59 - Powerful Men

"The smell of her hair, the taste of her mouth,

the feeling of her skin seemed to have got inside him, or into the air all round him.

She had become a physical necessity."

― George Orwell, 1984

. . .

OLIVIA WOODS

I was sitting in the backyard, finishing up smiley when I felt someone sit beside me.

Giovanni Valentino spread his legs in front of his, balancing himself on his forearms as he looked at me. "What's so special about you?"

"I'm pretty," I said. "I'm so good with making oil paint. I make cool jackets. I'm good with fashion. I read half of the time I breathe and I make amazing sketches."

He chuckled. "That answered my question."

"And I'm drunk," I added, looking down at the small canvas that was on the ground which was illuminated by the light coming from inside the house. Every ten minutes, a man rounded the garden with a big as heck gun in his hands. This felt like a prison, except they had good cookies here. Did they have cookies in prison?

I'd have to ask dad.

If he ever agreed to meet me again.

"What are you making?"

"Smiley. I promised Xerxes I'd send him a picture." It was nothing but a big yellow circle and the smile with red color and eyes with black. It was pretty. Not my best work, though.

"It looks good."

We sat there in silence for a while.

"Do you want smiley?" I was so drunk my head was spinning. I laid down on the grass, handing him the canvas.

He nodded, looking down at it. "You sure you what me to have it?" "You can put it in your torture room."

He laughed. "You are a crazy drunk." "You gave me too many beers."

"I gave you four. I drank seven. I don't know how you managed to get drunk so fast."

"I don't like wasting alcohol!" I huffed. "Not my fault you are overweight... higherweight ... heavyweight...darkweight!"

"Sì, my fault I'm darkweight."

I hummed. "You are so scary." I closed my eyes. "You don't sound scared right now."

"I'm a crazy stupid drunk. I have no idea what I'm even saying right now." I felt him lay beside me, a good distance away.

"How did you and Creeds meet?" He asked.

I kept my eyes closed because the glare of the light was too much. "A few years back in a cowboy bar. I bought them beer."

"Sure." He chuckled. "What was Ashton like back then?"

"He had a large mustache, a large beard and he didn't have any money." I sighed dramatically. "I lend him a hindered, he's yet to pay me back."

"What about Zavier?"

"Oh, he was homeless but he was nice so I let him stay in my condo. He didn't have any tattoos, though. Not much pretty without tattoos, that one." I grimaced, opening my eyes because it felt weird to talk with them closed. I kept them fixed on the sky because knew looking at him would make me scared again. Out of the triplets, he seemed the scariest.

He chuckled again. "What about Xerxes?"

"That poor guy." I sighed. "He was looking for a job so I gave it to him. He worked on my farm for two years and finally made enough money to go on a world tour with his brothers."

"You saved their lives, Olivia." There was a seriousness in his voice that I didn't register.

I giggled. "Sure did." I looked at him. He had sat up and in his hands was his knife, twirling around his long fingers. "You have good professors, don't you? At school?"

I frowned at the sudden change in topic. "Yeah." "Which class do you love the most?"

"Art History."

He hummed. "Is the new Professor good?" He tilted his head. "I liked the old one better. He was better at teaching."

"Oh. What was his name?"

"Daniver. I don't know the first name."

He hummed again, taking his knife out. "Was he good to the students?" "Yeah. He was professional. Georgia hated him, though."

"Your friend?"

"Yeah." I nodded and closed my eyes because my head felt heavy. "Can I sleep here?"

"I can pick you up and put you in bed." I wasn't sure if I was okay with that.

"Unless you want to stay here for the rest of the night. I'm sure there are snakes in the woods."

I extended my arms towards him. "Pick me!"

He stood up and picked me up bridal style. "You are an idiot." "Why?" I asked. He was nice and warm.

But I wanted the Creeds to hold me close. "For not fearing us."

"You are an idiot, too." "Why?"

"Because you think I don't fear you. "

"If you were scared of me you wouldn't have said that." I closed my eyes he climbed the staircase.

"I'm drunk. Cut me some slack, capo."

"That was such a bad pronunciation that every Italian finched right now." "You are so dramatic. Did you take a drama class in High School?"

"I live with Dante, Olivia. No class tops that." I felt him open the door and then he laid me on the bed. I kicked my shoes off and pulled the covers on me.

"Good night. Sent a picture of the smiley to Xerxes, please!"

He nodded slowly. "Picture of smiley to Xerxes Creed. Got it. Good night." "Good night," I said softly and he walked out of the room, closing the door.

. . .

I was woken up in the middle of the night because of my phone ringing. I groaned, reaching to my nightstand to grab my phone. Giovanni or someone else must have put it there.

I picked it up.

Monster momster. Pick up for a day of self-hate.

I attended the call, pressing it on my ear.

"When were you going to tell me that you do online classes?" "In a minute. You beat me to it."

"Olivia Woods. Your college is not a joke."

"I'm not laughing, mother, am I?" I sat up. I could faintly hear the sound of rain coming from outside. It was running and there was no freaking window in this house!

"I saw some pictures of yours with the Creed brothers. At the museum. What are you doing, Olivia?"

"I am sitting right now - covered in a blanket and it's raining outside. Quiet nice weather." My head was pounding as if someone was hitting the inside of it with a hammer.

"You know what they are?" "Yes."

There was silence on the other side.

"Powerful men, Olivia, they do not come with peace." I hung up as my head started pounding more.

. . .