by Aja Cole
Theodora
I came awake groggily, my entire body sore.
And we hadn’t even had sex yet! Shit.
I didn’t know what time it was, and I blearily glared at the sunlight coming through the wide windows. Blackout curtains. We needed blackout curtains ASAP.
I was alone in the bed and I clutched the sheet around me as I shook my hair out of my face. I didn’t even want to touch it, because I knew a rat’s next was waiting for me. I had a light perm, so it was nothing compared to the horror it would be if it was my natural curls, but still. Where the heck was my phone?
Apparently, we were on the same wavelength because the basic iPhone tone started blaring from the side of the bed and I groaned. Untangling myself from the covers, I got out of bed and scooped it up, ignoring the protest in my muscles.
“Theodora Elyse James, are you avoiding my calls now?” I winced.
“Hey mama. Of course not, ma’am. I would never,” When she used my full name, I knew manners were expected. My mother didn’t play any games about respect.
“Hm,” I could practically see disapproval settle across her face through the phone, I knew the look so well.
“Why haven’t I heard from you in over a week, Theodora?”
“I just…I’ve been busy, mama.”
Busy hiding a whole marriage, that happened so far before it should’ve that I never told anyone about it, that’s come back to bite me in the ass, really.
Busy falling in love all over again.
Busy trying to keep my sanity this time around.
Yeah. Busy was good enough.
“So busy you couldn’t call your mother? Really, Theodora, your father and I raised you better than this.” I fell facedown into a pillow in exasperation.
My mom had the long-suffering mother role down to a science, I swore.
“I’m sorry, mama. It won’t happen again.”
She sniffed delicately, and in my head, I saw her sitting in front of the large picture window at her house with a cardigan draped over her shoulders and a cup of white tea at her elbow. I glanced at the clock.
It was almost 9am, so she’d be about to leave her house for work.
My mom was a curator at a museum in New York, and I mentally punched myself in the face for managing to let it slip my mind that I’d be in the same place.
Damn, I was a terrible daughter.
But I would let her tell me that.
Plus, it was as good a time as any to spill the beans, right?
“So, mom, I’ve kind of got some big news…”
I smoothed down my hair, hoping I didn’t look like too much of a ragamuffin. Blowing a silky curl out of my face, I pasted a smile on my face and flung open the door of Luc’s place.
“Mama!”
Katherine Bennett-James looked down at me like I was an inconvenient bug under her shoe. You know how much sense that made when the woman was shorter than I was?
Exactly.
But she did it anyways.
She ignored my greeting, moving past me and clacking into the large space on her burnt orange Jimmy Choo heels like she owned the place. That was my mom. This was her world, and we were all just living in it.
She was the reason for my self-confidence and my ambition with work. She always made sure I knew that I didn’t have to take shit from anyone or listen to anyone say I couldn’t do something…except her.
Her word was law.
“Wow, no hug or anything. Good to see you too,” I mumbled, closing the door and turning to her.
“Mind the sass, this is not the time,” she warned. I sighed and went to the kitchen. I hadn’t eaten anything yet and I wanted an iced coffee.
I put on some authentic looking Spanish coffee, and took out some egg whites and bacon.
“Hungry?”
I knew damned well the only thing on my mother’s mind was tearing me a new one, but hey, maybe she’d cooled down on the way over.
“I can’t believe you would make such a reckless decision,” she murmured, and I smiled to myself.
Whelp. Guess not.
Still, I was coming off back to back orgasms. There was little that would kill my mood after that night with Luc.
Wonder where he is…
Damn, I truly couldn’t wait for actual sex again.
Once upon a time, I would’ve been itching for my mom’s total and complete approval. I’d since come to learn that we didn’t have to agree on all my choices.
I knew she’d love me regardless of her anger or disappointment.
It was something I’d never questioned, and I considered myself lucky for that. My mother had certain ways she liked to do things, but she was never intentionally hurtful or callous. She never said things with the intention to belittle me or make me feel worthless. For that, I appreciated her. I knew she only said the things she did because she cared.
If Katherine had nothing to say, then I would’ve been worried. This? This was normal. I put the bacon in the oven and walked back to her.
It still had the power to annoy the hell out of me though.
“Well, it’s already made ma. Can’t take it back now. Plus, haven’t you been saying I need to find a nice young man and settle down? You and Dad.”
“Yes, a boy you date and bring to meet your parents for approval before marrying him,” she narrowed her eyes at me and dropped her Celine tote on the dining room table with a soft thud. “And for years without telling us? Did I raise a dishonest daughter? Did you believe you couldn’t tell me because I would be angry? I am not angry, but I am puzzled. Completely baffled by your irresponsible behavior. The child I raised makes rational decisions and does not get swept away in passing fancy.”
“Maybe he’s the love of my life.”
“Maybe? He damned well better be to make my responsible daughter lie for all this time.”
“I didn’t lie…I just…didn’t inform anyone.”
“Because you knew it was not smart.”
“Because it was my business and nobody else’s.”
“You feared something.”
“I did no such thing.” I huffed. Damn mothers. I wasn’t scared of anything!
“What aren’t you telling me about this boy? If you were so in love, you would’ve been shouting it from the rooftops. I know you, Theodora. You wouldn’t act so out of character and then be silent.”
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think, because I’m not hiding anything.” I made my way back to the kitchen and she followed, watching me silently as I poured the coffee into the cocktail shaker.
Lies. And she could smell them like the most well-trained police dog. I might as well have had the word liar tattooed on my forehead for the way she was looking at me like she sensed dishonesty.
I avoided her gaze as I mixed in vanilla simple syrup, ice, and a little milk before I got to shaking the container vigorously. “Stop staring at me like I’m going to change my answers.”
“You will,” she was almost as cocky as Luc with her smugness. “One way or the other.”
I scowled at the shaker and was pulling out a glass when I heard the door open. I couldn’t decide if I was excited for my mom to meet Luc or terrified. Probably a very healthy mix of both.
Except Luc wasn’t the one to walk in the door.
“Saw the pictures online today. This fake romance is looking amazing!” Amina called out, backing through the door with a large box in her hand.
I avoided looking at my mom, but I knew she would have the most vindicated look on her face. I could feel it in the air.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
24
Luciano
I kicked the ball at the wall for what was probably the 200th time. It was amateur, this way of working on ball control, but I needed to do something futbol related.
You could never hone basic skills enough. With younger players coming out every year, my best had to be better than it was the day before. I hadn’t played in a game for
three weeks already, and it was draining me.
I wasn’t cleared for excessive sport yet. The doctor had said nothing about solo drills or light exercise. I was sweating, but it was nothing compared to my usual regimen.
Yet I still felt tired and like I was lagging, and it made me angry. It felt like my body was betraying me for the first time in my life. I wanted to do more, but I wasn’t stupid enough to risk more injury at this point. That would only mean a longer delay.
Wiping a towel over my face, I left the indoor field and went to the locker room. I’d shower once I got back to my place. Maybe Thea was up and we could make breakfast together.
Well, she could make breakfast and I’d pretend to make myself useful.
I let myself in. I expected for Thea to still be lazing in bed, taking advantage of having a free morning.
Instead, I walked in and found Amina and Thea looking uncomfortable at the dining room table, with an older woman surveying them like an interrogator. She had long, straight hair and her makeup was flawless. It was almost hard to place her age.
“Teodora?” I questioned, raising a brow as I set down my gym bag.
“Ah, this must be your husband,” the woman’s sharp emphasis on the word made me wary and I looked between her and Thea, comprehension dawning when I realized who she was.
“Ah, tu madre,” I started to go over to them, but I realized I hadn’t showered yet. “I will be back very shortly, I need to grab a shower before I get anywhere near,” I nodded at her mother, ignoring the daggers Thea was glaring my way. Why? I had no idea. But I wasn’t going to meet my suegra smelling like I did. Bounding up the stairs, I dropped my clothes into the hamper and took the quickest shower on record. I pulled on underwear, a t-shirt with my number on it, and joggers. My unshaved face couldn’t be helped; I’d already kept her waiting.
How much did she know? What didn’t she know? What had they been talking about before I got home? She knew I was Thea’s husband, but did she know how long I’d been that?
This wasn’t the way I’d imagined meeting the woman that’d brought my woman into this world.
Bounding down the stairs in socks, I made my way over to the woman who still wore a stoic expression on her face. It would be one of the only times I could remember feeling such nervousness about what someone would think of me.
“Senora, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am sorry it was not sooner.” I took her hand and pressed a brief kiss to it, holding it between both of mine and smiling at her. I was nervous, but I was excited. This felt like finally, Thea and I were more real. “I know that Thea values your opinion, and I hope that when you come to know me, you will approve.”
“Well, my dear daughter obviously doesn’t value my opinion too much, or else she wouldn’t have married some stranger in a different country before I’d heard a single word about it.” She jutted a sharp chin out, so much like Thea’s. “But at least you have the manners to give me an apology. Something Thea still has not done.”
“I did apologize!” Thea interjected, her voice sounding like that of a moody teenager. Interesting.
“You apologized for not communicating, but you did not apologize for hiding a marriage. And don’t take that tone with me.” I released her hand and she crossed her arms, stepping away and looking me up and down. “Well, I can see why she rushed at least. You’re exactly the type to lead her astray.”
“Mama!” Thea huffed, rising from her seat and coming to stand beside me. “That’s enough. It’s done. This happened. I’m sorry for not telling you. Let’s move on.”
“Hm,” the elder James woman smiled serenely and sat at the head of the table. “Sit, both of you. Tell me about this,” she waved her hand through the air carelessly, “this thing.”
“Marriage, ma’am. Not a fake romance at all, I was only teasing.” Amina spoke up, glancing at Thea.
“Who are you?” Senora James squinted at Amina lightly and she sat back and closed her mouth, putting her hands up as if to say she was out of the conversation. “He pays you, I don’t know that I can trust anything that any of you say.”
“Doesn’t matter if you do, it has nothing to do with you.”
I frowned at Thea, “Don’t speak to your mother that way.”
She widened her eyes at me and I could see the annoyance rising in her face. “Are you my father now? Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.”
Why was she being this way? “Don’t start something you don’t want me to finish, Thea,” I leaned near her so her mother wouldn’t hear me. “Don’t let last night make you forget who I am.”
She didn’t like that at all. “Keep playing with me and you’ll be no one,” she hissed, rising from her chair and stalking away. I looked after her, a scowl on my face.
A mystery, that one.
“She’ll get over it soon enough. She’s only defensive because she knows I know she’s lying about something.” Her mother observed. “What is your name, husband?”
“Luciano Silva, senora.”
“Katherine Bennett-James. I wish I’d have met you before you added your name to my daughter’s, but that can’t be helped now. Why hasn’t she changed her name legally to yours?”
“We didn’t think it was a pressing matter,” I fibbed. Truly, we hadn’t discussed it. “With my career, we thought it best to keep things to ourselves until we were ready.”
“Five years wasn’t long enough for the two of you to be ready? You were ready to marry each other after knowing each other for less than a year.” She prodded, tapping manicured fingernails lightly on the table. “I’ve never seen you, let alone heard of you. You want me to believe you have been married this entire time and yet, nothing,” she snapped her fingers in the air for emphasis. “I did not fall off the turnip wagon yesterday, and I’m insulted that all of you,” she included Amina in her glare, “continue to lie.”
Thea was going to have my head for what I was about to do, but I could hear banging around upstairs, so I assumed she wouldn’t be down for a little longer.
“You’re right,” I put up a hand when Amina started to interrupt. She quieted, sighing like she was disgusted. “This is what happened…”
I started from the beginning, leaving out the indecent bits, and watched Mrs. James’ face go from suspicious to appalled to understanding to unreadable.
When I ended off telling her that we were giving our relationship a second chance and that I felt for Thea like I’d never felt for another woman, she was silent and watchful. She rose from the table and I rose as well. She walked over to me and I felt a bit of fear, even topping her by at least a whole foot. Was she going to slap me? Hug me? Curse me?
She reached a hand up toward my face and I flinched in preparation at the same time as Amina gasped. Katherine didn’t miss a beat, giving a short laugh as her hand landed on my face gently, not with force. She urged me down so that I was near her face and kissed me on the cheek, pulling back just slightly to look me in the eyes.
Her brown eyes were so like Thea’s, only they had wisdom in them.
“Thank you for your honesty. For now, I like you Luciano Silva. There is more to this story that maybe even you don’t know, and time will tell. But make no mistake, you hurt my daughter and I’ll shove a heel so far up your ass that the only words you’ll be able to speak for the rest of your life will be Jimmy Choo. Do you understand me?”
Loving but fierce. There was no mistake who Thea took after.
“Si, senora. I understand perfectly,” I swallowed, and she stepped back, releasing me.
We both looked toward the second floor as something else thudded. Was Thea moving my furniture?
Katherine smiled, an amused look on her face. “Tell my daughter I will speak with her soon. I have to get to work.” I nodded, following her to the door as she grabbed her large purse from my table. “Goodbye, Amina,” she called back.
“Bye,” Amina responded meekly. Damn, what had they been saying before I got there? Amina never
cowered before anyone.
Then again, even I was a little afraid of Katherine Bennett-James. We hugged at the door, and I closed it, exhaling. Not what I’d been expecting to come home to, that was for sure.
Another thud sounded from upstairs and I shook my head, digging my hands in my pockets and looking at Amina.
“You should check on her. I’ll be here,” Amina pulled out her laptop, and I started up the stairs to find out what exactly Thea was doing and what her attitude had been about.
I had a feeling the conversation wasn’t going to go well.
25
Theodora
“High-handed, cocky bastard. Who does he think he is, reprimanding me in front of my mother like that?” I dragged the little armchair over to the window, stepping back to survey it.
Much better placement than next to the bed. The sunlight did the deep blue color more justice than sitting in a dark corner by the wall.
Looking up at the wall, I sneered at the ugly abstract painting. This, I did not agree with. It did nothing for the room. It just took up space on the wall and the colors clashed with the muted warmth of the deep blue and light cream bed set.
Framed pictures. Maybe 4. Or 6. Similar colors, arranged on two rows. Varying colors. Grey? Grey, deep blue, and cream alternating throughout the pictures. That could work.
Maybe just kill the entire color scheme?
Blush would be better. The bed needed more pillows. A grey furry rug would go well with the pale wood flooring. Spots? Lavender grey-ish was a better color than steel grey…
“I mean, really? Did I forget who he was? I didn’t forget a damned thing but how overbearing he can get when he’s too damned comfortable,” I fumed, turning in a slow circle and imagining the other changes I could make to the room.
Ugly lamp? Had to go.
Silver statue? Had to go.
The curtains could stay.
“A man gives you more orgasms than you can count, and suddenly he acts like he owns you,” I threw my hands up like the wall was talking back to me. “Give him an inch, he takes a mile.”