“This is awesome, though. But I guess working the jobs you do there’s never really enough time for parties,” she said.
“Let’s go,” Antonio said firmly.
Missy Ann squinted her eyes at him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I said let’s go so let’s go,” he demanded, holding out his hand even though he was a good distance away. She didn’t move.
“What is wrong with you?”
“Missy Ann, just get up off the couch. Come on and we’ll show you more,” Salvatore said to her.
She slid to the edge of the wide couch and then remained where she was. She looked at each of them and it was pretty obvious by their angry expressions that they didn’t like it down here. Salvatore shouldn’t have even led her to the basement and that damn couch.
She looked around them.
“I like it down here. We can play a game of pool, or poker? I don’t know much about playing but since you have them both down here you guys must know and could teach me,” she said.
“God damn it, Missy Ann, let’s go.” Antonio raised his voice.
“Antonio,” Salvatore said his name.
“You shouldn’t have brought her down here, now let’s go,” he stated firmly.
“Why not? What’s going on, Antonio? You won’t even come close to this room or this couch,” she pushed.
Maybe subconsciously Salvatore was hoping that having Missy Ann here and letting her be a part of the house would take away the bad memories Antonio had about the room. It was on this couch and in this room that Sophia had made her demands, and threatened to accuse him of rape if he didn’t marry her. It was a room he always enjoyed being in to have a separation from work and just feel pleasure. She destroyed that in so many ways.
“We should head back upstairs. This room upsets Antonio,” Bill
y said to her.
She squinted her eyes and slowly stood up. She looked at Salvatore and he looked away.
She placed her hands on her hips. “Tell me why you don’t like this room. Explain it to me, please,” she asked him, holding his gaze.
Antonio ran his fingers through his hair and then stared at her.
“Don’t push me, Missy Ann.”
“I want to know. Does it have something to do with the woman who hurt you?” she asked, shocking Salvatore. He looked at Antonio, who was in a dead stare at Missy Ann.
“Yes,” he said to her.
“What did she do to you? I want to know.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s standing between us.”
“How so?” he countered.
“You’re not being honest with me. You’re holding back, keeping a secret and that’s not what you promised me,” she countered.
He seemed to think about that a moment.
They were all silent.