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This causes my future mother-in-law to squeal happily in her seat and begin fanning herself. “Your woman,”she chuckles, scrunching her nose at her daughter. “Oh, I love it! Goodbye feminism. He’s practically barbaric, Tink.”
The Italian restaurant we’re currently in reminds me of the finest ones New York has to offer. The lighting is low but not too dim, the tables are covered in white tablecloths with red suede runners and candlelit centerpieces. There are crystal chandeliers above each table and a string quartet softly playing somewhere. The building itself is older, but the architecture reminds me of something you'd see in an old Victorian era film.
“Oh, this is such great fodder!” Matilda smiles.
“Fodder?” I ask.
“Yes, darling,” Sabrina squirms in her seat and then drags her gaze to mine. “Remember I told you Mum writes books? She's been a bestseller for the past decade.”
No, I don't remember because I don't know anything. Also, I can respect a woman that leaves her shit husband and makes something of herself. There are too many strong women out there not making enough of a fucking ruckus. Then again, the wives of the capos are silent and swift in their kills. You have to be in our world. We can’t get too much attention poised our way.
Flicking my gaze back to Matilda I ask, “Oh, so this is how you add scenarios to your books?”
“At times. Sometimes I people watch, sometimes I hole myself up until I have an entire chapter written, sometimes I get bloody wasted and type, letting it flow through me, and when I wake up with a blaring headache, I'll sift through what I typed and sometimes… sometimes I just listen to other's stories andsteal them.”Matilda says with a grin and rough voice at the end, making her look a bit like a villain.
Sabrina giggles and the sound prickles the bottom of my skull. Her wide smile is directed at me, and the little scrunch of her nose makes my chest feel like it's being squeezed. She makes a motion toward her mother, taking a sip from her glass of water. “She's an evil genius, my mother.”
“Evil, no.Genius, absolutely.” Derek smirks, putting a hand over his wife's. When they look at each other, it's with a palpable longing.“But I will say my wife is amazing, always surprising me. Keeping me on my toes.”
It takes the older couple a moment for them to tear their gaze away from the other, lost in their own world. “Well!” Matilda chuckles. “Let's get on to the planning, shall we?”
Sabrina sits up straight like a doll come to life. “Planning?”
“Your engagement party, Sabrina, love.Pleasetell me you didn't think we'd skip over that now, did you?”
“Oh, uh, I'm not so sure. With mine and Maksim's schedule, I'm not sure if we'd be able to fly back in time. He's so busy and I have so many clients.”
Matilda's happy moment seems to crumble, and where I shouldn't feel anything, I shouldn't care, I feel bad for her. I took what should be a happy occasion away from them. Fuck. “I'm sure we could… find the time.”
Sabrina's eyes flash at me as if I've done something wrong, but there goes that fucking uncanny grin again. Every tooth white and shiny and perfect.
Matilda gasps and claps her hands together. “Wonderful! Derek!”
“Something small, Mama, please. I…please.” Her voice is small and it… irks me.
Is she ashamed of marrying me?
“No, yes, of course, Tink. You give me a list of names you’re okay with having there, and I’ll keep to it. No funny business, I promise.”
“I'd also need to get Raven out here. I can't have my engagement party without my maid of honor.”
Creepy goth barbie. Wonderful.
But what can I say? The man that'll most likely be my best man is Niko, and that's because he'll be carrying. Which reminds me- I pull my phone out at the table, excusing myself and typing out a quick message to him to put cameras in her bedroom and bathroom, mostly where the tub is located, while we’re away. I want to determine if I did hear her screaming underwater, or if it was a wrong assumption.
But if she is screaming under water… I want to know why.
I darken my screen and shove my phone back into my front pocket, as the conversation ebbs and flows between us and the more I watch Matilda and Derek interact, the more I can see there's a story behind their affections. I'll make sure to ask Sabrina later when we're alone in her Barbie Bedroom tonight.
When we get back to Kensington, Sabrina practically flies up the staircase after saying goodnight to her parents, and I follow, taking the steps two at a time. Immediately upon entering her room, I see the light on under the door of the bathroom. I go to the walk-in to undress and hang my suit back up, stepping out at the same time as her.
I inhale slowly as I take her in. Tiny sleep shorts that showcase her sturdy thighs, camisole that hugs the dips of her waist, braless so her nipples are peaked. Before I can even think about what color they are, my phone rings, distracting me at the right moment. She fidgets, then darts to the sofa bed. I try to ignore the ringing in my pocket and help her pull it out, but she makes a shooing motion with her hands, dismissing me.
Okay then.
I look down at my screen to see it’s Niko.
“Yeah?”