Chapter 17 ~ Isabella
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For the next hour, I learned a lot, too much actually.
That his so-called punishment turned him on, that not only that but in order for him to do so, he had to find me attractive on some level. That I found hard to believe, but if Anna is right, he kissed and stroked me all over, even my chubby tummy.
We devised a strategy for the next twenty-four hours. If I can stay as late as possible at work, I’ll run up to my room and hide out and do whatever I can to avoid him in the mornings.
Anna will bring me coffee in the morning and that way I can avoid him at breakfast. Once he leaves Thursday night, Anna is coming over for the weekend and we are going to have a woman's sex Ed class all for me.
We head back to work; I’m worried and happy at the same time. Because if anyone can help me through these sexual waters, it’s Anna. I head over to my desk and on top of it is my Harry Rules to-go mug with a single white rose and a note.
Isabella,
You left this in the car in your rush to leave my side this morning.
I brought you a fresh cup, two sugars, and one cream. Enjoy the rest of your day.
See you at five.
A.
Anna grabs the note and reads it. She points to my face.
“Stay strong Padawan. The force is strong with him and you are weak and untrained in the ways of men.”
She tosses the note on the table and grabs the rose away from my nose. “Work,” she points at the wall, shoving my shoulder in that direction.
I laugh at her. “I did work this morning, all morning actually. You listened while I worked and talked. It’s not my fault I can multitask.”
“Whatever!”
We fall into our usual pattern of ease; Anna has her earbuds back in, humming to a song, while I work in silence, completing the dress on the lady on the bench. It’s more than I could hope for.
I exposed her dress and moved past her shoulder, revealing part of an intricate necklace around her throat. One more day and I should be able to see her face for the first time. I step back to admire my work and the painting as a whole. It’s going to look amazing once we finish.
“It’s well past five. We have been waiting in the car for the last half hour.” Alexander’s voice growl’s across the room.
I cringe and hunch my shoulders; I turn my head and see Alex, arms crossed, legs spread wide, glaring at us. Carlos stands just behind him, hands claps in front of him, a glum expression on his face.
Just then, Anna belts out at the top of her lungs, arms stretched out to her side, shaking her butt back and forth, “Myyyyyy milkshakes brings all the boys to the yard! And they’re like…”
She points at me to take over in my usual part of the song.
I stand there frozen wide-eyed and give her a slight nod towards the door.
“Izzy… Go! And they’re like…” She shakes her boobs in my face mamba style.
I use my eyes to look over again at the two men who are watching her performance.
She still hasn’t taken her earbuds out, louder than she needs to be. She yells, “Oh right, he broke your boob, don’t shake them, shake your ass instead.”
Anna shimmies across the walkway towards me, basically twerking over to me using the railing as a guide, she grabs my waist and starts grinding on my leg.
“Damn right, it’s better than yours. I could teach you… but I’d have to charge!” She belts out again.
I can’t take the embarrassment any longer and I pop out one of her earbuds.
“What the hell, Izz? I was just getting going. And why are you not shaking your ass? When have you EVER not joined me in this song?” She stands up, popping out her other earbud, and looks at me, confused.
“Yes, please show us your moves, Isabella. I’d like nothing more than to see your milkshake shake.” Alexander says with a smirk on his face.
Anna jumps and turns to look at them, a huge smile bursting over her face.
“Well hey there boys, you got here just in time for the show.” She nudges me.
I don’t say a thing. I’m mortified. I can’t even move.
Anna starts to back down the ladder, takes off her goggles, and tosses them on her desk, snapping her gloves off like a burlesque dancer, as she tosses them in the nearby trash can and heads over to them.
She passes right by Alex and walks up to Carlos.
He is a giant compared to her. His 6’5 frame compared to her 5’ makes her look like a child.
She holds her hand out, “Hey big guy, I’m Anna, Izzy's bestie.” She thumbs over her shoulder. “And you are?”
Carlos’ face is crimson. He holds his hand out and mumbles, “Carlos. A pleasure to meet you.”
Anna grabs his hand and it’s lost in the size of his palm. “Holy shit! Your hand is huge!” She turns it over and back again, and then she looks up at him. Carlos’ face could not be more purple.
“Can I ask a favor?” She beams up at him.
“Ahhh… sure.” He looks at Alexander, who hasn’t once stopped watching in my direction.
“Cool. Give me your hand, just relax it.” She pats it and he does. She turns her back to him, taking a small step back, so she is up against his chest.
“Izzy! Check this out?” She takes Carlos’ hand and covers her face with it. Her entire head disappears; she pops back out to the side and back in, disappearing behind his hand.
“You could totally crush my head with one hand.” She keeps popping out and laughing.
Carlos just stands there and lets her do it, a slight smile on his face as he looks down at her in amusement.
I want to laugh, it’s so Anna. She doesn’t care and has no filter, but I know Alexander is glaring at them, just waiting to detonate.
Anna turns and drops his hand. “Hey Carlos, can you pick me up and put me on your shoulder like they do in wrestling?”
I watch the simmering anger pass across Alex’s face as I stand on the ladder watching the show down below.
Straw camel, snap!
“ANNA! Will you please have some decorum?” Alex barks at her, making her jump back into Carlos’ chest.
“This is not, nor will it be time to play around with Carlos. He has a job. One you might want to consider doing your own instead of shaking your ass for all to see.”
My insides shake. They are like two explosives ready to blow up the room. I slowly back down the ladder, heading to my desk. Carlos is angry now, glaring at Alexander. Anna’s blue eyes are basically squinted ice and she stomps right up to Alex and jabs at his chest.
“You!” She lifts her left hand right in his face and points at her ring finger.
“See this? There is nothing on it, that’s right. EMPTY! Not your ring on it, is there?”
She pulls out her lanyard from her lab coat with her pass on it and shoves it in his face.
“Read this, oh that’s, right? It doesn’t have your name on it, does it? Cause you’re not my boss!” She drops her pass and steps closer, glaring at him.
She jabs at his chest with each word, “You. Are. Not. The. Boss. Of ME!”
Alexander leans slightly forward, pressing her finger harder into his chest.
“Remove your finger from my chest, little girl, before I am forced to remove it for you.” Alex’s voice is low and deep, the same one he used with me out on the patio the night I met him.
By this time, I have my purse and am walking around the massive rack of paintings, hiding me from the ensuing argument, which is growing louder.
I can’t see them, but I hear Anna say, “I may be little, but I am damn well a woman. What’s your plan, big guy? You’re going to bite my boob off as punishment, too?”
Oh God, she told him. She came right out and told him I spilled what happened last night. I die on the inside just a little bit, knowing what is coming once I get home.
I edge my way around the large rack of paintings and have my hand on the exit door. Carlos is stepping in between them, hoisting Anna up and over his shoulder while they both yell at each other.
I push the exit door open and slowly close it behind me, softening the click. I can’t do this today. They want to fight and boss each other around, have at it. I’m out.
I make my way to the street and head left for the coffee shop.
I grab a to-go cup and head past the jewelry store and turn left down the alley.
A small little shop with one large glass window showcases books on broken-down chairs, giving it that shabby chic kinda vibe.
They painted a nook for books in bright yellow lettering on the window.
If you didn’t know it was here, you’d never find it.
It’s the best little bookstore ever in my opinion.
I found it when I was trying to escape my father.
I guess you could call it more like running away, but I couldn’t face going home and had no money for a hotel.
I paid the price for my betrayal once they found me, but at that moment, Helen saved me from slipping into my head that day and I can never thank her enough.
I was seventeen and my father took us to the museum for the day since I had graduated and was heading off to university in the fall. I loved the museum and had planned on getting my degree in hopes I would get the opportunity to work there one day.
The day started off great. My sister was wandering around looking at everything without notice and my mother was hanging on my father’s arm, feigning interest.
I was enthralled. Every piece of art, every sculpture I was so wrapped up in the design, the skill, and the technique of each brush stroke on the canvas.
It wasn’t long before my father had to come back and shake me to move along and keep up.
The painting ‘The Old Guitarist’ by Pablo Picasso mesmerized me.
The shades of grey and blues that were layered to create the depth of the stairs, how he looks so sad and lifeless but at the same time willing to strum his guitar one last time before death takes his life.
One could also assume he was passing out and falling asleep, slowly heading toward the ground.
But that is what makes great art your own interpretation of the piece before you and how it makes you feel and think.