Down to Business (Business Series) (27 page)

“Sounds good.”

“Are you hungry? I could make you breakfast,” I offered, lacing my fingers with his.

“I’m good, but thank you,” he said, leaning in to give me another kiss.

“Get a room,” my brother grumbled.

I rolled my eyes and pulled away. “I’m going to take a shower. Make yourself at home.”

“Okay.”

I left the kitchen and went into the bathroom I shared with my brother. It looked just as messy as it did when I lived at home. My brother’s towel was left on the floor next to a pile of his dirty clothes. I sighed and tossed his clothes inside the hamper, then I glared at the sink where his toothbrush was carelessly tossed, leaving a line of green toothpaste in the sink. I shoved the toothbrush in the holder and rubbed the toothpaste out of the bowl, embarrassed that Vinny had to witness such a catastrophe.

I grabbed a clean towel, undressed, and finally got into the blue and white tiled shower, a hideous style that we inherited with the house.  I quickly scrubbed my hair and body clean, finding unfamiliar tenderness in certain places. I also made sure to shave, just in case. Afterwards, I wrapped a fresh towel around my body and another in my hair, brushed my teeth, and returned to my bedroom.

When I opened the door, I gasped in surprise to see Vinny lying on my bed, looking at his phone. He glanced up at me and smiled. “Hey.”

“Hi,” I smiled back and closed the bedroom door with my foot, locking it behind me.

He set his phone aside and sat up, watching me with interest. Feeling in the spotlight, I laughed and dropped my towel, doing a playful shimmy while I walked to my dresser.

I opened the top drawer and removed the only decent panties that I had left behind. They had little blue stars all over them and looked juvenile. I looked up to see him watching me in the reflection from the dresser mirror. I blushed and balled the panties into my palm, then turned to him.

“Are you going to watch me get dressed?”

“I’ve watched you undress, so why not.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Did you wanna grab some breakfast?”

“Sure.” He walked over and turned me to face him. “I’m grabbing it right now.”

I smiled as he pulled my naked body against him and kissed my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around his back, letting him kiss my neck and cop a feel on my butt.

“Does this breakfast come with a side of sausage?” I asked, grinning as I lifted my leg against his hip.

“Extra sausage.” he teased and kissed my lips, our tongues immediately searched out one another. I realized when I tilted my head back that I still had the towel wrapped in my hair like a turban. I reached up and pulled it out, dropping it aside. He lifted me into his arms and carried me to my bed. I laughed aloud as he dropped me on it and climbed over me, his hips clad jeans settling over mine. I wrapped my legs around his waist and stared into his eyes, my soul overflowing with emotion. I never felt anything so strong and fulfilling. There were no words for it.

“Can I just keep you here in Hamilton with me forever?” I ran my fingers through his silky, damp hair.

A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. “You could, but how would we finish our business degrees?”

“We can transfer to Colgate University.”

“What about Mazzolas?”

“You can work from home and drive down once in a while.”

He grinned. “You have it all figured out don’t you?”

“Maybe.” I kissed him moved my hand between his legs with a devious smile, rubbing him through his jeans. He responded to my petting with a quiet groan and he instantly solidified against my palm. Less than five minutes later, he was undressed and serving me breakfast with an extra side of sausage.

After ‘breakfast’, I got dressed in a faded red knitted sweater and jeans. I attempted to do my hair without my straitener, but it wasn’t working. Vinny insisted I leave it down and wavy because he liked me all natural. I had to love him for that.

We grabbed lunch at a local sub shop and then headed to the hospital. The door to my Grandma’s room was closed when we arrived, so I knocked. The person who opened the door stunned me.

“Dad?” I asked, blinking.

“Hey there, Auti. We were wondering when you were going to show up,” Dad said, pulling me into a hug.

He was dressed in a NYU jersey and jeans. His rust colored hair was flecked with grey and his clothes smelled of cigarette smoke which notified me that he was still a smoker along with his ditzy girlfriend Mindy who thought smoking made her look sexy.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, pulling out of his embrace.

“Your mother called me and told me what happened. I thought I’d come see how Grandma was holding up.”

For some reason it bothered me that he called her Grandma still, even though she wasn’t related to him in any way.

“How is she?” I asked, leaning around him to try and look into the room. The curtain in the doorway was half closed and blocked.

“She’s doing great, she’s talking. The drugs are making her a little loopy though.” His blue eyes shifted to Vinny. “Who’s this?”

The question came out as more of an accusation.

“This is…” I paused, unsure if we were going to use titles, “my friend…Vinny.”

“Vinny,” Dad repeated, sizing him up before holding out his hand. “I’m Greg Malone, Autumn’s father.”

Vinny stepped forward and shook my father’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“You must be the guy that drove her up here?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Is that my Autumn I hear out there?” Grandma called out.

“I’m going to head down to have a smoke and check on Mindy,” Dad said. “She didn’t feel comfortable coming up.”

I was glad she didn’t. If I had one goal for her, it was to make her feel as uncomfortable as possible.  After Dad stepped out of the doorway, I grabbed Vinny’s hand and dragged him into the room with me.

I was surprised to see my Grandmother sitting up in bed with a bowl of orange Jell-O sitting on a tray in front of her. The bandage around her head was crisp and white as if it was just changed, and most of the color had returned to her face.

“There’s my favorite granddaughter,” she said, smiling at me as I approached the bed.

“She’s your only granddaughter,” Mom said from her chair in the corner.

“That makes her extra-special.” she gave my arm a squeeze with her cold hand.

“How are you feeling, Grandma?” I leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

“Oh I’m just fine. I’ll be as good as new once they stop wrapping my head up like a mummy.” Her gaze moved past me and she spotted Vinny. “Who’s this handsome young man? Is he my nurse?”

I tried not to laugh as Vinny smiled at her. “No, I’m Autumn’s friend.”

“Grandma, this is my friend, Vinny. He drove me up here to visit you.”

“Ooh…you must be that looker she’s always bragging about. The Italian with all the money. I told her she should marry you, Italians have good stock, and the rumor is they have a good salami, if you know what I mean,” she said with a wink.

“Mother!” Mom snapped.

Vinny looked to me again and laughed.

I had no words. I just shook my head.

“Come closer Vinny, let me get a good look at you. My Autumn only deserves the best.”

I covered my face with my hand as Vinny stepped up next to her bed. Grandma looked him over from the waist up and then nodded in approval. “You don’t carry any of those SNDs, do you?”

“Grandma!”

“Did they turn up her morphine drip?” Mom asked.

Vinny laughed again. “No, I’m very careful about not getting those.”

“That’s good, you can never be too careful when it comes to sex.”

The word sex coming from my grandmother’s mouth made me feel violated.

“Grandma, can you please—”

“Mom, why don’t you have some Jell-O?” My mother intervened and picked up Grandma’s Jell-O, trying to spoon a wiggly orange cube into her mouth.

The door opened and my father stepped back in, carrying a can of diet Coke and a hot tea in a paper cup. He walked over to my mother and handed the tea to her. She thanked him and they stood side by side, drinks in hand and watched Grandma.

I always found it strange how the divorce seemed to tear our lives apart, but my parents still were able to act civil with one another, even more so than when they were married.  My father still called my mother every Sunday and checked up on all of us.

“So, do you go to Adelphi too, Vinny?” Dad asked, sipping his Coke.

“Yeah, we have our business 101 class together.” I explained for him.

“Are you in the mob?” Grandma asked.

Vinny glanced over at me.

“No he is not in the mob, Grandma.” I said, suddenly wishing they bandaged her whole head including her mouth.

“I thought all Italians are in the mob by acquaintance. I was married to an Italian, so I like to say I’m in the mob.”

Vinny smirked. “That’s nice.”

“When are you kids heading back to Long Island?” Dad interrupted.

I looked over at Vinny. “I think today.”

“Like I said, if you want to stay a few days, I can come back and get you when you’re ready.” Vinny said.

I shook my head. “No, I couldn’t ask you to do that…Lindy can pick me up or something.”

“How about I drive you back?” Dad suggested. “We can have some father daughter time.”

I didn’t like that idea either. “I dunno Dad, it’s a long drive.”

Vinny’s phone vibrated in his pocket and he looked at it. “I gotta take this call. I’ll be back.”

“Kay,” I said, watching him leave the room. Once he was gone, I turned back to my parents who were both staring at me with smirks.

“What?” I asked as a burst of heat flooded my face.

“Boy is he a looker, Auti. Don’t you think so Lori?” Grandma said.

“Yeah, he is.” Mom nodded. “But I think Autumn should be focusing on school.”

“I’m focusing on school.” I said, looking toward the door were Vinny left.

“Are you going out with him?” Dad asked casually before pouring some coke in his mouth.

“No…” I tucked my hands in my back pockets. “We are friends but not friends okay?”

“What the hell does that mean?” Dad pursued.

“It means maybe we have something but it’s too early to tell. I don’t know Dad.” I sighed in irritation.

“So what you are saying is that you aren’t sure if he is your boyfriend, but you are sleeping with him?”

I scoffed and glared at him, my face burning up. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, Dad.”

I glanced over at my mother who pinched the bridge of her nose. “I need to get some air. ” She set her tea aside and made her way to the door.

After Mom was out of the room, I glared over at my father. “Please don’t ever do that again.”

“Do what?” Dad smiled in amusement.

“You know what, Dad.”

“I can’t help it that she still treats you like you’re twelve. I wasn’t born yesterday, Auti.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m going to go find Vinny.”

“No hanky-panky at the hospital!” Grandma called after me.

I shut the door with a forced pull and made my way downstairs. I found Vinny standing outside, talking on his phone. He looked up when he saw me step through the automatic sliding glass doors.

“Yep. I’ll be home by seven. Okay, bye.” He hung up and shoved his phone back in his pocket. “Mom needs me to work tonight.”

I frowned. “Oh, you better get going then.”

“Yeah,” he said with a soft sigh. “I’m bummed I won’t have you to keep me company on the ride home.”

“Me too. I miss you already,” I took his hand in mine.

“I’ll miss you too. I’ll call you as soon as I can,” he said and leaned in, kissing me softly on the lips. I kissed him back and reached up to run my fingers through his hair, my whole body succumbing to the warm need to have him close.

He pulled away and rested his forehead against mine, the tips of our noses rubbing.

“Drive safe.” I whispered.

“I will.” he gave my lips one last quick kiss before he turned walked away. I watched him cross the parking lot, remove his keys from his pocket, and yank open his car door. He drove past me and waved before he disappeared from sight.

Watching him drive away left a dull ache in my heart. I already missed him and I wondered if I would ever be able to do anything without wishing he was a part of it. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice my mother standing beside me until our elbows met. I glanced over at her and blinked. “Jesus Mom, you scared me.”

“That goodbye looked to be more than friendly if you ask me.”

I felt my cheeks burn. “Yeah.”

“Honey, I’m happy for you. I know how much you like Vinny, but I want you to be careful. Didn’t you say he is still hung up on his ex?”

“He’s not really. There are other reasons he has to keep her around. I can’t explain it right now, but it’s not because he still wants her.”

She gave me a concerned look. “Are you two sleeping together?”

I blushed and looked away. “Mom…”

“I just want you to be careful.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m not a little girl.”

She pulled me into her arms and squeezed me. “I know you’re not, but I want you to be safe. Don’t end up like Dad and I…first semester of college and ten months later you were there.”

“That won’t happen, we use protect—”

Mom and I looked over as Dad and Mindy stepped through the sliding doors. She wore a puffy black jacket with a fo-fur hood like Lindys. Her bleached blond hair was pinned up in a messy bun on her head and her thick eyeliner made her look like she had two black eyes. She quickly pocketed the cigarette in her hand and forced a smile at my mother and me.

“Hi,” she said, flashing her perfectly veneered smile.

“Hi Mindy,” Mom said, keeping her arm around me. “How are you?”

“I’m good. Sorry about your mother.”

“She’s doing better, but thank you.”

Mom and Dad made eye contact and he gently put his arm around Mindy. “Hey, why don’t you go get your phone charger from the car, while I talk to these two for a second.”

“Okay,” she said giving me a smile before walking off towards the parking lot. I wasn’t sure what I hated more about her, the fact that she was old enough to be my sister or how perfect she looked in everything she wore.