March (Calendar Girl #3)

by Audrey Carlan

  The Hispanic man’s lips pursed and then dropped into a scowl. “Si. You are very beautiful.” He finally spoke directly to me.

  “Uh, thanks, I think. And who are you?” That was the hundred thousand dollar question.

  “I am Hector Chavez. Anthony’s partner.”

  “Not this month you’re not,” Anthony snickered.

  Hector’s face fell. “That is not even funny. We just need to get through this. I, for one, am not looking forward to it,” his voice rose in volume as he pulled away, and then disappeared behind a door. Probably the closet.

  “You guys are a couple?” I gestured to the door with a wave of my hand.

  Anthony smiled wide and tipped his chin. My heart started beating again. Damn, I knew not all the good ones were gay, but this one was damned good and definitely gay.

  “How about we get dressed and then discuss?”

  “Oh sure. Yeah, of course.” I turned around, and fumbled while grabbing my purse and bag.

  “The room two doors down on the left is yours for the month. I believe you’ll find everything you need for the next few days. Why don’t you go get settled. Tomorrow, Hector will take you shopping for additional items.” I cringed. Anthony tilted his head to the side, his ice-blue eyes focused solely on me. “I see that idea does not excite you. Most women would love an opportunity to buy ridiculous amounts of expensive clothing.”

  I huffed. “Well, I think you’re going to find out rather quickly, I’m not like most girls. Not to mention the fact that I am a woman, not a girl.” I winked then looked down. “You may want to tighten that towel, I can see your dick.” I glanced down once more where I could see way down his happy trail to the top inch of his cock.

  He didn’t move a muscle, just licked his bottom lip and assessed me with his steely gaze. “This is going to be interesting with you here, I can already tell.”

  I turned on a heel and opened the door. “What’s the fun in life if everything’s pre-dick-ta-ble,” I shot over my back and walked into the hall.

  He chuckled and shook his head then shut the door.

  ***

  I was sitting at the bar munching on a chicken salad sandwich when Hector and Anthony emerged a half hour later.

  “By far, the best chicken salad I’ve ever had,” I told Renaldo and swiveled my chair around to greet the men. Renaldo had given me the lowdown while he made lunch. Apparently, he was not only the housekeeper, he cleaned, cooked, and did whatever the guys needed. Turned out, he was also fluent in the art of gossip. It seems that because I was a hired employee, that gave me the right to be updated on the latest dealings with our hunky bosses.

  Renaldo set two plates down on each side of me and continued about his task humming quietly. I liked the little fella. Definitely of Latin or Hispanic descent, he was plump, in his fifties, all of five foot five, discernably gay based on the way he gushed about the good looks of said bosses, and had a friendly, puppy-like quality about him.

  “Mia Saunders,” Hector approached with his arms out wide and pulled me into a tight hug. “Thank you for coming.”

  “No thanks necessary. You did pay for me to be here?”

  Hector pulled back and brushed a lock of hair over my shoulder. “Yes, but you still have a choice. We’re glad you chose us.”

  I shrugged. “Cool. It’s good to meet you.” I glanced over to the mammoth hunk and held out my hand. “Anthony Fasano, my new fiancé I presume.”

  Anthony chuckled and blew a fast breath out his nose before grasping my hand in a firm hold. “The one and only. It’s good to meet my future bride.”

  Hector’s head flung around so fast it could have been mistaken for a top. “Excuse me. You mean pretend bride. If anyone’s walking down an aisle with you, big guy, it will be me!” He pursed his lips together and mumbled under his breath while taking the seat next to me.

  “Papi, don’t. You know I was joking. You don’t have to be so literal.” Anthony shook his head and rested his hands at his sides. “And you can call me Tony. If you’re going to be my pretend fiancée we may as well get that one straight right off the bat.” He moved forward and maneuvered his giant frame onto the small stool. Well, it only seemed small when he sat on it. I waited and watched the wooden legs to see if they were going to break under the pressure of all that male muscle.

  Hector clinked his shoulder with mine breaking me from my stupor. “Hey, eyes on your sandwich, missy. All that hunky hotness,”—he tipped his chin at Tony and then back to me—“is mine and mine alone. You get that, we’ll be just fine.”

  I opened my mouth to say something but instead let out a breath and nodded.

  “So, what’s my first assignment?” I bit into the sandwich and looked from one side to the other where the guys caged me in. In only three bites, Tony finished half of his sandwich. Damn, he was big.

  He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Tonight, the three of us get to know each other. Tomorrow morning, you meet Ma.”

  I’m pretty certain my entire face flattened like a pancake the way that information slapped me upside the head. “Tomorrow? After one night, you expect me to act like I’m in love with you and fool your mother. As in, the woman who gave birth to you?”

  Both Hector and Tony nodded. Then Hector spoke. “Your description said you were an actress. We figured that was a plus for us. Besides, tomorrow’s Friday night dinner and we always meet Ma and the family for dinner.”

  “The family?”

  Tony smiled and took an alligator-sized bite of his sandwich pushing the remaining bit into his mouth. Renaldo set another sandwich on his plate and glass of milk in front of him. Tony sucked down half the milk in one go.

  “Impressive,” I said.

  Hector bumped my shoulder again. “I know,” he waggled his eyebrows and grinned.

  I shook my head and focused on the matter at hand. Turning my chair so I was facing Hector, I laid it out. “You want me to not only pretend to be his fiancée but make his mother and extended family believe it too. All in one shot?”

  Hector’s brown eyes twinkled. “Si. I knew you were a smart one.”

  “Impossible.”

  “Nah,” Tony clapped me on the shoulder and rung my body as if I was one of the guys. “You’ve got this. I can already tell. You’re gorgeous, down to Earth, and you’ve got a bit of an edge. Italian’s like that. Can you cook?”

  “I do all right.”

  Tony licked his lips, leaned a forearm on the counter top and encroached on my personal space. “Like Italian food?”

  “Is the Pope Catholic?”

  He glanced at Hector next to me then back. “Are you easily intimidated…”

  I pressed my chest forward, straightening my spine and got into his space. “Do I look the type that intimidates easily?”

  “You didn’t let me finish.” Tony moved a bit closer and I tried not to flinch but couldn’t help myself from pressing back. That pushed me into Hector who steadied me at the biceps. “Are you intimidated by strong women?”

  “Look, I can handle myself against a bunch of tiny Italians.”

  Tony and Hector smiled so wide it was if they were mirror images of the other. “Fair enough. Then, let’s get started on the specifics.”

  “Oh, snap. We’re going to need a truck load of wine for this,” Hector sighed and left the room, presumably to get a bottle of wine.

  ***

  “Oh my god! You did not do that!” I screeched almost sloshing wine onto the carpet. Instead just a few drops tagged the table. Hector face planted into my lap laughing so hard I could feel the heat of his breath against my knees.

  Tony wiped up the spill and refreshed my glass.

  “We did. Stark assed naked. Ran the entire length of the football field all wearing helmets and nothing else. We’d painted a different letter on our chests and when the last goal was made, we rushed onto the field. Most of our fraternity. We spelled out “L-O-S-E-R-S…S-U-C-K… I-T” standing long enough for the vis
iting team’s side to get a good look before we ran like hell.”

  I patted Hector on the back. “You too?”

  He nodded and then pushed up. “Shortly thereafter, Anthony and I became an item. Well, privately.”

  “So who knows you’re a couple?” I asked the question I’d wanted to know all evening.

  “Not many,” Hector said sourly.

  “Papi please,” Tony begged.

  Hector sighed then hugged me close. We flopped backwards to lean against the couch shoulder to shoulder, his side plastered against mine. It felt nice. Kind of like it would if I had a brother. “You see, My Anthony, does not want to deal with the press, his family, or business issues if he were to come clean about his sexual orientation.”

  “That’s messed up.” I was surprised at how strong my tone came across.

  “You’re telling me!” Hector clinked glasses with mine.

  Tony set his glass on the table. “Look, it’s hard enough being a young boxer turned businessman. Add being gay to that and I’ve got a disaster on my hands. The league might not let me box.”

  Instantly, I felt indignant. “They can’t do that, can they? That’s slander, defamation or something!” My alcohol addled brain couldn’t quite come up with all the reasons that was awful at the moment, but the second I got the use of all my grey matter back I was going to come up with a humdinger of a reply.

  “Sadly, they would find other reasons, but being gay would be the underlying cause. Then there’s business. I’m an Italian man who owns a family restaurant. The face of Fasano’s has always been my Pops, Ma, me and my four sisters.” I liked that he called his dad the same nickname I did. Connected us in a way.

  It was impossible to keep my mouth shut. “You have four sisters! Holy fucking shit. They are so going to know we’re not a couple!” I shook my head and Hector nodded. “Women know when something’s fishy. Are you sure they don’t know about you already?”

  Tony stood and started pacing. “They don’t know. I’ve given them no reason to think otherwise. What you also don’t know, Mia, and the biggest reason you’re here is because of the family name.”

  “Fasano,” I roared feeling like the kid in class that knew the answer and yelled it out without being called on.

  He sat down on the arm of the couch. “Yes. I am the sole heir to my father’s company, even though all of my sisters participate in some way. We make many of the decisions together.” He shook his head then laid his head in his hands. “It’s more than that. You see, I’m the only male Fasano left. If I don’t have a child, our name dies with me. And with me being gay…” his words trailed off and his head hung again, seemingly carrying theT entire weight of the world.

  “Do you want children?” I blurted out the question, as was my way when consuming copious amounts of alcohol.

  Tony raked his fingers through the layers of his hair. His gaze went to Hector. “Um, well, we never really talked about it.”

  Hector seemed to get taller in his seat. He stood and walked over to Tony and cupped his cheeks. “Baby, do you want kids?”

  I should have left. Snuck out. Just wasn’t in my nature. No, I was the type to be quiet as a mouse and get all up in this business without getting caught.

  Tony looked at Hector with love and sadness in his eyes. “I always did.” His voice sounded hoarse, thick with emotion.

  “We can find a way, adopt or you know, maybe a surrogate.”

  I smiled so wide then socked back the rest of my wine in one gulp allowing it to burn a trail down my throat. Standing up I flung out a hand to brace myself trying to get my legs back in working order.

  “That’s my cue. My work here is done.” I bent over and bowed. The two men didn’t even notice, too lost in each other. They just held one another, foreheads touching whispering words only they could hear. It was beautiful. More than that. It was special, and I was glad I got to experience it.

  Without looking back, I hustled to my room where I promptly nose-dived into the bed fully clothed and passed out.

  CHAPTER 4

  Tony held open the large wooden door with the swirled metal handle so that Hector and I could enter the restaurant. It was six p.m. on a Friday night, and Fasano’s was hopping with activity. Waiters in crisp, white dress shirts, black slacks and ties bustled around serving drinks and lavishing tables with the best smelling Italian food. My mouth watered as I got a whiff of sausage in the air.

  One of the waiters turned around to pour wine, and I got an even better look at his attire. I laughed under my breath when I got a gander at the ties they wore. Pasta. The ties had pasta dishes printed on them.

  “Something funny?” Hector leaned close as Tony led me to the back of the restaurant.

  “Did you see the ties?”

  Hector smiled and grinned. “My idea, actually.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded and winked. Tony’s hand went from the crook of my elbow, slid behind my back and cupped my hip. His breath was hot as he whispered into my ear. “Okay, everyone’s already here. Just follow my lead and don’t be surprised if I touch you…a lot.”

  Tingles rippled down my spine and landed in the small spot at my lower back. Tony was incredibly handsome. More than that, he was drop dead gorgeous…and taken. By Hector. Who I was fond of. Very much so. I sucked in a slow deep breath. We reached a thick red curtain that was nestled at the very back of the restaurant.

  “This is our private room. Only our family eats in this space. It’s equivalent to Ma’s dining room at her house. Now that we’re such a large group, we had to move our family dinners to the restaurant. I built this room on just for the Fasanos.”

  “Wow.” I gasped as Tony pulled back the curtain and revealed a huge room filled with people who were laughing, drinking and eating. It was chaos. Everyone at the table yelled over one another, used hand gestures in the air as if they were swatting away flies, and pushed at one another when they spoke. Madness. Complete, utter, madness. That’s the only way I could describe it.

  When we entered, one person noticed and then another and so it went. Everyone in the room went completely silent. A small woman with olive skin, black hair, and familiar blue eyes stood up. She held herself with confidence. Her back was straight, chest pressed out, eyes zeroed in on me.

  The petite woman walked up to us. First, she put a hand up toward her son who leaned forward and kissed his mother, on the mouth. It was nothing more than a mere pressing of lips but still, I can’t say that I’d ever seen a grown man kiss his mother on the mouth. I certainly didn’t kiss my father that way…or any way for that matter. We barely got by with an awkward hug most times.

  “Mama,” Tony said then stood tall and gestured to me. “This is Mia, my fiancée. Mia, this is my mother, Mona Fasano.”

  I smiled and said, “It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Fasano.”

  Her lips barely twitched in reply. His mother moved closer to me, blatantly running her eyes over my entire body. “You are a very beautiful woman,” she finally responded. I immediately melted more fully into Tony’s side.

  “Thank you.” I gave her my patented wide smile.

  She didn’t stop at the compliment. Her head tilted and her lips pursed. “And curvy. Fasano men like their women with curves.” She placed her hands on her own generous hips. If she’d been a thinner woman, I’d have taken offense.

  “I like to eat, Italian food being my favorite,” I lied. Didn’t hurt to try and score points with the mother.

  “Your hips are nice and wide, good for giving me grandchildren.”

  “Uh-um…” Now that came of nowhere.

  “Ma,” Tony attempted to interrupt. Again, didn’t work. When the woman had something to say, she said it and people listened.

  “Yes, you’ll give me beautiful grandsons. We need to carry on the Fasano name you know?” Mona’s eyes pierced mine. “You do want children?”

  Tony came to the rescue then. “Ma, enough. I’m starved, and I w
ant to introduce Mia to the rest of the family.”

  “Okay, okay.” She clapped her hands then grabbed both my arms and pulled me into a tight hug. In my ear, she whispered the words that would crush any woman with half a heart. Her voice was raspy and thick with tears. “I wished for you. I prayed every night my Anthony would find his mate. I am so happy you are here.” Mona pulled back, cupped both my cheeks and laid a big fat wet one on my mouth. Kissing a girl really isn’t that big of a deal usually. Sometimes Gin or Maddy kissed me, but a woman I’d just met? One whose soul I would later destroy? Not cool.

  Hector walked around us and hugged a bunch of the people in the room before finding one of the three open chairs at the front of the room.

  “Come on sweetheart,” Tony said leading me to the other side of the room. Sweetheart. That’s what Wes called me. He would think this scenario was a hoot. Maybe even put it into one of his movies one day as a romantic comedy. A stunning business man, a boxer, hires an escort because he’s gay and not ready to come out to his family.

  I sat in the seat next to Hector. Pretty sure that move was strategic on Tony’s part, but I could see the disappointment in Hector’s eyes that Tony didn’t sit next to his true mate. It was all so depressing. Two men, clearly in love, feeling as though they can’t be together because of society, family, business and obligation. I grabbed Hector’s hand under the table and squeezed it. He glanced sideways at me, just the corner of his lips curving up. “Don’t worry. By now, missy, I’m used to it.”

  For the next hour, I was introduced to all four of Tony’s sisters. There was Giavanna the eldest at thirty-nine. She must have gotten most of the mother’s genes because she was short, around five foot two, thick, black hair, but her eyes were as dark brown as a roasted coffee bean. So much so that you couldn’t really see the black of her pupil. It didn’t take away from her beauty in the least. Though she had a few wrinkles, mostly laugh lines, at the corners of her eyes, it didn’t change the fact that she was a looker. As were all the Fasano women. I couldn’t keep track of her four children. They varied in age and ran around like chickens with their heads cut off. All I could get was a bunch of Italian names that I wouldn’t remember and the knowledge that there were two boys and two girls.