Page 201 of Marcello
“I’m not paying you extra,” he hissed at her.
“I didn’t ask,” she retorted.
Out of view of the camera, I handed the headscarf to Esmeralda. As she put it on, she said, “Anytime you want to do it again, tell him to give me a call.”
“It’s NEVER going to happen again,” Eugenio snarled, “because this was a one-shot deal!”
I figured I’d break the bad news to him later.
Esmeralda winked at me. “One shot or not, glad you had fun.”
Then she started down the hill.
Eugenio scowled at her, then made me walk up the steps ahead of him while he locked up.
“There shouldn’t be anybody at the top – I got rid of them – but make sure before you go out,” Eugenio instructed me.
When I got to the top, I looked out the iron bars.
Nobody was there, so I opened the gate.
“Go straight back to the house,” Eugenio whispered as he came out after me.
“Okay, Dad,” I said sarcastically.
“We’re even now.”
“Sure.” I didn’t care to get into a big discussion about it.
“I want my phone back!”
“We’ll talk about it later,” I said as I strolled away through the darkness.
He cursed quietly under his breath, but he didn’t follow me.
The foot soldiers must have been slacking on their rounds, because I didn’t see anybody on my way back to the house.
I got inside without any problems. It was so early that the kitchen staff hadn’t even started their work for the day yet.
I caught a glimpse of the clock over the oven –
5:22.
Eugenio, you asshole, I thought. I had plenty of time.
Once in my bedroom, I took out the piece of hotel stationery with Romeo’s number on it and hid it under my mattress. It was my most treasured belonging – even more than Eugenio’s cell phone – and I wanted to make sure it was safe.
Then I undressed and got into bed. As I drifted off to sleep, I imagined Romeo…
And how much I wanted to see him again.
62
Islept until noon, then groggily came downstairs for something to eat.
Mama was sitting in the living room, reading a book.
“Somebody slept late,” she said disapprovingly as I passed by.
