Bree Bellucci
The monster concubine
Savannah cursed to herself as she quickly ran aboard the departing train and walked the
aisles looking for a vacant seat. Her interview had run longer than planned, but luckily it had only been two blocks from Grand Central Station. Savannah had all but sprinted the two blocks in her low black heels, black pencil skirt and gray blouse. Brushing a piece of hair out of her face, she finally found an empty seat and sank into it.
She slid her feet out of her heels and rubbed them softly. Her feet ached from running and she wished she didn’t have to go back home for her parents’ party. The train ride from Manhattan to Greenwich took less than an hour and Savannah whipped out her iPhone to scroll through her emails. She hoped she might have heard back from some of the other TV studios in the city, but her Inbox only contained a few junk emails and one from her sister.
Sighing, Savannah rested her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She knew her parents were going to ask how her job search was going and she had desperately wanted to impress them with good news. It had been nearly two and half months since she had graduated from college with a degree in Broadcasting and Television studies. While her parents supported her choice to major in that field, they still couldn’t understand why she hadn’t followed the family tradition of practicing medicine.
Savannah’s father was a world-renowned heart surgeon and her mother was one of the best neonatal surgeons in the country. Her sister, Paige, was a pediatrician. It seemed only fitting that Savannah would follow in the footsteps of her family, but she had shocked everyone when she had explained that she wanted to work in television. Savannah envisioned being in front of the screen one day, but for now, she was more than happy to learn the ropes and work behind the scenes. She had worked on a number of sets on campus and now she was anxious to gain a paying job in the industry.
Savannah’s mind ran over this afternoon's interview, analyzing every detail and looking for any mistakes she may have made. She decided she would have to settle with telling her parents that the interview went well and she would have to wait and see. The woman who interviewed her had kept a poker face throughout the meeting and kept stopping to take calls and respond to texts on her phone. The interview had been for a production assistant on a brand new talk show that was starting in the fall. The producer who had interviewed Savannah said they couldn’t share any details about the talk show or the host just yet, but promised Savannah that the show was going to be new and innovative and would probably attract a lot of viewers.
Savannah watched as New York slid out of view and she crossed her fingers, and then her legs for good measure, as she offered up a silent plea for scoring this job. She had assured the producer, Kaci that she would do anything the job required and nothing was beneath her.
Savannah had heard stories of production assistants schlepping bags for stars, pureeing diet smoothies and even walking dogs on set and cleaning up after their messes. Savannah figured she had to start somewhere, and she certainly didn’t want her father’s connections to help her.
While Savannah’s mother, Bianca, kept a pretty low profile, her father, Patrick, had attracted the media and press when he had created a new technique for heart surgery that was much less invasive than other procedures as well as had a higher success rate. Her father had loved the attention and made the most out of his high profile success. Not only did he have many close friends that were successful doctors, but his circle of friends now extended to A-list celebrities as well.
Savannah checked the time and hoped that her mother had been correct in telling her that
this was strictly a doctors-only party. Anytime her father had celebrities over the house, the paparazzi was camped out at the bottom of the driveway and Savannah always feared that her picture was going to end up on Page Six. She tried to keep a low profile and live within her own means, but her parents’ fortune always seemed to wiggle its way into her life.
Her phone buzzed in her lap and her mother’s picture popped up on the screen.
“Hi, Mom. I’m on the train now.”
“Hi, sweetie. I just wanted to make sure you were coming. Your father was worried you might not show.” Her mother’s voice was soft and warm, and Savannah let her comforting and maternal voice wash over her.
“Of course, I’ll be there Mom. I know how important it is to Daddy.”
“Okay, honey. We can’t wait to see you. Richard will pick you up from the train station.”
Savannah felt a small pang of disappointment that her mom was sending the family
driver, but she quickly brushed it aside as she said goodbye and hung up. She knew her mother would have her hands full at the house. Savannah checked her phone compulsively again and again for any other job news, or perhaps a speedy follow up from the interview. Her inbox was still empty and she tossed her phone in her purse and stared out the window feeling dejected.
“Miss O’Hara!” a familiar voice called and Savannah saw Richard waving at the base of the steps. She adjusted her bag over her shoulder and waved back at the friendly man who had been working for her family since she had been a young girl.
“Hi Richard,” she said warmly as Richard guided her towards the outside of the station and to the car.
“It’s nice to see you, Miss O’Hara,” he said kindly.
“Oh please! I’ve been telling you to call me Savannah for years!”
Richard smiled somewhat sheepishly and shrugged as he opened the back door of the sleek sedan and Savannah clambered inside. They drove through the familiar town and Savannah noted that Greenwich never seemed to change. She forced herself not to look at her phone and before she knew it Richard was pulling up the steep, shaded driveway that led to her parents’
estate. He pulled the car up to the front of the house and Savannah’s mother appeared at the top of the steps as Savannah was climbing out.
“Savannah!” she exclaimed happily, hurrying to embrace her daughter. Savannah hugged her mother and she inhaled her familiar scent of jasmine and lilac. Her mother still looked beautiful for being close to sixty and her silky brown hair was pulled back in a low chignon.
“Hi Mom,” Savannah said, hugging her mother back. Her mother pulled away to examine Savannah’s outfit and a small frown played on her lips.
“You look tired.”
“I am tired, Mom. It’s been a long week.”
“Any luck on jobs?” she asked hopefully, but Savannah shook her head.
“No matter! Daddy and I still want to pay for your apartment even when you do find a
job!” she said happily, ushering Savannah inside. Savannah’s childhood washed over her as they entered the black and white grand foyer and playfully Savannah hopped from black marble tile to black marble tile as she had as a child. Her mother laughed loudly and Savannah heard yells and shrieks come from upstairs with the telling sound of thudding feet.
Savannah looked at her mother with surprise; she hadn’t expected her niece and nephew to be there.
“Aunt Savannah!” shouted a small voice as two flushed and bright-eyed faces appeared above her, peering between the small bars of the railing.
“Hi — ya!” Savannah said cheerfully, blowing her niece and nephew a kiss as they came barreling down the staircase.
“Addy! Jake! Slow down!” came Paige’s voice from somewhere upstairs.
Savannah dropped to her knees and opened her arms to the two children who hugged her fiercely.
“We missed you Aunt Savannah!” chirped Addy.
“Miss you,” Jake echoed, kissing Savannah on the cheek.
“Hey sis,” Paige called, coming down the steps looking frazzled.
“Hi!” Liz said rising to hug her older sister.
A loud crash sounded by the front door and Savannah’s mother rolled her eyes as she hurried to the door. A delivery man was standing outside with a heap of flowers and her mother became engrossed in conversation as to where the last minute decorations were to go.
