I woke up with a splitting headache and a nasty taste in my mouth. 'Oh I drank too much last night.'
I groan and open my eyes and slowly sit up and put my feet over the edge of the bed. I look around and don't recognize where I am when it hits me. I'm on a yacht in the Mediterranean Sea. I stand and go to the bathroom and brush my teeth and take a quick shower. Feeling much better I walk out in my towel still trying to dry my hair and be gentle with my headache still hurting.
"Good morning Mija." Lar sets down a tray with breakfast, lots of water and coffee.
I jump slightly and pull my towel closer around me.
"Lar you startled me!" I laugh it off.
"Oh sorry, Mija. I just brought you breakfast, you want me to get your clothes for today out?" A smile fills his face and his eyes look eager.
"I'm not sure what I wanted to wear to be honest." I say going to the drawer with my underwear and grabbing those at least.
"No worries! We have special surprise for you!" He snaps his fingers and a dress appears on the bed.
"Please try this on Mija. My brothers and I hope you like it." He gestures to it and I pick it up. "I would wear your bathing suit under it." He suggests and walks out.
The dress is a beautiful light jersey fabric that is white with a black ink drop pattern. The wide shoulder with a deep V neckline gives it some a high fashion feel with it's pleated skirt and belt.
(see Donna Karen Splatter-Brush dress on Pintrest or https://pin.it/2jUH7oy)
My simple one piece bathing suit is black and shouldn't take away from the dress, so I throw them on. I slip on some flat sandals and check to see if Lar is still out in hall.
"Looking for me?" Alex coos seeing my head pop out of the room as he closes the door.
"I thought Lar was still out here." I go to shut the door and Alex calls out real quick.
"Hey!"
"Yes?" I poke my head out again.
"I wanted to ask you for another favor today."
"Come on in." I open the door and go to sit and drink the water and bless Lar, some headache pills.
I sip on my coffee as Alex joins me at the little table.
"I see the dress we had made for you fits. You make that dress look good." He raises his eyebrows smiling.
"Thank you for the compliment. I'm sorry for last night with one of your guests. I don't like to be touched and talked to like that." I pick up some fruit on my plate and take a few bites.
"Don't worry about it, his companions got him out of the water and he's back on land. He was merely a friend of a guest and thought he could be disrespectful because he has money. They're pigs these rich men." Alex raises his hands in disgust and I smile.
"Oh? Are you not a rich man?" I coyly smile as I take another bite of fruit.
Uncomfortable now, he adjusts himself in the seat and takes a breath through his teeth, "Ah, you got me there. However, I would not go up and grab a woman like he did to you. I only touch if I am invited." He gives a charming smile that I'm sure makes the girls he's used to swoon.
"Oh? Ever the gentleman are we?" I play into the vague and subtle flirtatious tete a tete we seem to be having.
"Oh I try to be one, when the lady deserves to be treated like a queen." He leans closer onto the table giving me an intense and seductive glare.
I clear my throat and take a sip of coffee, "You wanted to ask me something? A favor?" I remind him setting the coffee back down.
"Oh yes, tonight is a little fashion show, featuring some of our new high end fabric and patterns designs. Some designers up and coming and even some big names will be here tonight. I have a specific set of clothes I'd appreciate if you would model them for me. You seem to be the models size and the other girls only know how to walk to seduce a man, and show off their parts. I want you to show off the clothes. It's only 3 dresses and 4 other outfits. I'll even let you take the clothes home and keep them if you'd like."
"I don't know how to model anything." I'm taken aback this doesn't seem like it was a spur of the moment, we need a replacement ordeal. It feels planned.
"Está bien. (It's fine.) You can say no, I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything."
"Yeah, I think I will pass on that, Alex. I'm sure the clothes are beautiful, but if I was treated that way last night just for being next to you, I can only imagine what they'd do if they thought I was model. Plus that means I'll have to talk to more people and I already feel out of sorts doing that as your interpreter to be honest."
I fidget in my seat, remembering I'm playing a young woman and one that's not used to being around so much money and the people who have it.
"That's okay hermosa. I understand it's a bit much for you to handle. Dealing to make a buck to get by is a totally different lifestyle to what you're experiencing now. Which leads me to my next question. Why are you with that loser? He gets locked up and can't take care of you, now you have to worry about getting caught up in the dirty world just to pay bills. Your a smart woman, why are you selling yourself short like this?" The quandary and incredulity on his face was undeniable.
I guess Maria better have an explanation too the way he's looking at me.
"I don't know, I liked school and went to college to be a CNA but life just gets in the way and I got distracted by men. When I went to go finish, I didn't like school no more."
I stuck to the backstory and only embellished slightly on 'Maria' and life choices. I didn't want to give to much detail if I messed up something from my characters profile.
He nodded. "So you want to continue the cycle and never get ahead in life, chica?"
"I didn't say that." I give a defensive look for him mistaking intentions.
"Think about it, hermosa. I could help you get out the hole you've been content to stay in and help you stay above ground. If you would let me."
I back up slightly and really process his words, doubt flooding my features. What exactly is he offering me? He just met me not long ago and is already like this? He sees the look and doubts and shyly looks away, a flash of frustration crosses his features before he looks back at me smiling like its nothing.
"Don't worry hermosa, de nada. (its nothing.) I'll let you finish breakfast, I'll be down on the third deck by the pool when ever you're done." He leaves and I shake my head.
Something is not right with how he is behaving and I don't know what it is. Either he's figured out I'm not who I say I am, or he's taking more than just a liking to me.
.....
Alex walks down the hall to head down to the third deck when Farels door opens and Alex is grabbed by his shirt and pulled into the room roughly.
Farel growls, "Sit down!"
"Whoa. Primo! What did I do?" Alex asks obviously a little taken aback by the rough treatment.
"I told you to leave her alone! Yet, you're still trying to weasel your way into her bed. Hijo! ¡¿Por qué?! Why do you not listen to me? Lar told me already, she is in love with a married man, she will only break your heart. I do not want you to deal with that pain. It will only distract you and waste your time. We have more important things for us to take care of."
"¿Qué? Como me llamaste?(What? What did you just call me?) Primo did you call me hijo?(son)"
"Is that the only thing you heard just now?" Feral groans and cradles his head in his hand.
"I'm just playing, primo. You know me, calm down. I can't help it, I see this goddess in front of me and I want to make her mine. Did you get any more information on her by the way?"
Feral snaps his fingers and hands some papers to Alex. He looks over them and see high school transcripts, W-2's for different jobs and college transcripts for the CNA program that was never completed, couple of speeding tickets and some arrest documents for minor offenses, mainly just a night or weekend in jail tops.
There's some medical paperwork in there too, he thumbs through x-rays for broken ribs, arm and both legs. With the medical paperwork is a police report with pictures of a badly bruised and swollen face along with death records of her parents. Then a long list of the different foster homes she grew up in.
"Damn, I never would have thought this girl went through all this." Alex comments. "So I guess she's telling us the truth. Good, is she still really off limits Primo?"
Feral snarls, "I'm not going to keep arguing with you about this, it's like you've become a brick wall. If you get hurt or hurt her, it's on you. The consequences of your actions, will be, on you."
........
I'm relaxing on the deck enjoying the sun and sea air, when I hear some whispers and murmurs around me. I sit up to take a sip of my limoncello infused with frozen lime slices and give the area a scan. There's a few of the working girls hanging around talking, looking my way and then a few of the socialites dressed to the nines for an afternoon on the yacht who also keep glancing at me before returning to their drinks.
Oh gosh, either I have made some enemies some how or they're sizing me up from last night, trying to figure out who I am exactly.
One of the socialites breaks away from the rest, a tall, thin, brunette who doesn't seem to follow the pack but still plays nice to them. She walks over to me and takes a seat on the lounge chair next to me.
"Bonjour. Préférez-vous le français ou l'anglais? (Hello. Do you prefer French or English?)"
" Anglais. Nous pouvons utiliser l'un ou l'autre si vous le souhaitez. (English. We can use either if you'd like.) " I sit back and close my eyes.
"I would prefer to use my Anglish skills, as they're not perfect." She said in a very heavy french accent.
I open my eyes back up and ask her, "I'm Maria, is there something I can help you with...?" I imply asking for her name.
"Celeste. We all saw what you did last night to that .. salaud pervers(perverted bastard). We thought it was very cool that Alex would let his woman learn self defense, most of these connards(assholes) would be intimidated by a women who could defend herself."
I have a smile on my face and hold up my hand for her to stop. "I'm not Alex's Woman. I am an acquaintance who speaks french and he hired me as a translator for the weekend. "
"You came out on his arm last night, did you not?" She says slightly taken aback.
"He insists on escorting me to the dinners and requires I remain near him at those times to help him translate." I say matter of fact, hopefully getting the point across.
"So you're just the help?" She starts to look down her nose at me.
'the help bitch?.....'
"No, bless your heart darling, I'm a business guest of his, and since he's troubling me with being his interpreter this weekend he is compensating me for it. I am not any ones arm candy or trophy that they can dictate or treat as they please, I don't make my money by being on my back or my knees. Anything else or am I going to have to shove your long nose up so you can't try to look down on anyone again?" I say all of this smiling giving it some sugar coating sweetness in my tone for her to grasp that I do not put up and will not put up with these snobs.
"Si vulgaire!" (How rude!) She stands and struts off indigently and the working girls are having to look away and bite their tongues to not laugh at the interaction.
"I like you more and more mija!" Lar and his brothers suddenly appear on the deck, Lar in the chair next to me.
The socialites squeal and move away while the working girls who have seen them before merely scoff at their reactions.
Celeste glares our way and Lar smiles big and blows her a kiss. Her eyes widen and she looks away. Me and Lar exchange a look and burst out laughing.
"Maria, meet my hermanos(brothers) Vllard, (Vi-yard) Darcen (Dar-sin), and Traiiloyn(Tray-ah-loin)."
I smile and nod, "Hola, mucho gusto. (hello, nice to meet you.)" As Lars brothers he introduced nod their heads at me and smile too.
I think I'm actually getting used to the creepy canine filled smiles, which is rather frightening in itself really.
"Hola hermosa Maria. ¿Quieres ir a nadar? (hello beautiful Maria. Want to go swimming?)" One of them asks.
I turn to Lar, "Vamos, Lar." (let's go, Lar.) I pull the dress off as I stand and manuever out of my sandals. Vllard, Darcen, and Taiiloyn are laughing already jumping into the pool making splashes.
"Let's see who makes the bigger splash, mija!" Lar says running and doing a cannonball into the pool making water splash up onto the deck.
I take a quick little run to the pool, jump up and tuck my knees up holding them with my arms, and ....
*SPLASH*
The gurgle of the bubbles and water fills my ears as I swim up to the surface. Taking a deep breath once my head is above water.
"Yeah!" "Woohoo!" "Go chica!" I hear the redcaps making a ruckus over the cannonball and look around and notice, a lot more splashed out than I thought would have. I look at Lar who's holding onto the side laughing as I tread water smiling guilty and proud at the same time.
"What's this?!" Farel comes around a corner with Alex and I don't know whether I should claim it or dive under to avoid the question.
The little socialite Celeste and her little circle went over TO ALEX and pointed at us, "They're the ones making the mess. You're rude servant and the nasty little Fae who keep threatening us with their teeth!"
Me and the redcaps all kind of look at each other like 'What the fuck is she talking about?'
Alex looks at Farel and then us in the pool, who are trying our best to keep a straight face at this idiotic woman. He looks at Farel one last time before he smirks to Celeste.
"You know, I'm sorry what's your name?" he cuts her off before she can do more than open her mouth, "It doesn't matter what your name is, I think you should maybe cool off a bit." He swoops her up in his arms and tosses her into the pool while she's screaming bloody murder.
Her little stuck up debutante friends are all laughing at her as well, as she scrambles to get out of the pool. One of the men who showed up behind Alex and Farel goes and pulls her out of the water and takes her away whispering harshly into her ear.
Farel looks around and walks forward only to push Alex into the pool before smiling and jumping in with us. After that every one else started hopping in the pool or started talking to one another and mingling with the redcaps. I see the proud look on Alex's face and swim over to him.
"What's got you grinning like the Cheshire cat?" I say as I put my feet down to tread water next to him.
"My primos are happy. Look at them, people other than the few who have got to know them, are talking to them. They are used to the way that pinche puta(fucking whore) acted earlier, damn ignorant spoiled brat that she is. So what did you say to her to make her call you a rude servant? "
He put his hands on the side of the pool and lifted himself up to sit on the edge. His dress shirt and slacks sticking to his thick muscular body. I actually couldn't help but look and admire it.
"See something you like, hermosa?" He winked as undid his shirt and threw it off to the side revealing a well defined chest and abs with a small amount of hair trailing up form the belly button to the palm sized patch in the middle of it.
'Get a grip, Sin, you're a married woman.' ....'Why can't I admire it damn.'
My little angel and devil were arguing with each other leaving my mouth without any supervision.
"Yes, I see something I like." I push my self out to sit by him so I don't have his gaze looking down on me.
"Whoa! You're suddenly so forward with me, oh please tell me you have forgotten Juan already?" He's obvious with the faked enthusiasm that he's not getting his hopes up.
"Oh get over yourself, I can appreciate a well cared for and maintained physique just like men can do to women." I roll my eyes and lean back as one of the servers comes by and gets us drinks.
"Oh hermosa, you say such sweet things to lure me in only to turn around and feed me vinegar." mock heart break and theatrical despair are his forms of entertainment at the moment.
If he was trying to make me laugh, it worked.
We accept our drinks from the server and get up and sit down away from everyone else.
"Is there something we need to talk about Amigo?" I ask since he took me to an out of the way area.
"There is actually, did you by chance change your mind about the little show tonight? I can put things on mannequins but I don't have enough, and none of the other girls fit into the clothes. Too big in all the right places with those surgical assets implanted."
I sigh taking a moment and he adds, "I only need one of the items to be worn, a dress. It's the show stopper. Lar designed it with you in mind to be the one wearing it. That's why I am asking."
"Let me see the dress but, two conditions, 1. I don't have to strut around like a peacock, It's announced I walk out and just walk turn and sit. 2. If I don't feel up for talking to the designers I don't have to."
"Deal, let's go so you can take a look." He stands and shows me the way below deck and opens up a wardrobe room.
On every rack are what I can tell are simply high fashion outfits of all types. More than one catches my eye as we pass through the racks. He stops in front of a closed wardrobe and tells me to cover my eyes.
As soon as I do I hear Lar's voice, "You were gonna show her without me? Vete a la mierda, Primo.(Go fuck yourself, Alex.)"
"Shhh... k, 1 ....2...3.....! Open them." Alex yells and I uncover them.
"Oh, my.... Lar you made that for me?"