Page 10 of Stolen Kisses
Like now. Although I hadn’t exactly told them what the trouble was.
They knew Franco had been in prison, but not that I had put him there. They knew he was out and I’d simply said I didn’t want any dealings with him so I came back here to get away.
“I’m okay,” I replied. Thatokaymeant I was still alive.
Not the other kind where the hills were alive with the Sound of Music.
I tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear, opened the door and saw Sophia standing in the passage way. She looked concerned, an emotion I rarely saw in my cousin.
We looked very different, like opposites. She had jet black hair, brown eyes and was more olive toned skinned. She was very beautiful, but in the past all the guys were chasing me not her.
It was probably the cause of most of our contention.
“You sure you’re okay?” she asked.
“I’m tired.” An understatement, a big understatement. I raised a hand to my head and winced. I would have given anything to sleep just an hour or two. But there was too much to do.
I’d travelled for days. We took two buses from Florida and arrived a few hours ago. We had to abandon my car because … well Franco could use it to track me. I cancelled my bank cards too and took out the little cash I had earned from my waitressing job. We were poor as it was, living from one month to the next on my meagre salary. It paid the bills and put food on the table.
“Maybe you should rest for a little while.” Sophia nodded. “I definitely couldn’t just keep going like that.”
“When you need money there’s no such thing as rest.” Came a harsh voice that penetrated my soul and reminded me of the debacle I was in.
Aunt Vira walked up to us and looked me up and down. The intensity in her stare pierced into me.
“No, no such thing.” I agreed.
“Don’t be snarky with me girl. Don’t let me remind you, you’re in no position to show anyone any sarcasm whatsoever.” She sneered.
I just kept quiet and looked at her.
No one would be able to tell that we were related since we looked nothing alike. From the old pictures I’d seen of her and my mother it was clear they looked nothing alike either.
My mother was fair like me and didn’t seem to ever have to worry about her weight. Vira leaned more on the heftier side and had grown substantially larger as the years went by. It didn’t help that she had no interest in taking care of herself. Age hadn’t changed that either. With her greasy salt and pepper hair, blemished skin, and ragged clothes, she looked just a little better than a tramp.
It didn’t help either that when she talked to people she scowled a lot, and with me her scowl was very pronounced.
Jesus, it was evident the woman truly hated me. She hated me still for leaving the way I had years ago. I would have probably ended up dead if I hadn’t left. The thing was I sort of had to do the kind of leaving where you couldn’t say goodbye and then I never kept in touch.
Five years had gone by like that. I doubted though that she’d been the worried aunt back home who was devastated that her niece had gone missing.
“Make sure you get that job. I want three hundred bucks a week and an extra hundred for looking after the brat.” She folded her arms and wrinkled her nose. “You and that boy can’t stay here for free.” She scowled.
I didn’t bother to tell her that we couldn’t stay here at all. It was bad enough that Vira hated me, but the brothel was next door. I didn’t want my kid in that kind of environment, and I didn’t want myself mixed up in it either. Vira had owned that brothel forever. I was pretty certain it had been there from the dawn of time, just like the gates of hell, tempting young women who were desperate.
“You’ll get your money and I’ll get the job.” I nodded. I’d already given her four hundred dollars. She’d demanded it upon our arrival. I didn’t actually plan to give her a penny more. It was Monday and I wanted us gone already.
“Well, if you don’t …” she smiled wide revealing teeth stained brown from years of smoking tobacco. “You have a choice of working for me, or the streets. Can’t stay here for nothing though.” She turned and stalked off.
Bitch …
As she said that I was reminded of the first time she’d made me a job offer. I was only twelve. Fucking twelve years old and she had wanted me to work in her brothel. I did a paper round and gave her the earnings made from that. Then my years saw me heading to the bars and clubs mostly waitressing and cleaning. She wasn’t okay with it, but back then I had someone watching my back. Someone powerful enough to make Aunt Vira leave me the hell alone and stop dragging me into her world of drugs and prostitution. I didn’t have anyone like that anymore.
I turned to Sophia who’d been quietly listening.
“Can you do me a favor and check on Flynn? I hope I won’t be out long.” I was just going to a bar / restaurant on main where I hoped to get some work. It was called Fortegra. I’d seen an ad online advertising for a waitress and bar assistant.
Sophia nodded. “Of course. He’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it. Be careful on the streets Maria. They haven’t changed.”
