My Mother's Boyfriend

Learning New Things

Maya

Peter enters the room, and my mouth goes dry, for the man is dressed in grey sweats only. Bare-chested and covered in every booktok girl’s fantasy. Tatted and veins everywhere.

Noting then that I need to lay off T*ktok for a bit.

Okay, well, maybe not everywhere and yet enough to have his chiselled body invading my now deemed corrupted mind. Before coming to this place, I had never watched another person of the opposite s*x in this type of way and went dry-mouthed.

Peter is giving eye candy and mechanical ventilation.

Seriously. Not the swim team. The guys out on the field. Not even the members of the basketball team, during practice- because I never went to any games- had me going ga-ga like the rest of the girls. Sure, I could have seen that they were good looking, but never was I ever attracted towards any one of them, in this way.

There was a time when I wondered if I was attracted to females because I found no boys were up to par for me. I saw them, yes, but nothing ever took place inside my chest- I figured it was just my mind allowing me space to develop in my studies.

And now I know- definitely not. Peter is giving- hot. Insert fire emojis here.

First heat floods my cheeks, followed by a close second of what could only be my stomach, I suppose when the attractive man flicks his chin out in my direction.

I had not seen Peter since- well- three days ago. He's hairless. Bending my head when I see him furrow his forehead, possibly out of concern from my stare at his massive chest, I ogle my gold-strapped sandals and white-painted toenails, feeling every bit of awkward as one should in a moment like this.

His perspiration reaches my nose from the few feet between us and sets my brain in tingles. Why does that gross scent that I normally despise on Anthony and other boys, smell so good now?

And why Peter?

My nostrils flare and I get up hurriedly from the couch we are seated on- Thomas and myself. And turn clumsily around in the other direction before realising how stupid my movement was. My eyes circle when I spot Alejandro coming in from the same doorway Peter had come from, and I once again turn back towards Peter, who now gives me an irritated frown- I don’t know how to read expressions like this, so I can only assume.

Unlike Peter, his right-hand man, Alejandro is soaked from his sweat but wearing a white armless t-shirt and long sweats of the same colour. His arms were some sort of koi fish on his bicep on the right with smaller designs going down to his forearm; a red rose, a book with a ruler about two inches in black ink on his forearm and two black guns as well. The back of the same hand had a bird, an anchor and words; all will prevail. His other arm only was inked on the forearm part. The back was Roman numerals from the elbow to wrist and the front gear wheels and a coloured dreamcatcher. Yeah, I got those from when I watched him sleep sometimes and now, I see what I had not seen because he sleeps on his back. His chest is tattoo-free.

If Alejandro knew my thoughts about Peter, he would most definitely end me.

Aside from holding guns and giving little to no meaning to human life, he once told me that pride is everything to them. Their dignity would not allow anyone to bring shame to their name. This was told to me after I asked about his family. He must have guessed what I meant- the mafia part and how they came to be, for his answer was swift and short.

“The Italian blood runs deep in us, Tesoro (treasure) and blood will be spilt if anyone dares try to tarnish our good name.”

I had outwardly cringed at his use of the name ‘good’ in reference to the mafia but as the light was dim in the room, he did not see it and went on talking. “Our culture, history and football are not things we joke around with.” He had tried to ease the discomfort he knew his cruel words must have had on me.

It did nothing to alleviate me.

My eyes meet Alejandro’s now, and I swallow envisioning my body floating down the massive river miles down, lifeless. The loud rumbling sounds of the rough currents echo inside my head. I envision a police vehicle with its bright lights and a large crowd by the wet banks...or what if my body is never found? What if I sink to the bottom- or end up in the sea as fish food? Maybe the crocodiles will feed on me before I even get to the open water.

Shuddering, I drop back down onto my seat where Thomas is still sulking away.

Unconsciously, my index finger goes into my mouth and between my front teeth where I listen half-heartedly to Thomas’ words while Peter and Alejandro disappear out the other archway.

Thomas was saying something along the lines of I should try the gym since I seem to not want to go outdoors. As if. Not wanting? Of course, I would like to go outdoors but I cannot. My friends would hound me down with questions that I could not answer. And I cannot go alone which I would prefer to do as I would always have a tail with me.

Alejandro’s family- well my in-laws now, are not my friends and I would feel a bit awkward with them just going for coffee.

Since news of this ‘home gym’ is new to me, I dabble with that though a little. Should I try it? I have never worked out a day in my life before and I am bored and in need of something to do. I ignore the thought of ‘accidentally’ meeting up Peter there.

“Tommy, can you spare us your rantings?” I hear and come out from my state instantly. It is uncle Austin- their uncle, not mine, but I use the title nevertheless because I have been brought up properly, and Thomas’s bent back straightens.

Thomas had confided in me that he had gambled and lost. He owed some very important people a lot of money. By his words, I can tell he means shady and very shady.

My other thought was- why not just pay it? He has money. His family is filthy rich.

Thomas had told me that it’s not about money and that I do not understand the depth of what money could never pay for.

“Tell Angelo to pay it, geez,” I mumble feeling unwell when I think of how the money is accumulated and make to leave the room when I hear my mother-in-law's loud voice making its way toward us.

No, I cannot deal with another set of loud arguing as it has barely been a quiet hour since Paola came bursting in that day looking for their youngest brother.

Feeling mentally drained by this family already and I have to prepare for university in two days. I already have other things I need to worry about. How to keep calm while studying and keeping my friends at bay, who all seemed to be swooning over my marriage to the ‘mafia boss’ as they put it. They romanticised the entire thing. Even after I went on a group video chat with them because I could not answer all of them via messages, I know they will load me up with the same questions once again when I arrive at campus on Monday.

This time it will be louder and more annoying for me because while I could have lowered the volume of the speaker here at home, I could not actually do that in real life. I have that headache to look forward to.

Did I just refer to here as – home?

Their uncle greets me with a tight smile and says something to me in a commanding tone, but I honestly do not hear his words as I walk past him and out of the small sitting room that is normally unoccupied as the family mostly uses the much larger one, situated on the other side of the huge house.

Tami greets me warmly as we pass each other on the wide staircase with the little one grabbing a fistful of my hair from her mother’s arms. I did not notice however as Tami was quick enough to disengage the tiny grip as I did not slow my step.

“Are you okay My?” I hear her concern, but I feel too numb to reply, not even noticing the immaculately dressed, blue-eyed woman had shortened my already short name.

Inside my room, I feel safe and slide down the closed door into a soft pile, thoughts just rushing in and out of my head.

I must have dozed off because when I became aware, of the soft clicking of heels as I am being carried into bed and it’s dark. I feel him as he walks over on his knees to put me on my side of the massive bed, as I sleep in the corner part.

Knowing it’s Alejandro, I am not scared and allow him to place me down on the comfortable bed, even grabbing his hand when he moves to pull away.

His nearness comforts me...somehow and I do not want his nearness to leave. His smell...his warmth...

Alejandro pauses, his outline looming over me, and I turn from my side, lying flat on my back whispering, “Don’t-”

“You’re awake?” he returns, in the same harsh whispering.

“Hmmhmm,” I answer, and he removes his hand from beneath my knees slowly but leaves the one under my neck when I cling to his shirt front. He has just returned home from wherever he was. I can tell because he is still wearing his suit and the sounds of his shoes on the flooring seconds earlier.

“Is everything okay?” His hands come over mine and tingles spread across my body, growing with his rotating finger movements. The sensations are new to me and my eyes close as I ride the wave out.

Wow.

“I know this must be overwhelming for you, Maya but this is our life. Try to not get too involved with us and you should be fine.”

What does he even mean? And that's already my plan.

“Thomas-” he sighs loudly and drops to the bed, straightening out his legs and tugging me into his body while his hand that was under me, encloses me into him, resting his palm over my hip.

I’ve never been held like this. Everything is new to me that I experience with him- or here in this place.

“He gets into these sticky situations and then reacts as if the world owes him. He is a good kid, don’t get me wrong,” he adds quickly, “but Tommy is a bit- er, spoiled. He grew up with the world at his feet and when he realises that is not how the world works outside of the house- he gets into a fit.”

His soft yet deep voice vibrates against my ear as I lean into him, and I feel another sensation run throughout my anatomy.

“Hot,” I mumble completely unaware I had said that out loud when I slip my hand inside his shirt after feeling an opened button. His cool smooth skin graces my fingertips, and my body does a wiggle of its own.

At once, I am left cold as he pulls away slowly, his hand on my forehead.

“You do feel a bit warm,” he says and jumps off the bed and disappears into the bathroom leaving me stunned by his sudden departure.

Less than a minute later he returns telling me he’s running me a cold bath. He thinks I am coming down with a fever.