Page 21 of Pain and Pleasure
He sets the plate down on my nightstand, the smell of rice and peppers wafting across my nostrils. My stomach growls eagerly.
“I had a long day with Marianne at the shop today.”
My fingers freeze over the keys of my laptop and I look up at him. He’s sitting on my bed and staring at me with a strange expression that I can’t really pinpoint.
“How was your first day? I want to hear all about it!” I exclaim. He clicks his tongue at me and I frown, saving my draft and closing my laptop.
“There’s time for that later. What I want to know is why you’ve locked yourself in your room while Dante is downstairs with literal steam coming from his ears. I have a funny feeling that somehow those two things are connected…”
Never misses a beat.
I grab my plate and start eating, savoring the flavor of chicken and peppers. It tastes so fresh, even though I know that it’s probably been ready for hours.
“I’m not his mother, I can’t explain or track every mood he has. I actually have work to do and focus on,” I say in between bites, setting my near empty plate back down on the nightstand.
“He seemed pretty pissed, Em. Saying that you keep jumping to conclusions without even speaking to him. Something I’m well aware that you do, because I showed you how to do it.” He winks and picks at his fingernails. I roll my eyes as I stretch my arms and legs, still sore from yesterday and from sitting over a computer all day today.
“He’ll be fine, trust me. He’s a big boy.” I get up and walk to grab some fresh towels and clothes, ready for a hot shower. Ricky’s hand snaps out and grabs me. He frowns, staring me down.
“I could care less about him, babe. What I want to know is what happened, because I can sense some type of hurt in you, even if you try your best to block it from me.”
I don’t know why I try hiding things from him, it’ll never work. He sees right through me as soon as he looks at me, sometimes even without looking at me. It’s never unnerving because he’s practically my brother, but it is frustrating when I want to keep something to myself. Especially when it’s something embarrassing. I know I can trust him with my vulnerability, but it’s hard to express things when you hate being vulnerable. It’s one of the things I hate most in this world.
I sigh deeply, collapsing on the bed next to him, my arm covering my eyes.
“I went to the library today to relax and heard a lot of shuffling and commotion from Dante's side of the house, so I went over to make sure he was okay.”
I swallow back the sudden tears, feeling stupid for being embarrassed all over again. I’m better than this and I know it. I know not to let others' opinions bother me, but for some reason I couldn’t shake this woman's words.
“A woman opened the door, the same woman I told you about the other night. The supermodel bitch from his party. She called me dull, Ricky. She said I was a toy and that he should call her when he gets bored of me...again. She said the wordagain, as if it’s obvious that he’s been bored before.”
It’s quiet for a minute, but Ricky is pulling my arm from my face. I open my eyes and find him smirking at me.
“What?” I ask.
“Want to know what I think?” he quips back.
I nod, somewhat eager to hear the response that amuses him.
“I think she’s obviously mad that he’s found pussy fresher than hers.”
“Ricky!” I swat at him and we both laugh, endless giggles erupting from our throats. What would I ever do without this person's light and love in my life? He’s my better half.
“I’m serious, baby girl. You’re the cream of the crop of them all. Not to mention that you’re also younger, smarter and a lot more stubborn. Obviously, the reasons are that you keep him on his toes enough to keep chasing you around like a puppy.”
He’s not wrong. Anytime Dante and I argue, he chases after me. For a while I thought it was because he wanted to defend himself, to keep his power in place. But I can see it for a different reason, a reason that makes him want to right whatever wrong about him that I’ve cultivated in my mind.
“I’m not mad at him, Ricky. He’s a man and we’re just...we’re not anything. It was just embarrassing, to hear her say those things...in front of him.”
“It was embarrassing because you let her words get to you. Why can’t you stand your ground with others like you do with him? I see how you both communicate. You fight tooth and nail. Why is it so hard to do that with a stranger?” He asks and they are all valid questions.
“Because I don’t know how to navigate this world. I don’t know these people and the unknown scares me.”
“As it scares all of us, but even he is unknown. The fate of your business is unknown, even your death is unknown, and you’ve never been afraid of those things. Don’t change that all of a sudden for the sake of some plastic people in slutty dresses or bland Armani suits.”
He pulls me from the bed and I groan in protest but smile when he pulls me in for a hug. I look over his shoulder and see Dante standing in the doorway, staring at us. Ricky turns around to look at him and then smiles at me.
He’s been watching the entire time, because Ricky told him to. The bastard.
