Chapter 51 - Fifty-one.

Angelo had dropped her home and gone back to his father's house saying he had some work due to being completed. Alexis knew he wanted her to question him about his whereabouts but she didn't. She nodded in return to the information he offered and said goodbye and then walked inside the house. Alexis had no right to question the man at least in her eyes till she was married to him which was in a matter of days now.

She went up the stairs and towards her room. Agatha was already there with her nightsuit out. Changing into it, she left her skincare for tonight and went to bed.

Alexis wanted to cry for how her mother had behaved. She wanted to yell at her too but she didn't. Angelo was right, her motherhood was to be questioned and not the courage of a thirteen-year-old. Unable to sleep she went downstairs to the kitchen and warmed some milk for herself. She poured it in a mug and walked back to her bedroom. She lazily sat in her ned and sipped it. 

Where had she come? She wondered. And where from?

*****

Good morning," Alexis jumped a bit as she heard Angelo's greeting. She was sitting on the vanity chair, facing the mirror.

"Hey, good morning," she smiled and looked and him, before getting up and walking towards him.

"How are you? Did you rest well last night after that episode with your mother?" He looked concerned about that but she's didn't want to talk about it.

"It was okay. Some warm milk helped." She smiled a bit and informed him, "anyway, I thought we weren't supposed to meet before the wedding." She teased him a bit. His mother had pulled his ear, saying he wasn't allowed here anymore.

"Well," caught me, "I came for some files, thought I'd meet you too on my way out." He showed the ones he had in his hands.

"Oh," she made an understanding face, the mischievousness dancing in her eyes made him a little attentive.

"Anyway," she cleared her throat and sidestepped him out of the room, creating some distance between them. "Isabelle! Isabelle! Angelo's broken in!" She started running and yelling through the corridors making her voice echo. She felt like repeating the words.

"You! Come here!" She ran as Angelo chased her around. She was surprisingly a fast runner.

"Angelo stop it!" Isabelle came out in front of the kitchen as the younger couple ran through the entire house. Isabelle sighed and stood near the dining room entrance.

"Ah!" As soon as Alexis entered, she pulled Angelo from his ear who wasn't far behind.

"I told you not to enter! You never listen, do you want me to call your father and Nonno?" She pulled his ear, twisting it with her fingers making him wince.

"Mama, please," he tried to plead a bit but by his mum's expression, it was better to leave. He raised his arms in a surrender motion and her mother released his ear in return. He stepped backwards, still keeping his hands up and eyes on them. Alexis's happy expression made it all worth it for him. He wanted to imprint that expression in his mind.

"I'll get you, Alexis," pointing his finger at her, he turned around and jogged out of the house.

"Oh, this boy," Isabelle sighed and Alexis laughed. The mother was surprised by her antics but a playful relationship could be a happy relationship. She could only pray.

******

"Well enjoy while it lasts then," raising her cup of tea, Isobel tilted it as beer glass cheering to Alexis's singlehood.

Alexis smiled, "I know, I will no longer be single."

"Oh no," Nikita hurriedly gulped the sip and spoke, "not a single baby. Get ready to deal with the pressures of living in a big family. Oh, wait for 'mafioso' family sounds better."

"Oh," Alexis looked a bit unsure. "what kind of pressure?"

"Let's not scare her away." Isabelle slipped into the conversation, "come on, Alexis we have to talk." She nodded at Agatha and walked up the stairs.

"What is she going to talk to me about?" She whispered to Isobel who was sitting right next to her.m drinking tea and enjoying scones.

"I think it's the birds and the bees talk." She whispered back. Alexis blinked her eyes. Isobel blinked back.

"What?!" Alexis spat the word out. She had her talk years ago and having one from her boyfriend's mother? She would rather die.

"Yes," she nodded. "She's going to tell you how to please her son. Like a mother does when her son gets married." Alexis's felt her eyes popping out. What the hell was this?

"Really?" She looked at Nikita now.

"Yes! They do that. But just listen and let them talk. She might show you books of Kamasutra and teach you things but don't worry, it'll be over before you know!" Nikita informed her, keeping her smile in check. She couldn't laugh and ruin everything now. 

"Oh, God! Why?" If possible in this situation, Alexis wanted to cry. What had she gotten herself into? This was mortifying.

"I don't know.." Isobel looked like she was thinking about the answer. "They just do, you know, as mothers."

"Alexis!" She jumped as she heard Isabelle's voice. She seemed in a hurry to complete this. Isobel and Nikita whisper-yelled 'hurry' to her, making her scurry up the stairs.

"Yes," Alexis stood by the door.

"Oh come on, inside the room please and close the door." Isabelle waved her hand.

Alexis entered. Perhaps it was her secretarial habits of asking permission before entering someone's office which came naturally the moment. She immediately halted when she looked at the desks. There were books covered in velvet martial. Was that Kamasutra?

Oh god no no no no, she chanted in her mind. Sex Ed in school was better than this, even her mother's talk was not this embarrassing. Isabelle sat on the couch and patted the seat next to her while holding the book. Alexis did as told, shakily but she did.

"This is your office," Isabelle waved her hand around and Alexis for the first time looked. It was big, probably two rooms worth of space was taken and beautifully decorated. Must have taken a highly qualified interior designer for this. 

"Why is it so big?" She asked still looking around. This was a spacious office and it was at home too. 

"Well," she cleared her throat a bit, "the thing is if mafia wives have problems they are going to want to talk to you about it; so the couches are for that. Then Angelo would sometimes handover some legal businesses to you or investments so to say and the table and chair come in for that." The simple explanation was what Isabelle had given but Alexis was still focusing on the book. The dreaded book. 

"Okay so, let's begin." She started opening the book only to slammed shut by Alexis's hand. Who seemed to be shaking. Isabelle frowned at the behaviour. Alexis was not making this easy for her. 

Yet, with a comforting smile on her face, she asked her, "Are you, alright child?" She noticed something and questioned her about it too. "You also appear to be sweating.."

"I've had sex before," Alexis blurted out. "I know things okay, you don't need to teach me anything! I know about protection options for both female and males and-"

"Wait what?" Isabelle's shrill voice made Alexis shut up for a moment. "What in the world are you talking about?" what had gotten into her all of a sudden. 

"What's in the book is what I am talking about." Her face gave a duh expression. Of course, she was talking about the book. What else we're they here to talk about? 

"Alexis this books contains the images of all the living members of the family including the elders. You're supposed to memorize the relatives and the relationships we have with them." She waved the book around. "What were you thinking about?" Isabelle asked.

"Who me? Nothing." She immediately looked away. "Nothing at all." She muttered. She was trying her best to gain enough courage and ask her this. After some time she asked again.

"So it's not Kamasutra in there?" She asked to confirm, sneaking a glance from her side-eye at the book. She looked anxious. 

"What?!" Isabelle yelled, shock running through her bones. "No! There are family pictures in here! God! No! Not that!"

Isabelle looked down for a bit and Alexis nervously looked at her. She cleared her throat and thought of starting afresh. "anyway, Okay, I'll tell everything from who to ignore to who to be wary of."

"Oh yeah, I'm free. I have got nothing to do." She ranted with a nervous chuckle at the end. She was pranked on. 

Except for revenge on two hyenas, she thought gleefully.. Oh, she was coming for their asses.