The Daring Assignment

by Victoria Bright

  “It’s fine. It was nice,” I reassured him with a small smile. He seemed to relax a bit before shoving his hands in his pockets. Now that it had happened, things were a bit awkward. I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearing ten. I sighed and grabbed my coat from the back of the chair.

  “I had an awesome night. Thanks so much for cooking for me, I really appreciate it. It’s getting a little late, so I think it’s best if I head home,” I said. He nodded and helped me with my coat.

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” he offered, grabbing his own coat from the back of his chair.

  We walked out to the parking garage and stepped onto the elevator. Smiling to myself, I thought back to the list that Gia and I created. This elevator may just come in handy one day, that is, if I decided to use Zane as my research partner. The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. The cold, bitter air whipped inside, causing me to pull my coat tighter around me. Zane had his hand on the small of my back once again as we walked to my car. When we finally arrived, I sighed inwardly and turned to face him.

  “Thanks again for tonight,” I murmured, gazing up at him.

  He stared at me for a few seconds before grabbing and pulling me into another kiss. I felt the butterflies and weak knees again as well as an aching throb between my legs. I couldn’t deny that I was sexually attracted to this man, but I also felt something else. I felt that I really liked him, liked him enough to want to be with him. It was way too early to know such a thing, though. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and just blamed it on wanting to get away from Julius. Hell, I’d probably fall in love with a rude homeless person just because he wasn’t Julius.

  When Zane pulled away, I practically had to lean against my car to keep my balance. Everything about him was perfect. He was a great listener, a cook, as well as passionate, which were things that I was missing in my life. “When will I be able to see you again?” he whispered against my lips.

  I looked up into his vanilla-brown eyes. If it were up to me, he would see me every day. But because I had another life I had to tend to, I couldn’t answer that question. I had to be careful with this project. It would seem very suspicious if I started to “hang out” with Gia more than I was right now. Julius was only observant to things that might end up becoming a threat to him. He didn’t like anything that had to do with Gia, so if I continuously used her as a cover, it would raise red flags to him.

  I sighed and looked away. “Hopefully soon,” I said softly. I saw disappointment flash in his eyes briefly before he nodded.

  “Well, I guess I’ll call or text you later, baby girl,” he said, kissing my hand gently. I nodded and watched him to turn to walk away. As I watched him get further away, an urge was growing inside of me. My throat became dry as I struggled to find words.

  Hurry up before he gets on the elevator, stupid, I scolded myself. I took a steadying breath and took a few steps forward.

  “Zane,” I called out, my voice cracking with the nervousness that was flowing through me. He stopped and turned around. I fiddled with my purse strap as I prepared myself for the daunting question that I needed to ask him.

  “Can you really make my fantasies a reality?” I asked. He smiled and shook his head as he moved toward me. As soon as I saw the lust in his eyes, I knew there was no turning back.

  I REFUSE TO BE YOUR PERFECT CLONE.

  “JULIUS! IT’S SO GREAT to see you again!” my mother cheered as she came down the steps to greet us. I rolled my eyes. I guess I was invisible to her whenever he was around.

  “Mrs. Donatelli, you look amazing as always,” Julius said with a smile, kissing her hand with a bow. My mother put her hand to her chest and blushed.

  “Oh dear, you know you can call me Charlotte. You can even call me mother if you’d like!” she chirped before turning her attention to me. I had to fight the urge to gag. The way my mother treated him and acted around him was sickening. You’d think that she’d want to be with him, herself. She slowly gave me a full once-over.

  “My dear daughter, what am I to do with you? Every time I see you, you appear to be … rounder than I remember,” she said, pulling me into a stiff hug. I could hear Julius snicker as my cheeks burned with embarrassment. Every time she saw me, she made sure to point out how I’m still not small enough to her liking.

  “Nice to see you, too, mother,” I muttered, pulling away. If I were mean, I could point out that she appeared to be skinnier every time I saw her. The body-hugging gown that she wore seemed to outline every bone in her body. Yes, every bone, because that’s almost what she was now, just a mouthy sack of bones. Aside from her skeletal structure, she was still very beautiful. Her soft facial features and doe-like eyes gave her this sweet, innocent look until she opened her horrid mouth. Her glowing mahogany skin was lightly touched with natural-looking makeup that really made her chocolate brown eyes pop. Her usual soft, thick, curly hair was straightened and cut into some weird-looking bob that she must have thought was cute since it was in season. It made her hair look like a puffy wig, which then caused her to resemble the used end of a Q-tip. If that was a part of fashion, I wanted nothing to do with it.

  She let out a tiny sigh before waving her arm excitedly. “Come on in! The cooks just pulled dinner out of the oven! I had them make your favorite, Julius!” she beamed.

  I walked a few steps behind them, feeling like a complete third wheel. Sometimes, I felt as if I was the unwanted girlfriend, and Julius was their beloved son. Well, I felt that way toward my mother. My father didn’t care for Julius too much, and he and my mother often got into heated disagreements about who was best for me. Whether my mother liked it or not, my father would have the last say.

  As soon as we entered the house, aromas of pot roast and freshly baked bread filled the foyer. I was immediately reminded of Zane and our first date together. Ironically, Julius loved pot roast, and anytime he would eat dinner with my parents, we would have it. I was almost growing tired of it until I tried Zane’s. I would eat it off of his body if he would allow me.

  “Ah, mia bella figlia,” my father said when I came into view. I smiled at his words meaning “my beautiful daughter” and immediately went into his open arms, hugging him tightly. He looked up and glanced at Julius with a slight frown.

  “Mr. Parker,” he said dryly. I smirked when Julius immediately looked uncomfortable. I was glad to have at least one parent on my side.

  “Mr. Donatelli, it’s a pleasure to meet you again,” Julius said quickly, shaking my mom off his arm and extending his hand to shake my father’s. My father simply walked past him and into the dining room, pulling me along behind him.

  I gazed up at my dad as we made our way to the dining area. Even though he was in his early 50s, he was still a handsome man. He also had sparkling green eyes as I did and had gorgeous fair skin without a hint of a wrinkle. Standing at six-foot-five, his athletic build, broad shoulders, and dominating stance intimidated people that didn’t know him. His jawline was sharp and covered with a light beard, accentuating his full lips, which seemed to have been passed down to me as well. His neatly trimmed hair was slicked back with God knows how much hair gel, but otherwise, he was still pretty sharp in his attire.

  We all took a seat at the large dining table. I always thought this table was stupid, even when I was younger. There were only three of us back then, but yet, we had a dining table that could seat 10 comfortably. I honestly thought we all looked like fools sitting at one end of such a large table. Julius and I sat on one side, my mother sat on the other, and my father was at the head of the table. It was just a very awkward situation.

  My father was practically glaring a hole into Julius’ head, which was causing me to choke back laughter that was soon to erupt. Seeing Julius so uncomfortable was amusing, especially because it was a huge contradiction to how he acted at home.

  “So, bella, how is your writing going?” my father finally asked. My mother scoffed and took a sip of her wine.
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  “DeAngelo, you don’t even approve of her writing. Why would you inquire about it?” she asked. I rolled my eyes as Julius nodded to agree with my mother, which only got him a warning glare from my father.

  “Charlotte, it does not matter whether or not we approve of her work. As my daughter, I am still going to support her,” he said sternly to my mother before turning back to me. “Carry on, dear,” he coaxed.

  I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as everyone set their attention on me. It was one thing to write romance novels, but I was sure my mother would spontaneously combust when she found out I’m writing erotica also.

  “Things are going very well. I just turned in my latest manuscript to my literary agent, so we will see how it goes,” I said, picking at the napkin lying on my lap.

  My mother pursed her lips and turned her attention to her fingernails, signaling that she was bored with the conversation. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Nothing I did would please this woman unless it dealt with me being her clone. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t surrender to that fate.

  “So, how about you Julius? I heard your father just promoted you to third-year associate at the bank! You’re almost making as much money as he is!” she beamed, leaning on her elbows toward him. Julius chuckled slightly and adjusted his tie confidently. I groaned inwardly, feeling his cocky attitude rolling off him in waves.

  “I’m not making anywhere near as much as he is. I’d be lucky to bring in a million a year if I work hard enough,” he boasted, pretending to adjust his tie. My father nearly spat his drink when he laughed.

  “DeAngelo!” my mother ground out through clenched teeth. My father patted his mouth with his napkin as he belted out a hearty laugh.

  “Sorry dear, I just thought his salary was a little entertaining,” he admitted with a content sigh.

  Julius raised an eyebrow. I could tell he was offended by the way his nostrils flared as he looked at my father.

  “Why would that be entertaining, sir?” Julius asked slowly. My father leaned back in his chair with a grin.

  “You’re sitting at my dinner table as if you’re some kind of big shot. When asked about your salary, instead of being humble, you boast about the million you make a year. You have no room to boast at my table. I bring home a million every few weeks that I worked for. Until you step out from behind your father’s shadows, only then will I respect you and your salary,” my father said coolly.

  My eyes widened at his words, and my mother’s jaw dropped. I could see Julius’ jaw twitch in my peripheral view and smiled to myself. For the first time ever, Julius had met his match and was unable to compete.

  My father’s words left me confused. If Julius was expected to step out of his father’s shadow in order to gain my father’s respect, why was it so imperative for me to stay in their shadow? Was it because I was a woman? I felt as if he were portraying some kind of double standard, and as the realization sank in, I became annoyed.

  As if on cue, four servers came into the dining area and began placing trays and platters of food before us. My mouth watered at the sight of freshly baked buttered crescent rolls, steaming mashed potatoes; a china gravy bowl filled with beef gravy, a platter of broccoli and carrots, and a large perfectly cooked pot roast. Julius rubbed his hands together in anticipation as the meat was placed on the table, causing my mother to smile knowingly.

  “You sure know how to treat your guest, Charlotte. I wish Arianna could cook like this,” Julius commented. I rolled my eyes. Even if I did cook for him, he would find something to complain about as he always did. As the server began to cut the roast, my mind immediately went back to Zane. I remembered him cutting into his roast with his apron on, so focused on the work before him. He vigorously, but delicately cut the tender meat, smiling with satisfaction as clear juices trickled down each slice. I licked my lips. After having Zane’s pot roast, I don’t think any other would compare.

  When the mashed potatoes were passed to me, I began spooning them onto my plate.

  “Arianna, that’s enough potatoes, don’t you think?” my mother asked as I was preparing to take a second scoop. Julius snickered as I paused to look at her. I hated how she would dictate what I ate and made me feel bad for actually being hungry. Just because she had three broccoli spears and a square of pot roast on her plate didn’t mean that I wanted to eat elf-size portions.

  Without saying a word, I put two more scoops of potatoes onto my plate and nearly flooded it with gravy. Turning her nose up in disdain, my mother cut her broccoli spear in half and began to nibble on it. Who in the hell cuts tiny broccoli spears, anyway?

  On the other hand, she didn’t say a word when Julius piled potatoes and meat on his plate with no vegetables whatsoever. She simply made comments such as, “The boy probably hasn’t had a hearty meal in a while,” or her favorite remark, “Do you feed this man at home, Arianna? You obviously have been eating, but this poor man is just skin and bones!”

  That would make two of you, I thought to myself as I tried to swallow the insult down with a gulp of water.

  I felt uncomfortable throughout the whole dinner. My mother stared at me like a hawk every time I reached for a piece of bread, took a bite of my roast, or added a little more salt and butter to my potatoes. I was pretty sure she was calculating every calorie that I was consuming and was just disgusted with me.

  Although she had been treating me like this for years, I could never get used to the abuse. It was a major blow to my self-esteem to have my own mother criticize my body image. Being around her made me feel uncomfortable in my own skin, and she made sure to do her best to make me hate myself to the point where I’d actually take her advice and lose weight. Although I inherited my curvy figure from her, she nearly starved herself to achieve the body she had now. If being thin in her eyes meant being healthy, I guess I would never please her.

  After dinner, my father pulled Julius along to his study to talk about finances, leaving my mother and me alone at the table. She softly thanked the servers who were clearing the table before turning her attention to me.

  “Are you trying to sabotage yourself?” she suddenly asked.

  My head tilted slightly in confusion. “Sabotage what, exactly?”

  “Your chance at marriage,” she replied flatly. I exhaled loudly. There was no way I could hide my contempt of the idea of marrying Julius. Living with him proved to me every day that he wasn’t the man I wanted to spend my life with. It wasn’t necessarily because he was a bad person, it was because our relationship was forced, and we weren’t compatible. My mother started her usual rant about the financial benefits of our union and how it would help me redeem myself.

  The more she talked, the more annoyed I became. I was tired of her trying to control my life with money, threats of disowning me, being talked down to just because I decided to follow my own career path instead of one that she chose for me, and her trying to steal my voice.

  “You know what, if you like him so much, then you marry him,” I retorted, quickly standing to my feet. My mother jumped up, as well and loudly slapped her hands on the table.

  “Your father and I worked very hard to get to where we are today. You’ve been ungrateful your whole life—”

  “Because you constantly try to make me into something that I’m not!”

  “You’re ashamed to be privileged when you should be honored! People kill themselves daily trying to reach the success that we have. You could have the world handed to you—”

  “And that’s not what I want. I’d rather be living in a rundown, bug-infested apartment and be happy with a man that I actually love than to have everything I could ever want and be with a man who can’t even look at me without appearing bored,” I sneered.

  The smirk on her face told me that whatever she was going to say next was probably meant to sting me. Whatever it was, I wouldn’t care. To finally be standing up to her was an accomplishment in my book.

  “Have you ever thought that maybe he�
��s bored with a woman who won’t take care of herself? A woman who won’t actually get a real job? A woman who doesn’t sit around typing up imaginary romances to entertain people who can’t get a real love life? Maybe he wants a trophy wife and not a second runner-up ribbon in his trophy case,” she spat.

  I narrowed my eyes at her, pressing my palms against the wooden table, and leaned in closer to her.

  “At least I can say that I’ve never slept with a man to get anywhere in life. According to you, you were daddy’s whore before you were his wife. The only reason he married you is because you became pregnant with me. I will never be you, nor do I want to be,” I growled.

  The hurt that appeared on her face didn’t move me in the slightest. I simply straightened up, bid my mother goodnight and went off to find Julius so I could leave. There was so much adrenaline pumping inside of me that I felt like I was going to explode. I was sure that I would regret my words in the morning, but I had just enough of her for the night.

  I stormed down the hallway and into my father’s study. “Papa, I’m sorry, but I must leave,” I said to my father, quickly kissing him on the cheek before moving around his desk to grab Julius by the tie.

  “Goddamn it, Arianna, I can walk on my own!” he protested, stumbling behind me. I let go of him and continued walking to the front door without a word. When I passed the dining room, my mother was still standing in the same spot with the same look of disbelief.

  Good.

  Maybe she would think twice before being rude to me for no reason.

  Once we were in the car and on the road, Julius kept glancing at me. I knew he wanted to know if something happened, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk about it. Every time we left my parents’ house, I always felt anxious or upset due to a night full of discouraging and insulting comments from my mother. Tonight was different, however. Although it started off like any other meeting with her, I left feeling validated, as if I finally defeated the evil witch. I didn’t know what would happen once her shock wore off, but I wasn’t worried about it right now.