Chapter 114 - Making New Friends

"I never had a boyfriend before," Persephone said. "So, sure. If I have such a brave and handsome boyfriend, I will be so glad." 

"Great," Santiago beamed. Looking at his mother, he said, "Mom, she said she will be my girlfriend."

"But Santiago, didn't you say you are Rose, Kate, and Nelly's boyfriend?" Valencia asked his son, feigning ignorance. 

Persephone feigned a gasp and Santiago hit his head with his palm. "No, mom," he groaned."I'm not their boyfriend but they are my girlfriends." 

"Aww, aren't you a little heartbreaker?" Persephone asked the kid, amused. 

"Ah, if this heartbreaker is not my favorite customer?!" A woman's excited voice rang. Persephone saw a very beautiful brunette coming their way. She had a kid fastened on her hip. And did she mention the kid's eyes were like balls of her favorite chocolates? Excitedly, she asked, "Did you see I added new desserts for you?"

"Oh, so it was you, Ellison," Valencia said. "Thank you." 

"Who else if not for this beautiful Ellison Salvatore," Ellison said dramatically. "Ah, I now notice a beauty beside my favorite customer." 

"Hello," Persephone smiled. 

"This is my girlfriend," Santiago announced, amusing Ellison to no end. 

"Hello Santiago's beautiful girlfriend," Ellison beamed. 

"Mrs. Salvatore, you have a phone call," A tall and Bulky man said as he emerged from behind. 

Ellison groaned. "Not now, Ace." Seeing that he insisted, she sweetly added, " Tell my dear husband that I am shifting our new house into a harem for myself. And he could shove all his problems down his ass if he had any." 

"Sir?" The man called Ace hesitantly said while fastening the phone on his ear. 

"He was on call?" Ellison's eyes widened funnily. "Why the hell didn't you inform me beforehand."

"I tried to tell you but ---"

"You are fired, Ace," Ellison said in a threatening voice. 

Everyone including Persephone gasped. They thought Ellison was a funny and easy-going woman but no she could be a mean bitch too. 

"Sure, Mrs. Salvatore. I will pack all the bags before you reach your home," Ace said before leaving. 

Ellison had an urge to stomp her feet on the floor like a kid but then she realized that the kid on her hip was staring at her with those big chocolatey eyes. "I wish I could bite you, baby." She said while trying to take a bite of her baby's chubby cheek. 

"Dawda!"

"Wncle Sase! Wave Wemy! Mommy weating Wemy!"

[Uncle Ace! Save Emy! Mommy eating Emy!"

"Hush! You! Like father, like daughter!" With a harrumph, she sat on the chair next to Valencia with her baby on her lap. 

Persephone looked at the retiring back of Ace and then at the madwoman. What on earth was happening? 

"You fired him just like that?" Persephone asked Ellison. 

Valencia choked on her drink when she heard Persephone. "I have known Ellison for a week. And all I can say is...in those days the man had been fired more than twenty times already." 

"Is he not your bodyguard?" Persephone glanced at Ellison with curious eyes. 

"Does he look like one?" Ellison raised her brow. "If I ever chose one, I would choose a handsome one. The kind of bodyguard who would not let me miss my husband."

And isn't it the reason why her dearest husband had chosen this ugly ass as his boyfriend?!

"So, he is not your normal bodyguard," Persephone was amused now. 

"Oh, honey, he is my husband's snitch as well as bitch," Ellison said sweetly. "People are right when they say if we say and do something so frequently, you lose your value. I will not fire him for at least one day. Perhaps, the next day when I will fire him, he will leave his job out of shame." Then she looked at her daughter and said," And you Uncle Ace's ardent follower, you are not allowed to talk to him and your daddy. Or else I will prepone the date of our divorce."

Emy just rolled her eyes at her dramatic mommy. She was too calm and smart for a two and half year old kid. 

"For a moment, I really thought he was going to leave his job this time," Valencia said. "Especially when he said he will pack all the bags."

"Please, don't remind me again," Ellison said sadly. "I secretly came to New York without my husband's knowledge a month ago. And now that he knows that I am here, he is asking me to leave this state. I can't believe that he did this! The audacity of the man! I have yet to see his sexy but infuriating face for more than two months! And the first thing he said to me in these two months is to leave New York?!! Who the hell does he think that he is?!" 

"Why doesn't he like you staying in New York?" Persephone asked. She pities the man who would experience Ellison's wrath. 

Ellison fell silent. "He never had a problem with any other state but whenever I talk about New York. He gets irritated. I love this state but he doesn't. Val, I know I can be dramatic sometimes but do you think he is hiding other women such as a mistress in this state?"

"It's not good to mistrust your partner, Ellison. He must have his reasons." 

Ellison sadly nodded. She then turned to Persephone and asked, "Are you a local, sweetie?"

Persephone nodded with a smile. 

"Then, you must come regularly to visit me. I am alone in this big city. And I think I will love some friends." 

"I will try, Ellison," Persephone didn't decline but she knows her limit. 

"Miss Marino?" Kale's nervous voice was heard. 

Persephone turned her head to look at Kale. 

"We should leave now." 

Persephone sighed and nodded."I have to leave now." 

Valencia and Ellison nodded. 

"Take care, honey. I hope to meet you again." Persephone left after leaving a kiss on Santiago's forehead. 

"Marino," Ellison whispered the name as her eyes linger in the direction where Persephone left. She was familiar with this name. Many times, she has heard her husband saying this name when he believed that she was not listening to his conversations on the phone. 

'Just who are you?'

"Why are you sad, Santiago?"Ellison heard Valencia cooing her son. 

"Persephone left, "Santiago said sadly. 

"Persephone?" Ellison furrowed her brows. 

"Yeah, Percy. The girl that was sitting here." 

"Her name is Persephone?"Ellison asked her, horrified. 

"Yeah," Valencia said with a confused look. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah." Ellison smiled. As she was about to say something, her baby started crying for food and so she excused herself to feed her. 

"Persephone Marino, why is this name so familiar?" Ellison wondered out loud. 

… 

Outside, the cafe. 

"Miss Marino, please wait here," Kale said before leaving to bring the car. 

"Sure," Persephone said. She was humming as she was in a good mood. Earlier, when she had entered the cafe, she was sulking and no doubt in a bad mood. But a few minutes with these strangers and look at her. How happy is she to meet them? 

And little Santiago, she didn't know why but she found herself very drawn to the kid. She couldn't describe what it was that drew her attention, his eyes or his name. 

Seeing that Kale wasn't back even after five minutes, she thought of looking for him. But before she could take a step ahead, she found herself crashing against a hard chest. 

"Ouch!" Persephone winced in pain and rubbed her nose to ease the pain. 

When her teary and angry eyes look up to glare at the person who had the audacity to bump into her, she forgets to breathe. A pair of pale blue eyes were staring right back at her. Why did it seem that she had seen those eyes somewhere? 

"Have we met before?"Before Persephone could control, the sentence had left her mouth. 

She heard a snort and turned her head to see a teenage girl dressed in the most outrageous dress possible. "Really? People still use this pick-up line?!"The girl snorted in disgust. But when she saw that her boyfriend was still staring at the woman in front of them. She said in a sickly sweet voice," Baby! I'm so hungry. Can we please go in?"

The aforementioned baby nodded his head. 

"What a bitch!" Persephone mumbled. 

The girl stopped to glare at her. "What did you say?"

"Why? Are you deaf? Or your ears need to be cleaned that you can't hear what I said!" Persephone was merciless to the girl she just met now.

"How dare you?! How dare you call me birch after eyeing my boyfriend?!" the girl shouted. 

"Eyeing your boyfriend, little girl?"Persephone snorted. " I got a Deja Vu after seeing him, which is the only reason I asked him if I knew him. Plus, I have a boyfriend who is a thousand times cuter and sweeter than this block of ice." 

"Miss Marino!"

Persephone turned her head to find Kale. "And little girl, tie your boyfriend to your panties or he will run away!!"

It was not only the girl left dumbfounded but also her boyfriend. What was his fault and why was he berated by this Red Chili? 

"Cameron?!"

"Enough, Jennifer! You can leave now. I don't want you to create a scene before my sister and nephew!"