Love and Possibilities

Threats and a Gift

Monday night Alexei is relaxing on the back deck when he hears the doorbell. He isn’t expecting anyone and he wonders if it is either Bella Lucia or Luna as he hasn’t heard from either of them today and they do have a habit of just showing up. He opens the door, but no one is there. He steps out and looks around and doesn’t see a car or anyone nearby. He finally goes back inside and locks the door.

His phone rings and it says unknown number. “Hello?” He doesn’t hear anything. “Luna, is that you, is everything okay?” He can faintly hear something but he isn’t sure what. “Bella Lucia?”

He hears a soft whispering sing song voice, “Poor little Lexei crying on the lawn, someone shot auntie and now she’s gone.”

“What the f**k! Who is this?” Shock and rage move through him. 

The voice is still whispering in that same sing song voice. “One, two, Lexei makes three, someone falls down, who will it be?”

“Who the f**k is this!” The line is disconnected and he drops his phone. The images are swirling in front of him. He breathes slowly as he taps his fingers on his thigh and counts the rocks in the wall around the fireplace. “Who will it be?” He quietly repeats the last sentence the caller spoke. He quickly picks up his phone and pulls up a number and hits the phone symbol.

“Angelo, how are you this evening?”

“Bella, thank God. Have you heard from Luna, is she okay?” He says in a rush.

“Slow down, Alexei, what is wrong, what has happened?”

“I got a phone call, it…was…I…” His skin is prickling.

“Breathe Lexei, who called you?”

“I don’t know, the person was whispering in a weird sing song voice, I’m not sure who, probably a woman but I can’t be sure. First it was about me and what happened to my auntie when I was a little boy and then they said, ‘One, two, Lexei makes three, someone falls down, who will it be?’ and then they were gone. Is Luna okay?”

“Yes, she’s fine, she is back now and she is here with me.”

“Oh, thank God.” He lets out a long breath.

“What was the number Alexei?” Luna must have grabbed the phone because she is talking now.

“It said unknown so there wasn’t a number.”

“Stay where you are, lock your doors, and I will call you back in a moment.”

“Okay.”

He went to his back door and locked it and went around the whole house checking all the doors and windows. His phone rang thirty minutes later. He looks at it and relief washes over him when he reads Luna’s name.

“Luna?”

“Alexei, I tried to find out who it was but it was a burner phone. I’m sending a car to pick you up…”

“No, I have work to do and my studio is here, I can’t go anywhere.”

Luna is silent for a moment. “Alright, I will send two members from my security team, will you accept that?”

Alexei hears the worry in her voice. “Yes, I have plenty of room here and it will be fine, but what about you and Bella?”

“We will be alright, I will increase our security and the security for our buildings, it will be fine. It was probably just a prank but I’d rather be safe than have something happen to you or Bella Lucia. How are you feeling, Alexei?”

“A little shaken, Luna, but overall I’m alright.”

“You’ve been on my mind a lot and I can’t wait to see you again.”

“W-when will that be?” He wants to see her but he is also nervous about it.

“I have meetings over the next few days, possibly Thursday afternoon. Alexei, do you remember me telling you I wanted to speak with you later about your business? I sent you an email yesterday outlining my thoughts, have you read it?”

“I’m sorry, Luna, I don’t check my email often and all of the orders go through a business email so I often forget about my private email. What is it about?”

“First I think you are charging too little for your pottery especially now when the demand is so high. Your work is art, one of a kind works of art and you should be pricing it as such. It should be at least triple, if not more, what you’re currently charging. Read through the email. It spells everything out. Bella Lucia has someone coming to help you tomorrow; it is a gift from both of us. She will help you in addition to Maria for at least a couple of weeks to help with the changes, if you choose to make them, otherwise she will help you any way she can to get you caught up on your orders.”

He takes a long slow breath in and out. His first reaction was to tell her no, that it is his business and he would do it the way he saw fit, but, he is exhausted and feeling overwhelmed by how much business has picked up. He can’t keep going the way he’s been going.

“Alright, I will look over your email and get back to you on my thoughts about it and I will let…what’s her name?”

“Her name is Megan, Megan Bradley. She should be there by eight in the morning and, Alexei, she lives in the city, would you mind allowing her to stay in one of your guest rooms for the next couple of weeks? That is a long drive to make twice a day and if things work out I will see about getting her a place in your area.”

He is used to having this place to himself most of the time and now he is going to have three people here around the clock.

“I know it is an adjustment, please Alexei, let me help you.”

“Alright, for a trial basis only.”

“Thank you, Alexei, I promise to reward you when I see you.”

Her words shoot straight between his legs and he groans.

“Mmmmm, maybe you are not as resistant to my ways, yes?” Her accent is suddenly thicker.

Shakily he says, “I am finding aspects of it, intriguing.”

Luna chuckles, “I am glad to hear it, Alexei, I will speak to you soon.” The call disconnects.

He was trembling and wished either Luna or Bella were here now, maybe even both of them. He heads upstairs to take a cold shower before his guests arrive.

Later he is in the kitchen baking chocolate raspberry brownies when the doorbell rings. He looks out and sees two women standing on his porch.

“Who is it?” Alexei says through the door which he never would have done before that creepy phone call.

“Luna Navarro sent us.”

He opens the door, astonishment evident on his face because his bodyguards are women. Both women scowl at him. He steps back and lets them come in.

“What, were you expecting men?” One of them says sarcastically. They are each carrying one duffle bag and they set them on the floor.

“I’m sorry, I of all people know that women can do anything a man can do. Please accept my apologies.”

They both look surprised. “It’s alright, we’re used to it.” She holds out her hand.  “I am Bailey and this is Erin. Do I smell brownies?” Both women’s noses are inhaling deeply with orgasmic looks on their faces.,  They are tall, almost as tall as he is and they aren't wearing heals. They're both wearing jeans and t-shirts, Bailey's is dark purple and Erin's is black

He laughs. “Yes, I made them because I knew I was going to have guests. Follow me, or you can follow your nose.” He is happy he chose the brownies as chocolate can smooth things over better than anything else he knows.

He pulls out three plates and dishes up a good size brownie for each of them. “I have milk, ice water, soda, and lemonade.”

They both ask for milk and he pours three glasses. They each take a plate and a glass and he motions for them to join him at the table.

After a few bites, Alexei asks, “How long have you been working for Luna?”

Bailey with short blond hair answers him. “I’ve been working with her for two years now and Erin has been working for her about three years. We often provide extra security for Bella Lucia’s and we usually travel with Luna for her business trips.”

Erin has her eyes closed as she eats the last bite of her brownie. “Oh my, this is so good, Mr. Mishkin. Thanks for this.” She has shoulder length, auburn hair. Both women are tall and solid looking. He is sure they probably work out every day.

“I have a gym, of sorts, that you are both welcome to take advantage of while you’re here. I spend most of my time downstairs in the basement in my studio. Maria, my assistant comes in on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week. And I’m not sure if they told you but I have a new assistant coming in the morning who will be here for a couple of weeks, her name is Megan.” The women look at each other and he notices a slight grin on Bailey’s face. “What?”

“We know Megan.” Is the only thing Bailey says. He decides not to push. “Do you have an alarm system?”

“No, why?”

Bailey pulls out her phone and taps a few times before she puts it to her ear. “Ms. Navarro he doesn’t have an alarm system.” She pauses and then hands him the phone.

“Luna?”

“Alexei, I don’t know why I didn’t ask you this earlier but now that I know you don’t have one, I’m going to send over an alarm system. Bailey and Erin can install it for you.”

He wants to argue with her about it but then she says, “Please don’t make me worry even more about you, Alexei, this will help me know you are safe.”

He lets out a breath. “Alright, but I want to pay for it.”

She laughs. “Don’t be silly, Alexei, it is done. I will see you on Thursday, give the phone back to Bailey.”

He hands Bailey the phone.

“Yes, ma’am?” She pauses. “Yes, we will take care of it. Yes, ma’am, you know you can count on us.” Bailey puts her phone away.

They were all three finished with their brownies. “I’ll show you where you can put your things.” He gets up and they follow him through the living room and up the stairs to the first room on the left. It is set up with two sets of bunk beds, a dresser, and a closet. “I often have friends stay over on Friday nights if they drink too much. If this doesn’t work for you, I have a room with a queen if, uh…” He wonders if they sleep together.

“This will do, thank you, Alexei. We will be taking shifts and I’ll be taking the first one.” They both set their bags down. “Can you show us the rest of the house?”

“Of course.” He shows them each of the five bedrooms, the bathrooms including the master suite at the end of the hall. He takes them back downstairs and there is a doorway behind the stairs that opens up to the gym he had told them about. It has a weight bench, treadmill, stationary bike, and an elliptical machine. All of the machines and weight bench line the walls and in the middle is a large workout mat. There are also work out balls, stretch cords, free weights and more on the shelves.

“This is great, Alexei.” Bailey grins. Erin seems the quieter of the two but her eyes speak volumes as she looks around.

“It is one of the perks I allowed myself.” He shows them the rest of the main floor, a bathroom, a storage closet, doors to the backyard, laundry room, formal dining room, sunroom, and a bedroom off of the kitchen that has turned into a makeshift storage room. He then takes them downstairs and Bailey whistles when she sees his artwork, and pottery.

“Wow, these are beautiful, Mr. Mishkin.” Bailey says reverently.

“Please call me Alex.”

“Alex, these are amazing.” Erin picks up one of the bowls Alexei had recently finished. The deep orange swirls with a rich, dark brown around and inside the bowl.

“Thank you.” The room spans the size of the house. He has several long tables, huge shelves lining the walls filled with supplies and some of the pottery ready to be packaged and shipped; there is a washbasin, a large kiln in one corner, and a desk on the opposite wall. There is a door that leads off to the side into the three car garage, a door that leads into a bathroom, and a door to the backyard on the other side of the room.

They walked into the garage where his dark blue, Toyota 4Runner is parked. “Feel free to park your vehicle in the garage.”  He hands Bailey an extra garage opener. “This is for the door on the far right when you are looking at it from outside.”

“Thanks, that’s appreciated.” Bailey says. “So that’s it, you’ve shown us all of the house?”

“Yes, tomorrow you can check out the property when the sun is up. I have five acres. Only one outbuilding, but I have lots of paths and areas where people can sit and relax. If you don’t mind, I’m going to do a few things down here before I head up for the night. Please make yourselves at home. There are towels and other necessities in the hall closet.” He turns his back to them as he cleans up the tables. When he quit for the day he thought he would be the only one down here working tomorrow and now that he knows Megan is going to be here he feels the need to clean and organize everything. He spends two hours cleaning and finally feels good about how his studio looks. He turns off the lights and heads up.

He finds Bailey standing by the back glass door looking out. “Everything alright, Bailey?”

“Yes, Sir, I was just making my rounds and thought I saw movement, but I think it was an animal.”

“Probably an opossum, I have a family of them living out there. They are very beneficial to keeping certain insects down so leave them alone, please. Goodnight, Bailey.”

“Goodnight, Alex.”

The bacon is cooking on the stove, potatoes are almost done and Alexei is putting on the eggs when he hears the doorbell. Erin had informed him they would answer the door from now on so he didn’t bother heading out. He figures it is Megan as he hears quiet voices in the front room and a moment later a woman with light brown hair with blond highlights running down her back and a cute short dress, like Bella would wear, hugging her curves on her petite frame and a sparkle in her green eyes walks into the kitchen. She is quite adorable.

“Hi, I’m Megan, Madam Bella Lucia sent me.” Her smile brightens the room.

Alexei wipes his hands on a hand towel and then holds his hand out to her. “Good Morning, I’m Alex, have you eaten breakfast? I’ve made enough for everyone and you are free to join us. I normally don’t head down to the studio until about nine.”

“I had something small, but that smells so good I wouldn’t mind having a bit. Thank you. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Nope, I’ve got it handled.”

She sits down on the stool at the kitchen island and watches him move around finishing breakfast. “You are a lot like Bella Lucia in the kitchen. The way you move, efficiently, methodically…interesting.”

He stops, turns around and looks at Megan. How would she know what Bella looks like working in the kitchen? “Have you done work for Bella Lucia in the past?” Maybe Bella had her help with her computers or her online presence.

“No, I’ve never worked for her.” A mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“So how do you know what she looks like in the kitchen?” He asks as his gut churns somehow knowing he isn’t going to like the answer.

“We play on occasion.”

“Excuse me.” He says and walks out of the room after making sure everything is off. He goes through the glass doors and out onto the deck. Pulling out his phone he calls Bella. She picks up on the first ring.

“Is everything alright, Lexei?” Concern in her voice.

“That depends on what you think is alright. Why, Bella, did you send one of your…um…special friends to work with me?” He feels anger roiling within him.

“Lexei, I’m sorry, she was the best person for the job but…well I wanted you to meet her. I was hoping if you became friends, you would see she isn’t a threat to you. She has also been instructed to heed all of your commands,” She hesitates, “no matter what they are.”

“What? Why?” Why in the world would Bella do this?

“As I said, I’m hoping you will become friends and then you will be alright with me continuing to play with her.”

His hand roughly pushes through his hair. “I have never in my life met anyone like you or Luna. I don’t understand this need to share.”

“Will you except my gift, Lexei? If you are truly upset I will tell her to leave and I will send someone else, someone who isn’t important to me, to help in your studio.”

He huffs out a breath. Megan is important to his Bella, how can he say no when he can hear her worry. “Alright, Bella, I will accept your gift, but please no more surprises.”

“Thank you, Lexei, you don’t know how much this means to me.”

“I have an idea. Will you be coming over later?” He misses her.

“Luna needs me right now. It is another reason I sent Megan to you, neither of us can get away to be with you and since you have to work in your studio and can’t come here, well I wanted to make sure there was someone there who could be with you.”

“Bella, I don’t have to have s*x all the time, I’m used to being alone. It isn’t necessary for me to have someone here just because you two can’t be. I definitely can use the help in my studio though, and I am willing to try and make friends with Megan because she is important to you, but I won’t be having s*x with her.”

“Alexei…you said you would accept my gift.” She sounds hurt.

“What, that means I have to have s*x with her? I thought that just meant I needed to be friends with her.”

“Megan is the gift, all of her, every…square…inch…of…her.” She says emphatically.

He sits down on the steps which lead to his gardens. “Doesn’t she have anything to say about this?”

“She was actually excited about getting to be with someone I have so quickly become attached to. She will be hurt if you don’t accept all of the gift.”

“f**k, Bella, this is crazy.”

“Do you not find her attractive, is that the problem?”

He lets out a long sigh. “No, that isn’t the problem.” He remembers how cute he thought she was when she first walked in. “I’m not used to sleeping with two women let alone three. Has Luna slept with her too?”

“No, she is my pet not hers. Luna does know that I have gifted her to you though and it pleased her to know someone would be taking care of you when we cannot at the moment.”

He shakes his head and wipes his face with his hand. “Alright, Bella, I completely accept your gift. I still think it is crazy but if it really makes both of you happy I will accept all of her. Is she a top too?”

“No, not at all, she loves to serve in all things, in all ways. When you take her down to your studio, tell her you are accepting my gift fully and simply say, kneel. From that moment on she is yours, she knows this. She will follow your every command regardless if it is for work or pleasure.”

He can hardly breathe. “Seriously?”

“Breathe, Lexei, just breathe.” She says quietly. “Yes, and she will stay for as long as you want her to stay.”

“Even when you are here? Will she revert back to you when you are here?”

“No, once you make her kneel, she is yours until you say otherwise.”

“Doesn’t she have a life? Friends, a job, a family?”

“Her family abandoned her when she came out as being bisexual and started dating a woman, me. She has friends and I’m sure she will chat with them on occasion and, if you allow it, she might invite some of them to your Friday with Friends. They know about her lifestyle choices and they are very supportive to her. They have become her family. As for work, she is being paid for the work she is doing for you. She normally is self-employed and she works online creating websites and fixes problems. She put that she is currently on vacation on her website and will keep it that way until you don’t need her as much or until you dismiss her.”

His head is spinning with all the information. How could her family turn away from her just because she loves differently than they do? He definitely can’t reject her now. “So she is happy to be here?”

“Very.”

“Won’t she miss, um, playing with you?”

“I’m sure she will but I did tell her on Sunday evening that I wouldn’t be playing with her until you say it is okay and that I did not know how long that would be.”

“Alright, Bella, I need to go because breakfast is getting cold.”

“Have fun, angelo.”

“Why do you call me angelo?”

“It means angel, in Italian. You are my angel, Alexei.”

“Oh…” He didn’t know what else to say to that.