by Kendra Riley
“Running a large company is your forte,” she told him, still feeling a bit of throbbing in between her legs. It was a good kind of throbbing, though, and she didn’t even expect much, but it had been something short of wonderful. Of course, she kept this to herself.
“Let’s get you home,” he suddenly said, sitting up, and then he reached for his clothes and put them back on quickly. “I’ll wait for you downstairs, in the kitchen.”
Aniya stared as he left the room, and she slowly put her clothes on. She walked for the bathroom, and saw it was larger than her entire apartment. She approached a mirror, saw how disheveled her hair looked, and how wild her eyes were. She hadn’t seen herself look like this, ever. Was this what they called the ‘after sex’ glow? She did enjoy the sheen on her normally dry face. Was this the face of an irresponsible mother, getting laid after so long?
She took a deep breath, and then she began to finger comb through her hair, forgetting her bag in the theatre room. She straightened her dress, smoothing it down to the hem as best as she could. Was Isabella asleep by now? She had to distract her mind towards better, more mature things. She hadn’t checked on her daughter for over an hour now, and she felt guilty.
Reaching the kitchen (after looking for it for a few minutes), she saw him sitting on a stool, drinking what seemed like a glass of lemon water.
“You need to rehydrate, you know that,” he told her, giving her a cold glass filled with it.
He was treating this like she had just gone to practice or something. He seemed like he didn’t care, seemed like he was so used to scenarios like this. She suddenly felt icky, cheap, and she wanted to go home as soon as she could. She could take a taxi, for all she cared.
“Lupe says Isabella fell asleep an hour after we left,” he said to her, while scrolling through his phone messages. “She wants to know if Isabella should have some milk.”
Aniya blinked, looking at him. Oh, so now he cared?
“Well?” he continued.
She found herself nodding. “Yeah, sure.” She glanced over at him.‘“You know nothing about kids, do you?”
He shrugged. “Not much. I don’t remember being a kid,” he gave a short laugh. “Seriously, I barely have any nephews and nieces, or very young cousins.”
“What about siblings?”
“One. Catalina’s an adorable kid sister,” he said. “Well, I still think she’s a kid. She’s a senior in high school.”
“Why such a big gap?” she asked him, genuinely curious.
“Parents were too busy to make babies, I guess. But, at least I was already old enough to know what being an older brother should entail.”
“Where is Catalina now?”
“Living with our parents,” he replied. “They’re hanging onto her until she leaves for college. I guess parenting comes a bit late for them.”
“Sounds like a good thing, though.”
“Not when there’s so much pressure surrounding you,” he said. “It’s not easy, being the children of Miguel Santoro and Marissa del Prado.”
“What do you do exactly?”
“Oh,” his brow quirked up. “Is this an interview now?”
She shrugged. “Just asking.”
“Let’s get going. Mommy duties call.”
She wanted to say something, but held out against it. It was too soon to pick a fight with him. Maybe she needed more time to understand his personality. Maybe he needed more time to adjust to her. Was there going to be another time? Now that they had slept with each other, what was going to happen?
Aniya nodded. “Yeah, let’s.”
She followed him as they walked out of the house, and into another car. She said nothing of this, though. He opened the door for her once more, and she paused. Did he really do this for everyone? He was like an asshole, and yet, he was a gentleman at the same time.
The ride home was as quiet as getting to his place. What was there to say? Nothing, right? There was little she could do, but just watch everything pass by. The lights, the buildings, the people- the car went past them with a blur, just like how the night was fast becoming. Did he even genuinely like her?
She didn’t even notice that they had arrived, until he cleared his throat. “Thank you for coming.”
“Well, you did pick me up,” she said. What happens now? Would she kiss his cheek? Would they shake hands?
He smiled at her, a broad smile that seemed awkward on him. Was it forced? “I’ll see you around.”
“What does that mean?” she asked him, her hand on the door’s handle.
“It means I’ll see you when I see you.”
She frowned. “Do you do this to everyone?”
He shook his head. “Not everyone.”
“To me?”
“Don’t make yourself feel too special that I’d reserve ill treatment for you. What am I? A high schooler brat on his first few dates, who treats women like crap?” he retorted. “I don’t just sleep with anyone and not plan to get to know them after.”
She bit her lower lip, knowing that they weren’t meeting eye to eye this time.
“You make it seem like you didn’t have fun,” he told her.
“I did,” she snapped, “which is what makes it dangerous.”
“Oh, so I’m some sort of serial killer now? Or you’re just afraid I won’t see you again?”
She shook her head, huffed, opened the door of the car and slammed it behind her.
Aniya took deep breaths before entering her apartment, and she found Lupe, cleaning about the living room, and placing Isabella’s toys in a little box.
“Lupe, I- thank you, thank you so much.”
“Not a problem at all. Had fun on your first date?” Lupe asked her with a smile.
She nodded, unable to say anything bad about him. Apparently Lupe saw this, and she sighed. “Well, Dante can be difficult at times, but once you get to him, he’s a gentleman through and through.”
“I wasn’t thinking that-“
“I think he said a word or two that left you annoyed,” Lupe told her, gathering her coat and her small handbag. “He’s always like that. You’ll need patience with him, just like he needs patience with everyone. It’s something he’s been working on for a long time now, actually.” Lupe gave a little laugh. “Best get going, Miss Compton.”
“Please, call me Aniya.”
“Aniya,” Lupe repeated with a nod.
After Lupe left, Aniya walked toward the window, and she saw Lupe slide into the passenger’s seat. So, Dante drove his trusted governess back and forth, and by the way Lupe talked about Dante, it seemed like she knew him better than anyone else. She was his mother figure of sorts, a source of discipline and kindness.
It was different, but growing up was different for everyone. If she had grown up in a loving home, perhaps, Dante grew up in an emotionally constrained one. That explained how he was. He was evasive when it came to family, or dating, or anything about him. He didn’t want to talk much about his background, but it was clear his sister meant a lot to him. She noticed that he didn’t ask much about her. Maybe it was to avoid emotions. She felt she was already emotionally invested in him, just because she slept with him, just because he showed her niceties. Her intuition didn’t warn her about this, but she had felt torn about it.
Is this what I get for sleeping with someone.
***
Hadn’t he been gentlemanly enough? He had invited her into his home on their first date, something he rarely did; in fact, it was the first time he had done so. Yet, she flared up on him, like he had done something harsh.
And here he thought she was satisfied. It had been an entertaining evening. He made her feel good. He shook his head. Some people just weren’t satisfied. He had thought it through, sleeping with her, even if she was a mother. He never paid for sex. He knew when women wanted him. He knew that she wanted him. He wanted her to relax, take some time off from being a single mother.
He meant it when he said he’d see her arou
nd. It seemed vague, but he didn’t want to make promises he might not be able to keep. Aniya had told him she wasn’t ready for dates, or what came after dates. She wasn’t ready for intimacy, even if she wanted him. Clearly, she had attachment issues. She didn’t know much about him, and he didn’t know much about her. Wasn’t it better that way?
Before meeting Aniya, he had told himself he’d take things slow, take time to date women, and not turn them into relationships right away. Aniya wouldn’t want the media annoyance if he did get serious with her. And Isabella, he thought about the little girl, she wouldn’t understand things yet, and he didn’t want to break her mother’s heart- not that he meant to. He knew he still wanted to see Aniya, maybe just not in the frequency she’d expected.
Careful, Dante. It’s not just Aniya’s job at stake here. There was also a child to think about. That was a gigantic emotional disparity right there. She’d think differently. She’d assume he’d want to be an instant father, right? He didn’t want to be the father figure for the adorable child, even if she was adorable.
The child was still going to be her priority, and his priority was going to be work, as always. He wondered where the child’s father was, who he was. Aniya was tightlipped about that, she never shared freely. She was as guarded as he was, and with good reason, he knew. It would be like opening old wounds, Pandora’s Box of negative emotions. He rationalized why he could date her. She was responsible, she was a hard worker, and even if she was tired, it was clear she didn’t want to miss every waking moment with Isabella.
Know what you’re getting into, Dante, he told himself. It was all too soon, right? Meet her two days ago, flirt with her, meet her child, sleep with her. He’d read somewhere that it would take months to be introduced to a single mother’s child or children, but he did barge in on her, eager to do the deed. That was a gross miscalculation on his part, neither of them screened each other properly. Alright, so lust took over, alright, so he was instantly attracted to her- but attraction was only skin deep. There would be a host of other ‘concerns’, now that he’d slept with her. Would she be clingy? God, please don’t be clingy.
The good thing about this whole thing was, his parents didn’t quite care about his dating life. He was sure Catalina did, but his sister was a loving, understanding and well-natured young woman. He would tell her about this soon, he thought, and he would tell Pilar, of course.
Driving home, he put the radio on loud, humming to familiar songs, and nodding to the unfamiliar ones. He drove slow and leisurely this time, thinking about Aniya, and thinking about what had happened earlier that night.
Well, I got to sleep with her, shouldn’t I be feeling great? It felt great, everything felt great while they watched a movie, while they had sex. And then, once the sex was over, he deflated. So he excused himself for the kitchen, to collect his thoughts. He needed to be alone for a moment. He told himself while getting water that he didn’t need to date, and that he needn’t sleep with anyone. Yet, he slept with her. He shamelessly lusted over her. It had been months of celibacy, and he was glad that he had been kept busy to assuage those natural urges.
He knew the other day that he still needed to see what she was like under those clothes. Aniya had been kept imprisoned by motherhood and work and stress for too long, and the moment he stoked the fire, Aniya exploded with a passion unlike any other. She was insatiable, and he had stiffened every time he felt her fingers caress his skin. How many times did they go? Three? Four? Every moment was worth the wait and the seduction, although he had to admit that he grew a little impatient. He normally gave it a week or two. He only gave himself two days to get to Aniya.
What’s with the impatience? He had thought. He had prided himself in calculating every move he made, since he turned what-? Eight years old? It was part of his life, and he couldn’t afford to make huge mistakes on his end, even emotional ones.
Would Aniya be an emotional blow to him? He didn’t want to find out. Again, he told himself to act casual, again, he told himself to act like the whole thing was something adults always did. What she had said haunted him in a way. She wasn’t sure if she was ready, and heck- he wasn’t sure about himself all of a sudden.
There’s no emotional connection, he told himself, only that physical need. How long would this physical need for her last?
Chapter7
Aniya woke up with a slight headache. Isabella was still asleep. Had she awoken up too early? It had been a few days, three days in fact, since she had last seen and heard of Dante Santoro. With each passing day, she was convinced that he was only after her to get into her panties.
Despite her best efforts, she found herself scouring the news for Dante every now and then. Everything was recycled gossip, she realized. Previous girlfriends, supposed dates- there was nothing about her, and she was glad. Dante had had a track record of dating popular, A-lister, socialite women, and she was none of those.
Did he just want to try something like her? I’m not a specimen, she told herself. She looked at Isabella, sleeping soundly, and then she looked at the alarm clock beside her. It was not yet five in the morning, and she knew she wouldn’t get to sleep again, not with these kinds of thoughts invading her supposed clean slate.
Sighing, she stood up to prepare a very early breakfast. She would drop Isabella off once more at the daycare center today, and proceed to work. She had been proficient, but very quiet at work, her thoughts consumed with what happened over the weekend.
Shouldn’t I be ashamed of myself? She wanted more of that, wanted more of him. She wasn’t in the position to want that of him. He was, after all, her boss. He was, after all, one of the most eligible bachelors in Europe, according to one magazine article. Damn it, what’s happening to me? I’m reading tabloids, for Pete’s sake!
She was glad she didn’t have much social media presence, or else the stalking would have gone worse. Aniya forced herself to think of Isabella, but that lapse during the weekend made things difficult. Was it a lapse? We were both consenting adults, and we both knew what we wanted. Damn him for being so smooth, for being so charming. It was her fault too. She could have just walked away, if it wasn’t for Dante being… well, Dante.
It was embarrassing, and she was glad Isabella would be too small to remember him. She figured this would just take time, to forget him, it was just one time, anyway. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel guilty. Sure, someone watched over Isabella, but she had left motherhood behind for a moment, to have some fun under the sheets with someone she barely knew.
Her phone’s screen lit up, signaling a message from someone. She had hoped it wasn’t work. It was too early, and she was too tired to deal with anything remotely related to the outside world.
Are you awake?
Aniya stared long and hard at the screen. So he had resurfaced. Oh god, not again. Not in his clutches again. She groaned, and then she replied that she was.
Great. I’m outside your door.
She marched for the front door, expecting it to be a ruse, but there he was, with take-away in his hand, and two cups of coffee. “Isn’t it too early to disturb the peace?” she asked him, with a slight frown.
“It’s never too early for breakfast food,” he said, holding up the bag. “I have two kinds of pancakes and two flavors for waffles, with sides of eggs and bacon.”
“Hold on, I don’t hear from you for days, and you suddenly come here and bring breakfast? What kind of asshole are you?”
“An asshole that’s nicer one than most,” Dante replied. “Are we eating by the door?”
She shook her head and reluctantly let him in. He walked calmly to the small dining table that seated two people, and he began taking out the paper boxes with food in it, and the coffee. “I wasn’t sure what Isabella wanted, so I just got her strawberry milk, and I also got her cookies, she might enjoy them in daycare.”
“How do you -?” Aniya stopped, staring at him as he prattled on.
“I figured. Single mothe
r, working 9 until god-knows what time. She’ll need to enjoy daycare, too right?”
“Strawberry milk, she loves it.”
He shrugged. “She’s a kid, and it’s pink.”
Aniya found herself smiling. He was something else, wasn’t he? He was single, and she was a single mom, and yet, here he was,having breakfast with her, in her little apartment, when he could have eaten anywhere, could have eaten with anyone else, anyone else but her.
She heard Isabella stir inside the small bedroom, and then her little girl came out, rubbing her eyes. “Mama?”
“Hey, baby,” she said, stretching her arms wide. “Give me a hug and a kiss. Where’s my kiss?”
Isabella grinned sleepily, and then she half-ran to her mother for a kiss and a long hug.
“Hungry?” Aniya asked her. Isabella nodded, and then her gaze ran to the man across them.
“Remember me?” Dante asked Isabella with a sincere smile.
Isabella nodded shyly. “Hola.”
“Dante here got you strawberry milk,” she said, “and pancakes. Which one would you want? Pancakes or waffles?”
“Both!” Isabella announced with a grin. “I want both!”
Aniya nodded, placing a heaping of cut-up pancakes on a plate with cartoon characters printed on it.
“Wanna sit on the couch and watch cartoons before we change?” Aniya asked her.
Isabella nodded, and she walked for the couch, adeptly turning on the TV to watch her show.
“I know we don’t have enough time to get to know each other too well,” Dante told her, amidst the cartoons playing in the background, “but I figured we could start with breakfast, somewhere quiet, somewhere where you’re at home.”
“Literally at home,” Aniya said with a smile.
“I had to figure something out.”
“Where I couldn’t reject you in public?”
“Where things can remain more private.”
“You’re already here, I just hope you didn’t bring paparazzi.”
“They don’t wake up that early,” he said. “Besides, we both needed time to think things through.”