Nice Girl (9 page)

“Have you fucked him?”

I started laughing which I’m sure she found offensive.  I couldn’t help it.  She and I were totally different types of people.  If she was what Vinnie was interested in, I doubted that Vinnie had any regard for me.

“You’re laughing now but just wait.  He has a way of getting you to fall for him.  Then he treats you like a piece of trash.” 

I wanted to add that maybe if you didn’t dress like a piece of trash……. But I kept my mouth shut.  She was obviously hurting. 

She started to sob.  Really loud.  I’m sure she was hoping Vinnie would hear her but the door stayed closed.  “Everyone warned me about him.”  She blubbered.  “I didn’t listen.  I wanted him.  Do you know what he does?”

I told myself I didn’t want to know.  But I was kidding myself. 

She continued “I’ll tell you what he does.  Or should I say what he doesn’t do.  He doesn’t kiss you.  He doesn’t touch you.  He doesn’t fuck you.  He pulls your head down to his dick and fucks your mouth.  That’s what all the girls told me.  He is buff and hot but he won’t try to pleasure you at all.  He has no respect for women.  I thought maybe I was different.   Maybe I was the one that he wanted more with.“  She started sobbing even harder.  “But no, the asshole just comes in your mouth and grunts a thank you AND WALKS OUT.”  Now she was yelling. “DID YOU HEAR ME, VINNIE ASSHOLE?  YOU JUST CAME IN MY MOUTH AND WALKED OUT.”

Okay, I was NOT dealing with this problem now.

“Third office to the right.  I doubt it’s locked.”  I practically whispered it.  She looked up at me with shock at what I just implied.  Then, I saw the realization that she knew what I was asking her to do.  I had a feeling it wasn’t the right move.  I just wanted her to stop talking.  To stop bringing back my own pathetic emotions regarding men and sex.  She was now Vinnie’s problem, not mine.

She nodded at me and immediately walked to Vinnie’s office door.  I heard it open and then waited for what I surely knew was going to blow up in her face.  Vinnie did not disappoint.  I heard that voice again.  That low deep menacing threat.  The same voice that I heard during my interview.  The same voice that had my legs shaking in fear.  This was the voice from a man that was able to break a lunatic’s wrist in a snap.

“Listen to me you filthy slut.  If you ever come near me or my place of business, I will make sure the cops bust your fucking crack dealing brother.  Considering he supports your sorry ass, I don’t think you want to mess with me again.  I don’t hit women but I will pick you up and throw you out of here like the piece of shit whore you are.“

Vinnie kept his voice controlled but it was enough to make Dolores run out of here.  Then Vinnie came out of his office and stood at my desk.  I was praying he couldn’t see my face tremble even though I knew it was probably obvious.

“I told you to get rid of her.”

I was totally intimidated at that moment but something about what he said did set me off.
Get rid of her?  How was I supposed to do that?

“Vinnie” I said as calm as I could “I am not the A and V bouncer.”

“Is it your job to manage the office?” He asked with a sneer.

“Managing the office does not include your personal life.”  Good answer I thought.

“My personal life and this office are one in the same.  If you aren’t tough enough, then you can get the fuck out of here.”

My mouth hit the floor.  Was he kidding me?  After all I had done to get this office in shape?  How unreasonable can a person be? 

Somehow I found my voice.  “Fine then.  I quit.”

He snorted  “I knew you couldn’t handle it.”

Just then Anthony walked in.  What perfect timing.

“Anthony, I QUIT.”

“Wait, what?  Grace?”  He looked at me, then at Vinnie.  “What just happened?”

“I quit.  That’s what happened.  Let me get you your key.”

“Hold on for a minute, Grace.  Vinnie, what the fuck?”

Just then the phone rang. 

“I’m not getting it Anthony.  I told you I quit!”

“Grace, please wait.  Let me answer this and then we’ll talk.”  He glared at Vinnie.  “Damn you Vinnie.”

Quickly he picked up the phone “A and V Private Investigations.”

While Anthony was talking, I got my purse.  I was shaking so bad, I could barely get my key chain out.  When I finally did, I proceeded to try to get the office key off.  Also on the key chain are my dorm swipe card and a few reward cards.  I don’t know if it was because my hands were trembling so fiercely but I was having trouble sliding the office key off the ring.  My thumb nail kept trying to keep the tight link open so I could slide the key through the other link.  I couldn’t coordinate this simple move at all.  My eyes started to tear up.

I will not cry.  I will not cry.  I will not let Vinnie see me cry
.

It wasn’t working.  I could feel my eyes well up.  I just wanted to get this damn key off the chain and run out of there.  I could hear Anthony trying to wrap up the phone call.  Making matters worse, Vinnie was still standing there at my desk.  He wasn’t saying a word.  When I glanced up at him, he was staring at me with that gaze that showed no emotion.  I had to get out of here now.  I jammed my thumb nail in hard.  I didn’t care if it bent the fucking nail off.  Apparently, the feel of my skin getting pinched caught up with my emotions and I yelped in pain.  Then a hand reached out to stop my battle with the keychain.  It was Vinnie’s hand.

“Stop it Grace.”  He said just as Anthony was hanging up the phone.

I didn’t want to look at him.  With my thumbnail throbbing, I felt I was going to lose it at any moment.

“Grace.”  He said again, almost gently.  “Grace, I’m sorry.  I was out of line.  It won’t happen again.  Please don’t quit.”

I tentatively looked up but I still couldn’t meet Vinnie’s eyes.  Instead I looked at Anthony.  It was just easier. 

Anthony was staring at Vinnie with his mouth open.  There was an uncomfortable silence.  Finally Anthony said something. “Well it’s not easy working in such a close environment at times.  Grace, why don’t you take the rest of the day off?  You definitely deserve it.”

Somehow I found my voice.  “Uh, okay.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”  I was still unable to meet Vinnie’s gaze. 

I walked out the door realizing that was the first time I ever heard Vinnie say my name. 

Chapter 8

After an emotional afternoon, the last place I wanted to go to was my 4pm class.  But I knew I wasn’t going to blow it off.  Graduate students do not miss class.  Especially classes that meet once a week.   I learned early in my undergraduate days that the quickest way to piss off the professor was by skipping class.  So I was going to class even if it meant I would not be able to concentrate at all.

We were having a lively debate on gun control.  This is normally a discussion I would enjoy.  I just couldn’t concentrate.  Halfway through the class, my phone vibrated.  I figured it was one of my girlfriends.  At break, I checked messages.  The text was from Jamie.

Jamie:  Hey gorgeous.  We need to meet for a drink the minute you get out of class.  Meet Luke and I at Mahoney’s right away.

He heard what happened.  I replied back.

Grace:  Yes.  I’m in the mood for a drink.

Jamie:  Girlfriend, I know you are!

This class had to be the one that the professor took to the last minute of the hour.  All I could think of was unloading everything I was feeling to Jamie and Luke.  I almost quit a job I loved today.  No one but Jamie would be able to help me make sense of what happened. 

Finally class ended and I speed walked the three blocks to O’Malleys.  Luke and Jamie were already there.  Thank God!

“Oh my sweet girl.  What the hell happened today?”  Jamie and Luke both stood up and hugged me.  I held back a sob.  At that point, I could care less about strong confident woman.

Luke quickly got me a light beer.  It was ice cold and went down so smooth. 
“What did you hear?”  I asked Jamie.

“Well, I heard you almost quit.”  Then he paused.  “Because of Vinnie.  I almost beat him up right there on the spot.”

“Yeah right.”  I laughed.  It felt good to laugh about it. 

“I love it when my honey gets so tough” Luke cooed to Jamie.   

Jamie air kissed Luke and continued.  “You had to see Anthony.  He was laying into Vinnie.  He said he never saw an office whipped into shape as quickly as you did, Grace.  He doesn’t want to lose you because of Vinnie’s temper.  Vinnie took full responsibility.  Here I thought I’d seen it all.   Anthony told me later Vinnie apologized to you.  No one has ever seen Vinnie sorry about anything.  What started all of this?”

I told them the story then starting when Dolores first walked in the door.  It was hard to mention Dolores’ exact words on how she described her sexual encounter with Vinnie.  I mean I was talking to two guys about oral sex.  I know they’re gay but it is not the same as when I talked about sex with my girlfriends.  Maybe it was the alcohol making me brave because I told them word for word what she shouted out. 

Luke cringed “Grace, I can’t believe you had to listen to that.”

Then Jamie intervened “Grace, I know some things about Vinnie that may help you make some sense of this.  I’m not excusing how he treated you.  In fact, I am furious that he talked to you that way. But I know why this Dolores brought out such anger in him.  Remember when we talked over lunch your first day at work?”

“How can I forget my orientation on how A and V Private Investigations got started?”

“I told you a little about Vinnie’s background.  I know more details.  I didn’t share everything I knew about Vinnie’s past with you.  Lord knows I told you enough to scare you away as it was.  There are more tragic details about Vinnie’s upbringing.  Anthony shared a lot with me one night during surveillance when it was just the two of us.  It was when I first started working for them.   Anthony was unsure if Vinnie would accept me.”

“Why? Because you’re gay?”

Luke and he both chuckled. 

“Why is that funny?”  I asked, kind of frustrated that I wasn’t following.

“Luke and I are laughing because we, too, assume that macho men like Vinnie would be homophobic.  Surprisingly, Vinnie and Anthony are quite tolerant.  No, Anthony was worried that Vinnie would not accept me because he doesn’t react favorably to people he just meets.  He is even worse with women.”

  “Great.  Aren’t you supposed to be making me feel better?”

“Hear me out, Grace.  I think things are different with you.”

I raised my eyebrows.

Jamie continued but this time with his voice lower.  Luke and I both had to move our heads closer to be able to hear.  “I guess I can get kind of graphic right now considering what you heard that Dolores blurt out.  There is more on Vinnie’s mother and it’s not pleasant.  It was Vinnie’s 10
birthday and his mother took him to the grocery store to let him pick out what he wanted for his birthday dinner.  While they were there, Vinnie’s mother saw a, how do I say…. a regular client.”

Luke and I both nodded.  We were following what he meant so Jamie continued.  “Vinnie’s Mom didn’t hesitate to go with him out to his car.  She had Vinnie sitting on a bench outside the store to wait.“

“While she did him in the car?  He was only 10 years old?”  Luke asked.  I was already speechless.

“Yes, he was 10 but he had already caught on to how his mother made her money.  Just then, Anthony and his mom arrived to do some grocery shopping.  They noticed Vinnie and asked why he was sitting there alone.   Vinnie pointed to the car his mother was in.  Anthony’s Mom walked up to car.  Unfortunately, both Vinnie and Anthony followed her.  When they got close to the car, they saw Vinnie’s mother giving a guy a blowjob.”

“Ugg, right there in the store parking lot.” I exclaimed.

“Yeah, Anthony said it was an ugly scene.  His mother just started screaming at Vinnie’s mother. She was calling her a whore and telling her she didn’t deserve to be a mother.  She grabbed both Anthony and Vinnie’s hands and took them home.  Vinnie stayed there for four days before his mother came and got him.  The night she came, Vinnie was getting ready to leave.  He whispered in Anthony’s ear that there was no one on earth he hated more than his own mother.”

“That is so sad.” Considering how much my own mother meant to me, this story really hit me hard.

“I’m not a therapist but it’s obvious why Vinnie is such an angry guy.”  Luke surmised.

“Apparently, his mother prostituted herself all the time in the apartment where she and Vinnie lived.  She was known for her oral sex skills.  I don’t know Vinnie well.  I mean I’ve worked with the guy for almost two years now but I don’t claim to be a psychiatrist either.  I will say I have noticed a pattern here.   There were a few times that we had a beer together after a long day.  He does seem to go for the sluttiest looking girl in the room.   He walks up to her, propositions her, and somehow, she leaves with him.   He seems to have that domineering way that women fall for.  I don’t think he’s been with the same woman twice.  In fact, Anthony said that Vinnie has never had a steady girlfriend.  One day, I heard Carmella screaming at Anthony that Vinnie treated one of her friends wrong.  Basically, she was shouting the exact same situation that you described with Dolores.  Carmella’s friend gave Vinnie a blowjob in an empty bedroom at a party they were at.  As soon as it was over, Vinnie left the party without a word to her.  Carmella said her girlfriend was totally offended.”

Finally I found my voice.  I think it is Carmella that brings it out in me. “What did Carmella expect?  Her friend did THAT in the back room at a party and expected respect?”

“I know what you’re saying, Grace.  But I guess he literally said NOTHING to the girl.  Just zipped up and walked out.  You’ve seen how cold he can be.“ 

“Yes, I’m lucky if I get a grunt in the office when he first comes in.  How am I different?”

“The very fact that he apologized to you makes you different.  He is full of rage.  He could care less whose feelings get hurt.  For some reason your feelings did concern him, Grace.  I think it’s a good step for Vinnie.  Maybe if he sees you as one of us, our small A and V family, he can start to have better relationships with women. “