Veitato: LUST IN THE FORBIDDEN ADVENTURE

100:

   "Hey Luciano," I picked up the call, trying so hard to hide my excitement. I thought he'd never call. "I was just about to call you, guess we think alike."

"Hello Massimo." His voice sounded straight and courteous, I felt he was not in a good mood or maybe it was me.

Did he still hate me? I didn't do anything bad. I love him.

"I've been thinking about you throughout today. You don't sound so well, are you good?"

"Oh yes I am, thank you."

I felt like he was shutting me out. Luciano was hardly ever like this when we were younger.

"Or do you need a massage? I could help with that just like I used to when we were kids, that's if you remember," I chuckled slightly.

There was silence on his end and I stopped chuckling cooperating with the tense silence that hung in the air.

"I'm glad you're quiet now. I called for a reason and that's Gladys, you need to get close to her so you can get her phone," he informed me.

I barely heard all he said, my mind was fixated on the fact that he shushed me.

Was I that repulsive? Did I do something wrong?

What exactly was it?

"Are you there?" Luciano's now gruff voice shook me back into reality.

"Uh, yes Gladys. I mean no, I can't do that-," I stuttered.

"What do you mean no?" Luciano retorted in a high pitched voice.

"No, I can't get close to Gladys. I'm afraid I won't be able to hide my disgust and she'll see right through my lies." I was willing to do anything but be close to her, she disgusted and scared me at the same time.

"You have to do it. Afterall, you kind of caused it. Do you want Tiffany to suffer?" I cared about Tiffany but not so much that I would go back to Gladys.

Listening to Luciano felt a bit awkward. I just want to see him and hear him for real.

"I can't Lu. Gladys is a dangerous woman and I'm not ready for all that drama."

"That's the only way to stop that video from getting to the public, it's your call. Your choice to make," Luciano said softly.

I could sense a little fear in his already lowered voice and it made me feel bad, I hated having to see him this way especially when I have a hand in it.

"Fine, but you have to agree to something." A thought crossed my mind and my face lit up with a smile even broader than the one I had on my face when I received his call.

"What's that? Name it, I'll do it. Anything," he sounded so confident.

Eh! Eh!! Eh!!!

"You have to spend time with me," I thought I heard Luciano choke over the phone as I said these words.

"What!?" He replied, his confidence long gone. "How does this even relate to the matter? I said I would do anything but I definitely had no idea you were going to ask this."

Luciano's feeling of disgust, as I interpreted it, stabbed a dagger into my already broken heart. He acted like being with me was a crime, but right now I needed to take my mind off of it.

It didn't matter what he thought as long as we spend time together.

"That's all I want. It's not too much to ask for it if it means protecting you and Tiffany, right? Getting close to Gladys is a lot of work especially when I have nothing to lose if I don't?" This was an effort at reminding him that I could back out of this any instant.

After a long moment of silence, Luciano heaved heavily. "Fine, but no more than thirty minutes."

On one hand, I was happy he agreed to the deal. On the other, thirty minutes was next to nothing. I couldn't even profess all my love for him within that time.

"No, an hour. Thirty minutes is such little time, it'll fly past in a whiff." "Not sure those videos will," I added for effect.

"That's all I can spare," he replied in a stern voice.

"Well then, we shall discuss about what we shall do when Gladys leaks the tape during the thirty minutes. I'm not getting close to her for a mere thirty minutes of your time," I held my ground.

"Fine fine, hou have an hour. I suggest in advance that you use it wisely, it's not happening again," he threatened.

"We shall see about that." My voice couldn't efficiently convey the leaps my stomach was making at the hearing of Luciano agreeing to an hour of his time.

If there was a better feeling than having butterflies in your stomach, that's exactly how I was feeling right now.

"Can you get going now? We don't really have time?" He spoke from the other end of the line. "To Gladys's place I mean."

I scrunched my face in displeasure. "No, not now. I need a moment to clear my head in advance, she can be violent. But I'll definitely be there tomorrow."

"That's not a problem as long as you don't still expect your hour with me." His voice reeked of superiority and command. Luciano seemed to know the hold he had on me and wielded it effectively like a sword.

"I'll be on my way, her place is a bit far. I could clear my head on the road with some cool breeze and thoughts of you," I attempted to flirt, hoping he wouldn't shush me again.

"Good boy," was his reply.

If any other person had told me this, I would probably flare up in anger, but it meant a lot coming from Luciano.

"So I'll see you when?"

A rapid knock on my door interrupted the discussion. "Excuse me, I need to attend to something" I whispered into the phone's speaker, taking it away from my ear.

The knock came again. "Come on in."

The door opened to reveal a guard who came bearing news. "What is it?"

"Miss Selena is here to see you."