Dedication to jesscal for her recent comment on the first chapter:) Also that pic over there on the side is Rhetta.
=============================================================
Chapter 2
Alessandro’s POV
It’s been a week since I kissed that woman at the market. I can’t believe I did that! It disgusted me that I would stoop to attack the girl to prove a point. Hell, I know what she did was really underhanded, but now it’s kind of hilarious, I mean who does that? The thing that bothers me the most is the way the kiss set me on fire. Her mouth tasted sweeter than the tea they serve in the all night diner.
Rhetta’s POV
If I don’t make it back before five Brian will be furious. Pulling into the driveway I noticed it was 4:47. Thank God, I made it home in time. Carrying the groceries I made it into the kitchen as the paper bag ripped and fruit went everywhere. Cursing, I quickly pick it all up as I hear the door slam.
“Rhetta where the hell are you?” Brian yells.
“Right in the kitchen babe you can go to your chair and I will bring you a beer,” I tell him holding my breath afterwards that he does as I said. As I was putting his beer in a cooler cup he screamed again.
“What the f*ck is taking you so damn long woman?!” he yelled. Moving my feet faster I ran into the den where he was watching some pawn show. Leaning down I kissed his cheek handing him his beer.
“Hurry your ass up with supper I am starving and I shouldn’t have to come home to an empty table,” he said.
“Babe, I am sorry, but I had school and work today,” I said exasperated. As soon as the words left my mouth I realized my mistake. His face turned red and he got out of his chair. Anytime he got out of his chair it was bad news for me. He began to stalk after me as I slowly backed away from him walking backwards to keep my face towards him. My foot caught the edge of the door way halting my movement as the first punch landed to my stomach.
“I’m sorry Brian,” I said after the first punch. This only seemed to anger him more that I was talking. Seeing his hand raise in the air I closed my eyes because I couldn’t bear to see it coming. My cheek felt like a bomb exploded on it. He hit me hard enough that my head snapped to the side painfully.
“Get your lazy ass in that kitchen NOW before I decide to use some reinforcement that lands your ass in bed for days,” he said still dangerously calm. Turning, I got into the kitchen as fast as possible. As I was cutting the vegetables for the stew tears continued to fall onto the wooden cutting board. The tears were not for the beating I just received. No, they were for what I knew was still to come. Brian always wanted to make it up to me after he hit me. His way of making it up was to have rough sex that only satisfied him and left me in pain for days.
“Smells damn good in this kitchen honey,” Brian said sickly sweet. This is the beginning of his making it up, I thought as my shoulders slumped at the feel of his hands on my hips as I was washing the dishes I had dirtied making dinner.
“James wants me to join him at Trout Lake for the weekend. I figure you’re just gonna be hanging with those old ass people, so I told him I would go,” he said. James is Brian’s only sibling and also the only other person that Brian freely beats me in front of. The first time he hit me in front of James I thought James would help me but I was very wrong. After Brian backhanded me James congratulated him for “keeping his woman in line”. I remember when I was a teenager I would judge women like me; women who stay with their abusers. The thing is when you love someone and are afraid they will kill you, it is a toxic combination. My love for him has faded more and more with each blow he has landed to my person.
“That sounds like fun babe I just wish I was joining you,” I said as he smiled at me like he actually loved me. It made me want to vomit. Back in the day, I used to be such a spitfire as my Uncle Tate called me. No one pushed me around and I kicked ass when necessary to defend myself or someone who was unable to defend themselves.
“Go draw me a bath,” he ordered. No more than the words were out of his mouth I was heading towards the bathroom. In order to draw a bath for him the water has to be at 99 degrees, his towel must be tri-folded and laid against the back of the tub for him to rest his head as he soaks, shampoo and bodywash must be aligned against the left side of the tub, and his pajamas laid out on the bed neatly folded. As he was soaking in the tub I began to ready his suitcase. Laying it in the middle of the floor I organized it the way he like with all trousers on bottom, shirts and pajamas on top, and his toiletries on the side pocket. Dang, I forgot his lake shorts! Going back into our closet I heard a herumph from outside the closet. As I peeked into the bedroom I noted Brian had fallen over the suitcase. Shit!
“Rhetta! Get your ass in here!” he raged. Hanging my head I exited the closet. By this time he was standing and grabbed my shoulders shaking me violently.
“You did this shit on purpose to make me fall didn’t you?!” he screamed in my face drops of cold foul smelling spit landing on my face as he spoke.Shaking my head in hopes of not making the situation. He took me by my shoulders and threw me on the bed straddling me. His hands made their way slowly up my arms onto my collarbone, but I knew this wasn’t seduction. It would be torture and punishment. As his hands encircled my throat I began to panic as he cut off my air supply as I was struggling to remove his hands everything went black.
As I woke, the sunlight was streaming through the open drapes almost mocking me with its brightness. Beginning to move around I noticed some blood on the sheets about the same time I felt the tenderness on my behind. Looks like he made it up to me after he choked me out last night but that is nothing new. At least I was unconscious for the worst and most painful part of it. Hobbling to the mirror in the bathroom I noted the dark circles under my bloodshot eyes, the hand prints around my throat, and the bruise on my swollen jaw. At least he is already gone. He always leaves before dawn when he meets his brother for a lake trip.
The only thing I regret is that I will have to cancel on my seniors. Every Saturday I go to the senior center to social hour. It’s an hour of dancing and socializing for people 65 and older. They make my life worth living and I feel so horrible when I cancel on them. Maybe, if I use eye drops and wear a turtleneck I can just say I was sleep walking and ran into the wall gaining the bruises on my jaw line. An hour later I was pulling into the senior center for my social hour with my people.
Alessandro’s POV
Today, I have an inspection to go on with the chief to some old folk home. After my shower, I put on my dress uniform and run my hands through my hair to give it a messy look.
On the way to the old people place, the chief and I make small talk. He asked me how I am getting along in Geneva and other mindless chatter. Walking through the senior center as the chief called it, I heard music coming from a room to my right and I walked over to the slightly open door. My jaw hit the floor and my mouth watered without permission at the sight before me. There was kiss girl dressed in some tight pants and a equally tight sweater that went all the way to her chin. She was dancing with some old dude. Old dude looked like he just won the freaking lottery and I definitely understood why. He currently had his hands on a gorgeous woman while she was swaying her hips to the beat.
“Pull that tongue back in boy that’s my baby girl,” I heard the chief say from behind me.
“Yes sir,” I said I wasn’t even going to deny perving on the beauty. Looks like there might be more than meets the eye to this little woman and I know one damn thing; I am going to find out just what there is to her.
====================================================================
There is definitely more to her than he realizes...
