by Daya Daniels
“Sauvignon blanc?” She asks, with a thick French accent.
“Sim, por favor. Yes, please. Oui, s’il vous plait.” I rattle out, unsure of what frickin’ language I should be speaking.
Margeaux moves closer, placing a warm hand over my trembling ones. “Please, we can speak English.”
I nod. “Yes, that would be good.” I tell her, not explaining that what I’d just said was the little French I knew.
I’m a mess. Where is the fucking wine!
She quickly hands me a glass. Immediately, I take a gulp like I’ve just escaped an AA meeting. The next time my lips meet the rim of the glass, I drain it. I hand it back to Margeaux looking around the immaculate panoramic room that’s modern and cozy and not opulent in the least. The mouthwatering scent of food fills my senses, making me aware that in all of my nervousness, I actually am a little hungry.
“You look beautiful.” Nico whispers against the shell of my ear, wrapping his warm hand around my forearm. He places a kiss to my lips and grins. He’s changed and his hair is wet as though he’s just taken a shower.
“I’ve just come from the gym. We’re going to have dinner.”
As out of sorts and disarmed as I feel, his touch still heats my skin. I only blink at him, speechless and nearly inflamed at his ability to act as though nothing is wrong. I open my mouth to speak but before I can, high-pitched laughter catches my attention. Nico’s caramel eyes gleam and a smirk spreads across his gorgeous face. He pulls me close and then places his palm to the center of my back, guiding me deeper into the room. A woman sits on a sofa, with her legs tucked beneath her. She’s dressed casually in a cream blouse and tights and her long dark hair cascades around her. When she spots me, she babbles out something in French with a laugh and stands. As she approaches, I realize that she’s barefoot and she has the most amazing blue eyes that sparkle like sapphires. She approaches cautiously, extending her hands in front of her as though she’ll break me if she touches me, as though maybe I’m not even real.
“Bonsoir, Cassandra.” She greets, putting her cheek to mine a few times in that French kissy way.
I smile nervously, taking in the subtle floral scent on her skin.
“I’m Marielle.” She laughs, smoothing a hand over my shoulder. Her touch is warm and motherly and instantly, I feel welcomed and relax a little in her presence. “I’m Nico’s mother. It’s nice to finally meet you – really nice.”
“Bonsoir. Good evening.” I repeat back to her. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
Marielle steps past me, cupping Nico’s face in her hands. The elegant woman just stares at him for a long moment, while a silly grin spreads across her face. She runs a hand over Nico’s slicked-back hair, almost as if she’s admiring him. I don’t know what to do or say, so I just stand there bearing witness to the peculiar display of affection. She breathes out loudly, still smiling, jerking her eyes from me to Nico. Nico to me. This seems to go on forever, until a deep voice interrupts the staring contest.
“Marielle, please.” Aurelio says in his deep authoritative voice, taking his wife’s hand and leading her away from us. “Tatiana is with Tomas. They’ll be down here in a moment.” He tells us.
Marielle smiles over her shoulder, heading further into the room.
“Please come everyone. Dinner is served.”
Nico
Cass is sucking down wine like The Prohibition Era is on its way back. I place my hand on hers and squeeze it under the table throughout dinner. She looks absolutely stunning tonight. Her skin is bare and her brown hair that now has streaks of blonde running through it from the sun, is up in a messy bun. The cut of the dress she’s wearing, fits perfectly. The white material edges the tops of her breasts, accentuating them. I’d given Carlos the task of shopping for Cass a few days ago. He’d done well picking out items that I knew would look incredible on her. There was no better person than Carlos to shop for Cass, since he was the most flamboyant wannabe woman I knew.
Aurelio makes small talk about the weather and football, asking Cass this and that about the island. I laugh realizing that he already knew most of the answers to the questions that he asked her. I appreciate the effort he was making in order to make Cass feel more comfortable, more than he knew.
“We must go to Monaco at the end of the month.” Aurelio mumbles.
Cass swallows a piece of filet mignon, hard. Then chews, quickly recovering but her reaction to Aurelio’s words hasn’t gone unnoticed. I know she doesn’t want me to leave but travelling is a large part of my job working for Aurelio as his chief financial officer. It was clear from the directive that Aurelio had just given that the Zephyr would be in Monaco in thirty days.
“What are your parents like, Cass? I’d like to invite them here for lunch maybe on a day next week, if that’s okay?”
She nods.”That would be nice. They’re nice people.” She laughs. “They’ve been married for nearly forty years now.”
“Wow.” Aurelio says lifting his brows.
“Marielle and I have been married for thirty five years.”
Cass smiles. “Wow.”
Aurelio rests his silverware down, giving everyone around the table a stern look. “People don’t stay married for long anymore like they did in my parent’s day.” His eyes linger on Tomas for a little longer than necessary.
Tomas only shrugs and pokes Tatiana in the side.“Stop it, Uncle Tomas.” She squeals.
“I mean what is it? I always wonder. Is it too many choices? Is it that people just fall in and out of love so fleetingly, I wonder. Is it lack of commitment? Maybe it’s having expectations that are too high, I don’t know. This generation. Jesus Christ.” He huffs and runs a hand over his jaw. “They want immediate gratification. They want everything right away.” He snaps his fingers loudly.
I remain quiet and so does Cass.
“Maybe Papai, it’s that marriage just isn’t cut out for some people...like me.” Tomas says.
Aurelio takes a long sip of his wine and gives my brother a molten glare over the rim of his glass. Then he laughs but it’s dry and accompanies a snarl. “Tomas.” He breathes out. “I hate to tell you this but part of being a man is getting married. Not fu-.”
“Aurelio.” Marielle interrupts, while a stern expression colors her face, her blue eyes like ice.
My father closes his mouth and I beg him with my eyes for this conversation/argument/slug fest with Tomas not to happen tonight. He shifts in his chair, the vein in his forehead thrumming with tension and takes a deep breath. “Cass, we’re happy to have you aboard the Zephyr. This spectacular boat is one of the biggest mega-yachts in the world.” He says proudly.
“It’s beautiful.” Cass chimes.
Aurelio gives a harsh nod. “It is.”
Cass squeezes my hand under the table. Her hands are hot and clammy but I don’t let go. The dishes and glasses are cleared away from the table and everyone is offered dessert and coffee. Aurelio requests his signature double expresso. Tatiana rushes up behind Cass, her brown curls all over her head and whispers something in her ear. I chuckle at the way they laugh and giggle with each other. Cass stands and excuses herself from the table, her eyes bright with amusement as Tatiana takes her hand, leading her off somewhere.
“We’ll be right back, Papai. I want to show Cass the movie theatre.”
“Okay.” I whisper, before she places a kiss on my cheek.
Tomas rushes off from the table, visibly angry.
Aurelio huffs. “When will he grow the fuck up?” He asks, taking a sip from the tiny ceramic cup in his hand.
I don’t answer the very question I ask myself much of the time. Tomas is only two years younger than me but he might as well be a tween for the way he behaves much of the time. Aurelio never understood Tomas, which largely contributed to the disconnect the two men had. They rarely got along and after all these years, I never stopped reminding my father that he cannot groom Tomas to be him.
Aurelio still doesn�
��t get it.
Cassandra
After dinner, I pad outside on the deck listening to the splash of the water around the boat and stare up at the stars that twinkle in the night sky. I loved being out here on the water, even now more so since I’d been spending much of my time in the last two months on Reel Talk with Nico. A soft breeze blows by where I stand. I wrap my arms around my middle and inhale.
What have I gotten myself into?
I huff and spin around only to see both Marielle and Aurelio standing at the other side of the deck in an embrace. Marielle is clearly tipsy. She laughs and laughs at something he said and then smacks him in the chest. Aurelio rubs his chest feigning pain and then pulls Marielle against him. I’m in love with how in love they still seem to be with each other, much like my own parents.
A waft of cigarette smoke assaults my nostrils. Tomas sits a few feet away, spread out on a lounge chair barefoot and smoking. We make eye contact under the cover of darkness but he doesn’t speak, just sits there like some sort of princeling, like he’s royalty. It only takes me a few minutes to realize that Nico and Tomas are far different, even though they’re brothers.
“How are you?” He asks.
“I’m fine.”
A soft chuckle leaves his throat before he puffs on the cigarette again. “No, you’re not. You’re far from alright Cassandra Rose Mora.”
It doesn’t escape me that he knows my government name.
“It’s okay. If you aren’t. There must be alot of things running through your mind, alot of questions on your tongue that you’re dying to ask.”
“No.” I taking a seat across from him.
He offers me the cigarette which I wave away.
“I’ve known Nico all my life and he never does anything the conventional way.” He laughs. “He does things all the way you know – from beginning to end. I can’t remember the last thing I finished that I started.” He laughs. “I never finish anything.”
I only listen to him, while he puffs away on the cancer stick between his fingers.
“I mean me, I’ve never had a woman who’s ever wanted me, for me but I don’t think I care, you know. Money can buy anything, Cassandra. When I say anything, believe me, I mean anything.
“I think about being in real love, like my parents over there but it’s hard to find, if it isn’t impossible.” He breathes out.
The night air prickles my skin. Tomas stands and removes the shawl sweater he’s wearing and drapes it over my shoulders.
“Obrigado. Thank you.” I mutter.
He only nods and returns to his seat.
“Nico is likely in Aurelio’s office. He doesn’t keep his own here.”
“Oh. I needed some fresh air anyways.”
“I bet you do.” He smiles. “You’re different, Cass. I don’t know if Nico’s told you the story about how he had Tatiana.”
“A little.” I whisper. “But not the entire thing.”
Tomas lets out a grunt. “It was fucked up. I think he was so burned after that, that he just I don’t know... He shut himself off. I won’t go on to mention the few women that came before that. There weren’t that many but I don’t think any of them really loved Nico for the man he is, without all the bullshit that comes along with this life. And I can certainly tell you there was no way they were getting on that fucking old boat with him!” He laughs. “All Tatiana’s mother wanted was money. I’m sure Nico still pays her in fact, just to stay the fuck away. She has no interest in being a mother to Tatiana who is her personal fucking piggy bank.
“Anyways, when Tatiana’s mother was pregant she told Nico that the baby was his, to get her claws in him and -.” He pauses. “And Nico believed it but Tatiana wasn’t. Tat wasn’t his daughter but she was, you know.”
I nod.
“Women fall all over Nico on a daily basis when he’s in this life – me too. But when Nico’s out there...” He points to the island, a smile playing across his features that look even more chiseled under the shadow of the darkness. “When Nico’s out there living on that eyesore of a boat alone, scruffy and smelling like fish he’s a nobody. Nico gets treated like a nobody, like how he likes it.
“I know he loves you Cass but if I were you, pushing aside everything I’ve just told you. I’d wonder about a few things.” He says cooly, tipping his head forward a few times.
Like what?
“I’d wonder. I’d really wonder, Cass.”
I wait.
I wait.
And I wait some more.
Tomas takes a long draw of the cigarette, exhaling it through his nose. The soft breeze carries the thick smoke away. My brows cinch and my mouth collapses into a frown, while I wait for him to humor me, only the words that come out aren’t so funny.
“If I were a woman, I’d wonder if I could really love a man that’s so...dishonest.” He whispers. “That’s all.”
Cassandra
I drink the sight of Nico in when Carlos closes the door to the suite behind me with a “good night”. I try to appear normal but I’m unsettled as hell. Tomas’ words left me feeling itchy all over.
Nico’s back is to me. His cellphone is clutched in his hand against his ear, while he leans into the floor-to-ceiling glass in front of him barefoot. Tatiana decided to stay with Marielle and Aurelio tonight to sleep. The little girl is such a bright light. Tatiana loves to talk and asks questions about things I’d never considered. like why do we have ten fingers and not twelve? And why can’t men have babies? She was curious and down to earth, not spoiled in the slightest bit. She was just like her father.
Slipping off my sandals, I head further into the cozy room feeling out of sorts. Low music plays from the stereo and I recognize the smoky alto as Chet Faker’s voice singing To Me. I take the time to stare at all of the fresh white roses around the dimly lit room. Letting all of the air whoosh from my lungs, I settle into the plush cream sofa.
Nico hangs up the phone and spins around, running a hand through his hair that’s now a bit messy, which only makes him look sexier. His navy blue shirt is undone two buttons from the top and rolled up to the elbows. He marches towards me and pulls me up from the seat I’m in against his hard chest, placing a soft kiss to my lips.
“Nico.” I whisper, immediately silencing when his index finger runs over my lips.
“Shhh.” He says, right before dropping down on one knee in front of me.
My heart pounds. My pulse thrums in my ears and the back of my neck becomes slick with sweat. He takes my left hand in his, running his thumb over the back of it lovingly, soothingly only it does nothing to calm my scattered thoughts.
He gives me the most endearing expression and pulls a tiny box from his pocket. I remain silent, looking into his gorgeous eyes debating what’ll happen next, only I think I know. Am I prepared? This is a big step. I still have so many questions...
“Cass, I love you.” He says softly, the background music a dull noise taking a back seat to the sound of Nico’s deep voice. “I love you so, so much. I want you to be my wife, if you’d have me.”
He holds a tiny robin egg blue box that’s perfect, confirming that whatever is inside had come straight from Tiffany’s. The box opens exposing an exquisite, four-carat round diamond solitaire inside, set in yellow gold. Nico gazes at me with glittery eyes.
I stand speechless in front of him, shaking like I’m about to lie to my mother. I want to be happy but I can’t be and before I realize it, copious tears are already running down my hot cheeks. What is this? What has any of this been? I understand Nico’s been hurt in the past but none of that had anything to do with me. Why be so dishonest? Why have me believing things that weren’t so? Was this all some sick test to see if I’d fit into his world? Do I even want to fit into his world? This world. It seems like it’s everything on Nico’s terms.
Was this all a joke?
I haven’t even had a chance to let everything I’ve been blindsided with sink in and now he’s asking me to marr
y him? Does he expect me to say yes? I’m just supposed to simply fall in line with his plans, without so much as asking for an explanation for the mind-fuck he’s just delivered to my brain.
What is-this-bullshit?
He opens his mouth to speak again. “I know I have al-.”
Without thinking, I pull my hand back and slap him, hard.
It’s graveyard silent for a split second until Nico growls and shakes away the slap and the unmistakable burn, that feels like it has only registered in my throbbing palm. Those amber eyes of his open slowly. They flash with anger and the same hurt I feel and burn into me. He stands. The heat that radiates from his heaving chest, singes me before he backs away. He snaps the box shut and slams it on the coffee table, so violently that I think the custom mahogany masterpiece will split straight down the middle.
I’ve officially lost my fucking mind. I need to find it. Like soon.
“I’m sorry.” I mumble when he walks away and disappears from my sight. I attempt to hug my middle, flexing my hand that’s on fire. Nico returns a few minutes later clutching something. He yanks my hand open and wraps fingers around a cloth that’s filled with ice cubes, placing his large palm over mine.
“I’m sorry, Nico but –.”
“I’ve never lied to you.” He hisses, stepping away from me again, pointing his index finger in my direction.
“I asked you what you did Nico, while you’re here. You told me you were a fisherman.”
“Because I am.” He says, without emotion. “When I’m here, that is what I do. Whenever I come here to the island, that is what-I-do. Ambrose and I catch and sell fish.” He explains slowly, as though I don’t understand English. “It’s simple.” He adds.
“You left out all the rest. An ommission is still a lie, Nico.”
“Okay, Cass. Maybe I haven’t been entirely honest but you don’t understand.”