I kept folding towels, my mind trying to map out this suddenly much larger family tree.
"So, an Italian chef and a Korean CFO. Do we... see them much? Or...?" I left the question hanging, trying to sound casually interested and not like I was conducting an interrogation.
Nadia shook her head, handing me a stack of Emily's jeans to fold. "No, no. They have their own lives, very busy. Tammy with her restaurants and shows, Lee Da In with her company. We don't like to impose." She said it without a hint of bitterness. It was just a fact.
"But we are close…. We talk on the video phone often. And they always come for the big holidays—Unity Day, Christmas, my birthday. They are good girls. They know their family is here."
A memory, faint and blurry, tugged at the back of my mind. The old Sael's memory. A crowded living room, louder than usual. The smell of unfamiliar perfume and strong coffee. A woman with dark, curly hair and a loud, booming laugh trying to pinch my cheek. Me, wrenching away and storming off to my room, slamming the door.
"Did... did I used to hide when they came over?" I asked, my voice a little quiet.
Nadia's smile turned a little sad. "You did, my love. You did not like the noise. Or the attention." She sighed softly.
"Tammy, she has a big heart, but she is... direct. She and your Aunt Tulsa, they would try to talk to you… To get you to come out. They thought they could... 'straighten you up,' as they said. It always ended with shouting. Your mother would be so upset afterwards."
I could picture it perfectly. The old Sael, scared and angry at any attempt to pull him out of his shell, seeing any outreach as an attack. And these two strong-willed aunts, probably completely baffled by this effeminate, hostile nephew, trying to fix him with brute force.
'No wonder they kept their distance. Who would want to deal with that?'
We finished the last of the laundry, the baskets now full of neatly folded clothes smelling like fresh air and comfort.
"Has anyone told them?" I asked, picking up my basket to take to my room. "You know. About... me being better?"
Nadia nodded, picking up her own basket. "Your mother called them both last weeks. She just said you had... turned a corner. That you were helping around the house, talking more. That you were doing well." She gave me a warm, knowing look.
"They were very happy to hear it. Tammy said, 'It's about time that boy got his head on straight!' in that loud way of hers."
"Hahahaha~" I let out a short laugh. Yeah, that sounded about right.
"That's good," I said, and I meant it. It was good they knew the problem child wasn't a problem anymore.
But internally, my walls went up just a little. Positive news was one thing. But I hadn't met these women. The old Sael had a history with them, and not a good one. They had their own successful, separate lives. They weren't part of the daily struggle here in this apartment. For now, that was fine by me. I had enough on my plate repairing the relationships right in front of me.
I didn't need to go hunting for more, especially with powerful, strong-minded women who might have their own ideas about how I should be living my life. A polite, distant cordiality was the best policy. For now.
Basket dropped on my bed; I wandered back out into the living room. The place was quiet for once. Mom was probably sewing, Vera and Bella were at work, and Emily was doubtless streaming in her room.
I plopped down on the couch, but I wasn't there to relax. I was waiting.
The plan to build Meteor Studio's physical presence was solid. But you can't build a fortress without a good legal foundation. You need a lawyer. A shark. And not some fancy corporate suit from a big firm who'd bill me a million dollars just to say hello. I needed someone I could trust. Or, at least, someone whose loyalties were already tied to this family.
Aunt Kate. Katherine Beck. Mom and Vera's close friend. A lawyer. She was the perfect starting point. She already knew the family's situation, the history. She'd seen the old Sael at his worst. If I was going to trust anyone on the outside to help me build this shell company, it would be her. It was the most logical move.
"[KNOCK! KNOCK!]"
The key turned in the lock with a soft click, followed by the gentle creak of the front door swinging open. I looked up from my phone, a smirk already playing on my lips.
"Hello? Anyone home?".
Aunt Kate's voice, always a little husky, cut through the quiet of the house. And then she walked in.
'My God, she is sexy as heck,'
she was a vision. Dressed for corporate war in a sharp, black formal suit, the jacket was tailored to perfection, hugging her torso. But it was the tight, black pencil skirt that truly deserved a fucking award. It clung to her hips and ass like a second skin, accentuating every curve and hinting at the promise beneath.
A heavy leather sling bag was slung over her shoulder, the weight of it making her look both powerful and, to my very specific tastes, incredibly fuckable.
"Hey, Nadia," She greeted my Grandma Nadia, who was puttering around in the kitchen.
"Hi, Kate! Just in time, I'm putting the kettle on for tea!" Nadia called out, her voice cheerful and entirely unaware of the filth running through my mind.
"That sounds wonderful, Nadia, thank you!" Kate replied, her professional facade firmly in place for the family audience.
Her eyes then found me, lounging on the plush living room sofa. The professional mask didn't so much crack as it melted clean away, replaced by a warm, intimate glow. I stood up, playing the part of the welcoming nephew.
"Hi, Aunt," I said, my voice a low rumble.
"Hi, honey," she breathed out, her voice dropping an octave, meant only for me.
She dropped her heavy bag onto the floor with a definitive thud, not caring where it landed. In two strides, she closed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around me. It wasn't a casual, familial hug.
"Ouf! HUG!". It was tight, intimate, her body pressing flush against mine. I could feel the stiff material of her suit jacket and the incredible softness of everything underneath.
"Kiss~ Hmmmm~ Sllrpp!". I didn't hesitate. I crashed my lips down onto hers. This wasn't a peck on the cheek. This was a deep, hungry, claiming kiss. Her mouth opened for me instantly, and our tongues met in a familiar, desperate dance.
"Schlurp... Schluuup!!." The sounds were obscenely loud in the quiet living room, mixed with our low, greedy moans. The scent of her perfume, something expensive and floral, filled my head.
My right hand, which had been resting on the small of her back, slid downward without any pretense of subtlety. I palmed the magnificent curve of her ass through that tight skirt. The fabric was smooth, but I could feel the firm, fleshy globe beneath. I squeezed hard, making her gasp into my mouth. Then I drew my hand back and delivered a sharp, stinging slap.
"PAH! GRAB!!" The sound echoed, a sharp report that was downright criminal.
"Hmmmm!!!" A shudder ran through her entire body.
"Ahh…" I broke the kiss, my lips hovering just inches from hers.
"You wear a G-string. I like it," I growled, my voice thick with desire.
She looked up at me through fluttering eyelashes, her cheeks flushed, her lipstick smeared. Her expression was utterly smitten, completely subdued.
"I know," she whispered, a little breathless. "I wear them because my honey wanted me to."
That did it. The idea that she'd gone through her high-powered business day with nothing but a tiny string nestled between her ass cheeks because I'd told her to… fuck. The possessiveness that roared through me was almost primitive.
But we had an audience, however oblivious, just a room away. With considerable effort, I pulled back. I took her hand and led her to the sofa. We sat down facing each other, knees touching. The air between us still crackled with raw, sexual energy, a stark contrast to the mundane setting of my grandmother's living room.
I took a breath, shifting gears into business mode, though my blood was still pumping south.
"Aunt Kate," I began, my tone becoming more serious, though my eyes still drank her in. "I wanted to talk to you about a business proposition….".
"Oh?" she said, subtly smoothing down her skirt, trying to compose herself. The good little lawyer reappearing. "What kind of proposition?"
"I wanted to hire you," I said, leaning forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "I want you to become the in-house lawyer for Meteor Studio."
Her eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise, the last remnants of her turned-on haze clearing for a moment. "In-house? For your new venture? Sael, that's… a huge commitment."
"I know," I said, a slow grin spreading across my face. "And I only want the best, that is why it had to be you.".