automatic sliding glass doors that read Morning Glory Assisted Living in white script.

  An open lobby awaited us with a hint of fresh paint smell. It had a lot of plush sofas and sitting areas with paintings on all four walls depicting ocean vistas. A curved desk sat front and center with a plump woman operating it. She looked bored as she filed her nails and snapped her gum. She had so much hair she couldn’t quite get it all pulled back into a clip. Instead, it rested in a rumpled black heap on her head.

  “Hey Dina,” Vinny said when we stepped up to the desk.

  “Hey Vinny,” Dina replied in a nasally voice that reminded me of Fran from the TV sitcom, The Nanny. “How’s your Mom?”

  The way she pronounced Mom sounded like Maaaahmm.

  “She’s doing well, thanks.”

  “That’s good.” She swiped the file along her pinky nail before she looked up at me, snapping her gum. “Who’s this, your girlfriend?”

  Vinny glanced at me, looking shocked by her accusation. “Oh, uh no.”

  I pressed my lips together and looked down to hide my embarrassment.

  “This is Autumn, she’s just a friend,” he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. “We have a class together at Adelphi.”

  “Oooh, that’s a pretty naaame,” she said with a wink to Vinny, and then she smiled at me. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. If you get a chance, you should snag this one. He’s a cutie.” She winked at Vinny.

  It was Vinny’s turn to blush. “Thanks, Dina. We need to get going.”

  “Oh sure, I know Tommy’s been waiting to see you. Go right on up…”

  “Thanks. See you later,” Vinny said, eagerly leading me away from the desk to an elevator on our left.

  The enticing smells of garlic and tomato sauce taunted me the whole ride up the elevator. The fear of eating spaghetti in front of Vinny was feeling less threatening as I followed him down the hall, which resembled a hotel.

  “I gotta warn you,” he said, looking over at me as we walked, “my uncle is a little crazy so don’t take what he says personally.”

  “I won’t. I know all about crazy old people. I have a crazy grandmother.”

  “Half of my family could be considered nuts. It comes with being Italian.” He flashed me a smile.

  We passed a few little nooks with sofas and a nurse’s station before we came to Uncle Tommy’s door.

  Vinny looked a little hesitant to knock. “Here we go.”

 
He gave the door three firm raps.

  “I’m coming! Hold your pants on!” a man called out.

  There was movement behind the door, something banging around, and then finally the sound of a deadbolt turning.

  A hunched over balding elderly man, dressed in a dark blue silk robe stood before us. His dark sunken eyes peered up at Vinny with a scrupulous glare, the hard wrinkles in his brow creasing.

  “Oh look who it is, my worthless nephew. It’s about time your ass showed up,” he said in a thick New York accent.

  That brought a smile to Vinny’s face. “Hey Uncle Tommy. I brought you dinner.”

  “I ate already! Three hours ago. I thought you said you were comin’ here around four.”

  “I was but I got held up—”

  “Who’s the bird?” he adjusted the glasses that were sliding down his prominent nose, as he looked me over.

  “This is my friend, Autumn. Autumn, this is my Uncle Tommy.”

  “You shoulda told me you were bringing company, Vincenzo. Ida’ kept my trousers on. Sorry Sweetheart.”

  His name was Vincenzo? How funny. I thought it would be Vincent.

  “That’s okay…” I said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Yeah yeah, a pleasure,” he said waving my comment away. “Get your asses in here. You’re letting all the warm air out! Plus, there’s a bunch of nosy ass old bastards on this floor and I don’t want them knowing my business.”

  I tried not to laugh and peered over at Vinny, who looked strained, as he closed the door. Uncle Tommy’s apartment was decorated with hotel-like furnishings. There was a matching blue sofa and recliner, a light oak TV armoire, and two end tables. A small eat-in kitchen and bathroom were to the left and a bedroom on the right. As we passed the kitchen counter, I noticed a slew of pill bottles, a can of prunes, powdered Ensure, and denture cream.

  Tommy turned to us and pointed to the sofa. “Sit down would ya? Lemme me get you kids something to drink. Do ya like V8 juice?”

  “Uh, no thanks Uncle Tommy. Why don’t you and Autumn sit down, and I’ll plate up our food.” Vinny suggested, setting the bag down on the kitchen counter.