Page 24 of Twisted Throne
She lightened her tone and continued up the stairs, but her smile looked forced.
“I hope this is okay,” Elena said, opening a door directly to the left of the stairs on the second floor landing. “No one has stayed in this one for a while, but I thought you’d like it the best. It’s the only room besides mine and Alec’s that has a balcony.”
A dark shadow flicked across her face as she continued.
“Although Alec spends a lot of nights away, he just has so much responsibility and stays so busy,” she added, again with the pasted on fake smile.
It didn’t take a genius to pick up on Alec’s distaste for his wife. Not altogether different from how Paul was behaving, honestly.
“I appreciate you helping me out, I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I said impulsively. I gave her a quick hug—she stiffened with surprise, but then squeezed back—then stepped into the bedroom. It was beautiful. The door opened up into a small sitting room, with a marble fireplace and small, plush settee, and a compact cherry writing desk in the corner. A small table set off to the side boasted a variety of gourmet cookies and candies, arranged in an intricate little basket. Elena gestured over to a nook I hadn’t noticed yet.
“I went ahead and put some things in the mini-fridge for you. Just some basics—pop, bottled water, and so on. There’s a full kitchen downstairs, but sometimes you just want a snack, you know? If you want something more elaborate, just ask the cook,” she said, looking anxious. More like a staff member waiting for approval than a member of the family.
“Elena, this is amazing! Thank you so much,” I said sincerely.
I dropped my bag by the sofa and walked over to the archway leading off to the bedroom on my left. It was filled with a gorgeous, old-fashioned four poster bed with an emerald green canopy above that flowed into heavy, velvet corners tied up to all four posts.
“I made sure everything was aired out, and the sheets are freshly laundered. If you need anything else, just let me know. Or let Marie know.” Elena smiled at my poleaxed expression. “Marie’s the housekeeper, and regardless of what Angelo thinks, she basically runs the entire house.”
“The bathroom is just over there,” she told me, gesturing to another door on the other side of the sitting room opposite the door to the bedroom. “And the balcony is through these doors.”
She threw open double doors that I hadn’t noticed yet and I followed her out to a small balcony that overlooked the garden.
“This view is amazing,” I said, breathing in the sweet scent of lilacs and wild roses.
She smiled at me brightly, all traces of her previous worry gone.
The door leading to the hall opened and Lucy burst into the room. She was wearing jeans with so many holes in them they looked like they were only hanging on by threads, and a black shirt with ‘Girls Fucking Rule” emblazoned across the front of it in neon green letters.
“So you’re staying here too? That’s awesome!” she chirruped, smacking her gum loudly.
“You know it’s polite to knock before just plowing full force into someone’s bedroom, right?” Elena asked her.
“It’s just Gia, she doesn’t mind. Do you?” Lucy asked, turning toward me for confirmation and popping a large blue bubble.
I couldn’t help but smile at her brazenness. “It’s fine this time, but maybe knock first next time, huh?”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry! Please don’t go all crazy town on me like Elena does,” she quipped, rolling her eyes with such force that it could only be pulled off by a teenage girl.
“No worries,” I replied.
She smiled at me in relief.She isn’t quite as tough as she thinks she is,I thought.
“So, is Paul staying here too?” Lucy asked me mischievously.
“How should I know?” I replied, trying and failing miserably at sounding nonchalant.
Lucy once again rolled her eyes at me and snorted. “Uh-huh, I’m sure you could care less,” she laughed. “I know what it looks like when people have the hots for each other, I’m not blind.”
Thankfully, Elena broke in, pulling the spotlight off of me.
“Don’t be insane, Paul getting involved with Gia is utterly ridiculous,” she said, more serious than the situation really called for. “Paul doesn’t do relationships, and even if he did he wouldn’t get into one with Gia. She’s Angelo’s daughter, for god's sake!”
“Okay, and?” Lucy asked, staring at her challengingly. “What’s the problem? Angelo loves Paul.”
Elena wrinkled her nose slightly. “Well of course he does. Paul is good at his job and does it well… but he’s just not exactly the type of man I think that Angelo would want Gia to be with,” she said, sounding firm, but slightly apologetic.
“Why the hell wouldn’t he?” Lucy demanded. “Because he grew up on the south side? Who gives a shit? Besides, Gia likes him, don’t you?” she said, turning to me.