BAD →WORSE→ THE BEST (mxm)

Chapter 8. A Nice Surprise (Sky)

    I am convinced that a wicked man invented phones as a means of torture for all the unfortunate people who consider communicating with the outer world a pretty disturbing activity and have no conversational skills on top of that. They are especially hazardous for those of us who do not get enough sleep on a regular basis. This is the ultimate punishment for staying up late. Why else on earth would the horrible thing be ringing from early morning?

  Who is so eager to talk to me? I spoke with my mother for nearly forty minutes last evening and saw my father at work. It is true that it was a brief encounter, but he would not want to deal with me longer than that anyway. Luca already called yesterday... Shit! Luca! I promised to call him back and totally forgot about it. Ugh, my stubborn stepbrother can never leave me alone. Why does he always have to focus so adamantly on my well-being? It is nice of him, but also annoying as hell. I do not need a nanny. His fratellino (little brother) is all grown up. It is not his responsibility to make up for our father's complete lack of understanding.

   The irritating beep seems to be coming from somewhere under my head. I start digging around the pillow in hopes of finding the wretched device without having to open my eyes. I achieve no success with the phone but manage to dip my fingers into a spoonful of melted ice cream, most of which is smeared all over my face. The spoon itself is stuck to the middle of my forehead. A good portion of the gooey mess is in my hair, of course. Any lover of alternative looks would surely be damn jealous of the punk dreads I am sporting.

   My next startling discovery is a perfectly sharpened pencil within the dangerous proximity of my right eye. I should be really grateful for deciding to roll onto my left side first. When it becomes clear that there is a neat pile of spring rolls on my crotch, I finally realize the pitiful state I am in. Apparently, I have fallen asleep on the sofa, fully clothed and with a tray of food on my lap. It is not my first time. It is unlikely to be the last one either.

   "Why?" I sourly groan after managing to sit up, spot the phone under the table and answer it. "I could sleep for another hour before having to face the harsh reality. What's wrong with you? It's seven a. m. Who the hell likes to chat at seven? Certainly not Luca De Angelis. Did something happen? Are you all right?"

   "Wow! You're quite talkative for someone who just woke up." He cackles. I see nothing funny. "Buongiorno, fratellino (Good morning, little brother)! Are you alone? I mean, you are not hiding some hot guy under the sheets, are you?"

   "What?" I furrow my brows in confusion. Why would he ask me such a question? Not that there is even the slightest possibility of his crazy assumption proving true. He is up to something, and I bet my bottom dollar that I am not going to like it. My suspicions grow even stronger at hearing a distinct ding on the other side of the line. I cautiously ask, trying to sound casual, "Luca, where are you?"

   "In an elevator," he apologetically answers. "Cough! Umm...with dad."

   "Fuck!" I rub my aching forehead. This is not good. I smelled trouble the moment he started coughing. "Which elevator?"

   "Yours," he remorsefully mumbles.

   "Did you really drive for six hours from Genova to Rome just because it slipped my mind to brief you on my first day at work? This is insane. And why is dad... Ohh, never mind..." I honestly feel like crying. How they got together only to ruin my whole day from early morning is beyond me. I look around and shriek in horror, "What floor?"

   "Just passed eighteen," my brother cheerfully informs me. "I don't drive, silly. I have a chauffeur. I also have a pilot, so I actually landed last night after quite an enjoyable one hour flight. Couldn't even finish a bottle of Prosecco. Dad urgently wanted to discuss a business deal. However, it got too late for visits. We thought it would be a nice surprise to come by and have breakfast together instead."