Call My Name

CHAPTER 2. Hiro

“This is your early appointment?” I asked in sheer disbelief.

This kid made me rush all the way here and make a fool of myself in front of my very own men just so he can come and get pizza at seven in the morning? Doesn’t he think about anything else but food?

“Yeah, why?” he casually replied as he leaned back on his chair, feet propped up on a footstool.

I scoffed, unable to contain my annoyance, and gave him an irritated look. “You chose to come here yourself when you could’ve just had this delivered? Are you an i***t?”

“No, are you?”

Why I accepted his father’s offer was still quite a mystery to me. I used to hate him a lot as a kid. Then I realized I hate him even more as an adult.

If you can actually call him an adult.

“Here’s your order,” one of the waitress said and placed five boxes of pizza on the table in front of us, her back turned against me.

I grabbed a slice from the pizza and ate it with pure contempt, glaring at the side of Alexei’s head as he smiled at the waitress.

“Hi, Alex,” the waitress suddenly said, tucking a stray strand of hair from behind her ear, and it all became clear to me.

This muppet came here this early not to stuff his dumb face with pizza. He came here for a girl. Wow. He surprises me every time.

“Hey,” Alexei replied, his eyes fixed on her.

The waitress giggled, and I rolled my eyes.

Just kill me now.

“Who’s your friend here?”

None of your concern.

“Oh, that,” he said as though he totally forgot about my existence when she came. “That’s just a deformed gargoyle I found on the way here.”

Another giggle from the waitress and I swore on Alexei’s life I could’ve shot myself in the neck in front of them.

Does she have to giggle at everything he says?

“I’ll go back to the kitchen, now. Enjoy your food, Alex,” she said, and Alexei nodded as he followed her with a look.

“Okay, pretty boy, let’s go,” I said when the girl finally disappeared over to the kitchen and stood up, taking the boxes along with me.

If they both don’t mind I’ll just go ahead and garotte myself with my tie.

“Why are you in a rush?”

“I’m not in a rush,” I denied. “You’re gonna be late. You parked on the farthest possible place you could think of, you psychopath.”

“It’s still seven.”

“Just eat your pizza in your office, okay? God knows there’s a sniper here waiting for you.”

The car ride on the way to the Salvatore Tower was composed of me pissed out of my mind and him smiling to himself like a blithering i***t. I swear if he started whistling I’ll push him off this moving vehicle.

I haven’t showered yet and I feel hot, embarassed, and frustrated. And that is all because of a girl that he wanted to see before making himself some millions. I very much deserve to be pissed off right now.

I glared at him. “Do you really have to smile like that while driving?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Do you like the waitress?” I straightforwardly asked, and Alexei bit his lip to suppress a smile.

Okay, enough of that. I know the answer now, thank you very much.

“What’s not to like?”

Oh, I don’t know. Everything?

I narrowed my eyes at him but he was way too busy smiling to himself to even notice. “Are you a pedophile? I heard most of the people working at a pizza place are part-timers. Are you sure she’s not in High School?”

Alexei’s head snapped back to my direction, his eyebrow’s creased. “No. She’s older than me.”

“Ah, so she’s a cougar?”

He gave me an incredulous stare. “Don’t you have eyes? She’s just 23.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know ages are visible,” I retorted, crossing my arms.

I don’t know if it was just me, but I thought I saw the corners of his lips twitch into a smile. I just raised a questioning eyebrow and he chuckled.

“Come on. The only way you won’t fall for her is if you’re gay.”

I scoffed so hard I nearly choked. “Well, unlike you, I have standards.”

“Yeah? Like what? Tall, dark, and handsome?”

I chuckled mirthlessly at him. “Well, you’re not dark, are you?” I muttered under my breath, loosening my collar as I felt my ears getting hot.

“What?”

“What?”

When we arrived at the office after that awkward situation I just made, Natalie immediately started briefing him of his schedule; three meetings, one interview, and workout at two.

“I agreed with an interview?” Alexei asked as we stepped into the elevator, the smell of the pizza wafting into the air.

“No, sir,” Natalie answered, slightly hesitating. “But your brother did.”

Alexei paused. “My brother?”

“Ezekiel’s here?” I chimed in.

“Yes, sir. He came in with, um, his wife, sir . . . and his son.”

“He has a wife?” I asked again, completely taken aback.

It’s only been four years since I last saw him. And if he did already have a family, what the hell are the magazines and newspapers doing?

“Forget about the wife,” Alexei said. “He had a son?”

Natalie just gave us both an uncomfortable look, unsure of how to answer our questions.

“You didn’t know, sir?”

When we arrived at his office, Alexei instantly kicked the door open, startling the woman that was seated next to his brother.

Ezekiel, his face glowing bright at the sight of us, immediately jumped off of his seat and gave Alexei a huge hug.

“It’s been a while, Al. How have you been?”

“You had a son?” Alexei asked, ignoring his question.

“Ah, yeah,” he answered with evident discomfort and glanced at me, changing the topic. “Gideon? When did you arrive? I thought you won’t be here until next week?”

“Yeah, I . . . I thought I’d come here earlier.”

“Well, it’s good to see you,” he said and wrapped me up in a quick hug before walking back to where the girl who’s supposed to be his wife is. “By the way, this is my wife Samantha. Hon, this is my brother Alexei and this is Gideon, a family friend.”

“Hello,” the girl greeted with a soft voice, her eyes darting between the two of us.

I gave her a quick nod but Alexei just ignored her.

“So, where’s the son?” Alexei asked, looking around as he sat on his swivel chair.

“Oh, Natalie’s assistant took him out to eat ice cream,” Ezekiel said and pushed a paper bag across the table to Alexei. “This is your gift, by the way.”

“How old is he?”

“Six.”

Both my and Alexei’s head snapped to his direction at the same time, shock etched on our faces.

I was pretty sure he was single when I left and only after two years did I read somewhere that he was starting to date again. Did he have a son he wasn’t aware of six years ago? Or he knew, but didn’t tell anyone?

“I know, it’s shocking. I didn’t know about it until, you know, the kid got sick.”

“He needed a blood donor?” Alexei deadpanned.

“No. They needed money for his operation.”

Alexei stood up from his chair, his face obscured with emotions, and started fiddling with a pen. “Why?”

“They were in an accident — motorcycle. After a while, Hiro woke up crying and said that he can’t feel anything on his right arm.”

“Is he okay now?”

“Yeah. Pretty much. Enough about me, what about you? Do you have a—”

“I wasn’t interested about you. I’m interested about your son,” Alexei cut him off and I saw Ezekiel’s wife fake a cough to stifle a chuckle. “Is he done with treatment?”

Ezekiel just shook his head and lifted one of Alexei’s glass figurines. “He’s fully recovered now but father wanted me to take him to a different doctor. You know, for additional precaution.”

“Father knew?”

“Yeah. I went to ask him for help. Sorry, I didn’t inform you. It’s just that you were busy with—”

“When did you two get married?” Alexei cut him off again.

This is definitely a lot to take for Alexei. His brother disappeared for less than a year and now that he’s back he has a son and a wife? Not to mention all this bullshit about an assassin out to wipe him off the surface of the Earth.

Hell, if that was me, I’d run amok.

“Two months ago.”

“Did father come?”

“He didn’t know until three days ago.”

Alexei nodded, looking satisfied with the fact that he wasn’t the only one not invited.

He really is immature.

“Where’s Hiro? I want to meet him.”