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| The Problem With Leo | Started by: Marietta on Apr 14, '09 19:35 |
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The second installment in the Marietta story. This is the sequel to Four Brothers and a Funeral. ** "You haven't been returning any of my calls," commented the deep, steady voice at the end of the line. A silence buzzed in her ears as she heard the man draw a breath, waiting... expecting an answer. A crackling sound in the corner broke her thoughts; merely a street lamp flicking on outside her open window. Sweet, warm spring air filtered through the slit at the bottom of the glass pane, quickly followed by a gust of wind. Detroit, Michigan certainly wasn't in the clear of winter just yet. Pulling her attention from the light outside she drank in the sight of her modest office: the pure white walls, the pink curtains, the cream carpet. The large, mahogany desk that had been passed down through her family for generations upon generations, from Vitti to Trevelli, from Bianchi to Rossi. Even now the faint etching that one of her Great-Great-Great-Grandmothers or Grandfathers had left jumped out to catch her eye, a simple carving of her initials near one of the drawers... 'OHM'. "Marietta?" the voice asked, a bit more impatiently than before. While she paced behind her desk the woman's eyes danced around the room momentarily, a blur of green. Frantically they searched out a proper excuse to why, after weeks of silence, she had chosen this moment to pick up the black phone from it's perch on her desk as it had wailed and shrilled loudly in the middle of the night. No inspiration sprang forth from the ordinarily decorated office, so with a sigh she resigned herself to a blasanswer. "I've been busy," she replied, her voice deceptively cheery. "Right," came the disbelieving tone of Leo Rossi Junior. "I'm serious," was Marietta Rossi's quick retort to her eldest brother. Another silence consumed the phone line while the Godfather of Detroit rolled her eyes and breathed silently. Why had he called her? With a heavy heart she drummed up the memory of the last time she had seen him, and all her family for that matter. More than two months had passed since her father, Leo Senior's, funeral and wake. While the occasion wasn't meant to be a happy one, it had ended on even more unstable terms than the woman could have counted on. After a heated and almost (as she had fought the urge to grab her gun) fatal argument with her brother Paulie, Marietta had simply walked out on the family without even waiting to see what her Father's last will and testament contained. She hadn't made any attempt to contact any of her four brothers, least of all Paulie, since. And she had been busy! How dare Leo suggest otherwise? Many things had changed since then; with all of the changes to her city, the authing of Captains and the death of others, the reunion with her now almost-adult son Harold that she hadn't seen since his birth, her husband's business retirement announcement, Miss Rossi barely had any time to sleep let alone pick up a phone and call for a casual chat. With an irritation growing in her chest she swallowed back the string of unpleasant words forming on the tip of her tongue. Forcing a smile into her voice she sat down in her oversized, white leather chair. "I apologize, Leo. What can I do for you?" Though the sarcasm was not lost on her brother he chose to ignore it rather than push her patience further. "You left early before the will was read. Now the honor to deliver the news to you has been bestowed upon myself. We need to meet," was his dull reply. "Meet?" In spite her best efforts to keep it even, Marietta's voice swung upwards as she said the word, revealing the feelings she had tried to keep hidden. "Whatever happened after I left I don't need to know..." Her voice trailed out as her brother cut over her once more. "Regardless of your personal feelings towards Paulie, or the events that unfolded two months ago, Robert was under strict instruction from our Father that the will be read to all of us. You should be so lucky that we did not have to reschedule with everyone, and that you only need to visit with myself." With a clearing of her throat to rid herself of her previous squeaky tone, she bravely tried to speak once more. "Why would we need to meet? I do not see what could possibly be in the will that would interest-" "There are a few personal effects that were left to all of us when Father and Mother's estate was divided. I realize that Paul had mentioned he was getting the bulk, but I do not think he was counting on the 'treasures' that would be distributed to all five of us." Leo sighed heavily, almost as if the explanation of something so trivial would be the end of him. He had, Marietta noted, said the word 'treasures' with such disdain that the woman, despite her age, couldn't help but feel a painful twinge of childish anger towards her brother. How cold and callus he sounded. If they had been important enough for her parents to leave behind, then they should have been important enough for their children. No matter how much of a bastard city lawyer they had become. "Alright," she said, taming herself to keep her tone as normal as possible. "Does this possibly involve a return trip to Chicago?" "No, I figured that you would probably prefer to come visit me here at my office in New York," Leo stated simply, as though he had already thought of everything. "I have some time available next week..." "No," Marietta said quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was drag on the excruciating process; the sooner her family was out of her life, the sooner things could go back to normal. She could actually run her business again. "I want this over and done with." "Then when do you suggest we get together?" "Tomorrow. I'll catch a flight out." "See you then, Godfather." The phone clicked into silence. Marietta felt a pang of fury as the last word her brother said rang through her ears. Was that disdain she had heard? Maybe a hint of jealousy? Slamming her own receiver back down onto the black phone base she listened to the vibrating echo of the jingling inside the mechanism until it faded. Her body trembled as she thought over the conversation she had just finished. It was an amazing sensation to know that all her brother had to say was one little word and it would most likely ruin the rest of her night. And she hardly had any time to dawdle now. Standing up swiftly she began to pack up her paperwork for the evening. Now, of all god-awful things she had to do, she had to head back to her apartment and pack for an overnight trip to New York. Shaking her head, Marietta thought savage thoughts about her eldest sibling while she opened her purse to search for her keys. See, that was the problem with Leo Junior. He was such an insufferable asshole. ** The Very Next Evening The noise was more than she was used to; more than she could bear. Even on the nights when she went into town with some of the boys from the Captain crews they didn't seem to get this loud and exuberant with each drink they consumed. Perhaps she was just used to her solitude. Or, perhaps, she was just used to the airport terminal at the newer Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Whatever the reason, the New York Municipal Airport was crazy that afternoon. Marietta cringed as a man went rushing past her, pushing through the crowds, his hand in the air and as he shouted "Renee! Renee!". Within moments a small, dark-haired woman was being swept up into his arms with a loud, happy shriek. Rolling her eyes heavily the Godfather clutched her small overnight bag closer to her body, stepping out of the way of a family making a beeline for the luggage rack, and shot a look towards her traveling companion, Pedro. "I hate New York people," Marietta said in an undertone so only her friend and bodyguard could hear her. "They're so... so... loud." "Kettle and black, Mari," Pedro muttered back, gaining a glare from the blonde woman. "I'm hardly loud, Pedro," she stated simply, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward towards the large doors that marked the entrance of the airport. The arrival terminal was jam-packed. Cars stood, bumper to bumper, occasionally honking to urge one another forward in a steady flow of traffic. With amusement Marietta reminisced over how the departure terminals were always almost empty. What was it about people landing that suddenly complicated the process? Her thoughts were cut short when Pedro cleared his throat. "What does Leo drive?" he asked, business-like. Obviously he was just as irritated by the large influx of people as she herself was. "Chevy Superior Sedan. Blue." Pedro merely nodded, placing his own overnight back onto the sidewalk and leaning against the outside of the large building. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes to view the oncoming stream of cars. Marietta quickly mimicked him, settling in and waiting for her brother to come pick her and Pedro up as he had promised when she called him that morning with her flight details. "I'll be there," he had said. So they waited. ...And they waited. After an hour and a half, Marietta huffing and sighing at every fifteen minute interval and Pedro's eyes fixed, unblinking, upon the terminal traffic before them, the woman was ready to call it quits. "He's not coming to get us." "I figured as much," Pedro retorted, trying to keep the disdain from his voice. Marietta merely shook her head. She knew that her friend would be biased against her brothers, only having heard the stories of torment and trauma from her childhood, but in this instance she decided to ignore him. Picking up her bag from the sidewalk she stepped forward with her hand in the air. "TAXI!" she shouted roughly, a few heads turning her way to raise their eyebrows at her tone. Gliding quickly towards the sidewalk a taxi screeched to a halt. Pulling open the back passenger side door she jumped inside, Pedro climbing in slowly behind her. The cabbie flicked his eyes towards the review mirror, glancing at the pair for a moment before barking, in a loud, gruff voice... "Where to?" "Rossi Law Offices. 45th and Barker Avenue," Marietta said automatically, robotically. She felt nauseated by a pungent smell inside the cab. When she got her hands on Leo she was going to wring his neck... She pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the window as the taxi driver maneuvered the vehicle back into the jungle that was traffic. The car remained silent as they wound their way through side streets, making their way onto the main highway. As if he were familiar with the route, the cabbie took the appropriate exit into a small residential area. Slowly the small houses morphed into small businesses, those businesses twisting into sky scrapers as they flew past at a high speed. How long they had been driving Marietta did not know; all she did know was that her hatred for her brother was growing ten-fold as the smell, now identified as a vomit of some sort, began to tangle it's way into her hair and clothing, residing permanently in her nostrils. The moment the vehicle stopped outside the tall, brown brick building, she opened the door in a hurry and scrambled onto the sidewalk, gulping in the fresh air and moaning slightly to herself as she realized the smell had decided to remain with her. Turning unsteadily she watched as Pedro handed cash towards the cabbie and exited the taxi himself. As soon as the door closed he zoomed away, leaving the pair of Detroitians behind in silence. "This is the place?" Pedro asked, stepping forward and gently grabbing a strand of Marietta's hair, taking a small sniff before turning away with a hint of repulsion. "Ugggghhh, the smell has bonded with my body," Marietta groaned, ignoring his question and merely pointing to a small brass plaque affixed next to the polished red front door. The words etched into the brass said it all, 'Leo Rossi, Attorney at Law'. Pedro merely shook his head at Marietta's dramatics, striding forward and hopping up the two small steps to the front door. He opened it wide, a loud creaking sound coming from one of the hinges, and though she glowered at her friend's small smirk she straightened her back, squared her shoulders, and walked inside the building. Her high heels echoed upon the soft cream-colored linoleum as she crossed over the threshold; her eyes swept over every inch of bare brown walls of the waiting room. Not even a framed photograph in sight. Another creaking sound signaled that Pedro had shut the door behind them. For a brief moment Marietta allowed her body to seize up in fear at what lay ahead, but the hysteria passed the second Pedro prodded her forward with a sharp finger jab to the small of her back. Taking a deep breath she plodded forward, past the small row of uncomfortable looking waiting room chairs and onward toward the large, maple wood desk that stood on the opposite side of the room. The young redhead with the bright red lipstick, tight blouse and short skirt did not give any indication that she noticed the pair as they approached her. Tilting her head and pursing her lips in thought, she leaned further over the newspaper she was reading. Marietta, a little too close to the desk, realized just how low cut that blouse was. She hated to make snap judgments, but she would bet her entire life savings that this gal was not hired for her academic achievements alone. "Excuse me?" Marietta asked, averting her eyes to a spot on the wall just over the woman's shoulder. A scoff met her polite question. She felt stunned. Was this girl really making an effort to ignore her? "Uh, excuse me?" Marietta asked again, her tone indicating she was referring to the rude sigh rather than to gain the girl's attention. Briefly the woman's brown eyes drifted disinterestedly upwards, gazing into the older woman's face before dropping back to her periodical. Clenching her fists together, she felt like she was on the verge of a hissy fit. Pedro, noticing this, stepped between her and the desk. He bent low, murmuring quietly enough that she couldn't pick up what he was saying. The girl seemed to take the bait, her eyelashes fluttering at a high volume and her cherry-red lips parting into a smile. Throwing an apprehensive glance over his shoulder towards Marietta. "I would," she said in a high-pitched false voice, "But Mister Rossi already told his wife that he's... erm... busy today." "WIFE?!" Marietta shrieked, a vein in her forehead popping. "EW!" She looked nothing like her brother's wife. And it was her brother! If Pedro hadn't suddenly thrown his arm out to stop her, she was sure she would've rushed off to throw up in a corner and die somewhere. Disgusting. "Miss Rossi isn't Leo's wife. This is his sister, Marietta," Pedro explained calmly, keeping a firm grip on the back of Marietta's shirt. She tried breathing slowly; in and out, in and out. In with the good and out with the... "Oh. I just thought, since she's old..." "OLD?!" Marietta turned, her hands instinctively curling into claws, and lunged towards the desk. Pedro caught her around the waist mid-air, whirling her back around as she kicked and clawed the air. "OLD?! I AM FAR FROM OLD I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW MY BIRTHDAY WA-" "...Marietta?" The voice that interrupted the antics of the pair was low, confused and a bit amused all at once. Turning with a grimace etched upon her face, Marietta shook her head towards Leo Jr., standing framed in the doorway towards his office. Pedro dropped her quietly, standing straight once more and shoving his hands into the pockets of his overcoat. Smoothing out her outfit she grabbed a strand of her hair and inhaled. Still smelled like sick. "Leo," she answered, her face curled into a look of disgust. "Come on in," he said, stepping back from the door and gesturing casually inside. Marietta felt her heart leap into her throat as she turned to look at Pedro. His eyes searched her face for a moment and she did her best to leave her expression blank. She didn't need him to watch over her every moment of every day; she could do this alone. Nodding towards him she stepped towards her brother and the Rourke backed off, heading to sit in the row of chairs to the side of the secretary's desk. The young lady seemed extremely pleased at this arrangement; she immediately leaned forward to engage Pedro in bubbling, mindless chatter. Mari's lip curled into a sneer as suddenly Leo's office door swung closed in her face, obscuring her view of her friend and the twittering young bitch. "You are much too late," Leo said from behind his desk, his dark blond hair catching a hint of light from the overhead lamp. Her attention was drawn away from the blank, dark canvass that was his office door. She turned, slowly, breathing deeply to hold together her temper, her wide eyed moving quickly to take in the dor of the office. Much like the reception area, the office was absent of pictures and paintings. The carpet in here was much lighter than the tile outside, as were the walls. Even the desk seemed to be a shade lighter than that of the bimbo secretary's. A feeling of disappointment flooded her as she realized that not even upon his desk did Leo Jr. have any trace of his family, his wife Karen nor his brothers or sister in his working quarters. The disappointment was almost enough to cover up her anger from before. Almost. "You forgot to pick us up," Marietta hissed back, sitting in one of the empty chairs facing his grand desk and crossing her legs angrily. Her fingers clenched and flexed for a few moments before settling, folded, into her lap. "Small oversight," he retorted opening a small drawer in his desk and pulling out a hidden decanter of whiskey. He rummaged around for a single glass, short and square, and poured a small amount into the bottom. Leaning the top of the bottle towards her in a gesture of offering he widened his eyes dark, brown eyes and asked, "Can I tempt you?" "No thanks," she said between her teeth. How infuriating. Not only was he going to be an asshole over forgetting her and Pedro at the airport, but he was going to try and buy her affections back with a simple drink of whiskey? As if. "Are you sure? The set was a gift from Don Premier." Name dropping. How annoying. She visibly rolled her eyes at the self-important tone her brother took on as he continued, without noticing the exaggerated movement. "...I did him a favor a few weeks back. A group of ruffians..." Marietta tilted her head and watched her brother's lips move as he spoke, relating some story or another about his job and looking very smug as he did so, sipping his whiskey. If there was one thing she hated about Leo Junior... wait, scratch that. If there was one other thing, on the laundry list of faults that was rapidly growing, that she hated about Leo it was how he was utterly and completely married to his job and held contempt for just about everything else. Though, she supposed that if one wanted to be the best criminal lawyer in the state of New York, they had to forgo simple things like common decency, compassion and a heart. His ability to be as distant and secretive as possible made him very popular with many of the big city named Mob Bosses. It was even rumored that he worked for her old friend, Godfather Thomas Rourke, on occasion. "...Can you believe that?" he finished his little speech with a small chuckle. Marietta shook her head and smiled politely. The nicer she was, the sooner it would all be over and done with. She would get her... well, whatever she was left, and then be on her way. "Nope! Can't believe it at all. So, I believe you have something for me?" she stated bluntly, not waiting to give him another opening for yet another boring story. "Ah, yes," he said, setting down his glass of whiskey, turning to walk towards the filing cabinet set against the wall next to the desk. Leo bent over, his short and stocky frame not having to maneuver too far to reach, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out a small box as well as a small stack of paper work. Striding back over to the desk he tossed the paper to Marietta and set the box delicately upon his desk. "Read page one and two. Sign at the bottom of pages three and five- you can skip the unnecessary dribble for your own sanity. Then the contents will be turned over to you. Five minutes all together, tops." Marietta's eyebrow flickered upwards briefly as she took the pen her brother held out to her wordlessly. Apparently she was not the only one who wanted this entire exchange over with as little casualties as possible. As her eyes raked over the first page, barely taking in all the miniscule print, the phone on Leo's desk rang. He only allowed it to ring once before springing for it. Turning his back to his sister did not mute the fact that the young secretary was as loud as she was obnoxious. "Mister Rossi? Your wife is on the phone," Marietta heard the bratty tone shout down the phone line. She wondered briefly if Pedro was wincing at the volume just outside in the waiting area. Shaking her head she looked back down at the page and continued to read. "I told you," Leo muttered, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Mari was occupied, "I am not accepting any calls today." "Tell her that. She's saying it's an emergency." "I really do not have the time for this," the man spat back viciously. "I thought this was love. You told me you were leaving her-" "That is all, Jessica. We will speak later. My sister is here, for the love of God," Leo said, almost crazed, slamming the phone back down into it's waiting cradle. He took a deep breath, shrugging off the shaking that had consumed his entire torso, and turned back to face his sister. She casually began to sign on page three, flipping to page five when she was done. What had she just witnessed? Was what she feared true? It was none of her business really. Or was it? Marietta thought briefly of her brother's wife, her sister-in-law. Karen. A bright, beautiful and sophisticated lady. Much more than her brother deserved, at least. Would he really give her... would he really throw it all away for... and that red-headed child, was she...? The answer was as plain as day, though, when she took one last glance around the office. No personal touches. No framed photographs. Not even a note stating "I love you, see you tonight" in the familiar, delicate handwriting. "How's Karen?" Marietta asked casually as she signed the fifth page and passed the pen and paperwork back over to her brother. She kept her face poker straight, her eyes not betraying the motive behind the question. Yet Leo tensed up all the same, searching her expression. Taking the pages of paper he stuffed them quickly into a drawer, snapping it shut once more. "Let us take a look in here, shall we?" he spoke quietly, ignoring the question and prying the top off of the box. Passing it over towards his sister, he sat back down in his chair, his face paler than usual as he gripped the arm rests with white knuckles. Marietta stared only one moment longer. Fine, if he would avoid the questions, then she would just ignore the situation. Pushing the battling images of her sister-in-law and the red-headed scarlet woman out of her head, she reached her hand into the box delicately. Her fingertips brushed something soft and thin; closing her hands around whatever it was, she began to pull objects out at random. First was the teddy bear she had saved up all her precious pennies and nickels for, just so that she could present it to her Mother on her birthday; it was now missing an eye and frayed in places. Her heart ached painfully as she traced the bear's face with her fingertips. Had her Mother really saved it all this time? Had her Father actually kept it after she had passed? A sort of wetness stung at her eyes as she set it aside, moving on to the next item, and the next. A small cherry-wood box, which when opened held a few necklaces and precious family gems. Envelopes, yellowed in age, addressed back and forth between her Mother and Father. Love letters, perhaps? Stories that she and her brothers had written in grade-school, pictures they had drawn with child-like wonder... Every item her Mother, Lillian Rossi, had deemed important enough to keep throughout her life was in this box. Her hands shook as she clutched the stack of pictures she and her four older brothers had penned. There was no hiding it now. Tears stung her eyes as she recalled the life of her Mother, who had loved them all dearly. And her Father; for all his misgivings and for all the hatred she held for him in his life, he had recognized the importance of these items. He may have left all the things of monetary value to her brothers- or maybe just even Paulie- but Leo Senior had left all the things that meant something to Marietta. Perhaps she had been wrong about the man all this time. "I do not think I will ever understand you, Marietta." Leo Junior's voice was soft as she continued to stare blankly at the paper in her hand. "Huh?" she asked, confused, blinking at her brother several times to clear the droplets of water that clung to her eyelashes. "You are confusing. I cannot understand you." He tilted his head to the side, surveying her. Quickly, to give herself something to do, she placed all the items back into the box and brought the box to her lap. When there was nothing left for to pack she sighed and turned back to her eldest brother. "Alright... I'll bite. What did I do now?" "Just the way your mind works. The layers upon layers. The betrayal, the hypocrisy. What you have become, knowing full well what happened to Father. What happened to her." He had said 'her', not even acknowledging the fact that it was their Mother he was speaking of. Marietta felt enraged. She felt like choking him. She felt like pulling out her gun and squeezing the trigger a few times. Yet she knew that Pedro would be really mad, having to explain a cover story. And besides, that little red-headed brat would have to go too. A witness, she would become. A liability. As she daydreamed over the many ways she could dispose of the annoying young girl, the more conscious part of her mind was formulating a response to her brother. "What I've become? What's that supposed to mean?" "Oh Mari, come on," Leo said, smiling and shaking his head. "You are a Godfather. I am quite sure you have killed a few people who were parents as you climbed the ladder of success. I just never pegged you as the type to become something you so desperately hated for what it did to Lillian." "Lillian? You mean our Mother?" Marietta snarled, snapping out of her reverie and springing to her feet, letting the box of her Mother's worldly possessions land loudly against the carpet. "What is your problem, Leo? Where is this even coming from? You can't even speak about her like she was a human? Like she loved us and cared for us? When did you get so... so... so inhumane?" "Probably around the same time you did, Marietta May." Her full name sounded weird coming from his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her suspiciously. "Inhumane? You think that I've become like you?! I am the opposite of you, Leonardo. I am so verymuchfuckingdifferent than YOU!" Her chest was heaving as she breathed in and out. Never before had she felt this sort of rage towards Leo. Paulie, definitely. Al from time to time, sure. Not once for the oldest Rossi; not for the brother who was nine years her senior. "What do you call what you do then, Marietta?" Leo asked, his voice getting dangerously low. "Are you just a 'businesswoman' in your eyes? Just your normal, everyday average Joe-etta going about her everyday normal schedule? You make people slave for you. You use people that you don't care for. You kill people. You take their money, their possessions. Their entire life. You don't even bat an eye while you do it, I bet. You are immoral." Marietta's cheeks stung as if she had just been slapped. Immoral. Is that really what she was? Had she somehow, along the way of her life, lost her soul? Her eyes cast downwards for a moment, staring at Leo's desk. How different they really were, down to the core. At home she knew that she had a multitude of pictures decorating her office. Pictures of family. Pictures of friends and associates. Photographs of the people she cared for. And here he had none. Leo didn't even have a single picture of his wife. She could hardly be immoral if she still had a heart, right? "If you think that I am truly as corrupt as you say I am, doing what I do for a living," she started quietly, looking up at her brother and locking eyes with him. "What does that make you? You stand there hand in hand with some of the biggest names of my 'business'. You represent them in a court of law. You help to protect them, and their assets. All in exchange for what... false power? Blood money? If I have a seat reserved in Hell, you certainly have one right next to me, brother." "Do not even try to compare what I do with your debauchery," Leo snorted, standing up from his chair. "I make an honest living." "Honest enough for who, Leo, you?" Marietta snorted right back. She leaned over towards the floor, picking up the box that held everything that remained from her Mother's life. "Tell me one thing, Leo. What did you get out of daddy's will?" His eyes hardened over as he stared at her. The wheels that churned furiously behind his forehead were almost visible as he answered, slowly, "A few small property assets here and there." For whatever reason Marietta smiled, despite the rage she felt. Hoisting the box further up on her hip to strengthen her hold she glanced around the office once and then turned back to the man who stood before her. "You know what, Leo," she said, her voice higher than the gruff tone she had been using for the past five minutes. "I'm fine with my life. I know what matters to me and who matters to me. You say I'm immoral. You say I'm a hypocrite, but this..." Holding her Mother's items higher, so that they were in his line of vision, she smiled broader. "This just shows I have my priorities straight. When all is said and done, at the end of the day I have people that love me. That I care for that care for me back. The business I'm in is not easy- I'll give you that. But I have people there to pull me through. People I can lean on. People I can trust. People who would leave me all their most important treasures when they're dead and gone, because they know I alone could look out for them and keep their memories alive." Her voice broke as she batted her eyelashes to break away the wave of tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. She felt stupid, crying like a small girl being bullied by her older brother; like she often had when they were younger. Yet now she knew it was her turn. It was her turn to flip the card, to make him feel the weight of her words. "You must lead a very lonely, sad life if all you can do is criticize mine. I can see many faults with your life, but I wouldn't dare point them out. Because that's just the sort of... of... immoral person I am. My life, however, is full enough that I can just walk away and leave you here." Glaring at him she made her way to the door, calling over her shoulder: "Don't call me ever again, Leo. And I mean that. You'll remember those words in ten, twenty years when you're on your deathbed all alone. That it was you who drove away the only people in your life. You only get one chance, Leo." A snort sounded from behind her. He was being stubborn. "I hope this little outrage makes you feel better, Marietta, but remember who you are talking to. My life is every bit as full as yours. I would even wager to say more full, considering your choice of vocation," he called after her. Marietta shook away the feeling of anger and opened the office door. Locking eyes with Pedro for a brief moment she shook her head and turned back to her brother. She smiled sadly, titling her head at an angle. "A full life, Leo? If you say so," she answered. "Oh, yes, say 'hello' to Karen for me. That is if you and your wife are speaking." Turning on her heel she gestured wordlessly for Pedro to follow. Marietta didn't turn her head to look back as she heard Leo snort once more, nor the soft and irritated chattering of the secretary that started behind her. Moments, seconds even, later Pedro was even with her, taking the box from her arms and opening the front door to the building for her. As soon as the door closed with a loud BANG! sound, Pedro grabbed the woman's shoulder softly. "Marietta, are you-" She shook her head silently, braving a smile at her old friend. He knew better than to persist. Her moods were rather predictable. "Lunch," she said suddenly. "My treat. Pick anywhere in the city. We're celebrating." "What are we celebrating?" Pedro asked slowly, watching her out of the corner of his eye as they resumed their slow walking pace. "Family," Marietta replied without missing a beat, turning her golden-haired head to face him. "My real family." Slipping her arm through his the pair continued to shuffle down the rapidly darkening New York sidewalk. Street lamps were already lit, reflecting their beams of light off of the vehicles parked below them. A dog howled at an unknown prowler. Someone's window screeched and stuck as they attempted to open it. And in a secluded, dense alleyway a curious homeless man looked up in alarm from his trashcan as he heard a distinct male voice call from several streets over: "God damn Marietta, your hair still smells like puke." |
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| That was fair long. | |
| Reply by: Hickey at Apr 14, '09 19:45 | |
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| Then you didn't have to sit here and listen to me, did ya? | |
| Reply by: Marietta at Apr 14, '09 19:48 | |
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| Holy shit that was a good long. | |
| Reply by: GinoCeaser at Apr 14, '09 19:48 | |
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| Ya but I wanted to. | |
| Reply by: Hickey at Apr 14, '09 19:51 | |
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| Hickey runs off to draw moustaches on posters with his magical crayons. | |
| Reply by: Hickey at Apr 14, '09 19:53 | |
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| That was a good story Marietta, Pritty damn long and took alot of reading, may I add, but very good. | |
| Reply by: Rampage at Apr 14, '09 20:01 | |
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A wonderful read. There's not much more to say- I look forward to hearing what happens next. I suppose the biggest compliment I can give is that I wish I'd written it myself. Well done, ma'm. |
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| Reply by: MacLeod at Apr 14, '09 20:03 | |
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| !!!!Wow great long Read...Loved it | |
| Reply by: SalvatoreLucania at Apr 14, '09 20:12 | |
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A fantastic read! Nice to see so much effort has been put into it. I eagerly await the next installment. |
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| Reply by: Cruel at Apr 14, '09 20:36 | |
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| Wow. Nicely writen Mom :P | |
| Reply by: Death-Knight at Apr 14, '09 20:59 | |
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Awesome sat quietly and patiently, all cross-legged and stuff, hugging his teddy bear, as he listened to Queen-Tyrant Marietta recount her story to all the little boys and girls who had gathered together for circle time. With gasps and awes and shrieks of glee in all the right places, the day's day of story-telling had been most successful. "Yay! That was fun! It made me laugh and cry and want to shoot that Leo guy in the face with a double-barrelled, pump-action, automatic shotgun; if the such even exists. I can't wait for the next story time! These make my life worth living." Awesome removes from his Pocket of Awesomeness an orange, and hands one to the mother hen. "Would you like one, Miss Marietta? They're very yummy." |
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| Reply by: Awesome at Apr 15, '09 05:38 | |
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*Cannot move such is the state of awe i'm in having witnessed awesome..........peel an orange.........with his rectum* My god I'm horny now. |
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| Reply by: ZebRourke at Apr 15, '09 06:47 | |
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| Don't let them take anything away from you, Marietta. This series has been one of the best things I've heard. Congratulations on another great installment. Ignore the random comments and bask in the light of success. | |
| Reply by: Deadpool at Apr 15, '09 19:44 | |
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| amazing read maam i loved it | |
| Reply by: WickedClown at Apr 15, '09 23:37 | |
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