Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
Soon enough, six o’clock rolled around and I texted Sal that I would meet him outside the restaurant. I was dressed nice, but not too nice, just some simple dress pants and a top. I was nervous but a little excited as I said goodbye to Gio and Elio.
I was tempted to call off the whole thing and just stay home with them but the reservation had not been easy to get.
On the drive there with my two guards, I couldn’t help feeling a little sick in the car. I went over all the questions I wanted to ask him, everything that I had been asking myself since I was a little girl without a father.
‘Why did you leave me? Why didn’t you get in contact with us until now? Did you ever love me?’
I sighed. Maybe I’d scratch that last one. It was a bit too heavy for a first meal, I thought. Once we arrived, I got out of the car, waiting for Ben as he locked up the car.
“Thanks, Tino,” I told my second guard with a smile as he held open the door to the restaurant for me. I walked inside, my guards at my heels and I took a deep breath.
I caught sight of Sal sitting in one of the waiting rooms and I halted in place. There was an ache in my chest and a flame of anger that had yet to disappear. I wondered, not for the first time that night, whether I would ever be ready to forgive him for abandoning me.
For now, it seemed like an impossible task.
But I marched in to meet my long-lost father anyway.
*Giovani*
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to go alone.” That was what my wife said to me as she prepared to have dinner with her father, a man who had abandoned her for twenty years and reappeared just as suddenly.
Of course, I minded. And she knew it too.
I agreed not to go with her and I didn’t. But I never agreed not to follow her.
I ran a hand through my hair, clenching the steering wheel of the car as I listened to the mic we’d placed on Ben rang out through my phone. She had no clue her guard had been bugged and she never would, hopefully.
“This is fucked,” Gabriele shook his head disapprovingly from the seat next to us.
I sent him a glare and he shut up, gazing out the window as we listened to the sounds of the restaurant ambiance–deep breaths from Ben and the clattering of forks and knives against the glass.
It was busy tonight.
“And did you have to bring the kid?” Gabriele huffed, looking over the seat into the backseat.
Elio cooed from his car seat, rattling one of the new toys I’d bought him happily. He had not been happy to watch Mommy leave and especially didn’t like being driven around at night. Luckily, we had time to stop and let him pick out a new toy.
The plastic rattled behind us, a lever being pulled and a loud voice rang out “La mucca dice moo!”
“Moo!” Elio repeated, drawing it out. With his little front teeth not having come in, it sounded less like a cow and more like a weird no.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Gabriele gazed at the ceiling in pure exasperation. “How is this my hell now? Where did my life go?”
“Shut up, Gabriele,” I snapped, straining to hear the sounds from the mic.
“Hey, I’m glad you came out to meet me tonight.” That was Sal, his voice giving me the creeps for some reason. “I’m glad you’re giving me a chance again.”
“Yeah.”
She sounded curt, very unresponsive, and I frowned. I figured she would be more excited to meet her dad but considering all the baggage they had, it was no wonder she was having mixed feelings about it.
I sighed, leaning my head on the window. The door was locked to prevent me from running inside and ruining the meal, even though I could very easily just unlock the door right now.
But that would bring my wife’s wrath upon my head, not only for following her but for bringing Elio out too.
“II gatto dice meow!” The toy spoke again from the back seat.
“Mau!” Elio giggled in response.
“I’m going insane,” Gabriele muttered to himself. “Absolutely nuts.”
“Shh,” I hushed him as the conversation between my wife and Sal picked up from ordering food to actual conversation.
“So what are you going to school for?” Sal asked, eagerly.
“Art, actually. I’m taking a break since we have Elio but once he’s old enough, I’m going to finish my degree. I have plenty of time, after all.” Olivia answered, open and honest like she always was. She didn’t seem the least bit bothered to be taking a break, and I smiled.
I had worried for a bit that she was forcing herself to stay home with Elio, to continue to put her own dream on the back burner for us, but I’m glad that this seemed like what she wanted.
“Art, huh?” Sal said, sounding amused, “Your Mom and I never got our degrees, so I’m glad you’re doing better than we were at your age. You’ve got your life together.”
“I guess so,” Olivia responded quickly. “I’m just trying to do what’s best for my family. They’re the most important thing to me.”
“Aww,” Gabriele said, leaning his head against the window. “You lucky dog.”
“Are you looking for a dock in pay?” I narrowed my eyes at him, not wanting to take his shit tonight.
“No, sir.” He straightened immediately, sending me a resentful glance when he thought I wasn’t looking.
As we listened to Sal and Olivia talk, I realized that all of it was incredibly mundane. He asked about her mother and even seemed happy and understanding when he heard about her new husband.
“She’s a good woman, your mom,” he told her. “She deserved a man much better than me.”
It was at that point that Olivia’s icy politeness melted away. Her voice lightened, growing in excitement as she told him about growing up with Dahlia and how James and Becca had practically helped raised her.
He asked about her hobbies and interests and she quickly delved into the conversation of historical art pieces from the Renaissance period, and then somehow into how ancient paints were made from flowers and beans.
“Damn,” Gabriele whistled. “She’s certainly passionate about art. You should introduce her to Luce.”
I nodded in agreement. Luce was a famous art collector who often went off on trips to other countries to preserve and attain historical art pieces. He had been the one to fill our house with various pieces of art–gifts from him over the years after we helped him with a job a while ago.
I could just imagine their conversation if the two of them met.
The conversation between Sal and Olivia continued to delve into mundane territories–nothing interesting or weird in the slightest. He asked about her goals in life and eventually about me and Elio.
I did find it a bit gratifying to hear from Olivia’s own mouth all the things she adored about me, but once he asked about what I did for a living, I was proud of her for dodging the question masterfully.
She spoke about Elio for a good twenty minutes, just gushing out how cute and adorable he was. Meanwhile, in the backseat, Elio had fallen asleep holding his new toy, snoring lightly as his mother practically told the whole restaurant how much she loved him.
“Lucky kid,” Gabriele snorted.
I had to silently agree there. No one was as doting and caring as Olivia was. Her gentle and patient approach to Elio was admirable and somehow worked wonders. Whether it was Elio’s bubbly and cheerful personality or Olivia’s kind hand, I didn’t know, but the two of them were the sweetest human beings in the world.
A great departure from me.
