“I’m great, thanks for asking. How about yourself?” She smiled at me and there was a certain glow to her, she seemed tense. At the time, I thought that maybe she was nervous or something had happened between them. I would investigate that later.
“Lovely, I’m actually having lunch with our beautiful Ysabelle as we speak.”
“Oh…really. Um…let me…” he hesitated.
“Don’t be silly. I always have time for you. Now what can I help you with?”
“Right…it’s just, I umm…have this thing,” he stuttered.
“Sebastian, relax. Ysabelle is absolutely glowing right now. Seems like you have made quite an impression on my girl, Mr. Vanwell,” I stated, trying to make him comfortable and at the same time remind him who Ysabelle really belonged to.
“She’s made quite an impression on me. That’s why I’m calling. You see…I have this yacht delivery I have to make to the Virgin Islands and I wanted the company of Ysabelle for the duration of that time.”
“Hmm…that sounds like quite a trip. I’m assuming you’re trying to mix a little business with pleasure, seeing as you haven’t thus far?” I was definitely fishing for something.
“Wait…what?” And he just answered my question.
Why little Miss Ysabelle gave away a freebie. I had to brace myself from being upset with her; I didn’t want to be like my mother. So I left it at Ysabelle trying to be independent and ended it there.
“Please, I know you enjoy your little chats with my Ysabelle, I’m to assume that this will include more than companionship?” I may let her give her pussy away for free…one time.
“Umm…you are assuming correctly. I mean-”
“Sebastian, I am in the business of making people happy. Let me remind you that I’m not here to judge. My Ysabelle was made for you. I know what effect she has on men, you’re not the first and you won’t be the last,” I subtly implied; I knew he wanted to tell me to go fuck off but held his tongue. Smart man.
“Mmm hmm,” was all he replied.
“When is this little rendezvous scheduled for?”
“A week from Thursday, we will set sail at 9 am and should be getting back Sunday evening. I will provide the airfare for the return.”
“It just so happens that Ysabelle is free for those dates. You know that the expenses will change?”
“I’m aware. How much?” If he wanted her, then he would have to pay. I upped the ante.
“Well this is more than an overnight request. It’s going to be costly, I would say somewhere around $80,000.”
“Madam!” Ysabelle shouted from afar.
“Excuse me, Sebastian,” I said, putting him on hold.
“Since when do you ever rudely interrupt me, little girl?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. It’s just that price seems kinda steep, don’t you think?” she said with a smile. She was hiding something from me. I didn’t know what it was and I would find out.
“Since you want to tell me how to do my job, then by all means, Ysabelle. How much?”
She nervously licked her lips. “$40,000.”
I got back on the phone with Sebastian, “Well, Mr. Vanwell…it seems as though Ysabelle is feeling generous today. She will do it for $40,000,” I stated through gritted teeth.
“Done,” he quickly replied. I knew full well that he would have paid $80,000.
“I’ll have the money deposited this evening. Have a wonderful day.” I said and abruptly hung up.
“What the fuck was that, Ysabelle?” I demanded.
She hesitated for a brief second, trying to contemplate how to address me. “Madam…with all due respect, I’m allowed to set the bar for my appointments, or am I not? Let me know if I’ve overstepped my boundaries and it won’t happen again. I was under the impression that I could make my own decisions,” she informed me, standing her ground.
This reminded of what I went through with my mother decades ago, except now I was sitting on the other side of the desk. And let me tell you something, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
I raised my eyebrows at her. “Do I need to worry about your involvement with this client, Bella Rosa? Is there something you’re not telling me? Do I need to remind you of who and what you are, and of our business arrangement?”
“Of course not, if it makes you feel better, take all of it. I screwed you out of your money, therefore take mine.”
This is the exact moment where our relationship changed.
It didn’t matter what she was saying or how she was trying to portray herself.
Ysabelle lied to me.
“Shit,” I said with disgust. “I never thought the day would come. You’re attached to him. What the fuck, Ysabelle? Have I taught you nothing? Do I need to call him back and cancel this event? Must I make you walk away from him?” I didn’t want to believe what I was asking or what I was thinking and it didn’t make it any less true. She was falling for him. She would rather be with him for free. She had never been with someone for no monetary compensation. That’s what made her so perfect. This was serious.
“Madam, it’s nothing like that. I know how to do my job and you have nothing to worry about. I have this under control. But just to keep the record straight, you can’t tell me what to do. You are aware of that?” she hissed.
I needed to think about my next words. They could make or break us.
“Bella Rosa, you’re closer to me than any daughter I could have had. DO NOT get emotionally attached to a MARRIED man, do you understand me?”
I heard the hypocritical words come out of my mouth and they made my head swirl and my stomach upset. I was no better than she was, but I spoke from experience. It didn’t matter for shit. The more you tell someone they can’t do something, the more they want to do it. It’s called freewill. I was going to lose her, however, and trust me on this- I wasn’t going to go without a fucking fight.
“Perfectly,” she responded as she turned and walked out.
---
A few months went by and several things changed; my relationship with Ysabelle was the most extreme. We didn’t see each other as often and when we talked, she seemed distant and distracted. Sebastian, the bastard, was also paying for all of her time. I know what you’re thinking…how could I allow that…right?
I didn’t allow anything. I have told you, I don’t call the shots, my girls do. I am a mere spectator. Besides, if I didn’t “allow” her, I would have lost her a lot sooner than I did. I had to play nice, I had to seem like I cared and wanted what was best for her.
I did.
I do.
---
I went to her apartment that day, fully expecting to talk it out with her; I knew we could get past this. I needed to have her see it my way; she had to understand that I knew what was best.
“What the hell, Madam,” she said with her hand on her chest. “You scared the shit out of me. Can’t you knock?’
“Since when have I ever had to knock, Bella Rosa?” The simple fact that she even suggested that I knock on a condo that I pay for infuriated me. I have never knocked before, and I had no intentions of ever knocking in the future. She was beginning to step out of line.
“I don’t know…never mind. What’s up?” She dismissively walked over to her refrigerator and bent down to grab a bottle of water. The moment her hair fell away from her neck, my blood went ice cold. I could feel all of my veins tightening. I saw red and lunged at her.
She tried to back up, but I held onto her arm, keeping her in place.
“What the fuck is that, Ysabelle?” I yelled. My mind was too far gone to show any other emotion, other than pure rage.
“What are you talking about, let go of me, you’re hurting me.”
“You let him fucking mark you!” My voice rose to a level I hadn’t heard in years. It had been a long time since I last felt that kind of anger toward another person. But the purple marks all over her neck gave me reason t
o.
“What?” She shook her head.
Ysabelle wasn’t a dumb girl. You know what they say; love is unconditional. I say, love is obtuse. A person in love is blind. The phrase “see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil” applies just as much to love as it does to life.
I roughly escorted her to the mirror in the living room so she could see for herself each colorful emotion that was displayed for the world to see. She tried to pull away from me, but it only made me hold on tighter. I didn’t care if I bruised her; she was already marked. And a mark from me was far worse than any kind of “love” mark.
“What the fuck are you doing, Ysabelle? What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Nothing is going on. Let go of me.”
“This is complete bullshit. You NEVER let a client mark you. You aren’t someone’s goddamn property,” I yelled, tightening my hold on her more.
“Really, Madam? Not even yours?” That was it…that was the last straw. This ungrateful girl had pushed me to my breaking point. I crudely pushed her away with such disgust, that she fell to the floor. It took everything I had not to lunge and beat the shit out of her. I wanted to beat some sense into her, just as my mother had done to me. But I couldn’t…it hadn’t worked for me, and I knew damn well it wouldn’t work for her either.
I was at a loss. I didn’t know what to do, so I did the only thing I was accustomed to, I used my words.
“You ungrateful child.”
“I’m not a child,” she argued. I disagreed.
“Oh really, Ysabelle, then why the fuck are you acting like one? Have I taught you nothing? You have been with an infinite number of men and not ever have I had to worry about you. I made you who you are; remember that. Where is your loyalty? You’re going to lose it…for a fucking married man!” I didn’t even bother trying to control my temper. None of my girls had ever made me react this way. But Ysabelle was different. I couldn’t lose her. I needed to make her see what she was doing, and get her to wake the fuck up.
“You know what your boyfriend does when you’re not around? He makes love to his wife, he tells her he can’t live without her, and that he loves her. You know what you are? You’re his whore! That’s what he’s paying for, that’s what he wants from you. And you’re handing him your heart on a GODDAMN silver platter.” I shook my head at her, knowing that no matter what I said, it would never make her see the truth. She would have to see with her own two eyes. She would have to experience it firsthand.
She was a woman in love.
“You stupid, stupid girl…you know nothing.”
She sat in silence while I only stared at her. For the first time since she had come to Miami, I couldn’t read her mind. I couldn’t sense what she was thinking. It was possibly because I was trying too hard to make her understand, that I couldn’t see the look in her eyes. Now I know, she had already been having those thoughts. And no matter what I said or didn’t say, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. I had to sit on the sidelines and wait…the time would come, it always did.
I extended my hand and helped her up. I fixed her hair and towel, much like any mother would have, and embraced her in a hug.
“Bella Rosa…my darling girl…don’t let this be the end of you. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” she quietly replied.
I kissed her on the cheek and left the apartment.
Chapter 40
I got in my car and just drove around for a few hours, trying to clear my mind of everything that was happening. I found myself at Mika’s home and I had no idea how I even got there. I turned off the engine of my car, took a deep breath, and walked up the steps to his front door. I knocked and when he opened the door, he had the most perplexed look on his face, like I had done something wrong.
My eyes widened because I finally realized what I had done.
This was his home, the one he shared with his family. I backed away, trying to leave and he grabbed my wrist.
“They’re out of town,” he said. I nodded and we walked inside.
This was the first time I had ever been to Mika’s home. It was beautiful, there were pictures of them all over the walls, and toys scattered here and there. The furniture was simple but lovely. The home definitely had a female touch to it. My fingers ran lightly on every piece of furniture and I could sense Mika’s confusion. But this was my reality…I was also in love with a married man. I was no better than Ysabelle; we were one and the same.
I never thought that I would find myself in a situation that I couldn’t control and now it felt like it was everywhere around me. I was suffocating in it.
No one can hurt you as much as you can hurt yourself. I was punishing myself by going there. I wanted to feel the pain, to know that I was valid in all the arguments that I had with Ysabelle. I didn’t want her to feel this, I wanted better for her, but it didn’t fucking matter. It was the first time that I felt like I knew what it was to be a parent. You want what’s best for them…you put them first…
I am capable of love…and that scared me more than anything.
“What are you doing here?” Mika questioned, taking my attention away from the colored pictures on the fridge.
I looked at him and shrugged.
“Did you come here to fuck?”
I shook my head no.
“Then why are you here? That’s what we are to each other, Angel. Your words, not mine,” he viscously spewed.
This was Mika now. He was angry, resentful, and bitter toward me. I hadn’t seen him be vulnerable since the day at my office when he confessed everything to me. I walked out of my office and him and he has never forgiven me for it.
“Do you want me to make it go away?” he tested, walking over to me. I nodded.
He deviously smiled and put his left hand on the fridge by the side of my face. With his right hand, his fingers touched my cheek and then my neck. He gripped my throat and my eyes closed as my head fell back against the fridge. His hand continued its way down my torso, he was being tender with me, and I needed it so. He finally made his way to my pussy and lightly rubbed back and forth. My breathing slightly escalated and his mouth found my ear lobe; he bit and then sucked on it.
“You know, Angel…” he panted. “Every time I touch you…” I moaned, as his fingers slipped into my skirt and inside my panties. I could feel the moisture and wetness he was creating with his touch.
He nuzzled my neck with his nose. “Every time my fingers or cock touches your glistening cunt...” I groaned, I was on the verge of climaxing. “I see…her face…I see…Ysabelle.” My eyes immediately widened and all was lost.
I pushed and then slapped him across the face as hard as I could. And then the fucker smiled.
“If you wanted it rough, Madam, then all you had to do was say please.” He pushed against the fridge and his mouth attacked mine. At first, my body gave into him, until I couldn’t take all of the confusion anymore and I bit his lip, hard.
He backed away. “What the fuck?” he angrily yelled.
“Exactly! What the fuck?” I replied.
He walked over to the sink to rinse off the blood. “You know, I don’t fucking understand you. You can’t have it both ways and you can’t have everything you fucking want. I’m not made like that,” he roared, shaking his head.
“This was a mistake I shouldn’t have come here.” I quickly ran to the front door and he aggressively caught me by the waist and turned me around.
“You chose this! NOT ME!” he shouted, shaking me.
“I have given you everything, Mika!”
“Bullshit. You have given me nothing but your fucking pussy, and you give that to everybody.”
I pushed him again but this time I threw a right hook at him. He stumbled back and grabbed his cheek. I shook my hand from the pain.
“Have fun explaining that one to your wife,” I taunted and turned around and left.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
---
Seven months went by, and mine and Ysabelle’s relationship was getting worse by the minute. I knew it had something to do with Sebastian; the bastard was probably feeding her lie after lie about me. What I would have done to be alone with him, little did I know I would get just that.
I smiled when I saw her name come up on my phone, “Bella Rosa,” I answered.
“This is Sebastian,” he replied. I didn’t respond; something was wrong, I could feel it.
“Listen, I’m really sorry that I’m calling you. Ysabelle is burning up, I tried to break her fever and it’s getting worse.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I replied and hung up. I immediately called the doctor on payroll to meet me at her condo. I was incredibly worried, a million thoughts raced through my head; the first, of course, being pregnancy. I sped all the way to her condo.
I waited in the living room as he checked on her, busying myself with a client on the phone. I called Mika but he didn’t answer.
I hung up as soon as I saw them emerge from the bedroom.
“Ysabelle has pneumonia. I got here just in time so there will be no need for hospitalization, someone will need to stay with her for the next few days, she won’t be able to fend for herself. Here’s the list of things that I have written down that need to be taken care of in order for her to heal,” he said, handing me the paper.
“I gave her shots for right now and they will have her out for most of the day; I called in the medication and antibiotics, someone will need to pick them up.” I nodded and handed him an envelope of cash. I shook his hand and he left without even looking in Sebastian’s direction.
He needed to know his place was not in Ysabelle’s life.
I turned to him, finally acknowledging him. “You can go now,” I demanded.
“Excuse me?” he remarked.
I could see in his eyes he was ready to have it out. He had no idea who he was fucking with.
“I’m here now, Mr. Vanwell, you’re excused.”