Eros: The Obsession

Chapter Ten

The line goes silent on Jun's end and for a moment, he just lies there staring up at the ceiling with a quiet resignation. He hadn't expected that at all, so it's only fair that Tara is a little skittish after their little session. Still, frustration and confusion cloud his thoughts, making him question whether getting off to her had been a good idea.

But she'd liked it. Jun had heard it in the high pitch of her voice, in the way she seemed to drip with neediness. He knows she'd liked it.

So why did she hang up?

He furrows his brows, chewing on his lip for a moment before he decides that he's too tired to contemplate what any of this means now. So he sits upright, careful to keep his messy hand away from his clothes , and gingerly pads over to the bathroom in the hallway. Thankfully no one is around to see him with his d**k out, so Jun shuffles into the dimly lit room with little more than light shame at being unable to control himself. He cleans himself up before splashing some water on his face. The cool liquid wakes him up a little, sinking into his skin and shaking him from his stupor.

When Jun returns to him room, he sends Tara a message asking if she's okay and promptly decides to take a nap before he has to deal with Aldo Montesi.

An hour before Aldo Montesi arrives, Jun's mother forces him to take a shower and make himself look presentable. Jun doesn't want to – the thought of doing anything for the approval of the old swindler makes his chest churn with irritation – but he figures that looking a little more presentable while he's beginning for his life might garner some sympathy.

So he takes a lukewarm shower because their water heater has never worked properly, and dresses himself in a pair of black jeans and a white button-down. He slicks his hair back, tying it into a bun for good measure before he sprits some cologne on. Deeming himself ready, Jun steps out his room and is immediately assaulted by an array of smells.

The fragrance of all his mother's best dishes wafts through the hallway, making his mouth water and his stomach grumble. He knows that none of this is for him but even with the knowledge, he can't help feel a little excited at getting to eat a home-cooked meal.

When he walks into the dining room area, the table is already set with a variety of dishes. Meats and roasts take up the main area with a few vegetables and sauces littered about. His mother has even set out her favorite set of china for the dinner, the plain white porcelain with gold vines decorating the rims. Even his father, who Jun thinks only showers once every few days, has cleaned himself of the alcohol stench that usually clings to him and has dressed himself in finely pressed trousers and a plain checkered shirt. His mother, now dolled up with a little bit of makeup and a skin-tight black dress, delicately places the strawberry toppings on the pavlova that sits on the counter – their dessert, Jun supposes.

"What time will he be arriving?" Jun asks, strolling up to the table to pick up a cherry tomato and toss it into his mouth.

"Soon," his mother replies. "And I'd like you to greet him at the door."

"So he can shoot me on site?" Jun scoffs. "Did you call me here to make it easy for him."

She grimaces at his words, the disapproval evident in her expression. "Don't be ridiculous. Mr. Montesi simply wants to have a chat with you."

"And this has nothing to do with that story I helped write, that exposed one of his drug mules?"

At that, she stiffens and Jun finally realizes the reason for his visit. He'd known publishing that story was a mistake but he'd done it anyway, under the insistence of a hopeful Tara.

"We'll discuss things later," his mother snaps in irritation before she spins around to fiddle with the clean dishes on the rack.

 Jun scoffs, rolling his eyes at her dismissal before he decides to take a seat at the table. He pulls out his phone, wholly intent on whiling away the time by texting Tara – only to see that she hasn't replied to his message. She's read it, the blue tick tells him that, but she hasn't responded.

He feels a swell of irritation expand in his chest, his brows pulling together in disapproval.

Why is she ignoring him?

Jun sits there for a moment, contemplating whether he should send another text before his curiosity gets the better of him. He sends her another message, this one with just her name and a question mark. He watches as the tick turns blue and waits for her reply with bated breath.

Nothing.

She doesn't reply.

Now with his anger simmering, Jun types in another message. Before he has a chance to send it, he hears a knock on the door. He glances up quickly, completely caught off guard. He's still angry about Tara ignoring him, but now anxiety and fear work their way up his chest, roiling around and making Jun feel like he wants to throw up. His throat constricts with emotion, his mouth goes dry. He stands on trembling legs, setting his phone down before walking up to the front door. Jun takes a deep breath as he tries to calm his nerves. His fingers shake when he stretches them out to wrap around the handle. Swallowing nervously, he pulls the door open.

"Jun," the man greets him with a warm smile. He holds his hand out as Jun steps back to let him in. "What a pleasant surprise."

Jun takes the proffered handing, cursing when he finds his palms clammy with sweat. Montesi doesn't react, simply just shakes Jun's hand like they're old friends. He looks much the same as Jun had remembered, save for a few more gray hairs and a long scar that runs across his cheek. The wound is mostly healed, just a jagged line of uneven skin.

"How have you been?" Montesi asks as he walks further into the house.

"Good," Jun replies, cursing internally when his voice chokes off in the middle. He clears his throat and says in a more confident tone. "And you?"

"Good, good," Montesi says with a wave of his hand. Jun's father comes up to them, bowing his head slightly as he greets the crime boss. Jun watches Montesi sneer in disdain. "Park," he responds in a less than friendly tone.

And then his mother walks into the hallway. Montesi's expression morphs into something more pleasant as his mother greets him with a kiss on the cheek. Jun doesn't miss the way Montesi's hand slides to the fat of her ass, giving it a firm squeeze. She giggles and bats at his chest with a shy fluttering of her eyelashes. All in front of his father.

Jun keeps his expression neutral but he carefully watches as his father looks away, cheeks going red with anger. He doesn't say anything though, simply leads them to the dining room with his head hung low. Despite the complicated feelings he has towards his father, Jun can't help feel a pang of pity for the man.

Montesi is good at making small talk and as they sit around the table, he eloquently leads the conversation. He gushes over the food, complimenting Jun's mother every opportunity he gets. Montesi even asks about Jun's current life, carefully steering off topic about work. But despite the friendly atmosphere, there's still an underlying tension that fills the room. And then his mother brings up Tara.

"I think Jun is seeing someone," she says in a conspiratorial whisper, a playful grin tugging at her lips. Jun stiffens at the mention of Tara, a cold dread sitting in his stomach as he sees Montesi place his utensils down.

"Oh?" Montesi raises a curious brow. "How did you meet?"

"We're neighbors," Jun says through gritted teeth.

Montesi doesn't reply for a while. He just stares at Jun with that same unreadable expression in his eyes until Jun is sure that he's about to die. Eventually, Montesi clears his throat and goes back to eating. "Does she know about your previous girl?" he asks. It's a low blow and he knows it, unable to hide the vicious pleasure in his eyes.

"No," Jun chuckles bitterly.

"Smart," Montesi smirks. "That might scare her off." Jun doesn't reply. He hangs his head in shame, wondering whether Montesi's words are true. And then the older man says, in a nonchalant tone, "Anna's still working at the club," he says. "If you were wondering."

"I wasn't," Jun snaps, unable to rein in his anger. His fingers bunch into fists, the fork in his hand pressing into the fat of his palms. For a moment, he imagines shoving the fork into Montesi's eye – and is surprised at the conviction of the feeling that courses through him. It's through steel will alone that he doesn't.

"Your new lady friend has you on a tight leash, I see," Montesi chuckles. And then his expression changes, just slightly so that it's not noticeable to anyone who hasn't worked with the man for years. His eyes harden into dark voids, the smile on his lip just fake enough that Jun knows this is what he came for. "Especially considering that you'd risk exposing my business operations for her."

Jun is silent for a long time. The anxiety in his chest finally calms with the drop of the other shoe. "You knew," he says more of a statement than a question.

Montesi chuckles, the sound deep and throaty, mocking, as he says, "Of course I did, kid. There's nothing I don't know. Especially when your name is plastered all over the front page of the article that did it." Montesi's eyes narrow then, turning cruel and sharp as he hisses with a sneer, "I just wanna know how tight her p***y must be for you to have the balls to pull something like that."

Jun grits his teeth and swallows around the anger that rushes up his neck, heating his cheeks. He doesn't respond but he knows Montesi isn't expecting one.

"Not gonna defend yourself?" the older man asks with a tilt of his head.

Jun shrugs. "I have nothing to defend."

"Do you have a death wish?" His mother finally snarls in anger. His parents, who had been silent during the entire exchange, both look at Montesi uneasily.

"Nothing I say is going to change his mind if he's already decided to kill me," Jun replies.

Montesi laughs then, the most genuine sound he's made since he'd walked into their home. "I'll give it to the kid," he chortles, "He does know me."

Jun's mother grimaces, leaning away from Montesi's side for the first time that night. Jun watches with interest as she rounds on the man with a hard gaze. "Are you going to kill him?" Her voice belies her nerves, trembling as she spits them out.

Montesi regards her for a moment with a blank expression before he turns to Jun. "I have half the mind to put a bullet through your skull right now," he tells Jun. He glances at Jun's mother before returning his gaze to the man across him. "But I won't, for your mother's sake." A beat of silence passes by. "So I'm giving you an alternative."

"What alternative?"

Montesi smirks. "Come work for me again, at the club."

Jun's eyes narrow in warning. "I don't deal anymore."

"And I don't give second chances," Montesi scoffs. "But here we are. So, unless you want me to put a bullet through your pretty little toy as well, you'll agree to my terms."

"You don't even know who she is."

"I don't?" Montesi raises a brow, tone teasing as he asks, "Just like I don't know that you've been stalking the poor thing for months? Stealing her dirty underwear like a creep and conning your way into her company?"

Jun stills, his eyes widening in shock.

Montesi chuckles at his expression, leaning back in his chair as he says, "You forget that I taught you everything you know, boy," he snaps unkindly. "I control this country and I control you. So if you don't want me to f**k my gun into your girlfriend's lifeless corpse, I suggest you start making better decisions."

A long time passes as Jun and Montesi stare each other down. Eventually, Jun's shoulders sag in defeat.

"Alright, fine. I'll start dealing for you again."