I only realize what a huge mistake I’ve made, how dumb I am once Stacy shunts me into a waiting car, driven by some sleaze who’s telling all the photographers to make sure they send him everything they’ve got.
We’re both in the back seat, and Stacy gives our driver a knowing look before he pulls away, talking into his phone.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask her, feeling anger more than shock or embarrassment now.
“The fuck was what, sweetie? I just saved your ass and all you can say is ‘what the fuck?’” she says calmly, deliberately looking out the window.
“What about the cleaning job? My cleaning job?” I whine.
What about Tony?
It’s all I can really think about now.
I can still smell him on me, taste him in my mouth…
The dry, sardonic laugh that Stacy has tells me everything without words, but I know she won’t be able to help herself.
She’s not a bad person, or so I thought. She raised me, fed and clothed me… never let me go without the basics, but made damned sure I worked for everything else, like putting myself through college.
After driving in silence for some time, she breaks the ice between us.
“You saw what he did, Ashlee. He took one look at you then bundled me out of the house like I was chopped liver. I got scared, worried for you baby,” she coos, putting her cold hand under my chin.
Her scrawny fingers like claws compared to Tony’s manly hands.
Tony.
I won’t believe it, there’s no way he had anything but true feelings for me. I just know it. I felt it in his house and I still do.
I can overhear the guy driving. He's already doing the rounds, selling the story and pictures to trashy magazines and websites, but the news won’t touch it.
Tony Fontana has a reputation for defending his personal rights, as well as being an all-round nice guy.
They’ve picked the wrong man to fuck with, while I know I’ve picked the right one.
But how can I get back to him?
“Turn around, Mom,” I tell her. “I want to go back. I’m an adult now, you can’t do this to me… to Tony.”
She clicks her tongue and looks upward, holding her hands wide.
“Tony now, is it. You see? See how much that man has control over young minds.” She grabs my arm suddenly, pulling me over toward her, her face an inch from mine.
“He didn’t touch you did he? He didn’t…?” But I shake my head firmly.
“I was doing my job, Stacy,” I spit out. “A job I won’t get paid for now… probably never get another job from that agency either,” I admit aloud.
Her curled lip tells me she’s done cleaning anything for a while. Whatever deal she’s made with puke face driving here, I can just tell it means she’s made a truckload of money and all for selling out on Tony Fontana who’s done nothing wrong.
“You’ll get paid, dear,” she coos again, letting her eyes drift off to someplace where revenge is sweet and nobody’s happy except herself.
Heaving a short sigh, she loosens her grip on me, taking my hand in hers and patting it instead, she relays how much she loves me and how I’m her number one priority.
It’s a speech I don’t hear often, but whenever I do, I want to believe it somehow. It makes me feel wanted, like I belong.
“It’s been a shock, Ashlee. Let’s go home and I’ll order some food in. We can have a girl’s night, eh? I’ll even let you choose what we watch,” she adds with a wink.
Her hand becomes warm in mine, making her human again, less like a creature.
“We’ll have plenty of money soon enough, then we can redecorate your room, go shopping for some clothes. You need new clothes darling, always getting bigger,” she says matter of fact, making me feel like I’m nine years old again.
I make a silent vow to myself, to Tony.
I promised myself to you Tony Fontana, and it’s me you’ll have… nobody else. I’m sorry Tony!
Stacy’s not the only one in the family who can act, I did four years of performance art in college and I figure I can bluff my way through this until I can figure out a way back to Tony.
I decide silence is golden, and sit out the attempts at conversation all the way back home, with only a short smile or a nod of my head.
Stacy knows me well enough to know I won’t play her game, not yet but it’s pretty clear too that she doesn’t want me gravitating back to Tony anytime soon.
“We can even go to Mexico,” she muses, implicating herself further in my mind.
What the hell have you done, woman?
The only place I want to go, and be with is Tony. And I’m already counting the minutes and wracking my brains for an idea how I can do that.
After what’s just happened, I imagine he’ll go to France and maybe never come back, or lock himself in his mansion forever, not opening the gate to anyone.
There has to be a way, this is just a setback.
Oh! Why, oh why did I follow my stupid mom out of his house instead of staying there with him?
Idiot!
I almost feel myself getting worked up to the point of tears, until the two words he said echo in my mind, telling me how he really feels about me.
Mine.
Beautiful.
CHAPTER TEN
Tony
Once I can see the coast is clear, and the crowd has been moved along, I close the gates from the security keypad, setting the alarm as well.
I never used to think too much about security, but today’s just gone and changed all that.
Stacy’s gone and changed that.
Bitch.
Foster mom indeed.
Maybe that was another scam of hers?
No.
I can’t let myself start thinking like that, I won’t. Not for anything.
I need Ashlee back and I’ll get her, plain and simple.
Her foster mom, I can let karma sort out or
