by MJ Summers
Alessandra paused, her mouth hanging open, not sure what to say. “I don’t think that will work, Gabriela. After I finish my degree, my family needs me to come home to Bebedouro. I’m sorry. Maybe Joel knows of someone?”
Gabriela made a clicking sound with her tongue, clearly annoyed by her nanny’s answer. “Parem! I don’t want those flowers in the house. Everything out by the pool! Take them out through the kitchen!” she shouted, causing Alessa to hold the phone away from her ear.
Gabriela took a deep breath. “I don’t want to trouble him with this. Listen, you think it over. If things work out the way I hope, I’ll make sure you get a nice big bonus once we are settled here.”
“I don’t know, I—”
“I don’t have time for this right now. I have to go. We’ll talk about this later,” Gabriela replied in a rushed tone. “Give Tomas a big kiss from his mommy.”
“Okay, I will,” Alessa answered, her words cut off as Gabriela ended the call. Rolling her shoulders back a few times and letting her head tip from side to side, she tried to release the tension she was feeling. Working for Gabriela had become much more than she had bargained for.
She had been hired two years ago to work as a part-time nanny. The original arrangement allowed Alessandra to attend school on weekdays and watch Tomas at night and on weekends, giving Gabriela a chance to run errands and go out. Alessandra had been searching for a free place to live, somewhere quiet so she could study. For the first year, the job had worked out perfectly. Tomas’s naps and early bedtime had given her enough time to complete her schoolwork.
That had all changed when Gabriela met Joel Salles, however. Alessa found herself working as a full-time caretaker for weeks at a time, missing more classes than any fourth-year law student could afford. Now, her once-strong grades were falling. Alessandra’s mother had been urging her to quit for months now, to just drop Tomas off at his grandparents’ house and get back to school.
“You are being used, Alessandra. Don’t allow that woman to do this to you. You’re exhausting yourself for someone who really doesn’t care about you at all.”
“Mãe, I’m fine, really. I’m handling everything. Besides, it’s not like he has a father to take him in, and he doesn’t even know his grandparents. I can’t leave him like that.”
They’d been having this conversation for months, but it was only now that Alessandra was able to admit that maybe her mother was right. She was already stretched to her limit, and she knew the next few weeks would be much more taxing. The thought of managing to complete her last few assignments, study for finals and look after Tomas was like staring up at a mountain, knowing it was thousands of steps to the peak.
Alessa pulled the plug in the sink and watched the water drain. She touched the tiny tornado created by the last of the water swirling down and out of sight. A wave of exhaustion swept over her. At twenty-two, Alessa was plain worn out. She slowly crossed the floor of the living room and walked down the hall, ignoring her textbooks in favour of the soft mattress waiting for her in her tiny bedroom.
Dropping onto the bed with a soft thud, she fell immediately asleep, waking up two hours later to the little coughing sound Tomas had been making when he woke since getting sick. She could hear him calling for her. “Lessa!”
It had been weeks since he had called for Gabriela. He seemed to have adjusted to the fact that she was gone again. Now that Alessa thought about it, she realized that even the last time Gabriela had been in town, he had never gone back to calling for his mother. Something about that broke Alessandra’s heart. Quickly standing, she smoothed her hair out of her face as she stumbled down the hall, fuzzy-headed from her long sleep.
When she reached his room, he was sitting up in his bed, rubbing his eyes and sniffling. “Lessa, I’m firsty,” he said in English.
“Well, let’s get you a drink,” Alessa replied, smiling at him as she walked over and picked him up in her arms. One of the job requirements was that she speak to him in English. Gabriela was very determined that her son be fluent in more than one language, and English was the language of choice for the rich parents of Brazil.
Giving him a little peck on the forehead, Alessa noticed that his fever had returned. It wasn’t as bad as the day before, but they would be in for another rough night if this kept up.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Twelve Hours Later
Gabriela blinked her eyes, trying to adjust to the light in the kitchen as she walked into the house. She stumbled a little as she crossed the room, having had several cocktails as the party wore on. Outside, the music was booming, causing the toaster to make its way across the counter from the vibrations. Giggling to herself, she caught the small chrome appliance just before it found the edge of the granite and dropped to its doom. The party was going amazingly well, and nothing could lower her sense of elation.
She danced across the cool tile floor in her bare feet, staring at her left hand, which now bore an enormous diamond surrounded by a band of equally stunning white gems. Joel had asked her to marry him while they were getting dressed for the party earlier. He had thrown the little black box onto the bed beside the dress she had laid out for herself.
“Here,” he said, smiling at her. “This will go well with your dress.”
Gabriela, in only her black lace bra and panties, snatched up the box, her smile as she opened it giving away her high expectations.
He stood across the room in only a towel, watching for her reaction.
Squealing, she took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. “YES!”
“Yes what?” he asked, striding over to her.
“Yes, this will go with my dress,” she teased.
“I think it goes with what you’re wearing right now even better.” Gabriela threw her arms around Joel’s neck and kissed him wildly on the mouth. She had done it. She had managed to find the perfect man to take care of her and Tomas. She had finally found love and was going to be forever free from relying on her parents for money. Never again would she have to face their disapproving looks when she asked for more cash or when they took in the sight of their grandson. She was starting over in Rio, far from her family, with a sexy, rich, exciting, powerful man.
Tugging off his towel, Gabriela ran one hand down his abs and straight to his waiting cock. He was as ready for her as she had become for him as soon as she had cracked open the lid of that black box. Lowering herself to her knees, she held his length in her hand as she plunged her mouth over him. Joel’s hands made their way to the back of her head so he could push his throbbing cock deeper. She had a way with her tongue and skilled hands that had him close to coming within mere moments. She knew the way she serviced him was purely addictive for Joel.
Now, as Gabriela crossed the living room, she spotted a mirror on the coffee table with four neatly arranged lines of white powder and a small straw sitting beside them. She had been on the way upstairs to wait for Joel, who had told her to meet him in bed in five minutes. She passed the table and then turned back, remembering how intense the sex was after they had done some coke a few months ago. Every sensation had been heightened incredibly. Picking up the straw, she held it to her nose, closing one nostril and taking a long whiff to inhale the powder. Her nose twitched at the tingling feeling, and she rubbed it for a second before sniffing the next line. The drug’s effects were immediate. Putting down the straw, she tried to stand but her legs folded under her instead. The room started to spin viciously as the lights grew dim around her. Gabriela’s head smacked against the white tile under the coffee table as she blacked out. The wooden leg of that table was the last thing she would ever see.
Three
San Diego, California
Trey stepped out into the bright sunlight, relief and pride bringing a huge smile to his face. Punching the air with his fist, he jogged down the steps of the economics building. After three solid years of assignments, projects and studying, Trey was finally completely free. He figu
red he’d earned a couple of days of surfing and soaking up the sun. And sleep. Dear God, he’d be able to actually go to bed at a reasonable hour, instead of studying until two in the morning only to get up a few hours later to make it to class.
He’d give himself two days of surfing before his parents arrived in town for his commencement ceremony. After that, Trey would buckle down again and find himself a job—no, a career. Something that would allow him to finally make some real money so he could start a college fund for little Tomas as well as send child support payments to Gabriela. He’d save up so he could visit his son as often as possible. Since Gabriela had taken Tomas back to Brazil, Trey had felt an ever-present emptiness, knowing a part of himself was so far away. But he couldn’t fix that today, so he hoped an afternoon of pure adrenalin would help fill that void, even just temporarily.
An hour later, he found himself paddling out against the waves on his roommate’s surfboard. A broad smile crossed his face as his arms cut the water on either side of the board, propelling him farther from shore. Trey knew he was lucky to have hit a spring day with such perfect conditions. The surf was head-high, and the sun warmed the black fabric of his wetsuit while the cool, refreshing water lapped over him. He lay with his stomach flat against the board, alive and powerful as he fought the tide with ease. When he’d gone far enough out to sea, he turned the board to face the shoreline of Sunset Cliffs. This was freedom.
In one quick and graceful move, he gripped both sides of the board with his strong hands as he lifted his torso and flipped onto his feet. He stood balanced and completely in tune with the wave that now carried him to the shore. His heart pounded, in part from the work of paddling against the current and in part from the exhilaration that he always felt at this moment. Adrenalin rushed through his veins. He loved to push himself to the limit in everything he did and this was no exception. Surfing was one of the few pure pleasures he allowed himself, and it would be a difficult one to give up if he had to move away from the ocean to find work.
Several runs later, he dragged himself out of the water for a break. The sun was starting to lower itself in the sky, giving a lazy glow to the world. He dropped down onto his beach towel and caught his breath as he watched the water hurtling toward the shore. Lying back, he closed his eyes and took in the sounds of the crashing waves, the gulls in search of an early dinner and the exuberant groups of students now starting to wander down to the beach.
University was over and he was a free man. The comfort of this thought, along with the warmth of the sun on his skin, caused him to drift off into a peaceful nap. Moments later, a ping from his cellphone brought him out of his bliss. Wiping his hands on the towel, he dug around in his backpack for his phone. He saw that he had missed a call from Gabriela. He accessed his voice mail to hear the message.
“Trey, this is Joel Salles. I am . . . was . . . with Gabriela for the past several months. I have some horrible news, and I hate to leave this message, but you need to know immediately. Gabriela passed away suddenly last night. You will have to come and get Tomas. He will be with the nanny until you can get here. I’m so sorry, I know this is a terrible shock.” There was a long pause before Joel’s voice resumed, his words now rushed. “I will have Alessandra text you her information so you can reach her.” Click.
Trey sat up and replayed the message several times. Between the sounds of the beach, Joel’s thick accent and the way his voice cracked with emotion, Trey had trouble making it out. His heart dropped into his stomach with the gravity of what he had just heard. Gabriela was dead. How could this have happened? His son had just lost his mother.
Trey sucked in a huge breath of air as though he had completely forgotten to breathe for the past several minutes. His heart pounded as his chest expanded. He rubbed his hand through his wet hair and stared down at the phone in his palm. “Fuck,” he whispered to himself. “I must have it wrong. There’s no way she’s dead.”
Trey stood, flicking sand off his towel with a snap before shoving it into his backpack. He slung the pack over his shoulder and scooped up the surfboard, hurrying back to campus. What the fuck will I do if she’s really gone?
Four
São Paulo, Brazil
Alessandra sat on a blanket in the shade of a large tree, watching Tomas as he and a girl about his age took turns on a small slide. He was finally feeling better, having made the type of remarkable recovery that only children can, going from being listless to having energy to burn overnight. Her heart ached, seeing him play so innocently, with no understanding that his mother had died. They had not gone to the funeral at the request of Gabriela’s parents, who did not believe it would be good for Tomas. She thought of Gabriela, a mother he would barely remember, and sadness crashed over her again. Digging around in her purse, she found her cellphone and called her sister, Betina.
“Olá, Alessa!” Betina answered. “How’s Tomas?”
“He’s good—happy today. He doesn’t really know what has happened. We’re at the park this morning.”
“Poor little guy.”
“I know. It’s all so sad.” Alessandra sighed.
“Has the American shown up yet?”
“Not for a few more hours.”
“You have to call me first chance you get. I can’t wait to find out all about him.” Betina’s voice switched in an instant from sympathy to excitement. “I’m living through you right now until I can get off this stupid farm and finally have a life.”
“Believe me, my life is far from thrilling. There’s a lot you’ll miss when you leave home.”
“You keep saying that, but I really don’t believe it.” Betina was twenty-one and headstrong, full of that exuberance for life possessed only by those who have yet to leave home.
“You’ll just have to see for yourself,” Alessandra answered evenly.
“So, what are you going to wear today? Are you dressing up?”
“Why would I do that? There’s been a tragic death, remember?” Alessandra started to feel annoyed with her sister.
“Yes, but sometimes great passion can start out as one person comforting another.”
“Oh God. Not in this case. First of all, he’s way too old for me. Second, he has a wife, I think. Or a girlfriend. The chef that he left Gabriela for, remember?”
“Well, maybe they broke up. And who cares if he’s old? He’s rich! I think it’s worth some makeup and a push-up bra, just in case. Maybe he’ll fall madly in love with you and whisk you away to his ranch.” Betina’s voice took on a dreamy quality as she spoke.
“I don’t want to be whisked away anywhere. I’m finishing school and moving home. Besides, I don’t know if he even has a ranch. When I spoke with him a couple of days ago, he mentioned something about wrapping things up in San Diego, not Colorado.”
“But still, just in case, some lipstick maybe?” Betina was like a dog with a bone.
Alessandra shook her head in irritation, even though her sister couldn’t see. “Betina, romance is the last thing on my mind when it comes to this man. The only thing I need to do is make sure I don’t send Tomas off with someone who may not be fit to raise a chicken.”
“Oh, you’re no fun.”
“There are more important things in life than fun.”
“So Mãe keeps telling me,” Betina complained.
“She’s right. We’re adults. We have responsibilities, and at the moment, my biggest one is Tomas.”
“But, Alessa, even if he would be a horrible parent, what could you do about it? He’s Tomas’s father.”
“I’ll find a way to stop him if I have to. I know the law, and what I don’t know, I know how to find out. I can’t count on Tomas’s grandparents to take care of this, so he needs me to make sure he’ll end up in a good home.”
“I suppose . . .”
“Exactly.” Alessa’s voice was all business. “Hopefully everything will be fine, but I’ll only have a few days to figure out if he can be trusted. I should go. Tomas need
s lunch and a nap. I just wanted to say hi.”
“Okay. Call me tonight.”
“If I can, I will. Hugs to Mãe and Vô.”
* * *
Trey stared out the open window of a cab as it crawled along the congested roadway that led from the airport toward Gabriela’s condo. In spite of his exhaustion, he forced himself to focus, to take in the sights, sounds and smells passing by as he travelled through the most impoverished streets he’d ever seen. A wave of nausea hit him, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the long trip or the feeling of being suddenly very much alone and out of place. Reality was setting in. His life would never be the same. He was on the opposite side of the world from home, with no one to help him.
Colourful buildings passed by, many of them held up by walls that had been shared over the years by generations of graffiti artists. Makeshift houses sat huddled together, fashioned from scrap metal and wood in such a haphazard way that Trey wondered how they hadn’t just fallen over at the first big breeze. Children ran around with no shoes to protect their feet from the hot pavement. Still, they smiled and laughed, and it occurred to Trey that no matter what they had or didn’t have, kids were incredibly adept at making the best of life.
The stench of sewage blended with the smell of cooking meat. Trey wrinkled up his nose in spite of himself, and he tried to subtly cover his nostrils with his hand, hoping the driver wouldn’t notice. Although Trey had seen places like this on television, actually finding himself here was an entirely different experience. It was all too real and made him long for his safe, tiny dorm room in San Diego.
He knew he was heading to a much nicer neighbourhood, however. When he’d shown the driver the name and address of Gabriela’s building, the driver had given an impressed nod and made a remark that sounded approving. Now, as they continued on, the man glanced back in his rear-view mirror at Trey.
“Very poor.” The driver pointed out the window with one thumb. “Favela . . . um, guns, drugs, no safe. No stop car here at night. Even red light. Go.” He gestured with one hand as he looked back at Trey.
