The girl’s expressions, her dialogue, they were confident, but something about that security did not quite land. She seemed, like him, to hide something behind her flirtation, perhaps uncertainty. Had she finally started to doubt him? He thought about it, the smile in his eyes unfaltering. Not when he was looking at her, at least.
When he saw Jesse, though, it definitely did. He flirted with her with that incessant smile of his. Vincenzo wished he could wipe it off his face, but due to his position, he could hardly move without passing a level of indecency even he did not approve. He had little choice but to watch and listen, which of course Jesse had to insult him the moment he had something to say, even though he sounded a bit more like one of the nuns back home than a rival.
Given, it was an insult. But he said something that barely jabbed him. Jesse knew he was a snob, everyone knew that most of the Wyndham students were snobs. He wasn’t telling any new information, but Jesse was. His usage of ‘bud’ (shudders) became redundant following his next sentence.
“It should have been you in that shithole.” He growled, his knuckles flaring as he tightened his fist by his side.
“You don’t want a real reason to fear me.” Vincenzo warned, referring to an old and dusty allegory only Jesse would remember. “It’d be nice to have some fucking privacy back, too.”
His dialogue seemed to forget Amani’s presence between them. Frankly, he had lost a care that she was there in that moment. Because he spoke on the offensive to Jesse, but Vincenzo was hurt. He was hurt that Jesse had done wrong by him, but he was happier. Things fell into place for him, for no reason, but instead of being gracious and allowing others to have their attempts to reach the greatness he was boosted into, he tore them down. Not because he had to, just because he could.
And it made him feel alone. Like within his clenched fists, there was a curse running through his bulging veins, a black mist soaring through his blood that prevented him from amounting to anything. The only escape was to cut it open, and in the process, lose his vitality. The only coping possible was unattainable and insane, so what was he to do with it? Cry? No, that never got him anything. All he could do was displace his anger in beer bottles turned to broken glass, in blood on his palms, in the woman in front of him.
He glanced to her again, his eyes darker than before. The iceberg in his stare had been melted, there was only an ocean to drown in. He watched her be coy when the heat of the moment mellowed, immune to their emotions and enveloped in her own. So cynical, so beautiful, so vain. She still wore her mask, but something within him saw behind it, erasing its outline in his mind to reveal her high cheekbones, and strong brows; her real self, the girl he used to know.
At the very least, she seemed to ignore his affection, keeping a more keen, quiet observation. Her delicate features concaved; narrow eyes, furrowed brows, she looked at the other man quite skeptically. Vinnie found it enjoyable, until she laughed at his apparent joke. Does sleeping with girls that don’t know who you are turn you on? The answer seemed a bit obvious, and defective, so he hardly replied, nodding once to agree, scoffing at his next insinuation, and then looking to Amani, watching her reaction to his reply.
For a brief second, their eyes met. Somehow, it was much more intimate than anything else they had done that night. He didn’t tell her he knew her, but the truth seemed quite simple. A semblance of fear seemed to ignite in her eyes, like her body begged her to redress and forget his touch because it was not one she ever wanted to feel.
But Vinnie did not look away. Instead, he held his gaze, a bit pleased by her discomfort, and a smirk grew on his lips.
That one was not for the woman he saw wearing the mask, but the girl hiding behind it.
In that distorted moment, they were Vincenzo and Amani once again.
She kept teasing him anyway, even kissing his lips. A kiss he returned gladly, but didn’t quite understand. She could have been oblivious, but she wasn’t. Amani was too smart for oblivion, but he supposed she must have been sheepish enough for denial. She put his hand down from her hair, and he shook his head, letting her whisper in his ear. I tend to lose excitement quickly.
“Is that why you have two guys in your bedroom right now?” He teased.
I’m nobody’s girl, she clarified after Jesse’s comment. He looked back to her, away from him, and offered an explanation. “Not you, Angel. Probably the others, too.” He turned back to Jesse. “I’m assuming she’s not the only one either, is she? You’re hardly ever satisfied, after all.” He said, talking about Amani in her presence. He wondered how she’d feel about that.
After what felt like an eternity, Jesse was leaving at last. He bid his adieu to Amani, thank god, not him, thank god, and then just as he put a foot out the door, the ball dropped.
You and Vince have a good night.
Vincenzo did not know what he had expected to happen in that moment, perhaps anger, perhaps surprise, maybe she was going to go off, but she did none of that. She just stood, and began to put her outfit back on. He watched, and wondered what her reasoning could have been. Did she know who he was instead?
He shrugged it off, putting his clothes back on as well when she did. After pulling up his trousers, and passing his shirt over his head, he was about to redo the silver chains across his shirt, before she spoke again. He looked up, and Amani stared at him for a minute, just like before, then ripped his mask off, throwing it to the side. He closed his lips, and let her rant. She spoke, came nearer, spoke again, and then slapped him, turning his head in the other direction.
“I didn’t know who you were. Not in the beginning.” He replied, devoid of emotion, remaining calm out of guilt. “But I figured it out. I think you made it pretty obvious with the proud little tattoo you have on your back.” Vincenzo replied. And if Amani was as smart as she claimed to be, she’d put together the correlation between when he saw her back, and his change in behavior. He wasn’t proud of it, but his emotions took control. Again.
She spoke again, unrelenting. Despite his previous remorse, he felt her anger lose its space within reason. “I don’t want to go back to the ‘good days’ because they didn’t mean anything. You’re a shit friend, and so is your boyfriend.” He referred to Jesse, well aware they weren’t a couple, but he wanted to bother her a bit more. “You don’t like that?” Vinnie taunted, then raising his hand to his face. “I must have forgotten. You’re not allowed to have a boyfriend, only your fiancee that you cheat on every chance you get. And why would I follow someone like that?" He paused. "I wanted a dance. That’s all it was supposed to be.” Vincenzo mirrored her tone, contemplating how bad he wanted to sear the burns on their bridge. “Maybe you should be a little more careful who you sleep with, Amani.” He spoke, making sure the words sounded as sour as he meant them. “It makes it easier to avoid orphans like me.” He mocked her. “Though I think I’d rather be an orphan than have a dad like yours, selling me for his own benefit.”
“You left me as soon as you knew the truth. I was a poor, sad guy with no family and no money to my name. And I’ve changed since then, but clearly you haven’t. If you left the first time you found out who I was, what’s the harm in doing it again, hm? Because you’re right, it did turn me on. So you can end it now like you always do.” Vinnie hurdled his frustrations, but they still would not leave him.
“I’ll see myself out.”
@Kristi Amani
So this is booty but ok
Also is this the end? No sé
