Enough

“So, I’m the bad guy? You pursued me, despite my reputation. The first time we went out, you think I didn’t know your friend cliques were dishing to you about me. I accept who I am, but you had the choice. We haven’t spoken in months and you send me naked photos and tracked my hotel. Why?”

“Patrick handed me that information. I didn’t ask him for it.”

She defended.

“Doesn’t make much of a difference,” he pointed out.

Natasha exhaled stressfully. Because she had noticed he went out with her more than twice, got a call from him the following day after boning. She took it as meaning she had the chance to nail not only his dick, money, or a slice of his media recognition, but a significant place by his side.

“I’m not a gold digger.”

She said hoarse with look of hurt.

“I didn’t say you were.” He told her more sensitively.

“No you didn’t.” She curved her lip, lowering her glasses. She hid the vast disappointment in her eyes.

“Thank you for a good time, Alex. Goodbye.”

She walked off to the exit with the last shred of dignity she could salvage.

The billionaire wiped his temple, scanning the gallery he couldn’t locate Gina and the club-owner-jackass pushing in on her. It was natural for her to want to throw me back some thunder after what he led her to believe. The repercussions were his fault. Shit!

He left the ballroom in a storm to ensure Natasha got to her hotel safely. It was the least gallant thing he could do for using her as a pawn in his game.

***

He manifested an apologetic smile she waved with her fingers till the taxi drove off. Mr. Berardi encountered him in the lobby, apparently to confirm the request from Gina for a separate room preferably on the bottom floor. She wasn’t joking when decided on clear-cut isolation. “We’ll no longer have need for that.” He clarified.

“But Signora Castello-”

“She had a change of mind. Good day, Signore.” He headed for the elevator.

“Ay-yy-y, sí Signore.”

The steel doors clamped shut Alex began pondering what do or say to her. He had to make things right. He undid his tie, hooking it around his collar. He never felt so jumble and disoriented, every instant he blinked. There was a flashback, Gina giggling taking Mario’s arm, agreeing to be his date and whispering to him. It had his brain in circles. As if it wasn’t irking enough reading those messages. He was turning into a fucking lunatic.

“What have you done to me, Castello?”

He muttered to himself.

In a burst of anger, he plunged his right fist against robust metal surface. He howled, winding his reddened knuckles abetting less pain to his fist. He reached for his iPhone in his jacket pocket and scrolled through his contacts.

“Al, I haven’t heard from you in awhile, bro.”

“And you decided to occupy yourself by springing Natasha Koskov on me?”

He said with conviction, confronting Patrick about his minor charade.

“What can say, I thought she’d be a…pleasant surprise for you,” his voice chuckled over the speaker.

Alex sniffed stepping out the car. “It’s not a laughing matter, Pat. I don’t appreciate the interference into my personal life. You put me in very awkward situation.”

He swiped the keycard and hit the light switch, removing his jacket. “And when didn’t I ever have any business in your personal life?” Alex released a stress-filled breathe unwinding on the sofa. “We’ve been friends since we were toddlers and suddenly you tell-no, order me to butt out. What’s going on? Is it that Gina chick getting to you?”

He demanded an answer.

“Pat.” His weird tone made Patrick snicker. “I knew it, this all started when I was asking you about her. Has she poisoned your mind or something?”

Alex laughed hysterically over the phone.

“You have no idea, bro.” He murmured.

“What did I say about my gut-feeling, she’s bad news, Al,” Patrick reassured him.

“Oh, she’s worse than bad news, wore than the typical chicks who’ve tried to connive their way into my bank account.”

He flipped a glass finishing the leftover whiskey from the carafe.

“I don’t follow you.”

“Don’t worry, it’s my messy ordeal to handle,” He ascertained gulping down the hot liquid. “How’s mom doing?”

He asked dying to change the subject.

“Her blood pressure rose a little last week, but the medical staff says it’s nothing serious and doesn’t affect her progress in anyway.” Alex cringed, he was glad for her improvement but above else.

He wanted to sleep at night without worrying about any possible risks she might be prone to suffer. “Are they positive? How many tests did they run?”

“Two and yes the nurse showed me the rate her pressure increased by. Trust me, its minor I paid her a visit and she’s okay.”

He apprised solicitously attempting to discourage Alex from getting all panicky and distressed. “Jesus, Pat. You make sure to consult the doctor every now and again.”

Alex went out onto Gina’s apparent favorite spot. He caught a whiff of some much-needed fresh breeze over the skyline. “I will, and report to you if anything else happens.” Patrick assured.

“Thanks. It’s late, she’ll be asleep. I’ll call her tomorrow first thing in the morning.”

“She told me she wants you to bring her back some authentic Venchi white chocolates by the way.”

Pat mentioned knowing it would provide some solace.

He smiled sucking in another slice of cool breeze.

“That’s my Lilly, alright.”

He tittered much, more relaxed. “So, how are you goin’ to handle Hot Legs?

“It’ll be for you to find out, bro. Take care.”

Alex ended the call anchoring his elbows to the railing, messing his long fingers through his hair in gruelling exasperation.

The tip of his tongue curled across his bottom lip. The soreness in the middle left by vicious Gina’s teeth goad him, recollecting their heated tussle.

She was an unbridled trigger haunting his mind and body every time he laid his eyes on her. Dangerous, in Pat’s terms precisely. If so, why was he drawn to her hard? Why did he want to possess her so bad? Why? Why? Why? The question multiplied in his head drilling him, like a shovel digging a hole in inside him. There was one thing he established for certain, he was tired of these games and roller-coaster rides.

It had to stop.

The billionaire had enough and this time he meant it, no more beating around the bush.

***

Swiping her keycard she kicked off her Aldos and released a sigh. She had been searching the whole lobby for Mr. Berardi. The clueless receptionist had absolutely no listings for a single room registered under her name. When she tried phoning him there was no answer, of all the nights for her to have such a rotten luck! She cringed seeing the bedroom lit and from centimeters distance she heard his footsteps. Glancing over the corner, she saw the balcony doors opened making her puzzle.

“Thought I would try out some alone time of my own.” Alex murmured, emerging from the interior. His face was solemn, emotionless like he's just been at war himself, in his case, his ego.

She studied his outward appearance intently. It seemed the opposite of his cocky-triumphant look. Perhaps, nude-beck-and-call-girl threw a fit because her sparkling white diamonds were a short a carat. “Is she in there?”

He approached her noting the shopping bag in her hand. “No. Natasha left hours ago.” He informed her nonchalant. She bristled caught off guard by that response as well as his dull tone. She felt compelled to ask as to his strange demeanor but she later decided against doing so. “Oh, well I’ll just get ready for Mario's party,” she sauntered pass him before he could get any closer. “As soon as I get in touch with Mr. Berardi, I’ll be out your hair.” She said removing the black chopsticks from the top her hair, letting it roll out.

“Forget Berardi and the separate room.”

She froze at his statement and shifted to him. “Excuse me.”

He stalked her not letting her get away. “I told him to cancel it then asked him to dodge any other solicitations you may have.” He told her cunningly blunt.

She puffed out roughly, facing him properly with a malicious stare.

“Did you? What are hoping to do? Coax me into a ménage au trois with your model friend?” She sneered making that pout he longed for.

“Gina.” Alex let out intensively. The absence of patronizing authority in his voice, he spoke low and croaky which was incomprehensively more chilling to her.

She gulped slowly watching him pulling in nearer and nearer.

“We need to cut all this fighting and getting back at each other crap. I’m whipped okay. Done,” He confessed raw and solemn.

She was mystified by his sudden declaration, rendering her wordless.

“I didn’t sleep with Natasha, okay.”