Coffee
અથા ત્ર
Coffee
Watching as Mina sipped her coffee, Presley wondered if it was possible this woman was really as innocent as she proclaimed. The way her tongue darted to the edge of the coffee cup to lick the droplet of the brew and the way her eyes seemed to be drinking in the scenery while completely ignoring the way every man seemed to be looking at her felt far too innocent to be real. Yet, the woman appeared truly oblivious to her effect on multiple men in the area, including Liborio.
He on the other hand was even colder and more aloof than previously. He was tearing at a pastry with his fingers and glowering at his coffee cup as if it contained arsenic instead of the best coffee Presley ever
tasted.
“Presley, how did you two meet?” Mina asked suddenly, her big eyes with the dark lashes batting exaggeratedly. “I have to admit you make a striking couple and when you were getting out of the car, I couldn’t help but think how perfect you look together.”
Presley considered Cruz’s feelings would be hurt by such a statement, but it was Liborio’s grunt as he shoved. a rolled–up piece of meat into his mouth as if to stop himself from talking which made her nearly break into
laughter.
“I’m his surrogate.” She explained with big eyes. “He’s a very important and influential man back home and my family negotiated with him for him to rent my womb and act as his surrogate.”
“A surrogate? You’re not a couple?” Mina seemed distraught somehow and gripped Presley’s hand sadly, “but you deserve love and affection and to be having babies with a man you love.”
“It’s okay,” Presley laid it on thick. “I have someone in my life I love very much. I’m rather hopeful he will wait
for me.”
“She’s in love with a man who abused and tortured her for nearly the duration of her entire lifetime. I would suggest Stockholm syndrome, but I feel it’s wrong to label such an illness of the brain when it could really be nothing more than plain stupidity.” Liborio finally spoke up.
“Your boyfriend abuses you?”
“You should see him. He’s the size of a rhinoceros and he’s played with her mind so much from the time she was a child, her first thoughts when I broached the subject of surrogacy as she is calling it,” Liborio gave her an angry glare, “she thought it was another prank he played on her. He hurts her all the time, orders her around, plays mean tricks and even just this morning told her how childish and foolish she is. He’s a condescending prick and she could do better.”
“Are you in love with her?” Mina pressed her hand to her chest as if excited by the notion.
Her movement only seemed to aggravate Liborio even more. “Love is an antiquated notion which has no business in my business. Ours is purely an arrangement borne out of necessity.”
“Love is not an antiquated notion,” Algernon huffed at the mafia boss with a sneer. “Who hurt you?”
“You would do well to watch your words, friend,” Liborio glowered at him. “You are interfering in matters which don’t concern you.”
“What will you do, Mr. Bartoli? Feed me to the fishes?” He mocked the other man. “Do you know, French
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Coffee
people, very much like your Italian brethren you seem to have forgotten you come from, are deeply
passionate people. We love. We laugh. We fight. We live and we die. We fear none of it. Kill me. I am not afraid to die. My family will know I went with love in my heart for them and I will be deeply missed, never forgotten, and always celebrated. Your threats will not keep me from voicing my opinion.”
Liborio narrowed his eyes on the man, but it was Mina’s giggle at Algernon’s words which made his eyes flick back to hers. “You find him amusing.”
“He is my boss, and I have seen him face many times adversaries in the board room, in the street or even like this, at a dining table and one thing always remains the same.”
“And that is?”
“He is always honest to a fault. There is no,” Mina snapped her fingers as if trying to recall a word and then nodded, “subterfuge in his actions. He says what he says, and he means what he means. Algernon is one of the most brilliant men I have ever met, and I went to a prestigious university with professors who were highly intelligent, and none possess what he possesses.”
“Are you sure you’re not f*****g?” Liborio snarled out. He blinked incredulously as the cup of coffee in the delicate woman’s hands, was splashed all over the front of his suit and a stream of furious French words came spilling from Mina’s lips.
Presley didn’t need to be fluent in the language to know the woman was telling Liborio off with a line of
expletives.
“You are a rude bastard, and I feel sorry for Presley for having to birth your children. Presley, I would be begging my family to renegotiate whatever it was. There isn’t enough money in the world.”
“People might die,” Presley whispered as if unable to stop herself.
“People die all the time. If it’s their time, it’s their time,” Mina leaned over and kissed Algernon’s cheek. “I will go arrange our car back to the resort, but I will not sit one more minute with such a disgusting individual. I was not raised by animals.” She shot Liborio another cold glare as he patted napkins down the front of his now stained shirt, “be careful with this one, Presley. I fear he’s the type to eat his young.”
With that the woman stomped away angrily, even her marching footsteps seeming cute to Presley.
“She’s adorable,” Presley whispered to Algernon.
“Do you think?” he frowned as he watched her pull her phone out. “She is highly efficient and very smart. She grew up in a home where her family took more pride in accomplishments than morality. They didn’t care how she succeeded as long as she did. They are the type to encourage her to seduce her way through life. She has an older sister who made a name for herself in her chosen field, but it was on her back, and it was with
wife my
d her mother’s encouragement. When Mina started working for me, she was terrified I would make her do what her parents made her older sister do to land contracts. At the time I was very much in love with it never crossed my mind, however I would never consider it anyway. She is too inexperienced. She wanted so much to go in the complete opposite of her family’s direction, she has clung to her innocence like a cloak. It would do her good to stay at the resort. I don’t want her near the bartender but there are lots of young vibrant men in the area. It would be nice to see her let her hair down.”
The growl which came from Liborio’s chest made Presley snicker.
“You like her.”
<Coffee
“I do not. Do not think whatever plan this is,” he waved between her and Algernon, “is getting you off the
hook, Presley.”
“I do not have a plan,” Algernon I
Ooked at Liborio, “and I sure as hell wouldn’t throw my best and most favorite employee at your feet to rescue a woman I only met in the last week. In fact, if you go anywhere near Mina with the intent to defile her or make her sad, what she did with the coffee, will be the least of your concerns. I am aware you are some big time mafioso, but I have connections here in France which your little Sicilian family could never dream of.”
The way Algernon spoke to Liborio caused Presley’s head to pull back in disbelief. Again, gone was the laid–back, double–entendre, banana–hammock wearing man on vacation and in its place was a cold, ruthless,
inner mobster and doing it with panache.
businessman who was channeling hi?
“Presley, I’m afraid despite my invitation for
you both to join us, I must leave.” He threw cash on the table for
his bill, “please enjoy the rest of your breakfast.” “I’m sorry Algernon for ruining your breakfast.”
He leaned and kissed her cheek, “you did no such thing. You, as always, were a bright ray of sunshine and a beacon of light. You do know the reason I was first attracted to you is because you radiate positivity and an exuberance for life without much more than a smile. You smiled at me, in the elevator on the way to the
he smiled at her, “I consider you a new friend and I like who you beach and I was immediately smitten. Now are. Do not lose who you are by being bogged down with men who do not see you for the light you are.”
She blinked back real tears at the kind words.
“Also, can I have Sloane’s number. I have not had s*x in weeks, and I really need to bury myself.”
She giggled at his words, unable to stop herself and she took his cell phone and plugged Sloane’s number into it. “She found out today her last lover was an undercover cop trying to get information because she is a damn good computer scientist. I feel she too is looking to blow off some steam.” She really hoped Sloane meant what she said.
“Gorgeous and intelligent. Hopefully, she is not the kind to need two cocks.” He winked at her as he walked away from the table with a hop in his step towards the taxi stand where his administrative assistant waited.
“Sloane really wants him?” Liborio tilted his head to watch the man march away.
She ignored him and picked a piece of bread off the table and sighed.
“What are you thinking?” Liborio tried again.
“I’m thinking we should book flights to get us to Sicily sooner rather than later. If I have to give up ten months of my life to give you twins, I’d rather get it over with. You’re a horrible person Liborio Bartoli. If even someone as sweet as Mina gets pushed to the point, she throws coffee, I don’t know if you are even worth saving. Let’s get it done so I can move forward with my life and forget I ever met you.”
Without another word she got up from the table feeling very much the badass she wanted to be and left the mob boss sitting alone in a French café.
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