LUCA
Life without sleep? The complete order of the day where I came from.
I just sat there, sipping from my glass of the 1945 Romanée Conti. My love for exquisite wines dates back to my teenage years.
I would always snoop around to find freshly opened bottles of state-of-the-art wines in the don's study.
I was in a comfortable cotton long-sleeve shirt. My typical morning look before the day gets serious.
I glanced at a sleeping Samantha chewing, pouting occasionally and mumbling something with her mouth half way open.
A smile broke loose on my lips for a nano second. Watching her drool all over my silk pillow just looked insanely cute.
For someone who got irritated by the existence of a foreign body in their space, I was having way too much fun.
She turned and I took my eyes away from her. But then she went back to chewing again.
She was under the sheets half-naked. Thanks to her, the whole car reeks of puke now. How could she be so fun-sized yet so stubborn?
I don't know but I felt like I could sit here with my legs crossed sipping on this wine and watch her the whole day.
My phone rang, and there was no caller ID, I clicked the receiver and said "Hello?"
The other end was silent. "Hello?" I said again getting no response still and was about to say hello the third time but the call dropped from the other end.
I had been receiving calls like this for weeks now. A different number each time. Simply untraceable, it was beginning to bother me.
But I guess I have bigger issues. I have ears and eyes everywhere and I already notified them from the very first week to look out for suspicious occurrences, subordinate gang handouts, and basically info on even the most useless things.
I would be the one to decide whether or not the info meant anything. I dropped the phone on the table and fixed my gaze back on Samantha wondering if she always slept this long.
"Dimitri, tell Nanny Nancy to run our guest a bath" I spoke into the landline on the table.
"Also tell her to report to the room opposite the cellar so she can get the guest settled in"
I looked at Samantha and her eyes were open. Her small right hand clutched to her head while her left was busy cleaning the drool from the side of her mouth.
Everything she did just found a way to look annoyingly cute.
"About time", I said, deciding to speak first. "You had me thinking you slipped and fell into a coma in dreamland".
She hated me. The way she looked at me was a clear indication she said nothing.
"What would you like to have for breakfast?" I said persistently. Annoying her was fast becoming my favorite sport.
"Isn't it already bad enough that I wake up and it's your face that greets me first?" she said in a raspy morning voice.
"Sorry Grandma" I answered mischievously, mocking the way she sounded.
"How about you just get lost or get busy or just anything that does not involve me!" she attempted to sit up in bed.
She immediately looked into the blanket immediately feeling her bare butt brush against the bed sheets.
"Where are my clothes?"
"What did you…..?" she was in a feat of panic and it was so hilarious to watch.
"What do you think?" I said with my eyebrows arched, taking another sip from my glass of wine.
"You hideous monster!" She screamed, her eyes already tearing up.
I stood up and walked to her. In a second her fist was about to land on my face but I caught it.
I looked at her for a bit before saying "I'm a man of my word".
"You can never catch me doing what I said I would not do" I paused.
"I said I was not going to touch you, I wasn't tripping when I said so". She just looked at me with those teary eyes as I spoke.
I raised her chin up slightly. "I'll make you beg me to touch you". I said finally before walking back to my seat.
She just sat there tongue-tied. There was a knock on the door and Nanny Nancy walked in.
"Good morning ma'am" she greeted, Samantha bowed slightly in acknowledgment, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"I drew a bath for you ma'am, please come with me".
"Please call me Samantha", she said, a huge look of embarrassment on her face as she raced for the robe in Nanny Nancy's hand.
Nanny Nancy smiled, the most down-to-earth human I have ever met in my life. A woman approaching her 70s yet so graceful and agile.
"My sweet boy, would you like me to make you anything to eat?" she said, looking at me. I smiled at her, "No Nan, I'm good".
"And I know I know I will have a bite of the pancakes you made" Knowing her well, I figured she was about to throw a tantrum after that No.
She flashed a satisfying smile at me and walked out of the room gesturing for Samantha to come with her.
I downed the remaining contents of my glass and left the room for mine.
I picked up the already laid-out navy blue suit and threw it on. I looked through my rack of perfumes and selected the Christian Dior Sauvage as the scent of the day.
I dialed Carlos reminding him to set up a meeting with the Marquis, he and his cartel had been underperforming these past few months.
Frankly, I was beginning to wonder where their loyalty lay. I was going to put my foot down today.
Relationships meant everything to me. In whatever form. Friendship, and business deals and I do my best to do right by the people I am affiliated with even if it means doing wrong by people I owe no loyalty to.
Loyalty means the world to me. So my anger is just as terrible when I notice loyalty shifting.
I accessorized and brushed my hair one final time before leaving the room.
I needed one bottle for the road so I headed in the direction of the cellar first. My eyes caught the half-open door of the room opposite. Samantha stood there facing the mirror and I could see her bare back.
There were scars, likened to whip marks or maybe burns scattered across her back. I kept staring intently and noticed the raindrop tattoos she had on her lower back. In that instant, I had a lot of questions.
I was never really interested in anyone per say but I wanted to hear her story.
I wanted to know her past. My phone beeped and before she could turn to see that I was there at the door I dashed into the cellar.
SAMANTHA
Miss Nancy was taking this, settling me in a little too seriously. We just had a full tour round the whole house.
She showed me all the rooms I could enter at will and all the rooms I had no business entering.
My head was still banging like when I woke up. She looked at me and said "Tea?"
"What?"
"Would help with the hangover, I make the best Matcha tea ever" she said with a big smile quite confident in her prowess.
I smiled back at her, "I would love to try your tea". I was curious as to how such a sweet woman could be working for that beast.
I was almost tempted to ask her but I decided to revel in the peace and quiet I was currently experiencing.
I sat at the other end of the kitchen counter while she got to work making the matcha tea.
This house had everything. I couldn't even list my needing something outside as one of the possible excuses I could use to escape.
I was at stage 3 of my present predicament which was acceptance. I already gave up trying to escape or leave this place.
She handed me the matcha tea. "Here you go darling".
"Thank you so much", I said and got right into sipping.
"How did you start working for him?" I finally gave in to my pressing urge to know how she got here.
She smiled. "I was brought here as a young girl, with no home and no parents", she said in some kind of reflective manner.
"I worked for Luca's dad first" She paused again. "He fed me and clothed me and even put me through homeschooling".
"When Luca was born It was my sworn duty to take care of him. I basically watched him grow into a fine young man" she said finally with a smile, one connoting that she was proud of Luca. That egotistical mannerless maniac?
"Fine young man?" I reiterated, rolling my eyes in total disagreement with the phrase.
"My Luca is a sweet boy but not a lot of people experience that" she answered gently.
"He has been through so much in his life, most of which have made and shaped him".
"He has a soft spot for you, so I'm sure you'll see what I'm saying soon".
I restrained myself from scoffing and just answered. "I don't think so" before emptying my cup of tea and thanking her.
My head already felt a lot better. She took me to what was going to be my room and I was petrified at how well and detailed my taste was executed in the decor of the room.
To say I was creeped out was an understatement. Even down to my favorite color purple. The tapestry, bedding, and minimalistic array of faux art were just simply dazzling.
"How did he..." I was shocked and wondered how he got hold of such core knowledge about me.
Miss Nancy opened another door within the room and it was a whole closet.
It was stocked full with clothes and shoes fitting for any event. Any at all.
From comfortable clothes, to ball gowns, to suits, heels, sneakers everything was in this closet.
"What is all this?" I was bewildered as I asked Miss Nancy.
"It's your room love" she said pointing to the dresser at the other end of the room.
There was a note, a new set of jewelry, and a perfume. I looked at the envelope, ripped it open and it read "Be ready at 7:00".
I could honestly hear the tone of that message by just reading it. I knew who this was from.