As Omar drives through the streets of L.A. Leo receives an angry phone call.
I expected it to be his mother and was caught off guard when I heard otherwise. They sounded far too familiar.
"You better keep her safe or else I'm going to come down there and cut off your balls! Do you hear me? I will come after you Leonardo if my best friend gets hurt!" the woman yells through the phone.
Leo tilts his head to me and focuses back on the phone for another earhole of threats. It took a moment for the woman to regain her composure after such verbatim spewed out her sailor's tongue.
"It's for you." he gestures to me the phone and I take it.
"Yo," I reply.
"How are you? I saw the headlines. Do you need me to come down there?" Beth replies anxiously. "I can grab you a bag of sour candy if you need some."
"No," I say too quickly.
"Steph,"
"I'm fine. I brought some with me just in case." My face flushed as I held the wrapper of my fifth sour candy.
It technically wasn't a lie. I did have them, they were just in the car. I stupidly forgot to take them with me. I still hated myself for that and was too embarrassed by the incident to bother to tell her. I also didn't want to add to her pile of worries with the story. That would've been her final straw.
"Beth, be real with me. How bad is it?" I chew the side of my mouth. There was a small pause between the phone, which confirmed my suspicions.
Beth sighs on the other end. "It's pretty bad. Leo's insane fan base does not mess around."
"I bet," I reply, thinking back to when Leo last announced a girlfriend of his.
I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and there Leo was with another co-star. According to Leo, it was mostly arranged to be one of those PR stunts. The photo had been taken by a paparazzi lurking in the bushes somewhere in Downtown L.A. outside of a restaurant. They were walking outside holding hands on one side and carrying drinks with the other.
The poor girl was ripped to shreds in the comment section, being called names and judged by flaws in her appearance. In the next image of the same post were several angry fans right at her house. At what I assumed to be the front gate, you can spot Leo waving over to his fans to back away from them.
"Did we get detoxed?"
"Kind of."
In other words yes.
"Shit." I curse. Leo's eyes pensively darkened. I flicked my gaze to the window, allowing the streetlights to brush my face. "Where are you? Are you okay?"
"Me? I'm perfectly fine. I'm at Thomas's house."
"Thank god." I relax slightly. "So much for having an apartment and moving out."
"I'm sorry Steph."
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault."
"If it hadn't been-"
"I've already had this conversation with Leo. It's fine. It is what it is. Look, Beth, in the meantime, I think you're going to have to stay with Thomas for a while. At least until we sort this out."
"I'll keep her safe here," Thomas yells in the background.
"Hi, Thomas." I smile.
"Hey, Steph. You alright? Beth looked like she was going to heart attack."
"I bet. Is it fine if she stays with you?"
"Always." He replies heartedly. On their end, I hear Beth kissing Thomas as she takes the phone back from him. "Such a sweetie," she says softly.
"I'm glad you have him Beth. Seriously. I owe him big time."
"Don't worry. I'll repay him the favor. What I'm worried about is you. What are you going to do Steph?"
I peer at Leo who is also waiting for that exact answer. His leg was bouncing up and down like a trampoline.
"Not sure. Leo and I will have to figure it out. I'll keep you updated." I answer as we eventually know we have to close the conversation. There was still much I had to do on my end.
She immediately gets my signal and signs. "Okay. Have a good night, or at least try to."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
I passed the phone back to Leo who was just as ready with a response that wouldn't anger Beth. "I promise. I won't let anyone hurt her."
"You better. Don't make me come down there and cut off your balls."
"Understood." He chills.
Wait until she finds a video somewhere online of Leo being slapped by my mother. He's stayed true to his words thus far. I can say that with confidence, unlike most men.
They exchange a few more lasting words, and by last I mean threats and apologies, before ending the call. I pull out my phone and notice the several missed calls and text messages left on my phone. I try to block them out and search for nearby hotels. I grimaced at the prices as the halfway decent hotels were three hundred dollars and up. I considered a motel but then remembered the last podcast I had listened to. Best not to tempt fate given my luck.
I could see it now. "Date of the famous Leonard Ramero Vasquez found dead by daylight at the Wonderstruck Motel."
I shudder at the thought and keep scrolling until I find one that is reasonable. "You guys can drop me off at-"
"No."
"Leo, it's not even that-"
"Doesn't matter. You heard your best friend. I am not leaving you out of my sight."
"Oh come on, you know she wouldn't actually-" I realize who I am talking about, and stop myself. Beth was crazy enough to chase my ex-childhood sweetheart Travis down at the graduation afterparty when I told her about the breakup. I had to rip Beth away as she was about to beat Travis with his graduation cap. She somehow snapped it in half and made Travis beg for someone to call security. It took three entire guards to rip her off of him.
While it was humiliating, I do have to admit, it did make me feel better to some degree.
"You were saying?"
"I promise you, I won't let her cut off your balls."
"Not going to risk it."
"Then where will I be sleeping? In the car?"
"Oh god no. I am a gentleman. Do you think of me that lowly?" He furrows his eyebrows, as though he wanted me to answer the question.
I jumped over it as though it was a hoop and replied, "Well, if not a hotel, then where am I sleeping? Inside your car?"
"No," he confirms. "I wouldn't do that to you Steph."
He slightly frowns when I don't let him peek into my perception of him and turns away back to the window. He was incredibly easy yet at the same time so difficult for me to read. To me, he was the epitome of a poem. Anyone can read a poem but not everyone can understand the full dimensions of it.
I can tell he wants to know what I think of him. But why? Why does he care so much about what I think? Me?
"We're going to my place." His voice sharpens.
"No way," I interject.
"It's a gated community and my house is filled with various guest rooms. You'll barely know I'm here."
"Omar?"
"Sorry Steph, I strictly follow his orders." He says apologetically, as he peers over to me in the rearview mirror.
"What about tomorrow? Or the next day? What then. I can't lounge around your place Leo. It isn't right."
"I'll take care of it." Lights of the road flicker across his pupils as they remain locked onto the window.
"How are you so calm?"
"Estrella, this isn't my first rendezvous remember?" He sits up in his seat and lowers his window. "As I promised Beth, I promise to you too, I'll keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you."
He wants to stare at my wrist. I can feel it.
The mark of my mother's nails is still there. Freshly cut like a slice of pork. She always compared me to one.
I pull my arm closer to my lap and hide it under the remaining tulle on my dress. I could've gotten more than just my wrist hurt had it not been for Leo. His cheek seemed to be returning to normal.
Omar turns into an entryway that easily could've been missed if a person wasn't paying enough attention to the sides of the road. It was a pathway disguised underneath several trees and roadwork. It was nothing special until we reached a paved pathway that further led down to a small booth with a woman dressed in black and white waiting inside.
Leo greets her, sharing a few spare words of our night.
"Daiyu, meet Stephanie. Stephanie, this is Daiyu, head security of Relious."
"Please to meet you." she smiles. "Will she be a continuing guest?"
"More like a permanent resident. I'll need a spare key card ready and a few other things but I'll tell you more about it later." He winks at her, flashing his on-screen smile.
"I see. Please move forward, and enjoy your stay, Stephanie." She flickers an annoyed expression to Leo and pushes a button. Small steel spikes that were at the bottom of the entrance retract as the pearly white gate opens up.
"Woah!" I blink in awe. The entrance to this private community alone called me broke in more ways than I could count. "Um thank you Daiyu."
It sounded more like a question.
Daiyu giggles and Omar pulls forward, introducing me to the sights of the private community of Relious. It had a large fountain crafted with two angels shooting arrows at each other.
"How romantic," I comment too loudly. I forget how pessimistic I get with love symbols. I joked about this with Beth a few times and she would hit me with a frown and disapproving gaze. I told her she wouldn't understand as she wasn't a bitter singleton. She would re-avert the conversation and later told me that I wasn't ready for that conversation. Deep down I know she is right, as much as I hate to admit it.
Omar chuckles as he drives us to the left side of the fountain where various mansions are spread out with their own sum of land. I eye them, thinking about how much each of these houses may cost.
One million.
Three hundred thousand.
Two billion.
I had a hunch Leo was likely a millionaire, but seeing it firsthand was mind-boggling.
"You're thinking about how expensive these houses are. Aren't you?" He raises his eyebrow.
"No," I reply too quickly. "I'm just admiring the scenery that is all. Holy cow! Does that one have a train?"
Leo chuckles, tossing his head back causing his dark hair to drape over his eyes.
"Go ahead laugh at me and my brokenness. At least one of us needed a laugh today."
"I am not laughing at you. I'm laughing because I didn't expect your reaction. I didn't find you the type to find mansions to be amusing. "
"Then what type do you think I am?"
Leo doesn't answer. He hops over my question as I did to him. "Turn here Omar," he instructs him.
"Whatever," I grumble lowering the window to stick my hand out. I played with the air as though it were a piano and traced the outlines of the houses like a painter. It was a nice distraction to idle my worries away. With my other hand, I unravel another sour candy Leo slid over to me as a silent apology. I took it and ate it. I knew we were close as we paved our way up a hill where a house stood at the top, overlooking the city below.
As much as I hate to admit it, Leo's mansion was absolutely beautiful. It had a pair of black gates which Omar opened with a controller. As we entered we were greeted with various Greek statues strategically placed around the front yard that made it look like a maze.
"We're here." Omar smiles as he parks the car in front of the wide doors of the mansion.
Leo races to the other side of the car to open my door as I unbuckle myself. Stepping out, I am increasingly overwhelmed by how large his home is. It looked about to be three stories high with many more rooms than I believe there to be.
Greeting us at the front door is Stefan awaiting our arrival. He gave me a sincere smile, shielding any pity in his expression. We both knew I was a hot mess. Okay, a mess. Definitely not hot.
"Welcome, Ms. Martinez."
"Thank you, Stefan. I apologize for the intrusion."
"I hardly call you an intrusion. It is nice to adhere to someone other than Sir Leo for a change." We both turn to him as he types a detailed message into his phone. He peeks away from his screen to rejoin the conversation.
"Likewise." The side of my mouth perks.
"Come now. I'll guide you to your room." He widens the door and gestures for me to step inside. Leo trails from behind and sends the message he heavily concentrates on.
Hanging right above us at the entrance is a large chandelier that is probably worth more than my annual income. "I hope Leo didn't ruffle your feathers too much tonight. He tends to do that when he's nervous. Oh, how I remember that time when he went against you in that chess competition, and he-"
"Stefan." Leo shoots him a look with great displeasure, enough to make me chuckle.
"I've only spoken the truth, Leonardo." The edge of Stefan's mouth perks. "Come follow me this way, Ms. Martinez."
Stefan starts to make his way up the marble staircase onto the second level of the mansion. I turn behind me to see if Leo is coming along.
He was not.
Leo starts to head to the opposite wing of the first level of his mansion with his phone buzzing like crazy. Leo flicks his phone to his eyes, earning him a groan. His pace quickens and I follow.
"Where do you think you're going?" I ask matching his footsteps to who knows what part of the house he is heading to.
Leo freezes in his place and as he turns to me, the screen of his phone lights up displaying an incoming call. Leo curses under his breath and covers the screen with his other hand blocking me from seeing the caller ID.
"One minute," he snaps to the other person on the line and puts them on hold. His eyebrows furrow slightly when he faces me. "Sorry. I have to take care of something. I'll meet with you later. I promise." He steps back and hovers his finger over the hold button, waiting for my confirmation. For my permission.
Goosebumps ran up my arms, making me wish he didn't value my protests. It made it much too difficult to be angry with him.
I raise a glance back at Stefan, he stood at the top waiting for me to meet him. Behind him is a wide-circled glass window measuring the distance from those in the tall L.A. buildings.
I fan my hand, signaling the turtle to resume his conversation, "If I get lost in this mansion, I'm suing you for neglect of your guest."
His stupid star-stopping grin returns on his face with sheer amusement. He presses his screen and shifts into a completely different person. The grin disperses into thousands of particles, and the tone of his voice mimicked that of a butcher who was told he was out of stock on the day of Thanksgiving. Leo never took me as the aggressive type, but whoever was on the other line must've messed up big time. "I'm not asking, I am requesting for it to get it done regardless if my mother disagrees—"
His loud footsteps were enough to cover the silence between Stefan and I made my way up the extensive staircase. I was careful not to knock any of the beautiful display items on the platforms attached to the railings.
One piece could require selling both my lungs, kidneys, and spleen on the black market to pay off five percent of its regular value. I wasn't going to tempt fate simply because my two feet couldn't walk in a straight line.
At the platform, Stefan leads me toward an illuminated hallway connecting to the mansion's west wing. I caught glances of elegant family portraits staring down at me like the peasant that I am, specifically Leo's mother. She held a certain squint in her eyes that replicated a snake winking at the sign of a helpless mouse. I do admit, I was always scared of that woman.