*Bianca*
Stepping into Leo’s office without him here felt weird, almost identical to the feeling you got seeing a teacher at the grocery store. I huddled my arms close to my chest, biting down on my bottom lip and checking the text I’d gotten for a third ti from Leo.
‘Just use the printer in my office,’ he’d said like it wasn’t a big deal. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. He probably didn’t even know how awkward this was for and was only trying to be helpful but I’d rather walk ten miles to the nearest library if I could.
I found the printer easily, stuffing it with paper and using my phone to wireless print out what I needed. I only had a week before school started and unfortunately, I had zero of my supplies and a ton of paperwork I needed to go over with the counselor on campus.
Fortunately, I already knew how to get my textbooks on my small budget, I just needed the supply list.
As the printer whirled to life, its chanical noises fell into the background as I surveyed the office around . It was certainly unique. Very old with a musty, almost alcoholic sll like the kind you’d find in a winery.
The desk and chair were gorgeous, obviously made of the finest high-end wood. I frowned, trailing my finger across the desk. It was spotless with nothing but a simple ballpoint pen on it and I couldn’t help but think that it looked nothing like the desk a real estate broker would have.
More like the kind you’d find in those old movies with mafia bosses. I could easily imagine the head sitting behind a desk like this, ordering people to have their fingers cut off and whatever else the mafias did.
My papers finished printing and I jumped to grab them, only sparing a passing odd look at the desk before heading out. For so reason, I could breathe much easier out in the hallway, like a physical weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
I frowned, shrugging off the weird feeling I got from that room, and headed downstairs. I stuffed my freshly printed hot papers into my folder, shoving them into my ssenger bag before shouldering it.
I grabbed a granola bar from the kitchen and double-checked I had everything before I escaped out the front door. It was very convenient not to have to use keys but a fingerprint scanner though it did seem odd to have that much security on the house.
Leo was just a cautious person, I thought, but it seed odd to .
As I walked down the front drive, I noticed a car sitting out front, fancy and black with an older gentleman in a nice suit standing there.
“Miss Bianca, right?” He asked with a bright smile, putting at ease almost imdiately.
“Uh, yeah,” I replied, unsurely.
“If you don’t mind, I will drive you to your campus if you wish. I understand you have quite a few errands to run before school starts,” The man smiled kindly.
“Is this Leo’s doing?” I frowned, glancing at the tinted windows on the sedan. “I really don’t need-”
“I understand, Miss Bianca,” The man said understandingly. “Mr. Leo can co off strong but he truly just wishes to impress you with this gesture. If you wish to go alone, that is fine with as well but as I understand it, you might be a little late.”
He tapped the watch around his wrist and I flushed, fumbling for my phone. Dammit, he was right, I thought as I checked the ti. I was going to be late at this rate.
I sighed, glancing at the car and its flashy appearance and then at the kind gentlen offering a free ride. I know that the man is right - Leo is only trying to be thoughtful but...I couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling in the back of my mind.
All this money, expensive private cars, designer wardrobes, a massive mansion with only two people to live in it. Even just his office, the suffocating unusual feeling just stepping inside made feel weird about it all.
I sincerely doubt that a simple real estate business could make this much money, even if he was the CEO of it.
Sothing was off, and I was pretty sure everyone here was hiding sothing from , Leo included.
I nibbled on my bottom lip in thought for a minute but ultimately, the ti was passing quickly and I didn’t have ti to debate what the right thing to do was. I needed to get to campus as soon as possible.
“Alright then, thank you. I’m Bianca,” I held out my hand with a soft smile for the gentleman who took it with a kind look.
“You can call Sal, Miss,” he said brightly.
“Nice to et you then.”
I slid into the backseat, watching Sal as he took the driver’s seat and pulled out onto the road within minutes. As I leaned back to recheck I had everything, my phone started to ring, and I pulled it out with a confused look, rushing to answer once I saw the caller ID.
“Hey, Mamma,” I answered, hoping she wasn’t calling to ring over the coals again. “Are you doing okay back in Italy?”
I winced as she reacted in rapid-fire Italian, having to pull the phone from my ear just to stop it from ringing. Italian tended to slur together when spoken so fast but I still understood every word from my Mamma.
“Yes, yes, sorry for not calling until now,” I interrupted once I got a chance, “I’ve been busy. You know how it is here in Arica. LA is- yes, yes, I know, Mamma. I’ve been eating just fine, I promise. No, I have not lost weight. What do you-”
“Ay La mia dolce bambina! Che parla all’aricana, dinticando le sue radici! Ay,” Mamma cried out over the phone, clicking her tongue in dramatic disappointnt. I rolled my eyes.
“Mamma, I have not forgotten my roots and I’m speaking English, not Arican. You know, Italia is still my first love,” I told her, pursing my lips as she just went on and on. “Ay, Mamma. I’m on my way to the campus right now. Did you need sothing?”
“Ay, Si, si. Are you having fun across the sea, paperotta? Cause you know ho is always open to you, Bianca. We love you so much, don’t forget, si?”
“First of all, Mamma, I’m not your little duck anymore,” I frowned, rolling my eyes as she clicked her tongue in disagreent. “And yes, I’ve actually been having a great ti so far. Leo,” I blushed as his na slipped out, glancing up at Sal, who only humd pretending not to have heard a word.
I lowered my voice anyway, “Leo, he’s the man who’s living in the compound now and letting stay there. He’s a good man, Mamma. He’s been showing around, and he was the one who flew Amara over here for . I’ve been relying on him a lot but I think that’ll be good for , Mamma. To stand on my own two feet.”
“You’ve always stood on your two feet, paperotta. You’ve always been so smart and beautiful, I wish you could see that like we all can,” Mamma’s voice was gentle and sweet, a rarity when it ca to her but it made smile nonetheless, sweet hosickness taking root in my chest. I missed her and the family so much.
“Thank you, Mamma. Give my love to the familia,” I said softly, smiling as I heard a loud ruckus in the back and the sound of probably one of my cousins crying.
“Ay! No climbing on the furniture! That’s my good china, you teppistas!”
“Bye, Mamma,” I chuckled.
“Bye, paperotta,” She said lovingly, and then I heard screams as she ranted out in Italian.
“I’m not your little-” The line went dead and I finished laly in the air, “Duck.”
Of all the nicknas I’d been given over my life, That one had to be the one I loved and hated the most. I just shook my head smiling. I knew it was no use fighting with her on it, she’d never quit calling her little duck.
Sal dropped off at my first errand of the day, a nearby used bookstore. It was right across from the campus and a good place to get discounted textbooks other students sold. Since I was a history major, I needed as many books at a discount as possible.
The whole store slt of old books and I breathed it in with a sigh, searching through the packed and cramd shelves for the titles I needed. Luckily, I found most in the discount bin near the front though as I balanced them precariously in my arms, I realized I still needed one last title.
I found it relatively easily, in the hands of another girl. She had glasses and freckles, the pretty mousy type of girl who had her nose stuck in a book as she easily balanced six or seven books in her other hand.
“Um, excuse ,” I jumped in, barely able to keep a grip on the twenty-sothing books I had in my arms. “Do you know where I can find that book? The one you’re reading?”
She looked up, jolting almost like she hadn’t even noticed I was there and she probably hadn’t because she hadn’t moved since I entered, now over halfway through the book. She adjusted her glasses, squinting through the poor lighting to see , and then smiled.
“Oh, this one? Historical figures and their aning throughout ti? Great read.” She smiled and then gave a sad look. “I’m afraid it’s the last one though.”
“Fuck,” I sighed, then jolted as I realized what I said in public. “I’m so sorry-”
“It’s alright, I’d say the sa if they were out of a necessary textbook I needed. History major, right?” The girl tilted her head knowingly.
“Uh, yeah, how’d you figure?” I asked, a bit suspiciously.
She just giggled, pointing to my stack of books. “I’m a history major, too. All of these are on the curriculum list.”
I blushed at the obvious answer, clearly frazzled while she was over here cool as a cucumber. “Sorry, I’m just a bit...overwheld.”
“Well, hi ‘I’m just a bit overwheld’. I’m Isabel.” She grinned.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the dad joke, not having expected it from soone my age. “I’m Bianca. I’d shake your hand if I wasn’t all full.”
“No problem there,” She waved it off, then shut the book in her hand, giving it a smile, and then piled it on top of my own pile. “Here, you have it. I’ve read it twice already so I think I’m good. You need it more than .”
“No, you don’t have to” I tried to protest but Isabel just made a buzzing sound with her lips, giving a stern look.
“Nope,” She shook her head, crossing her arms. “You take it. My final offer.”
“Thank you so much,” I said gratefully, “I’ll return the favor, I swear.”
“Alright, then if I see you in class, and I need a refresher, I know exactly whose book I can borrow, right?” She winked at , giggling as I nodded furiously.
We headed up to the checkout station and luckily, my books weren’t too expensive all together. I exchanged numbers with Isabel in case we wanted to study together and then headed over to the campus to et with the counselor.
Sal took back to the compound soon after and it was rather late. I was hoping to have dinner with Leo but once we arrived, I saw his spot in the garage was still empty. I dumped my books inside before checking my phone and noticed I had missed a text from him.
‘Have to work late, sorry. Won’t be ho. Eat dinner without .’
My first thought was to let it go, even with how disappointed I was but I thought back to all the mismatched things that had been building up and I realized I couldn’t let it go this ti. Maybe I was just being paranoid because of Matteo or maybe I was even sabotaging myself looking for so kind of red flag that wasn’t there but sothing was off about all of this.
The head of a real estate company shouldn’t need to work late as often as he did. They shouldn’t make as much money as he clearly does and they shouldn’t have ergency etings at three a clock in the morning.
Was he seeing soone else? Was he living a double life? Was he lying to this whole ti?
My fears would never be settled unless I knew for sure. I poured myself a cup of coffee, spiking it with sugar and a long pour of rum from out of the cabinet. I was going to get my answers tonight.
Even if it ant waiting up all night for him to co back.
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