The Bonus

The phone clicks as he hangs up on me. My blood boils. “You did not just hang up on me.” I dial his number immediately. Ring ring…ring ring…

You’ve reached Gabriel Ferrara.

Leave a message.

“Ahh.” I hang up in a rush, the asshole has declined the call. I try again.

You’ve reached Gabriel Ferrara.

Leave a message

“That’s it!” I explode. “You’ve gone too far this time, asshole.”

“Mom, am I washing my hair?” Lucia calls from upstairs.

I close my eyes and take a deep steadying breath; I have to be calm until they go to bed. “Yes, I’m coming,” I call sweetly. I trudge upstairs. I’m so sick of this egomaniac thinking he can just do whatever he wants with the kids without even consulting me.

Change their name. Ha…he’s kidding himself. That is not how this works.

I sit on the toilet as the kids shower and bathe while I go over my choices.

There are none.

Tomorrow, I have to go and see a lawyer. This stops now.

I run into my office at 9:05, running late as usual.

Another sleepless night followed by a chaotic morning. My phone rings and I glance down at the number.

School

Oh no, what’s happened?

“Hello,” I answer.

“Hello, Grace, this is Shelby from the school reception.”

“Hi, Shelby, is everything all right?”

“Yes, yes, no emergency or anything. I’m just letting you know that we have had a request from the children’s father, a Mr. Gabriel Ferrara, to be included in all school correspondence from now on.”

Thump, thump, thump goes my heartbeat in my ears.

“Did you, now?”

“That’s fine, isn’t it? It’s protocol to check with you that this is okay.”

I close my eyes and I really want to scream no, but I know I have to pick my battles; this isn’t one of them. “That’s fine, Shelby.”

“Okay, have a nice day.”

“You too.”

She hangs up, and I stare at the wall for a moment; in fact, I stare at the wall all day.

I have this deep sense of dread that everything’s changing and there’s not a thing I can do about it.

Why did I sleep with him, what the hell was I thinking?

I sit in my car as I dial the number. I had to wait for my lunch break to call Gabriel, and now, because I don’t want my nosy colleagues to hear what I have to say, I’m hiding in my car.

Ring ring…ring ring…

“Yes,” he answers.

Instantly, my hackles rise, why does he think it’s okay to answer the phone like that?

“I believe you are meant to answer the phone with hello.”

“What is it, Grace? I’m very busy.”

I feel my temperature rise. Honestly, I’ve never met someone so infuriating.

“I need to talk to you.”

“About?”

“Don’t act cute, Gabriel. You know damn well what I’m calling about.”

He exhales in an overdramatic fashion. “Oh, let’s see, Grace…it could be a plethora of reasons why you called me. What I served the children for dinner, the joke I told them over the table, the fact that I want them to have my name as well as yours, or perhaps it’s the school…or maybe you just want to use my dick again to get off.”

My blood boils.

“Don’t be vulgar,” I whisper angrily.

“If the shoe fits.”

“Can we just be civil?”

“That doesn’t work for me.”

Silence…

“I don’t have time to sit here and listen to you breathe down the phone, Grace. What. Do. You. Want.”

“The kids said you want them to change their name to Ferrara.”

“Nope.”

“You didn’t say that?” I ask hopefully.

“I said I would like to add my name to the end of Porter.”

“Oh…” I frown, that isn’t what they told me.

“Is that it?”

“Well…can we talk about this?”

“We just did. Goodbye.” The phone clicks as he hangs up on me.

I wait in my car in the line outside the school, at least I’m early enough today to even make the line. Some days I have to park ages away and am forced to walk in.

I feel like my head is literally about to explode, he’s right, there is a plethora of things, the name thing, the school calling, and then him hanging up on me.

I can’t wait to get home and have a glass of wine; I may even have chip and dip.

All bets are off even if it’s a school night, and the rules are…there are no rules.

Survival today is key.

The school bell has rung, and I can see Dom standing at the gate, waiting for his sister, he’s such a good boy.

I’d go stand with him except Felicity Fox and her coven of witches are there standing around, chatting, and judging everyone like they own the school…ugh.

Felicity is in tight blue jeans and a cute pink cashmere sweater; her long dark hair is in a high ponytail and her perky boobs are high in the air.

What kind of bra does she wear, anyway?

Eventually, Lucia comes into view, and she and Dom make their way down to the car, and get into the backseat. “Hi, guys.” I smile.

“Hi, Mom.”

“How was your day?” I pull out into the traffic.

“Good,” they reply.

“Arnold pooed his pants. He had a stomach bug.”

“Oh.” I wince. “Poor Arnold. Is he okay?”

“That kid’s got real problems,” Dominic says as he looks out the window.

“Mom, you wouldn’t believe what happened to my lunch today,” Lucia says.

My eyes flick up to hers in the mirror. “What?”

“My egg sandwich exploded in my lunch box.”

“Oh.”

“And her bag smelled like fart gas.” Dominic sighs. “Was disgusting. What’s a dilf?”

“A what?” I frown.

“A dilf.”

My eyes widen in horror. “Where did you hear that word?”

“When I was standing at the gate, I heard Zoe’s mom tell her friends that our dad is a real dilf.”

“Zoe who?”

“Zoe Fox.”

Felicity Fox…AHHHHHHH.

I grip the steering wheel so tight that it’s a wonder it doesn’t disintegrate in my bare hands.

“What is it?” he asks again.

“It’s a…” I search for the right lie. “It’s a zoo animal.”

“A what?”

“Because he’s big, she must think he looks like an ape.” I fake a smile. “It’s a funny joke, isn’t it? Ha-ha.”

Dom curls his top lip, unimpressed. “He doesn’t look like an ape at all.”

That fucking wench, if she thinks for one minute that she is going to get her claws into him, she can think again. As if my life isn’t hard enough at the moment, I don’t need perky-boobed Barbie to complicate things further.

“Mom!” Lucia yells, interrupting my murder plans. “Are you listening to me at all?”

No, actually, I’m not, Lucia.

“Of course I am.” I grit my teeth.

“My big toe ripped out of my sock today,” she continues. “It was poking out and rubbing on my shoe all day.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I need a drink, and I need it now.

“And now we have to clean my bag because it smells like egg,” she raves on.

Fuck my life…

“I can hardly wait.”

We arrive at home and I park the car, we amble inside and I go straight to the fridge and get a bottle of wine. I open it and as I look for a glass, I take a swig out of the bottle.

I’m beginning to understand how people become alcoholics.

A knock sounds at the door and I hear it open. “Hello, I’m looking for Dominic and Lucia Porter?” a man’s voice asks.

“That’s me,” Dom replies.

Who is that?

I come flying around the corner from the kitchen to see a delivery man. ”I have two packages. One for Dominic and one for Lucia,” he says.

“Who is it from?” I ask.

“Gabriel Ferrara, their father.”

I stare at the delivery man flatly, this is no normal delivery driver, how does he know who their father is? Has he flown all the way here to hand deliver these packages?

The kids’ eyes widen, and Lucia begins to bounce on the spot.

Ugh… Don’t even.

“I have special instructions that both Grace and the children have to sign for each package.”

I walk over and sign for Dominic’s and he does too, and his package is handed over to him, then I do the same for Lucia. “Thank you.” I close the door in the delivery man’s face.

They both take their packages and run to grab the scissors.

I walk back to the kitchen with my heart in my throat, what’s he bought them…a pencil case, a pony, an island…fuck, it literally could be anything.

I sit on the couch with my bottle of wine as they take forever to unwrap their presents.

Hurry up already.

Dom gets his open first and he gasps with wide eyes.

“What is it?” I snap.

He holds it up proudly. “It’s a phone.” A blue iPhone with a postcard handwritten by Gabriel.

“What?” I snatch the card from him.

My dearest Dominic

I’ve bought you a phone so that you can call me whenever you want to.

It’s for calls only and doesn’t have internet and has been locked for Wi-Fi (you are too young just yet).

Please keep it in the kitchen where Mom can see it at all times.

My phone number is programmed in, you just have to press the name Dad and it will connect straight through to me.

All my love,

Dad, xx

Dominic swipes it open and a picture of him and Gabriel posing together lights up the screen. “Wooow.” Dominic’s eyes are nearly popping from their sockets. “This is sick.”

“Oh my god,” Lucia yells as she finally gets hers unwrapped. “Mine is pink.”

Oh, this just keeps getting better and better. I go and fill my wineglass back up.

This is the day from hell.

It begins to ring in Dominic’s hand, and their eyes widen. “What do I do?”

“Who is it?” I play along.

He holds the phone up and a picture of Gabriel comes up, he’s in his suit sitting at his desk in New York, smiling and looking all charismatic and punchable.

“Swipe across to answer it.”

“Hello,” he answers excitedly and then listens for a bit. “Uh-huh.” He’s smiling goofily. “Uh-huh. It just arrived.” His eyes flick up to me. “She’s drinking wine out the bottle.”

“No,” I mouth as I shake my hand around. “Don’t say that.”

“It was good.” He smiles. “Nothing much.”

I listen intently.

“Oh, Zoe’s mom said you’re an ape.”

My eyes widen in horror and I begin to shake my hand around again. “No, no.”

He stops talking. “What, Mom? Why can’t I tell him that?”

For fuck’s sake, Dominic.

“Tell him you’ll call him back later,” I say.

“I’ll call you back later, Dad.” He smiles, he’s so excited that even my frozen heart feels it. He hangs up and Lucia’s phone immediately rings.

“He’s calling me now,” Lucia gasps as if this is a total surprise.

“Answer it,” Dom instructs her. He snatches the phone from her and swipes it before handing it back.

“Hi, Dad.” Lucia beams.

“Uh-huh.” She takes the phone and walks out the back and down to the lake, she paces as she talks to him with a huge smile it’s obvious that she wants him and their conversation all to herself.

I watch her through the window, she’s probably down there telling him every sordid DILF detail.

This is just great, I’m on the outside in my own house.

Gabriel

I pull into the school parking lot just at three. I made it in time; the bell hasn’t gone yet.

I get out of the car and stride up to the gate, I want to be there when they come out. I left work early. I really wanted to pick them up today. Don’t ask me why this felt so important, it just did.

I arrive to the gate to see a group of women standing around.

Ugh…

I glance around for Grace. I purposely didn’t tell her I was coming in, hoping I would see her too.

Where is she?

“Gabriel,” I hear a voice call me from behind, and I turn. It’s that woman, the hot annoying one…what was her name? “Hello.” I smile.

She looks me up and down as if I’m her next meal. “Wow, what a beautiful suit. Is it cashmere?” She runs her hand up my arm, and from the corner of my eye I see Grace’s ponytail swing as she swiftly walks past us.

Fuck it.

“Who knows,” I snap as I watch the back of Grace disappear into the school. “Great to see you…” I frown as I try to remember her name.

“Felicity.” She smiles. “Are you here for the weekend?”

I look in the direction of Grace. “Yes.”

“Let’s have a coffee tomorrow?”

“Sorry, I can’t. Very busy.” I look between the women she’s standing with but never introduced me to and I nod. “Goodbye.”

“Bye,” they all call.

I stride after Grace to the kids’ classroom; I find her standing to the side. With her arms crossed, she glares at me and snaps her eyes away.

Great, I’m ignoring you first…you can’t ignore me. I go and stand beside her. “I didn’t see you walk in.”

“You were too busy flirting.” She raises an unimpressed eyebrow.

She’s jealous.

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling.

“Yes, well…my cock is an amusement park, what can I say?”

Her eyes flick to me and she’s about to blow.

“Country towns need a new bike to ride every now and then,” I reply as I stare ahead. I adjust my cuff links. “You know… For amusement.”

Her eyes flicker with fury.

She leans closer so that only I can hear. “So help me god,” she whispers angrily. “If you sleep with anyone in this fucking town, I’m going to cut off your dick and stick it up your entitled ass.”

“You had your chance, Grace.” My eyes hold hers. “And I’m not cold-blooded.”

“Is that a threat?”

I remain silent.

“So because I don’t want you…you’re going to sleep with everyone in town to teach me a lesson, is that it?”

I don’t want you.

Hearing those words triggers something in my brain, and I lose all control of my actions. I lean in close. “I’ll fuck whoever I want.” I watch my words cut her like a knife. “And instead of you sticking my cock up my ass…I’m going to stick it up theirs.”

Her eyes hold mine.

“And they’ll moan on every fucking inch of it.”