Ugly Ronney: mafia romance [English]

Chapter 5-2

"What's wrong with you today, Ronney? We're on take eight and you still can't get Minnie's voice right!"

Tonio was furious. He paced the room, raising his arms, ready to give up.

"Be a little forgiving," Logan replied. "This is the first time Ronney has had trouble with a recording session. She must be tired. She's had a tough week, and on top of that, she's working for some asshole!"

I almost choked. With a small, tense and forced smile, I thanked my colleague for coming to my rescue without daring to turn my face towards Yeraz.

"Yes, I can see that she's tired. She has dark circles as deep as trenches. She looks like she escaped from Auschwitz!"

I wanted to explain to them that the man with us was the reason for my lack of concentration. Sharing the air I breathed with him was suffocating me, and hearing his little chuckles as I dubbed Minnie was unbearable. But once again, I chose silence. I didn't defend myself. I adjusted my glasses and let Tonio tear me apart with his words. I had to get my act together or Yeraz would have me kicked out of Red Channel in no time.

I made my way out of the building on the verge of a hysterical fit. All this masquerade had spoiled my appetite.

"So, where are we going now?"

You, shut the fuck up! I angrily put my helmet on my head and turned to Yeraz, giving him a warning look. A provocative sneer appeared on the corner of his lips. I answered in the most moderate tone possible.

"We're not going anywhere together! I'm going home, and you, go kill whoever you want in the meantime."

Boiling with rage, I got on my scooter, confident, and started it, but it chose to abandon me at that moment.

"It looks like your carcass just died."

He was still there.

"No! It's just capricious."

I hoped my sour tone would be enough to get him off the sidewalk, but Yeraz just stood there, enjoying every second of the show. Come on, start. You can't leave me like this, with HIM.

I got off my scooter and pulled my phone from my bag to order an Uber.

"I'll give you a ride."

Suspicious, I gave him a side glance. Was it just me, or did he really have a hard time abandoning me in this condition? Finally, I reluctantly accepted his offer. The risk that my payment would be refused was too big, and I would have been even more ridiculous in that case.

I was once again surprised when he opened the door of a bright red Bentley. He obviously had good manners ingrained in him. He then sat behind the wheel of the car and started the engine, which roared with the first burst of acceleration. I still wasn't calm. In fact, I was more pissed than ever, but I took it upon myself to try not to show it.

"Aren't you afraid of having your car damaged in this unfriendly neighborhood?"

He eluded the question for a moment, then answered slowly, his eyes fixed on the road.

"I pity the person who dares touch it."

"At the next turn, you have to turn right."

Yeraz turned the blinker to the left.

"What are you doing? You said you were taking me home!"

"I will when I decide to."

I closed my eyes as if I had misheard before opening them again, annoyed.

"Where are we going, and what right do you have to invade my privacy?"

My voice was cold and assertive this time. I adjusted my glasses and waited for his answer.

"Ronney, we are stuck together. You invade my space during the week. I've decided to do the same to you on the weekends."

I was stunned. He was going to ruin these two wonderful days of freedom for me. Was I doomed to stay with this man every day for the rest of my life?

"Resign, and you won't hear from me again."

"I dream about it!" I protested. "But I can't. I need the money. What do you think? That I get up in the morning dancing in my bathroom, happy to come and see you?"

His eyes still fixed on the road, he waited, as if to give himself time to assimilate my words, then answered.

"I'm not happy about it any more than you are. To be honest, in addition to being an unattractive and terribly boring woman, you are naive and of no interest to me. And what's with that ridiculous voice you use during these dubbing sessions? It was a real torture for my ears."

Yeraz was probably waiting for me to protest, hurt by his words, but I wasn't. I turned to look at the scenery through the window and decided to move on. It wasn't fun to argue with me, because I never got angry, even though deep down an incensed Ronney was screaming with all her might. The weather was beautiful, but everything was gray inside me. I had to pull myself together.

"Where are we going?"

"Lunch."

With my head stillturned towards the window, my thoughts took me to where I didn't want to go:Caleb. My head filled with images of the two of us, of those long walks we tookin the hills of Sheryl Valley, of those romantic sunsets, of his kisses, of hisskin...