by Henry, Jane
"Oh, Agatha? Did you order more juice? We’re much lower than usual, because of the school outing that cleaned us out last week ."
"Done," she said, as her phone rang and she took it out of her pocket tentatively, her long, sharp red nails clicking on the screen as she answered .
"Oh, hello," she purred, her eyes lighting up as she turned her back to me. Had to be a man, I reasoned. "Oh, yes. I would love to meet you for lunch today. But of course," she said, giggling her fake laugh that set my nerves on edge. "Please do. That would be delightful." Her voice dropped and her eyes scanned the restaurant. "Me, too, sweetheart. Me, too ."
I shivered. What could my father have ever seen in this woman? My mother had been a good woman, gentle-hearted and loyal, and though she'd had no money growing up, she was never bitter. She’d taught me to be kind to people, to treat people the way I wished to be treated, to look at the bright side of things and be grateful. "Always something to be thankful for, Gabriella," she'd say. Her wholesome beauty was in such sharp contrast to Agatha’s that it boggled the mind .
"Gabriella, have you seen your sisters?" Agatha asked as she paraded about the dining room, straightening out a stack of napkins and flicking pieces of imaginary dust off the pristine tablecloths .
"Not since last night .”
She didn’t reply, merely turned the juice pitchers so they were all facing the same way, and shrugged a shoulder. "I suppose they were having too much fun," she said with a snicker. “Now, this evening, I won’t be here," she informed me. "I’ll be taking the girls shopping. So I expect you to do the closing circuit and ensure that everything is prepared for the weekend." She stepped over to me and leaned in to speak to me in my ear. "And there's no need for you to be making snarky public comments about my daughters' behavior. Do you understand me?" She reached a hand to my wrist and squeezed, so sharply I gasped .
"What are you talking about?" I asked, but we had no time to discuss it, as the wait staff and chefs had begun to arrive .
"Gabriella, order more paper goods," Agatha ordered, waving her hand at me while I trailed behind her with a notebook, taking notes. "Don't skimp on cost, like you did last time ."
"Well, the last time I ordered, you told me to keep it under a hundred dollars, so I — "
"Do not contradict me," she snapped. "As I mentioned, your sisters will be busy this evening, so I want you to be sure you have proper wait staff in place," she said. Elenora and Violet were the ones who supposedly oversaw the evening shifts, but it was little more than a ruse. I oversaw the evening service as well as the morning crew, and Elenora and Violet did their own thing .
"Yes, certainly," I replied. She paused and pursed her lips, as the door to the restaurant opened and in walked Violet. Her hair was disheveled and she wore a tight-fitting red dress that dipped in the front, showing her ample cleavage. Her hair, dyed a vibrant red, clashed oddly with the color of her dress, but she didn't seem to care. She stepped into the restaurant holding her head high and when she saw me, she looked away guiltily .
"Violet," Agatha greeted, giving her a curt nod. "Nice of you to join us ."
Violet rolled her eyes. "Oh, give it a rest, mother," she sighed, as she click-clacked her way over to us. "So I went out last night and didn't come home. I'm nineteen years old and an adult now, so you have no right to give me shit about it." Agatha's eyes narrowed on her .
"Old enough to not come home but still has mama pay her cell phone bill?" Agatha asked while she folded her arms across her chest .
"I don't need you to pay my cell phone bill, but if it's part of my salary then you have no business trying to make me feel guilty about it," Violet snapped. She had a point. However, they were causing a scene, as usual, and I needed to step in .
"Breakfast is underway, ladies," I said, trying to escort them back to at least the kitchen area of the restaurant. I couldn’t sit down and eat myself, as I had far too much to do, but they often ate breakfast before the onslaught of customers .
"I'll have some," came a voice from the back entrance, as Elenora waved her hand at me, the back door jangling closed behind her. She wore a tight-fitting dress similar to her sister’s, but as Elenora had more assets to fill it, the effect was something quite different. She was far shorter and curvier, with a full bust she accentuated as best she could. Her mousy brown hair hung about her in wild waves, and her brown eyes still bore the signs of smudged evening makeup. "I'm famished ."
"Cinnamon roll French toast is loaded with calories, Elenora," Agatha chided, ever the food critic reminding her daughters to keep their girlish figures. And thus began the early-morning spat with daughter number two .
Thankful they could preoccupy themselves a bit with arguing, I made my way back to the front of the restaurant and opened the door. I breathed a sigh of relief when I opened the door and found my friend, Ruby Kitteridge, in her signature Hawaiian shirt. Ruby was a plump, kind-hearted older woman who lived nearby. She was independently wealthy, having lost her millionaire husband to cancer just the year before. A restaurant regular, she was a good friend .
"Good morning, Gabriella," she said, opening her arms for a quick hug. I had to stoop to put my arms around her. "Looks like your sisters are at it again with the Wicked Witch of the West, eh?" she whispered, giving me a wink. Her white hair was cut short, but she managed to tuck a stray lock behind her ear as she grinned at me. She wore large pearl earrings and a matching necklace, and if I knew her, they were not only real but worth more than my entire year's salary .
"Hush, Ruby," I said. "Let’s get you seated." She took my arm and walked with me to the corner booth that she always occupied. "But yes, they're busy doing the usual ."
Violet, Elenora, and Agatha were known for their spats. I mostly ignored them and stayed out of the fray, if I gave them the chance to focus on me, I typically became victim of their venomous insults .
"Hot tea, four sugars, double tea bag?" I asked her. Ruby liked her tea fixed just right, and I knew her usual .
"That's a dear," she said. "And since it's Wednesday, be a good girl and get me some French toast right off the griddle, won't you? You know how I feel about it getting all soggy in the buffet ."
I smiled at her as she sidled up to her table .
"Of course. Just a minute," I said .
I tucked my notebook into my apron and made my way to the kitchen, taking a clean glass plate from the serving line and heading toward the grill .
"Manuel, an order of fresh French toast, extra butter, and heated syrup, please," I said, sliding the plate up to the serving line. He saluted me, when the voices of my sisters and stepmother reached me .
"How do you know?" Violet asked. "And has everyone been invited, or only a select few ?"
"Private invitation," Elenora breathed. "But Vinny got us an invite. How many do you think will be there ?"
I never paid any mind to the social gatherings and galas they attended. Even if I was interested, I had no time for such things. For some reason, though, what Agatha said next held my attention .
"Rumor has it, the king is trying to find his son a suitable match," she said. "And girls, if this is true, you absolutely must attend. There is no question how important this ball will be for your futures. If one of you marries into the family, the other will be set for life ."
The girls squealed and clapped their hands .
The family? The king? Set for life? What were they talking about ?
Shaking my head, I took the plate Manuel handed me and headed back out to the dining room .
Ruby grinned at me, and took h
er plate, before slathering it with butter and dousing it with syrup .
"You look different today, Gabriella," she said, tilting her head to the side .
Oh, how I wanted to sit and tell her everything, all about the magical night I'd had .
Well, maybe not everything .
I sat down at a chair next to her and smiled. "I had an amazing night, Ruby," I gushed. "I met this man...." My voice trailed off as she grinned at me .
"I knew it," she whispered with a little girlish squeal. "What was his name ?"
"His name was Dante," I whispered, and my eyes fell on the phone in front of her, still open to the morning headlines. "Villanova family throws large masquerade ball for the elite ."
The Villanovas... who were they again ?
"Gabriella!" Agatha's screech had me leaping to my feet as she glared across the restaurant at me, her tone so harsh Ruby shook her head in indignation .
"That woman needs to get herself a goddamned hobby, one that doesn't involve telling you what to do," she grumbled under her breath, before turning toward my stepmother with a fake smile plastered on her face. "She was answering some questions I had for her ."
"I'll be right back with the rest of your tea, Mrs. Kitteridge," I said. Agatha narrowed her eyes at me, and when I went to the backroom, Violet and Elenora were in a near frenzy .
"I have no idea what I'll wear," Elenora said. "The dress I wore to the Markhams’ charity ball last year is way too small ."
Violet gave her a sardonic grin. "You could just diet, you know, and then fit into it," she said. "Don't you think that's an option ?"
I gave Elenora a sympathetic look, trying to silently tell her to ignore her sister, but it was no use. Elenora’s temper had already flared .
"Maybe you can go on a diet," she spat at Violet. "I noticed you've gone up a size in your jeans, and when you asked Robbie to pick you up at the concert last night, the poor guy practically burst a blood vessel just scooting you up onto his shoulders .”
"You bitch!" Violet screamed, picking up a nearby glass of water and tossing it toward Elenora, who ducked just in time… allowing the full force of the cold liquid to land on Agatha, who’d been standing just behind her .
My step sisters and I gasped in response, but Agatha just swiped a stack of napkins, dried her face off, and glared at the girls .
"What. Are. You. Doing ?" she roared, getting the attention of several employees nearby. "I told you not to fight in my restaurant ."
"You called me, Agatha?" I asked, numb to the arguments of the girls and oblivious to any tone from Agatha .
"You two will go with me," Agatha said, shoving me out of the way. "Doesn't matter that only the elite will be there. We were elite once and we are still, if only the Villanovas would acknowledge that. After all, I was a princess, once..." Agatha's voice trailed off .
A princess ? What on earth was she talking about? That was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard .
"Who is allowed to go to this?" I asked, earning me three shocked looks .
"Go to what?" Agatha asked with a sneer .
“This dance," I said .
"Were we talking to you?" Elenora snapped, her lip curling in disgust. I felt my stomach twist in anger .
"No," I said. "You weren't. But I heard you saying something that interested me, and I wished for more information. Is there something wrong with that?" The next second I was jerked backward, Agatha’s hand wrapped around my hair .
"You do not speak to my daughter that way," she said, shoving me away. "Go see if the food needs refilling, and then come back here. We have work that needs to be done." She put her arms around the shoulders of both of her girls, and marched them in the direction of the office .
Sorrow rose inside of me and my thoughts went to Dante. He’d never allow anyone to treat me this way. Why did she hate me so? I reminded her of the husband she lost, maybe, I reasoned. There could be no other reason any one person would hate another so very much .
I wished for the millionth time that I could leave. I didn't care where I'd go. I could find a job in Vegas pretty easily, even without a letter of recommendation from her. What I really needed was to uphold the promise I'd made my father, though. I told him I'd stay with Agatha, and take care of her .
What would he have done if he’d known how badly she would treat me? She regarded me as a servant since I had nothing to my name. I lived in a tiny room in the loft. I worked from the time the sun rose until the sun set, making sure the business was running smoothly, and it was a rare day indeed that I took off .
I sighed wistfully. No matter how much I wanted to escape her, I could never live with myself knowing that I'd gone back on my word to my father .
I stared at their retreating figures for a moment before I turned back to where Ruby waited .
I needed information. Ruby would fill me in. And I could trust her to keep a secret, too .
"Ruby," I said, sliding her tea next to her and glancing around, making sure Agatha and her daughters were gone .
"Tell me everything you know about this dance? Who are the Villanovas ?"
Chapter Seven
I lifted the glass of wine and sipped it, grimacing. Wine wasn't my thing, but my mom liked it, and when I spent time with her we often shared a bottle .
"In two days, things are going to change, son," she said, looking through the open glass doors to the study. We sat on the balcony overlooking the garden below, the heat of the day diminishing now that the sun was set. I owned a penthouse a few blocks away, but never spent much time there, between work and the various tasks my father had me do. This was my childhood home, ridiculously lavish. My mother took a sip, swallowed, and sighed. "I knew this day was coming, but hoped things would be different ."
I swallowed the cool, sour drink before placing the glass down, wishing it gave me liquid courage like it once did. But no, now I was immune .
"What made you think things could be different?" I asked curiously .
She shook her head sadly. She looked a lot like me, the same blondish hair, the same hardened look in her eyes. "I hoped maybe you'd have taken a different course. And no, I'm not blaming you. I just wish you'd have found a wife by now, someone you truly cared about, and he wouldn’t have to do it for you. When he does it for you, it's a far scarier circumstance ."
She was admitting this, then. I looked at her with interest as I sipped my chardonnay. "Scary?" I asked, then snorted. "I don't see anything scary at all about an anonymous ball in which I choose my future. What could be scary about that ?"
She looked at me with pursed lips, silently asking me not to do this, to make it easier on her .
I looked away. I didn't want to meet her eyes. Maybe it was my silence that gave me away, or maybe my father had already tipped her off .
"Oh my God. You do have someone," she said softly. "Dante, look at me." I did, reluctantly, draining my glass before I met her eyes .
"Yeah?"
"You’ve met someone, haven’t you?" she whispered .
I shook my head and looked away .
"You sure about that? People say otherwise." Her voice took on a sharp edge, and it pissed me the fuck off .
I rose. "So now you're spying on me, too?" I asked coolly. "Why'd you ask me if you already knew ?"
"No. For God's sake, Dante, sit." I did not want to sit .
Finally, with a sigh, she continued .
"Listen, all I mean is that you don’t have to do this. If you already have a woman, then there's no need for us to go through with this ridiculous ball. Reall
y, honey. Stop being so secretive about her, and all of this will go away ."
I shook my head. Had she completely convinced herself of a lie? "What goes away, Mom? The control the Villanova family has over the entire state? The way we manipulate everyone and anyone who gets in our way?" Was she delusional ?
Her eyes begged me to be merciful. "No, that's not what I mean—" she continued but I interrupted .
"Nothing goes away. The only choice I have is whether or not I go to this goddamned masquerade and choose a wife, and pretend I never met the woman I did, or I bring her into the family. So yeah," I said with a forced bark of laughter. "You're right. There is no real choice. Not when she means something to me. Not when I want to keep her protected from all of this, keep her safe and out of the fray." I turned my back to my mother, and she didn't say anything for a little while. She didn't need to. She was a smart woman and knew I spoke the truth .
"You're a good man, Dante," she said, and her broken tone surprised me. I turned to her, startled. Was she crying? "A good man to want to protect her from—this." She waved her hand around the study, but I knew better. I knew what she was talking about .
The control. The violence .
The fear .
"I'm not a good man," I denied. I was under no delusion… I knew who I was. Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair as I got to my feet. "Listen, I need to go out for a while." I needed to get out of the oppressive heat of this room, the pressure that threatened to choke me .
My mother rose as well. "Do you know anything about her, Dante? Anything at all ?"
I ran a hand across my face and through my hair. "She's a waitress," I said with a mirthless laugh. "One of, what, ten thousand in Vegas ?"
My mother sighed .
"And even if I did know, I'd do well to forget," I said, shaking my head .
"Do you need me to get you a tux?" she asked as I walked away .
"I have four. I'll find one that'll do." I swallowed my anger as I left the room, at the thought of what I had to do, the final acceptance that anything good and true would never be mine. I looked at the clock .