Chapter 4 Reasons

Andressa walked into the kitchen and stopped for a moment. She had intended to go to her room, but changed her mind at the last second and turned to the two maids who were noticing her presence. Andressa contained her fury and anger within her. Mrs. Gloria killed her mother, betrayed her father and sold her to the mafia, after making her spend her life helping to maintain her house and her son. That would not go unpunished. But he didn't know how to feel about the reality of having Mafia blood running through his veins. He took a deep breath and looked at the cooks.

"Did my mother give orders to serve anything else at the pool?" She asked referring to the two.

They looked at each other fearfully and Carla walked in with the potatoes.

"She asked me to bring her another drink. I'll be there in five minutes." One of them said as if Carla's presence gave them some reassurance.

"Thank you..." Andressa said and asked again. "What time are we going to lunch?"

"The boss asked to be served at two o'clock, as he would like to be there and has many things to take care of today.... But he left orders for us to give him whatever he wants to eat.... Would you like anything?"

"No, thank you. I'm going to my room. As soon as lunch is served, I'll come down. But I want to ask you not to bring any drinks for my mother. She has had enough to drink for today." Andressa said thoughtfully and went into the pantry.

The woman who was sleeping in Andrey's bed, was even more stunning when she groomed herself, but she was not tall, as Andressa thought at first. She must have been her height. She was just more mature than Andressa imagined. She was wearing a beautiful short aqua green dress with a slit on the side and black heels. Her blonde hair was all in place and she wore a strong make-up, which made Andressa suspect that she was even older than she supposed. She was preparing something to drink and smiled at Andressa when she saw her appraising her.

"Good morning." Francine greeted her politely. "You must be Andressa..."

"Good morning. And who are you?"

"I am Francine. Come! Have a drink with me. I'll make you a drink that's not too strong."

"Actually, I'd prefer an orange juice. I'll go to the kitchen and get it and be right back." Andressa said and ran to the kitchen. She knew her name, what she wanted to know was what place she held in Andrey's heart. And Francine knew that was what she wanted to know, but she played dumb. Why?

Carla was busy boning a chicken and was startled by Andressa's presence back in the kitchen.

"You almost scared me to death girl! Didn't you notice that they put a phone in your room? If you need it, just pick it up and the line will go straight to the kitchen. Did you like the TV?"

"I didn't go to my room. Francine offered me a drink and called me to talk to her. I came to get an orange juice. I've never had anything alcoholic. What do you think she might be wanting with me? She was very nice. Wasn't she supposed to hate me? How does she know about me?"

Carla stared at her in silence, the two other maids didn't say anything either.

"She has no reason to hate you." Carla finally said and grabbed a pitcher of juice from the refrigerator and handed it to Andressa along with a glass. "If she knows about you, it's because Andrey wanted it that way. Go and listen to what she has to tell you."

"Have you known her long? Can she be trusted?"

"I don't know her very well. We've talked a few times and she's always been very polite, respectful and nice. But... Don't trust her with all your secrets. You never know."

Andressa kissed Carla on the cheek and left the kitchen. Carla ran a moved hand over her face. It was evident that she had not expected a gesture of affection so soon from Andressa.

"You've already won the girl over like you did her father, haven't you?" Jandira, one of the cooks, said smiling.

"You should have raised that little girl. And her future could have been different." Josefa said, stirring the pans on the stove.

"I don't want that to go anywhere. You know her story is a secret. Andrey won't like it if..."

"If he finds out that you told her everything?" The first one completed. "As soon as you left here with her, we already knew what you were going to do." She said when she saw the startled look on Carla's face. "And then she asks us not to serve her mother the drink.... It wasn't hard to come to the conclusion that she knows everything."

"Don't worry, Carla. We think she deserved to know even though it wasn't her blood that put her in that situation." The other said reassuringly.

"Thank you girls. But the others, they must not know anything." She said referring to the other maids who took care of the house.

"You will never know from us." Josefa said without taking her eyes off the stove. "But it's not something that will harm you. You are Andrey's trusted person in this house and even in other matters. I believe he wouldn't do anything against you."

"Maybe not." Carla said thoughtfully and went back to her business.

Francine was waiting at the pantry table for Andressa with a bottle of gin beside her glass and waited for Andressa to sit in front of her with her juice. She stood up and poured Andressa the juice and put some gin in her drink and leaned back in her seat again.

"Drink it. Try it. It's not so bad." Francine encouraged her. "You can believe me, that you will need more of it tonight." She said with her sincere brown eyes.

"Why?"

"Andrey won't wait any longer."

Andressa turned red and sipped from her drink, it didn't look like she had anything but her own juice, and that made her less nervous.

"You know everything?"

"No. I don't need to know everything, Andressa. I prefer it that way. When we know too much, we become suspects when something is revealed. So I only know what is necessary."

"Did you sleep with him tonight?"

"Yes."

"And it doesn't bother you that he will come looking for me today?"

Francine smiled.

"When he told me, I didn't mind. But as soon as I saw her coming in here in the pantry, I noticed something he didn't notice and it is bothering me yes. But as for jealousy, no. I am married. I love my husband in a way. He travels a lot and... I feel lonely. And on these occasions, I seek Andrey's company. That's why I advise you to drink. No matter how much experience you think you have, nothing you experienced in the arms of those boys will compare to what will happen between you and Andrey..."

"Why did it start to bother you when you saw me? What changed?"

Francine was serious and thoughtful for a few moments and took a few good swigs of her whiskey before answering.

"You are a virgin. And he doesn't know that. I don't know how far you've 'played around' and let boys your age touch you, and Andrey is an experienced man. He'll want to use you as if you were already experienced too.... In everything! That is why I advise you to take your juice and that bottle of gin to your room tonight. A slight inebriation can help you bear what you have to go through... Then it will get easier. But trust me. For today, take these drinks.

"And why does my "little experience" worry you?" Andressa did not correct her. No man had ever touched her, but there was no point in talking about it. It would not change her fate.

"Why he will have fun teaching you and for a while he won't look for me..."

"Can't you stop him?"

"I can't, my dear. He didn't even allow me to tell you these things. He has only commissioned me to help you with other things..."

"What things?"

"Well... He asked me to take you for a waxing, and to buy underwear for you as well. There are other recommendations, but they are not for today. There won't be time. I've already made an appointment with the waxer, and then we'll buy just enough lingerie for today and tomorrow. He has asked me to accompany you to a few places as well."

"Have you done these things before? To some other girl for him?"

"No, no! This is the first time he has ever put me as an escort and he has never had anyone living in his house. Not for the same purpose as you. And I also felt, for the first time, that he is very excited about you. It wasn't easy to contain his excitement, for me who am already a woman, it was even... quite wonderful. But I'm afraid it's too much for you."

Andressa felt fear. She knew that Francine didn't mean any harm. She just didn't want her to be caught by surprise. But she began to think of an escape. She wanted to get away from Andrey. From what he would do to her. But deep inside she knew it was impossible. The mansion was well guarded inside, she noticed the presence of his men as she peeled her potato, and she imagined that outside, she would be equally guarded. She drank her juice harder.

"What color do you like?" Francine asked suddenly.

"I never stopped to think about it." Andressa said thoughtfully. Her clothes were all donated and she didn't have a room of her own nor the wherewithal to decorate it.

"Tomorrow we'll go out early, and you'll find out what you like. I bet you must have great taste." She said and looked at the time on her watch. "If you want to get ready, it's almost time for Andrey to arrive for lunch."

"I... I don't have anything different than what I'm wearing and I don't care about that. If he wants me, he'll see me wearing my regular cotton panties. The waxing I accept. Because I have always shaved with a razor, but I have always wanted to wax myself. But I don't want anything else from him. Whatever he pays me, he will put on the bill in his head and I will get more and more indebted to him."

"You shouldn't worry about whatever he willingly gives you.... He will never charge you for it.... But on the other hand, he may, yes, want to tear your clothes anywhere he is to satisfy his will with the excuse that he was the one who paid for the clothes." She said as if remembering something funny. "You do well not to let him dress you up for him, but you will need clothes to go to college. You don't want to go dressed like that."

Before Andressa could reply, Andrey walked into the pantry and saw the two of them talking at the table. He went to the glass case, grabbed a glass and ducked his head behind the counter and returned with a bottle of wine. He came over to them and opening the bottle, poured himself a glass.

"Will you take it?" He said looking at both of their drinks. "I like that you are friends." He said looking a little disgustedly at Andressa. "So? Are you going shopping today?"

"We won't have that kind of time, Andrey. Tomorrow we will." Francine said patiently. "Hair removal is a time-consuming thing."

"Will you be spending the night here again?" He asked fondly, holding her hand over the table. Andressa watched everything. She felt a little embarrassed to witness that intimacy and also felt like a freak, since that was not the world she was used to. She felt more at ease in the kitchen with the maids than she did there, with those two well-dressed men who seemed very intimate and who were talking to each other with their eyes.

"I can't. My husband is coming back today. And I think I'll need a long bath in the tub after last night..." Francine replied and they both laughed comfortably.

"Okay. But be sure to come tomorrow. I have things to take care of, but they can be done from here in my office.... Do you know if Alessandro did what I told him to do?"

"I haven't seen him today. I only saw Francesco taking some delivery men up to the second floor. When he came back he told me that Alessandro went to solve other problems and that he was going to do what you told him to do himself, but he wouldn't be here until later this afternoon."

"The payroll is big, but it seems that only they work for me." Andrey said angrily and got up just as Carla came to let him know that lunch would be served. His mood noticeably changed.

"Thank you Carla. You can have us served. I'll just call Francesco to find out what's going on and be right back." He said and gave a grateful smile.

Andressa also stood up suddenly.

"I need to go to my room too." She said and ran out before someone started hunching over why she shouldn't come out and passed like wind by Andrey, who breathed in the scent of soap as she passed, thinking that never has the smell of soap matched someone so much. He couldn't wait to smell an expensive perfume on her.

Andressa, in fact, wanted to come down only after her mother was at the table. She wished to surprise her. But she felt a shiver as she passed so close to Andrey. He was a handsome man. He would have no trouble winning her over, but instead he preferred to rape her. He was arrogant enough to not care how she felt, as long as she met his expectations. And a feeling of revolt against him began to rise in her chest. She went to her room, washed her face, which seemed a little reddened, perhaps by the drink, and it was only when she came out of the bathroom that she began to notice the small changes in her room. A huge television now took the place of the mirror on top of the dresser. A telephone was left on a bedside table. Curious, she went to the nightstand and opened the first of two drawers. There was a picture frame facing down. She took it without much interest and saw a little girl, no more than a year old, sitting with a handsome man, with the same features as her, and even her smile was similar to his. Hair and eye color. Tears dripped from her eyes. She was sure it was her real father holding her in his arms. She took the picture out of the frame and read a small message, "Hide her." She knew immediately that it was a gift from Carla. She then took the photo and returned it to the picture frame and looked for her suitcase to hide it in, but didn't see her things. She opened the closet and inside were her clothes hanging on hangers. They were few, but unfortunately she really didn't have anything better to wear than what she already was. She looked around and found her suitcase. Inside it, she kept her father's picture. Believing she should have lingered long enough, she went downstairs to the dining room.

Mrs. Gloria's face when she saw her was priceless. Other than meeting her father, even if only for a photo, that was the time Andressa felt most comfortable that day. She thought that maybe someone would alert her to her presence that day, together with them at the table, but from her reaction, this had not happened. I wonder how they explained why they hadn't brought her drink.

She was sitting next to Andrey, by the head of the table, and on the other side was Francine. Interestingly, Francesco, Alessandro, Arnald and Carla were also at the table. Mrs. Gloria was wearing one of her old dresses, but one that always fit her well. It wasn't a new outfit, but it was more appropriate than Andressa's clothes, and the girl didn't fail to notice that.

As soon as Francine saw Andressa, she stood up with her drink to give her a seat, but Andrey held her wrist and stopped her, and she sat down again, staring at him angrily. But he surprised everyone and even Francine's face softened at his words.

"You are welcome to have lunch with us Andressa. This will be repeated every day and I hope you get used to it. The boys are sometimes other, but they are trusted by me. Your place at the table will be here." He said pointing to Mrs. Gloria. "Next to me. And when it is the case that I am not present, you will sit in my seat." He said and looked meaningfully at Mrs. Gloria.

She stood up with her drink and as she passed Andressa still had time to whisper in her ear.

"Then I want you to tell me what you did to make him grant you such an honor." She said and sat down next to Carla.

Andressa went to the place Andrey pointed out and sat down. While the waitresses started serving lunch, Andrey wondered what happened to make him act that way. He didn't want the girl to fall in love, because he never fell in love. But he had also never felt the desire he felt just by looking at a woman. And once again she reeked of the smell of soap and it played with her senses. She kept looking at him with those big gray eyes as if condemning him in advance for what was going to happen. He was sure she would like it. She should have taken only amateur boys, but now she would lie with a man who would give her pleasure. Mrs. Gloria's voice, was welcome at that moment when his thoughts were leading him down a path, that if he continued, he would yank the girl off the table, and show her what he was capable of.

"Dear Andrey, I thought we agreed that it would be best for my daughter, to spend a few extra days in her room, so that she could be alone with her grief..." She said facing Andressa with a smile.

"She could stay there if she wanted to. But I can't force her to go through grief the way you, or anyone else, believes is the best way. That is her decision. If you really think it's a good way, feel free to be confined to your room."

"Really Mom." Andressa said wryly. "I would rather spend my mourning at the edge of the pool, being served by the maids and drinking, not worrying if my next meal would be hard bread with water."

Mrs. Gloria blushed visibly as everyone began to serve themselves.

"I didn't think I was being mistreated here." Mrs. Gloria said indignantly at Andressa's response, as she had certainly seen her at the pool.

"You yourself ordered that I be served food that was a little unpalatable, which you know, since you are my mother, that I don't like."

"I just wanted you to keep your body nice. Your grief of bereavement might make you eat beyond what you are used to, and that would bring you unpleasantness later."

"How unselfish of you, Mama! You didn't have that same concern for your own body! I am flattered by your thoughtfulness." Andressa said unequivocally drawing her mother's attention that she was not so naive, as she tasted the baked potato, with an expression of much pleasure. The conversation swirled around the table, but she knew that the attention was swirling between her dialogue and her mother.

"I... I can control myself. You're still young and you haven't been through a tragedy like this yet..."

Andressa poured herself the glass of orange juice in front of her, missing the taste of gin now, and turned back to her mother.

"Don't waste your time worrying so much about me, Mom. I'm just going out to do some shopping today..." She said to tease her, but she was not excited for that outing.

Mrs. Gloria looked at her in surprise and turned her eyes to Andrey with a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes.

"Andrey... Let me go with her! I need to do some shopping too. It will do me good, after all I've been through.... And I can help her with the choices..."

Francesco started laughing, which was something very unusual, and everyone at the table followed him except Mrs. Gloria and Andressa. They were confused as to why they found it so funny.

"Thanks for the "support", but from what I could see of Andressa's attire.... Well, Francine had better take care of that." Andrey stared at her still with a gleam of amusement in his eye.

"But... I know how to dress! I just never could afford to give my daughter good clothes..." She said indignantly at Andrey's directness.

"Be quiet!" Francesco spoke with no more sign of humor in his countenance. "The boss said it's Francine, so don't argue."

"Are you going to let him treat me like that? By the way your subordinates are not very good at following orders. They let me die of thirst in the pool..." Mrs. Gloria asked staring at Andrey with indignation and humiliation in her gaze.

"He's in charge here as much as I am. If you want something, get it yourself." Andrey said without paying much attention and turned to a conversation with Arnald, who was standing on the side of the table where Francine was sitting.

Mrs. Gloria stared at them thoughtfully. She needed to find a way to make her voice heard in that house, as if she owned it. She needed to have more power, or the maids would start treating her like an equal. She couldn't allow that. She thought about trying to seduce Andrey with her spells, but if his interest in some other woman was too great, the spell would make him disgust her. He couldn't take that risk. But since he declared that Francesco had the same authority as him, he would try to win him over. She was aware that she was no longer young, but her body was still beautiful and she was well preserved. He needed to find out if his daughter's antagonism towards her was because she was taking a bath in the pool while she was stuck in her room. In any case, someone had said something to her, for she even knew that it was she who had decided about her diet. And if she didn't do something to regain her daughter's trust and friendship, she would soon be on the street. Away from all that luxury. She was smart and knew that the chemistry between Andressa and Andrey was great. He might marry her one day and Mrs. Gloria needed to be around to make sure that she would be rewarded for bringing the two of them together. She ate little, as she had been thinking for a long time, and the maids came to clear the plates and brought pudding for dessert. Mrs. Gloria smiled satisfied. That's exactly what she ordered for dessert. Everyone served themselves and got up one by one, until only Francine, Mrs. Gloria and Andressa were left.

"Honey, we'd better leave in an hour for your waxing." Francine said fondly to Andressa.

"So you're not going out for shopping? You're just going for waxing?" Mrs. Gloria asked satisfied without giving Andressa time to answer.

"Yes. No time for lengthy shopping.... Today." Francine replied frowning.

"When they go shopping, I'll come along. I will convince Andrey." Mrs. Gloria said defiantly.

Andressa stood up and looked at her mother thoughtfully and then turned to Francine.

"I'm going to get some rest then.... I would like you to come to my room before we leave..."

"I will, as soon as it's fifteen minutes before we leave."

Andressa then retired to her room. Her thoughts and ideas were running through her, leaving her confused. She had made a decision and was not afraid of the consequences that she knew would come. She liked Francine, but didn't know how far she could trust her. Carla, she had total trust, but she feared putting her in trouble. She would have to act alone. She still didn't know how she would do it, but the more she thought about it, the more the idea took shape in her mind. And countless ways to achieve what she wanted. One more improbable than the other. After much thought, he fell asleep. He woke up with Francine moving his legs to wake him up.