Chapter 14 #2
But Wes lived on my couch, so it wasn’t like he had anywhere to hide. “Why don’t you go into my room?”
“Thanks. Good idea.”
Ten minutes later, I could still hear him sneezing through the door. “We need to leave, Mom. Let’s go to your hotel to hang out.”
“All right.”
I went to my room to let Wes know we’d be relocating. His eyes were now puffy, and he held a ball of wadded-up tissues. “I’m so sorry about this. I had no idea she was bringing her cat.”
He shrugged. “No big deal.”
Even his voice had a wheeze. “Boy, you’re really allergic.”
“The beginning is always the worst part.”
“Well, regardless, we’re going to go to my mom’s hotel. Mom’s bodyguard is out in the car. He can keep an eye on both of us so you can rest.”
Wes shook his head. “You go, I go.”
I sighed. “If you must.”
Outside, Mom’s driver was leaning against their rental car. I’d met Paulie before. He was a mountain of a man, and today was clad in a black leather jacket and mirrored shades. If Mom looked like she belonged on the Housewives, Paulie Distefano looked like he’d walked straight out of Goodfellas.
Great. The neighbors will all be talking. As I approached, he opened the front and rear car doors and nodded. “Ms. Ginocassi.”
“Hi, Paulie. Would you please not refer to me as that here? I go by Grecco now. Even better, call me Juliette.”
He shrugged. “Whatever you want.” Paulie looked to the man standing next to me. “How you doing, Wes?”
“Hanging in there.”
I gestured to the open car door. “I’m going to ride with Wes.”
Wes and I followed behind Mom and Paulie. “I guess you’ve met Paulie before?”
Wes nodded. “A few times. He’s with your father a lot.” He glanced over at me before turning right at my corner. “I’m surprised I’ve never met your mom before. I’ve been to the house a bunch of times.”
“That’s probably because my mother doesn’t live with my father, not in the main house anyway.”
Wes’s brows furrowed. “Where does she live?”
“In the pool house in the yard. My parents have a bizarre relationship.”
“They don’t get along?”
“No, they actually get along really well. But my dad has at least two girlfriends at a time, sometimes more. And my mom is in love with her best friend, who is gay.”
Wes blinked. “Come again?”
I chuckled. “It’s funny, when I’m home it all seems almost normal. But when I say it out loud, I realize it’s not.”
“So your parents have what…an open relationship?”
“I’m not sure what you’d call it. Basically, my mom knows my dad has girlfriends, and she’s okay with it as long as she doesn’t have to see it. But my mom would never cheat on my dad because that’s a sin.”
“She’s just in love with a gay man?”
I smiled. “That’s right.”
“And she lives in the pool house by herself or with the gay guy?”
“Alone. Timothy is married.”
“To…a man?”
“Who else would he be married to if he’s gay?”
“I don’t know. It seems like nothing we’re talking about makes too much sense.”
I laughed. “I guess you have a point.”
Ten minutes later, we pulled up at the Ritz-Carlton. One good thing about my mom’s visit was that it seemed to have gotten my relationship with Wes back on track. Who knew my parents’ nutty situation could be the icebreaker we needed?
Wes stayed downstairs in the lobby, and Paulie went upstairs with us. He had the room next to Mom’s, so the two of us were alone in her suite. Chester took his spot in the middle of the bed, and Mom and I stayed out in the living area.
“How are you, Mom?”
“Old. Tired. Hungry.” She smiled. “Let’s order room service. Hot wings?”
I smiled back. “With bleu cheese.”
“You got it.” She picked up the phone and placed the order. Then she covered the receiver. “Anything else? A drink or something?”
“I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
Mom grinned and returned to the phone. “Two bottles of merlot, please. And two straws.”
I chuckled. “Actually, Mom, do you think you can get some wings delivered to Wes in the lobby, too?”
“It’s the Ritz-Carlton.” She shrugged. “We can get anything we want.”
After she finished ordering, Mom slipped off her shoes.
“How are things at home?” I asked. “How’s Timothy?”
My mom’s face lit up. “He just got a big promotion at work. He’s the vice president of the bank now.”
“Oh, that’s great. What about Ken?”
I regretted asking when my mom’s face faltered. Ken was Timothy’s husband. “He’s fine. Redecorating again and wasting more of Timothy’s hard-earned money.”
I wasn’t about to point out that my mom’s full-time job was redecorating our family home—the one she didn’t even sleep in anymore. “What about Dad?”
“He’s very stressed. He would love it if you would move back home. So would I.”
“Mom…let’s not go there. I’m happy out here in LA.”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
“I don’t need a man to make me happy.”
“So that’s a no.”
I rolled my eyes. But then I realized my mother was probably the only person on the planet who understood my situation, and I could talk freely with her. It might be good to discuss how to handle things with Wes. So I took a deep breath. “There actually is someone I’m interested in.”
Mom’s eyes sparkled. She tucked her feet under her butt and leaned in. “Tell me all about him.”
“Well, he’s handsome and smart, has a good sense of humor.”
“Sounds amazing so far. What does he do for work?”
I chewed on my bottom lip before answering. “He’s a bodyguard.”
“Ooh, interesting. For someone famous out here in Hollywood?”
“Not really.”
“Someone with a lot of money then?”
“Definitely not.”
“Why does the person need a bodyguard if they’re not rich or famous?”
I met my mother’s eyes. “Because her father is a kingpin.”
My mother’s brows dipped, and then her eyes grew wide. “You and Wes?”
“Well, there isn’t really a me and Wes.” I sighed. “But yeah. I’ve grown feelings for him.”
“He’s a real looker.”
“And he wants nothing to do with me—at least not in a romantic way.”
My mother looked offended. “Why not?”
“You know why…”
Mom frowned. “Oh. Of course. I wasn’t thinking. Your father must’ve given him the touch my daughter and die speech. I bet it was the same one he gave poor Evan Roberts.”
“Evan Roberts? My prom date?”
Mom nodded. “I was so mad at him for pulling a gun on an eighteen-year-old.”
My eyes flared. “Are you kidding me? Mom, I had no idea Dad threatened Evan. You know he wouldn’t even dance with me at the prom, and he ditched me the minute it was over. All these years, I thought he didn’t like me.”
“How could anyone not like you?”
I shook my head and blew out a big breath. “Whatever. But yeah…Dad told Wes I was off-limits.”
Mom patted my hand. “I’m sorry, honey. But it’s probably for the best.”
“It’s best that I wind up an old maid because everyone in the world is afraid of Dad?”
“No, best because Wes works for your father. Even if Wes had Dad’s blessing, you know what would happen. You’d get sucked back into that life because your man’s life would be tied to your father. You moved three-thousand miles away to escape that world.”
My shoulders slumped. Mom was probably right.
The men in my father’s world didn’t go to work at nine and come home at five, leaving their job behind.
They were in deep. And half the guys who lived that life wound up in jail or…
worse. Right now it was easy to pretend Wes was just a guy who did private security.
But what would his next job be? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what my father had him doing before this either.
“Maybe Dad could release him from the job, and Wes could do private security out here in LA. I’m sure there are tons of celebrities who hire security.”
“There is no release from that world, honey. Look at me.”