The Bonus

“Stay out of your way?” I gasp as I march after him. “That is…” I widen my eyes, about to explode, “…not happening.”

Wearing a navy suit and tie, it’s obvious he has come straight from work. He dumps his laptop case onto the floor and looks around as he puts his hands on his hips. “Where are my children?”

Something about him calling my children his children is like waving a red flag in front of me. “Listen.” I pull him by the arm into the kitchen so that they can’t hear us. “You do not get to show up here unannounced,” I whisper angrily.

“I just did.” His cold eyes hold mine, and he steps forward, causing me to step back. “I’m staying here tonight.”

Something about his huge body with all its dominance standing over me makes my stupid body react, the air crackles between us and damn it, this hot asshole is infuriating.

“Yeah, well, it’s not happening. You’ll have to get a hotel or something.”

“Everything is booked out.”

“Not my problem.”

“Let’s get one thing clear, Grace…” He takes another step forward, causing me to take another step back. “I am your problem, your only fucking problem. I will be staying here in this house with my children tonight.”

“No.”

“Call the police and have me removed.” His eyes flicker with fury. “I dare you.”

“I will have no hesitation in doing that, asshole.”

“Do you really want to start the war, Grace?”

“Bring it.”

He gives me a slow, sarcastic smile.

“What the hell do you want from me?” I spit.

“Equality,” he growls. “And god damn it, you are going to fucking give it to me. I am here to say goodbye to my children forever, and I’m staying here.”

“I don’t have a spare bedroom, there is nowhere for you to sleep.”

“I’ll sleep in your bed and you can sleep with the kids. It’s just one night.”

“I am not sleeping with the kids,” I scoff.

“Then you share a bed with me.” He raises a sarcastic eyebrow.

A million depraved thoughts run naked through my mind…

“That is out of the question,” I snap. I stare at him for a beat while I collect my thoughts.

Wait, what did he say?

“You’re here to say goodbye to them?” My eyes search his.

“It’s for the best.” He tilts his chin to the sky in defiance.

Oh…my poor babies.

My heart runs into a puddle on the floor.

“Fine,” I whisper, distracted. “You stay in my bed and I’ll…” I pause, “…sleep somewhere else.”

He stares at me for a beat, and I get the feeling he’s collecting his thoughts as well. “Thank you.” He looks around the kitchen as if searching for the next thing to say. “What time is dinner?’

Fuck.

FUCK…

I’ve made Italian, but not just any Italian.

Bad Italian, really bad Italian.

The kind that will turn his stomach. Spaghetti Bolognese complete with pasta sauce that came in a jar and instant pasta, it’s not even good instant pasta, it’s cheap crap I bought for ninety-nine cents.

Oh, fuck my life…

“I’m sorry, I didn’t make enough for you.”

He glances at the huge saucepan simmering away and amusement flashes across his face. “There is plenty, I’m sure it will be just as good as my mother’s.”

That’s it!

“Listen here, you . . .”

“Hi.” Lucy comes around the corner, cutting me off.

“Hello there.” Gabriel smiles down at her. “Do you remember me?”

She nods in an over exaggerated way.

Gabriel looks around the house. “Where is your brother?”

“He’s upstairs,” Lucy gushes as she swings her arms in glee, ugh…does he have this effect on all women, even children?

“Can you go and get him for me, I have something to tell you.”

Lucy skips off, and my eyes widen in horror. “What do you mean, you have something to tell them both?”

“I’m telling them.”

“What…now?” I gasp.

“No time like the present.” He points to a dining chair. “Sit.”

I drop into the chair as all the blood drains from my body. “What are you going to say?”

“Whatever I fucking like,” he snaps.

“Gabriel…you can’t…they’re little children.”

“Relax, I’m not going to tell them that Mom got her pussy out on Dad’s desk…although I’m positive that would make for a more interesting story.”

My eyes nearly bulge from their sockets. “Are you fucking serious… Do not dare tell them and disappear, it isn’t fair.”

“Here he is.” Lucy walks into the kitchen, cutting me off again, Dom trailing behind her.

“Hello.” Gabriel smiles at both of them. Lucy smiles and Dominic looks him up and down straight-faced.

For the first time in my life I see fear flash across Gabriel’s face.

I need to take over.

“Dom.” I put my hands on both of his little shoulders. “This is Gabriel, you remember him, don’t you?”

He nods.

“Gabriel is my friend from New York,” I tell them.

Dominic’s eyes flick up to me and I know he’s remembering the last time Gabriel was here and how he made me cry.

Damn it, why did I do that?

“Sit down.” I direct them to the dining table. “Let’s all eat dinner together while we discuss a few things.”

Gabriel opens his mouth to say something and I hold my hand up to stop him.

“Dinner is where we discuss things in this house.” I widen my eyes to him in a shut-up gesture.

“Right.” He drops into a dining chair and the kids do too.

I turn to refill my glass of wine and take a big gulp. What is he going to say…what the hell is he going to say?

He’s completely unmanageable.

Fuck…

“I’ll have some of that too, please,” Gabriel says.

Good god, this is supermarket wine that cost $7.99.

Please earth, swallow me whole.

“Sure.” With sweat dripping down between my breasts, I take another wineglass from the cupboard and fill it and then pass it to him.

“Thanks.” He takes a huge gulp and winces before his horrified eyes flash up to meet mine.

“I know.” I nod.

“But do you?”

“Yep…pretty much.” Tastes like shit, but it’s cheap and gets the job done.

I tip my head back and drain my glass. I immediately refill it and get to work on dishing dinner out.

“How was school today?” Gabriel asks.

“It was good.” Lucy smiles.

“What class are you in?” he replies.

I look at the pot of spaghetti sauce, I really don’t want him to eat it.

Fuck this, why didn’t I order pizza tonight like I wanted to?

“What is your teacher’s name?” he asks as he tries to continue the conversation.

I dish out the kids’ two bowls and then mine, and then I get to his.

What do I do?

He’s going to hate it, he’s going to really hate it… But what if… I glance over my shoulder to see if he’s watching me.

“Are you two in the same class?” He continues trying to make conversation.

If he’s going to hate it anyway, I’m going to make him really hate it. I open my fridge and scan the contents, what can I put in it?

I need the ultimate booby trap. Don’t mess with me, fucker.

My eyes roam over the condiments in the door and take out the mustard, the pickles, jarred chilli, anchovies, and pickled onions.

“And is she nice?” Gabriel asks.

Lucy goes off on a big tangent, telling him all about the school and I get to work.

I turn up the heat on the saucepan and glance over my shoulder again. If he catches me doing this, I’m so dead.

I put in three tablespoons of mustard, pour in the chilies and then the pickles, I add half the jar of anchovies and then throw in some whole pickled onions.

That should do it.

I stir it to heat them through. I wince as I look into the pot, it kind of looks like a fishy eyeball stew.

“Hope you guys are ready for a taste sensation.” I dish Gabriel out a huge bowl and roll my lips to hide my smile.

“Did you get this recipe from Becco?” he asks.

“Oh, Becco.” I sigh sadly. “I miss Becco.” I frown over at him. “How do you remember my favorite restaurant in New York?”

“How could I ever forget, it’s all you ever talked about.”

Did I really use to always talk about pasta? How odd.

Hmm…

I put everyone’s bowls in front of them on the table and Gabriel looks down at his eyeball stew. I quickly turn back to the counter so that he doesn’t see my face, and I sip my wine while imagining him choking on it.

I’m brilliant.

I sit down at the table and look over at Dom glaring at Gabriel across the table.

My heart sinks.

I need to fix this, if this is their final goodbye I want it to be nice for both of them.

“Dom.” I smile. “Gabriel is Italian, he comes from Italy.”

Dom’s eyes flick to Gabriel for confirmation.

“I am.” Gabriel nods.

“He speaks Italian.” I smile as I prompt them.

The children’s eyes both widen as they stare at him.

“Tu parli italiano?” Dominic asks him.

Gabriel’s mouth drops open, and his eyes come to meet mine. “Who taught them?”

“I had an Italian nanny so that the children could learn in their formative years, she’s moved out now but she was incredible.”

“I can’t…” For the first time ever he’s speechless.

“I’ve prepared them the best I could.”

Overcome with emotion, his eyes well with tears and he nods, lost for words. He picks up his fork and shovels in a big mouthful of food. I watch and see the exact moment that he tastes it, he coughs sharply and holds his hand in a fist in front of his mouth as he tries to swallow it.

“Delicious, isn’t it?” I smile.

“So yummy, Momma,” Lucy says as she takes another mouthful.

Gabriel takes a huge gulp of water as he looks around the table at us all eating.

“Do you like it?” I ask.

“Hmm.” He widens his eyes and begins to push a pickled onion around his bowl with his fork as he tries to work out what it is. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever eaten.”

“Do you live in Italy?” Lucia asks.

“No, I live in New York,” he replies as he takes another bite. He winces and closes his eyes as he tries to silently deal with the horror.

I kind of wish the kids weren’t here so that he could say what he really thinks, this is priceless.

Lucy talks and talks, and I glance over at Dominic who has not said a single word, and I know I have to just come out with it.

“Guys, there is a reason I have asked Gabriel to come over to see us,” I say. “And it’s a very special reason.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary—” Gabriel cuts me off. “Wouldn’t want to ruin this…” his eyebrows flick up as he pushes the food around with this fork, “…delicacy.”

“Why were you mean to my mother?” Dominic comes straight out with it.

Gabriel shovels a huge forkful into his mouth so he doesn’t have to answer and then coughs again. He rolls his lips as he tries to process what’s in his mouth. “What kind of pasta sauce is this?” He winces before picking up his water and gulping it.

“Delicious pasta sauce,” Lucia answers.

Gabriel’s eyebrows flick up in surprise. “You have your mother’s tastebuds, that’s for certain.”

“She doesn’t like you,” Dominic says as he looks Gabriel dead in the eye. They glare at each other across the table.

Oh fuck, here we go.

“Don’t be rude, Dominic,” I snap.

Lucy’s eyes widen as she looks between the two of them.

“Cerca di mostrare un po’ di rispetto a tua madre. Questa è casa sua,” Gabriel says. (“Show some respect to your mother at her dinner table.”)

“No,” Dominic says.

“Parlami in italiano,” Gabriel fires back. (“You speak to me in Italian.”)

“No.” Dominic gets up and marches upstairs.

“Torna subito qui,” Gabriel calls after him. (“You come back here right now.”)

“No.”

The table falls silent and Lucy stares after him before she finally continues to eat.

Gabriel puts his fork down and I gesture to his bowl. “You need to eat it all.”

“I want to live.”

I exhale heavily, that was a disaster. I should have put arsenic in his food and put us all out of misery.

“Eat. The food.” I smile through gritted teeth. “Don’t make me force-feed you…because…I will.”

Gabriel glares at me and eventually picks up his fork.

My god, that couldn’t have gone worse. Dom is a handful, sometimes too much for even me.

“Lucy, why don’t you take Dom’s dinner up to him.”

“Okay.” Lucy grabs her brother’s bowl and toddles off upstairs.

I wait until she is out of ears’ reach. “What did you say to him in Italian?”

“He was being rude, so I pulled him into line.”

“What?” I screw up my face. “You do not get to pull him into line on the first day of being a father.”

“He doesn’t get to be rude to me on the first day of being my son. Not on day one, not ever. He needs to learn straight away that bad behavior will not be tolerated.”

I slump back into my chair and look around the empty table. “Eat your food.”

“I’m getting you a cook.”

“Why?”

“Because no wonder he’s in a bad mood. The poor bastard is being poisoned to death.” He stirs the food in his bowl. “And for the record, you cut the fucking onions up. Not throw them in whole.”

I glance down at the eyeball pickled onions in his spaghetti and I get the giggles.

“There is nothing funny about your cooking, Grace.”

“Kind of.”

“Not at all,” he snaps.

“Well, you need to eat what I cook the children; it tells them that you are like them.”

“If they like this…” He gestures to his plate as he searches for the right word. “Then we are nothing alike.” He puts his head into his hands and exhales heavily in disappointment.

I watch him for a moment. He really is feeling so out of his depth here. Empathy fills me.

“Dominic is strong-willed.”

He sits for a moment as if processing my words. “I wanted tonight to be nice so that they would remember me fondly.”

“Well, in that case…don’t be yourself.”

“What?” He screws up his face. “That’s your advice, don’t be myself?”

“You’re a rude pig. If you want them to like you, act nice.”

“I am not a rude pig.”

“Oh yes you are. And for the record, Dominic is the carbon copy of you and will not back down, he’s a lot to handle. If you want his respect, you have to earn it.”

“Well, that works both ways.”

“No. Don’t you dare pull that card.”

He stays silent and Lucy comes bouncing back to the table, she sits down and continues to eat.

Gabriel watches her for a while as if having an out-of-body experience.

“Where will I be sleeping?” Gabriel asks.

“In my room.”

“I take it that’s upstairs?” He pushes out his chair as if about to get up.

“No.” I stand in a rush. “I have to straighten things up in there. You finish your dinner and I’ll get it ready for you.”

He nods, distracted. “Thank you.”

I look between him and Lucy, do I leave her here alone with him?

He’s her father…

God, I really need to wrap my head around this.

“Are you two okay down here together if I go upstairs and organize a few things?” My eyes linger on Lucy as I wait for her reaction, she smiles goofily with an over exaggerated nod.

Ugh…traitor.

Can’t she at least act uninterested in him for my sake?

“I think we are doing just fine, aren’t we, Lucia?” Gabriel smiles over at her.

“Yes.”

The vision of the two of them blurs as my eyes well with tears. I turn toward the door so that they can’t see my face and stumble to the stairs. In the darkness, I sink down to sit on one halfway up.

I can hear my heart beating in my chest as an overwhelming panic runs through me.

He turns up here, says a few pretty words and already she willingly adores him.

Just like that…and he’s leaving.

I sit in the darkness for a while and I can hear them talking in the distance. Gabriel is asking her questions and she’s loving the attention.

She says something that I can’t hear and I hear Gabriel laugh and then she laughs too.

My beautiful little girl, so happy to be talking with her father, I smile softly in the darkness.

Okay, I need to get my act together and try and fix this situation with Dominic, I want him to have a happy memory too. I stand and make my way upstairs and knock on the closed door. “Dom.”

Silence…

I open the door to find him sitting on his bed playing with his Nintendo Switch, and I sit down beside him. “Are you okay?”

“Yep.” He keeps playing.

“Did Gabriel upset you?”

“Nope,” he says, he keeps playing as he acts uninterested.

“What did he say to you in Italian?” I ask.

“Nothing much.”

I sit beside him for a moment and I don’t want to make this more dramatic than it needs to be, this has to be in his time, not mine. “Is it okay if I sleep in here with you tonight on the trundle bed?”

“Yeah, all right.” He keeps playing.

Damn it, this is getting me nowhere and I have to clean my room for Gabriel.

“I’ll be back soon, bubba.”

He nods and keeps playing the stupid game.

I rush into my bedroom and look around at the chaos. Ahhh… Why aren’t I a housewife superstar, it would be so much more convenient at times like this.

I stuff my washing into the clothes hamper, I gather up some clothes that are hanging over the chair in the corner of the room and throw them onto the top shelf of my wardrobe.

I run my eyes over the contents of the wardrobe, unorganized and disorderly.

Oh man, if he looks in there, I’m totally screwed.

Ugh, I don’t have time to worry about that now. I slam the door shut.

I pull the covers back on my bed. I should change the sheets.

Damn it, I only changed the sheets yesterday and my other set of sheets is still on the line.

Shit.

These sheets will have to do.

I remake the bed and straighten up the cushions, oh crap, can’t forget that…I rustle through my bedside drawer for my vibrator and stuff it into the basket of washing and hide it with some clothes.

I do a quick clean of my dressing table and throw my makeup into my top drawer as I look around the bedroom, what else… have I missed anything?

Is there anything in here that is too personal for him to see?

Who am I kidding, it’s my bedroom, everything is personal.

Gabriel

“I’m going to take a look at the lake,” I lie.

Lucy smiles up at me with the most beautiful little face I have ever seen. I rush out the door and immediately dial Mark’s number.

“Hey,” he answers.

“Hi, change of plans.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to spend the night here.”

“What? I thought you were there to say goodbye.”

“I am.” I pause as I look over the lake. “It’s just…not as easy as I first thought.”

“Well…what should I do?” he asks.

“Just stay in the hotel and…” I shrug, “…I’ll come and get you in the morning.”

“Okay. Enjoy every second, okay?”

We are now counting the time with my children in seconds, I get a lump in my throat at the thought.

I hang up and turn back toward the house. Standing in the darkness, I can see Grace and Lucia washing the dishes as they chat away.

I’ve never felt so out of control of my life.

“Lucy, show Gabriel where my bedroom is, please?” Grace tells her.

“This way,” Lucia says, she takes my hand in hers as she leads me through the house.

“What cute little hands you have.” I smile.

She holds them both up for me to look at and I try to memorize every detail.

I feel sick to my stomach.

Why did I snap at Dominic?

I feel like shit about it, but he will not disrespect me. Not now, not ever.

No, I did the right thing.

We get to the top of the stairs. “And this is my room.” Lucia smiles proudly as she shows me her room. It’s pink and pretty and has big letters on the wall that spell out her name. Dolls and teddy bears are all perfectly sitting up against her pillow. “It’s very nice.”

“It is.” She smiles as she swings her arms.

My eyes linger up the hallway. “Where is Dominic’s room?”

“This way.” She skips past me out of the room and down the hall to his. “He’s in here.”

I stand at the doorway and watch him for a moment, he’s sitting on his bed and playing a video game. I look around his bedroom, it’s navy blue and boyish. Instead of dolls, there are Lego statues proudly displayed everywhere. “This is a nice room.”

He keeps playing his game, completely ignoring me.

“Dominic, don’t be rude,” Grace tells him from behind me. “Get off your game, please.”

He exhales heavily and puts the controller down.

“I said, it’s a nice room,” I repeat.

Dominic looks me dead in the eye without any emotion. “Is that all?”

He is like me.

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smirking. “I don’t want us to get off on the wrong foot,” I tell him.

He rolls his eyes and it’s like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?”

“Dominic, don’t be rude; this is your last warning.” Grace pulls me by the hand up the hall. “Your room is this way, Gabriel.” She pulls me into her bedroom and slams the door behind us. “Stay away from him and let him cool down.”

“What?”

“I told you to give him time, he’s processing.”

“Processing what…being a rude prick?”

“You being here. He’s a child,” she spits. “And now you are being one. Stay in here and go to sleep.”

“No,” I spit. “I will not be sent to my room when I have done nothing wrong.”

“For the love of god, do not leave this room. You can talk to him properly in the morning. Sleep is a reset for children, everything is forgotten overnight,” she snaps. through gritted teeth. She grabs my two shoulders and walks me over to the bed and then pushes me backward. I bounce onto my back and something about her standing over me sends an unexpected surge through my cock.

I feel myself harden as I stare up at her.

“What?” she snaps.

“What, what?” I splutter, disgusted where my thoughts have gone.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” An unwelcome smirk flashes across my face.

“The hell is wrong with you, what are you doing?”

“If you throw me onto your bed, expect a damn consequence.” I sit up on my elbows.

“Oh my god.” She narrows her eyes. “You’re perverted.”

“Glad we finally agree on something.”

“Go to sleep and do not snoop through my bedroom.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“The bathroom is down the hall.” She leaves the room in a rush and slams the door behind her.

I flop onto my back and stare up at the ceiling. I grab a pillow and put it under my head.

Grace’s scent wafts all around me and I inhale deeply.

I know that smell…

It’s the perfume she used to wear that drove me wild.

On more than one occasion I had to tell her not to wear it because on the days she did, I would get nothing done; I’d be too busy wanking in my office bathroom all day.

I close my eyes. Throb…throb…throb…goes my cock.

I pick up another pillow, same scent. I look over to see her dressing gown hanging on the back of her door and I get up and hold it to my nose.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump goes my cock…

Everything in here smells like Grace in Techni-dick-sucking-color.

Damn, that fucking woman pisses me off.

I hold the gown to my face again and inhale deeply.

All I can smell is Gracie. A lingering memory of that night we spent together begins to play in my mind. Her creamy pale skin, how tight she was…how well she took my cock.

How hard I blew.

Throb…throb…throb…

Stop it…you’re about to get married to someone else…you fucking sleazebag.

I exhale heavily, disgusted with my dick. Fuck…it’s going to be a long night.

I glance at the time on my phone, 2 a.m.

I haven’t slept a wink, a rock-hard cock with nowhere to go will do that to you.

Tossing and turning and trying to think of something else.

The reality is that I’m not going to get any sleep until I come, there’s no way around this. It’s not going down.

I put my hand into my boxer shorts and give myself a slow, long stroke…hmmm.

I need to fuck myself…been a long time since I’ve done that.

My eyes roam around the darkened bedroom for some lube or tissues. I climb out of bed and turn the flashlight on my phone and walk around, looking for my wanking toolkit.

I go through the contents on the dressing table and nothing.

Hmm…the bathroom.

Surely there will be something in there. I open the door and peer down the darkened hallway, everything is silent. I look left and I look right and then I tiptoe down the hallway, using my phone flashlight to light the way.

Thump, thump, thump goes my cock.

Seriously…shut the hell up, I’m trying my best here.

I walk into the bathroom and quietly close the door behind me. Shining my flashlight onto the bathroom cupboard, I spot a bottle of baby oil.

Yes…

I grab it and the box of tissues and turn to leave when the bathroom door opens.

“Ahh.” Grace jumps in fright and flicks the light on. “What the…you scared the crap out of me.” Her eyes drop down my body. “What the hell is that?”

I glance down to see what she’s talking about to see the tip of my erect cock is sticking out the top of my boxer shorts.

Fuck.

“Oh… That’s my cock.”

“I can see that,” she whispers angrily. “Why is it hard?”