2411

I woke up in the morning with a sudden fright. I opened my eyes to see that the New Orlean was covered into fog and only a few buildings were barely seen from the window. I felt a deep breath behind me that made me shiver a bit. I was barely covered with the blanket and naked. The events from the past night flooded my mind, but everything was so blurred and embarrassing. I only remembered a few moments of my confusion and his words.

I turned around checking if he was sleeping. All the situation seemed so familiar to me as if it was not my first time waking up here on someones hand. I carefully slipped to the floor taking the white shirt with my hands and fast putting it on as if someones could see me naked in a daylight on the high except my sleeping husband.

Husband… I was sitting on the floor in the bathroom, scrolling the golden ring on my finger. The floor was warm. And the ring was nice. I could see the engraving on it written in a beautiful italic font with his initials, RH. Did I belong to him then? I didn know. We were married and that freaked me out. I couldn imagine what exactly I should do, where my place was, how we were going to get along and the family life. I didn know anything about keeping the house or staff like being a good husband. All things we were taught at school by that time seemed useless for me.

And then suddenly the lights went on in the bathroom. I straightened up watching the husband came in. My palms were barely touching the cold wall behind my back. I didn think about my naked body nearly covered with my husbands white shirt. I was watching him trying to predict his every next move. And he, in turn, was behaving as if he was the owner of the house. Actually, that was true. In some case. So he seemed to do everything he did a lot of mornings before: shaving, brushing and washing. As he was shaving his cheek with the old-looking razor, he accidentally glanced at me through the mirror.

”What are you doing? ” He asked curiously continuing his business.

”I want to have a shower, ” answered I quietly.

He stopped for a second. ”Then have a shower. ”

I slightly nodded to him and went to the place where the shower was. It was separated from the other bathroom with the only one thin glass wall. I took the shirt off and hung it on the hook. I pushed the first button and the water jet hit me in the stomach. I panicked and gazed terrified, pushing the other button and the other until finally the thin flow of water came from the top. I softly exhaled and twisted the switch to make the water warmer, but only hushed of a boiling water jumping away. It took me a little to finally set the appropriate temperature, but it was still not hot enough, so I stood under the water with the crossed hands on my chest trying to warm myself up, when I noticed my husband coming nearer and stopping in front of the toilet. I heard the piss sound and his relaxed breathe as if he finally did what he wanted a long time ago.

My eyes barely slid down his back and stopped on his ass. What am I doing? I thought panicky and turned around holding out my hand to the shower gel on the shelf. I froze only for a second trying to figure out what was wrong with me, when I felt a warm and strong body leaned on my back carefully holding mine by my shoulder. He was setting the water and then suddenly a strong flow of water came from above pouring the water at both of us. I frighteningly jumped ahead as he reached the gel and began to wash himself. I was staying just near him. I felt the warmth of his body and the chilly water. I was just near him trembling a bit. I would have stayed there forever if he didn switch the mode and directed the flow of water on my head. I suddenly shuddered feeling the hot water and turned around to look at my husband.

”You can catch a cold if you wash like that, ” said he and left me in the shower alone.

I deeply breathed. Was it a relief breathe or a nervous one — I couldn say. I stayed under the warm water for a long time until I finally began to wash. After the shower I stayed in the bathroom for a little longer, doing my things, and then finally went out.

”Are you ready? ” My husband asked buttoning his shirt.

”Yes, ” I answered quietly.

”You can choose something to wear from the wardrobe. ”

”Okay. Thank you, ” I nodded a bit, clutching my towel with my fingers, and then went to the wardrobe opening it and watching the clothes that were supposed to be mine.

I found some flared jeans and hoodies and I thanked a lot to my husband that there were not pretentious clothes as dresses or suits. That style was the most comfortable for me at that moment. I got dressed when he went out of the room to answer the phone call. My inner sense told me to go into the kitchen and I did so finding my husband preparing coffee. I stepped closer.

”Can you cook an omelette? ” He asked among other things continuing listening to the man talking on the phone.

I nodded taking the egg from the egg pack and splitting it in a half with the fork into the small metal container. The same I did to the other three.

”Do you know how to use the mixer? ” He asked pulling the phone from the ear and watching me.

”No, ” I whispered and then he took the metal container and put it on its place closing it with the pinwheels and showing me the button which I should to press.

I did as he said and flinched when the pinwheels began to buzz smashing the eggs. I saw he put the phone aside, but there was still an incoming call on. He took the plastic container from the fridge and handed it to me.

”Put this inside the mixer. But firstly turn it off… Yeah, now lift it… Take this… Add some tablespoons… The frying pan is on the cooker… The left button… The plus button… Now put the omelette on the pan… ” He was whispering me what to do while a man continued talking on the background.

I didn pay much attention to the words from the phone because I had something very important to do, so I needed to remember all the instructions and buttons my husband told me. I didn know why, but at that moment I felt as if he was enjoying the process of helping and ordering me. I did everything as he told me and then he asked if I knew how to wash the mixer and I shook my head a bit feeling guilty for not even being able to cook the elementary dish. He disassembled the mixer and put the dirty parts into the dishwasher finally pointing me at the pan and then he took the phone continuing listening to someones voice.

I was watching the omelette very careful trying to do it as delicious as I could and when it was finished, I put it on the plate my husband kindly placed on the table. He took only two bites and then handed the fork to me inviting to eat some too. I put one piece into my mouth and froze.

Delicious! Went on my mind and I began to eat it slice by slice, suddenly caught by my husband with a full mouth and almost empty plate. He only smiled a bit patting me softly on my cheek and slightly pushed me to the door, laying his hand on my back.

***

In fact, he was holding his hand on my lower back all the time we were going to the car. And after that too. As if there were no other places he could put his hand on. But, it somehow felt relaxing. I was crossing my hands on my chest when we went out of the flat. I didn look around, just was happy to examining the sparkling floor. His voice was calm and mild. He guided me to the lift and then to the car in the underground parking. The driver was already there. We sat in the car together. I was wondering where we were going. All the situation seemed unfamiliar to me.

The morning New Orlean was busy. A lot of cars on the streets, a lot of people on their way to work. I was sitting near the door as quiet as I could. The radio was talking the news and I listened to some financial things I didn understand. I was not very good at math and never could put two things together. The taste of a recently eaten omelette gave me a pleasant feeling in my stomach. I slowly turned my head to my husband, who was reading something on the phone very carefully slightly frowning. He seemed very concerned. Is he still hungry?

I opened my lips to ask him, but he suddenly asked the driver, ”In such a traffic, how long does it take to come to the office? ”

”About an hour, ” the driver answered.

”An hour… ” almost whispered my husband and then slip a bit on the seat closing his eyes.

”A sleepless night? ” Giggled the driver looking at him in the rearview mirror.

I immediately blushed, feeling the huge embarrassing and slouched trying to hide myself.

”Shut up, ” chuckled my husband, smirking a bit, and crossed his hands on the chest.

***

It was unexpected that we found ourselves in casino. My father told us about how he played there and about his winnings. I was a bit surprised and confused while we were passing by slots machines. There were only a few people in the hall. A few idlers who missed the start of the working day and decided to stay here instead of working. The warmth of my husbands hand was a comforting feeling although it still was on my lower back which felt a bit confusing, but it seemed I got used to it.

We went through the hall with the different casino staff, where the croupiers were packing and unpacking cards, balls and other staff. Then we went downstairs and walked through the dark grey corridor with a few grey dusty lamps. We stopped in front of the door and my husband, as usual, let me in first pushing a bit on the lower back. Inside there were some people around the pool table. There stood a smoke from hookah and joints. Four people were playing cards and two were playing pool. One of the them was sitting in the armchair swigging the hookah.

I felt uncomfortable despite there were two women among them. As an evil, my husband decided to leave me alone from now. He stepped ahead greeting everyone and all of them suddenly stopped raising their heads at him.

”Mornin Ranold, ” said the woman with the cue hugging my husband and giving him two short kisses on the cheeks.

”Morning Jane, ” he answered softly putting his hand on her back.

I looked away, beginning to rub my fingers and scrolling the ring on my hand watching the other different people here. They all looked dangerous. I started thinking I was getting into something really bad.

”¡Hola, cariño! ” Greeted him the plump man with a barb holding him tightly.

”Hola, hola, ” answered my husband.

”Wassup bro? ” The other dark-skinned man raised his voice greeting my husband with the ro hug.

All of the people seemed to know him. He greeted everyone and he smiled every time as they asked him about how he was doing. I felt out of place. They all were seemed to get on well while I was the only one who saw them for the first time. And the heavy air in this basement was kinda unbearable. And on too of them no one ever noticed me as if I was only a shadow or something that stopped near the door after its owner went away.

”So, is it him? ” Asked Jane sitting on the edge of the pool table, putting the blunt end of cue on the floor.

”Yes, ” my husband answered and I felt goosebumps on my back.

I carefully looked up feeling my knees shaking a bit because of all the situation. I didn know what was going to happen, but all of them were watching me with the particular interest.

”Hes yet too green, ” said Jane as if she put a label on me.

”Beware, Jane, ” suddenly answered my husband. ”You
e talking about my husband. ” And then his voice became milder. ”Look at me, Olivier. ”

It was the first time he called me by my name. I froze for a second, feeling how my inner sense deep inside calmed down making me to obey. And I looked right in his eyes. You do not need to fear, echoed his words deeply in my thoughts. You
e my husband.

”We
e the New Orleans Mafia. We
e Hamilton. We
e all in one and everyone is all. Welcome to the Family, Olivier. ”