38
My mother serves coffee to Liam and Ralph while I scrub the brown floor tiles that are tinged red. I remove my leopard-fur cloak and drape it over a chair.
“Hang it up properly,” my mother scolds and I roll my eyes and do as she says. I pour another bucket of water on the floor and continue to scrub the bloodstains with a broom. My mother sits down between Liam and Ralph and the three of them watch me quietly.
“I think I should thank you,” my mother says as she places a paper napkin by each cup.
“It’s all good,” Liam says dismissively and sips his coffee. He moves the napkin and watches my mother curiously as she immediately replaces it. He nods to himself.
“Come on, let’s get out of this dump,” Ralph loses his patience suddenly. “They must be massacring us there, and here we are sitting and drinking stinking coffee.”
I finish mopping the floor and stand before them, wiping the beads of sweat from my forehead. “I can’t leave my mother here alone.”
“You have to come with us,” Liam smiles at me. “The truce is over. You’re not safe here and you’re putting her in danger as well.”
I think about what he said and turn to my mother. “Come with us.” I prop the mop against the wall. “Stay with me until things quieten down, and then you can decide what you want to do.”
“Do you think they will come back?” she turns to them anxiously and Ralph bursts out laughing.
“My dear Madame, those two kids, who are still shitting in their diapers, will be back every day to make sure that you are safe and sound.” He takes a sip of coffee and grimaces. “You can leave your door open at night, nobody will ever come near you again.”
“Really?” she looks at Liam questioningly, and when he nods, she smooths down her blouse and straightens up. “I’m staying here.”
“Why?” I ask in frustration. “There’s nothing here for you. You work in a car lot and live in a slum.”
“Elena, I know you've heard nothing but complaints from me until now,” she sighs. “But I think that the moment you got here, you made me realize that this is our new home. You may not live here, but it will always be your home too.” She is silent for a moment and then smiles at me. “And I got this job by myself, I can pay my rent, and this is the first time in my life that I am not dependent on anyone else and I'm responsible for my own life. It may seem pathetic to you, but I think that it's a very good achievement for me.”
“It doesn’t seem pathetic. Well, maybe the apartment does. But I thought we could spend some more time together.” I realize sadly that I will have to say goodbye to her very soon.
“I will come to visit,” she smiles at me lovingly. “And you will come back to visit me.”
“Fine,” I groan, looking down at myself and feeling shocked. “I better take a shower and change.” I walk towards the hallway.
“One hundred thousand dollars!” Ralph calls and I turn around and look at him, confused. “Duchess, I will pay a hundred thousand dollars for one hour with you.” He looks totally serious and I shake my head in despair.
“I’ve been offered that amount already.” I turn to look at Liam and smile at him. He looks amused.
“What!” Ralph exclaims. “Then two hundred. And that's my final offer.”
“Elena, what is he talking about?” my mother asks in confusion.
“Don’t worry, Mom.” I laugh and start up the stairs. “He’s just a crazy German.”
I step into the shower, and as the water washes away the sweat, the makeup and the stress, I realize that I left my mom with my man. I’m sure he’s probably being interrogated right now, and I have no idea how she’ll react to his answers.
I dress quickly and pack my suitcase. I drag it to the top of the stairs and Liam comes up and takes it from me.
“Ready to go back to your castle?” he asks, holding me close.
“I think so,” I look around, still finding it hard to say goodbye. I’ve found out so many new things about my mother during this visit, especially that she did a lot more for me than I ever knew. We walk into the kitchen together and Ralph and my mother stand up. She looks tired and troubled. “Give us a moment alone,” I request, choking up. Liam and Ralph shake my mother’s hand and leave the house.
“If my daughter is a Duchess, what is my title?” she asks cynically.
“It’s not true, what those guys said. It’s nearly all bullshit. Just rumors.” I say, lowering my head.
“Stand up straight!” she orders, and I look into her classic, worried face. “I'm grateful for what Ralph and Liam did for me,” she says harshly. “But this is not the life you deserve.” She strokes my wet hair. “I don't know what led you there, but my daughter is a brilliant, unique young woman. Your future is in the university, not on the streets with criminals.”
I look at her quietly as tears fill my eyes. Her words are so obvious. “I know, Mom. I think I lost my way and now I’m trapped in a black hole.”
“Then get out of it immediately!” she snaps and kisses me on my forehead.
“But I’m in love. I’m so deeply in love with him that my whole body hurts.” I whimper in distress.
“I was in love too and look where it got me.” She hugs me tight. “You deserve more. You know that. Listen to your beautiful head, it will show you the way out.” I sigh, hug her one last time and join them in the street.
I sit with Liam in the back seat of the cab, and I’m silent all the way to the airport. We board the plane and he sits down next to me. I pull my hair into a ponytail and lean back in my seat. My mother’s words echo in my head. I know she’s right, I’m sure she’s right, but this time my heart isn’t allowing my head to take charge. Ralph sits down in the row beside us and within minutes the plane takes off.
I just got my mother back, and now I’m leaving her. I turn my head to the window and allow the tears to run down my cheeks.
“Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?” Liam puts his hand on my thigh and strokes it.
“Not really,” I continue staring out the window.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were in trouble? Didn’t you trust me to help you?” he continues stroking my thigh.
“Of course I trusted you.” I turn around to face him with a troubled expression. “I was sure that you’d come along and fix everything for me.” I place my hand on his and my heart aches with such deep emotions. “But I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to bring our twisted world to my mother’s doorstep. I didn’t want to get you in trouble again. I didn’t want to get in trouble myself and I really didn’t want to need your help. But in the end, I realized that I was desperate for it.” I wipe the tears away with my hand. “Liam, if I could erase the moment I walked into your bar, I’d do it right away, without hesitating.” I fall silent when I see the pain in his eyes. “But I can’t.” I place my hand on his scarred cheek, forcing him to look me in the eyes. “And you were right. I’m crazy in love with you. My body is tortured with passion whenever you’re near me and even more when you're not. And despite all the warning signals that my brain keeps sending me, and now my mother too,” I mumble the last words, “I’m completely and utterly yours.”
He closes his eyes for a moment and then grabs my head and kisses me passionately. “Elena, don’t do this to me again,” he says threateningly. “Don’t run away, don’t disappear and don’t drive me crazy.”
I nod and he kisses me passionately again.
“Can you stop fooling around there?” Ralph calls out and I move back from Liam in embarrassment. All the passengers around us are watching. “And you,” he says to the stewardess rudely, “I will pay you one hundred dollars if you let me fuck you in the restroom.”
She looks at him open-mouthed, completely horrified. “Sir,” she says quietly, “are you trying to solicit me into prostitution?”
“Who is trying to solicit?” he replies mockingly. “You've been watching me ever since I got on this stinking plane. So instead of fucking you for free, I want to pay you.”
“I’m going to tell the pilot that—” she stutters.
“Okay, shut up.” He leans back and closes his eyes. “Leave me your phone number and maybe I'll take you out on a date.”
She shakes her head in disgust and walks away quickly. He opens his eyes, looks at me and smiles. “You see, Duchess?” he takes a sip of his drink. “Don’t say I don’t learn from you how to treat girls. I even asked her out on a date.”
I roll my eyes and lean back. Liam drapes his arm over my shoulder and my head rests on his chest. Twisted world, I think sadly. But this is my world now.