Becoming His Woman

Chapter 8: French Table

Calix’s Point of View

I slip into my casual white shirt and step outside my room’s balcony to sulk myself with the sun baked morning. Looking around the tall mighty pine trees proudly towering the mangroves below it, gives me nostalgia of the forgotten days of the past, where everything was fine and peaceful. When you were a kid, you wishes to grew fast and become a responsible adult. However, when you get what you wish for, suddenly part of you want to return back of being a child.

From a distant about a kilometer away, I spotted a black limousine approaching with three more black cars of the same kind tailing after it. Dexigrous Mafia particularly chose this location aside from having a scenic nature feels, as part of security measures. The mansion was place atop a hill overlooking the pathway, allowing us to have a heads up who is coming or intruding in our way.

I should better compose myself and head downstairs. That must be Marcus Dexigrous. The mafia boss never wanted to wait. With a descent satisfying look, I step outside my room.

“Oh! A pleasant morning young master. I was about to inform you of your father’s arrival. You wouldn’t want to miss the extraganza morning meal, would you?” The sixty-year-old head matron greeted me as she met me on the hallway leading to the dinning room. She was a little surprise to see how early I get up today. And how she failed to perform her morning duty of looking after the Dexigrous young masters sleeping habits. Marcus was a little bit of an old school, making sure we have enough time to sleep…and time to rise.

“Don’t be too disappointed Lhiana, you still have two sleepy heads to turn to.” I walk pass her as I march towards the main entrance to welcome Marcus. I heard the limousines just arrived outside. Lhiana has been part of my childhood and I respect her a lot. She’s now old but my family is still keeping her due to the diligent servitude she offers.

“Return all the cars at the underground garage!” I heard one of the men shouted to his fellow cronies, before he speeds away with a gold coated Terra Nissan. I recognize it to be George Verdict, my father’s most trusted confidant.

“Welcome back Sir.” The servants lined up in the entrance greeted as they slightly bowed to the newly arrived old man.

“Marcus!” I make my greetings as I ushered him towards the dinning room. It must have been a long way. Father went over the opposite side of the Pacific for some business concerning the mafia’s prospect of improving the quality of our firearms. Laghberg Mafia had just developed their new micro bomb that doesn’t offer any way to diffuse it. The same one that we encountered in the auction event. Speaking of which, now that I remember the woman again…

“Father! Welcome back!” My thoughts are disrupted with the echoing loud voice of my sister as she runs to met us. As expected, Marcus just gives her a shrug and takes his seat as the servant gently pulls a chair for him on the rear end this French Molave furniture, embedded with elaborate Gothic carves.

“Good morning too Mara.” I consolidated her spirit. She was actually the reason for this family reunion today.

“Ugh! Aren’t you at least going to give me a proper greeting aside from ‘good morning’?” Today is her birthday. She seems to be more upset to receive not a single special greetings from me. Not so fast Mara. I don’t want to steal the first greet from Marcus. Even if our father acts stoic at all times, I know he had a good spot for us specially to her only princess.

“Come on. We are not spoiling the meal are we?” I gently taps on her shoulder. I heard her hissed once more before following behind my steps. Servants pull chairs for us as we take our seats.

“Finally this French table will have to serve a meal after ages.” Devon playfully said as he saunters towards the dinning table. “It’s a rare occasion. Right wooden buddy?” He even taps the table to get a response. Acting clever as always. He didn’t even bothered to look decent as evident with his tussled hair and boxer shorts. Marcus eyed him for a while before taking in his glass of refreshing water.

I saw Lhiana behind him dismissing all the servants once everything was served. My father’s preference includes a less extravagant breakfast with no servants around if possible. (Way contradicting to what the servants called it- extravaganza.) But due to inevitable demands, Lhiana was to stay available in a corner.

“I was about to congratulate you for finally getting your hands into our company. I heard you administered the interview for the CEO’s secretary. That wasn’t a great feat actually, but we can settle for that as your starting point of being a responsible Dexigrous. However, with what I see today…” Father gruesomely eyed Devon’s physique starting from his tussled hair to his barely covered abdomen.

“Seven hells and damnation! Yes! Family decorum and proper attires…” My Dexigrous brother mumbled through his full mouth which disappoints father furthermore. As I said, Marcus was an old school. Expecting us to follow the traditional noble way of acting accordingly including ‘not-talking-with-your-mouth-full’ which my older brother just did.

“That’s why you’ll never have the mafia for yourself granting your birthright…” My father said before gingerly slicing his fair share of steak and shoving it to his mouth. Devon flinch for a while before returning to his usual ‘who-cares-look’. I don’t like where this conversation will lead us.

“Father, I bet today’s get together has something to do with Mara.” I reminded them. Mara smiles besides me. Maybe she thought we forgot about that.

“Indeed, I suppose I have to congratulate you for another year of existence.” Marcus said as he fixes his gaze to Mara. Who am I fooling around? Father would never say the cliché way of saying happy birthday.

“Happy Birthday Mara!” I said the words my father’s lips failed to utter. Not long after, Lhiana whispered something to my father before handing him a phone. There must be an important matter over to deal with towards the person on the other line that my father’s meal was disturbed.

“How old are you now?” I asked Mara as Marcus steps a little bit farther from the dinning table turning his back unto us.

“Pretty twenty…” She giggles. That must have been for the best. I hope she matures in time. I am getting enough with her childish rants at times. No sane man could tolerate Mara’s dramas and monologues.

“Growing older huh? Yet you keep acting like a child” The clever Dexigrous brother eyed Mara suspiciously, killing the happy vibe I’m trying to inject in the area.

“Says who? The one in his late twenty’s yet still fooling around.” She fired back.

“Talking of ‘fooling around’…You are just the same. Does making scandals amidst a job interview not an act of fooling around?” Devon reminded her with his face grinning from ear to ear.

Slash!

A flying kitchen knife suddenly crosses the table perfectly landing straight into the apple, slicing it in an evenly manner.

Devon looks obviously a little bit surprised with Mara’s impressive skill before speaking. “W-ell I must say. Finally Mara I saw something paid off with your weekly training. Dexigrous Mafia is sure investing in a probable asset.” He said while sipping on his red wine. “But I won’t just sit back!” With a swift movement, he fired back the kitchen knife eyeing towards Mara’s face. I quickly catches it with my hand before it even reach the target. My sister looks really terrified. I can’t blame her though. She wasn’t used to this. She barely started her trainings months ago as she was living far away from home when we were young, disguising into someone just to peacefully live and study as a normal girl should do. Now that she graduates, it’s time for her to uncover and live up with her name Dexigrous.

“Devon!” I couldn’t help but to glare at him. Mara has had enough of things like this. She’s been being eyed by other Mafia family as the easiest pawn to lure us out into their den. She’s receive few attempts of k********g which she gladly resisted with the help of her three personal guards tailing after her secretly.

“Alright.” He raises his arms for surrender. “I was just playing around sis. I’m pretty aware Calix wouldn’t let the knife reach your unscratched face.” He chuckles before continuing. “You might have mastered pretty well the art of attacking. But you shouldn’t rely on that alone. An art of missing the hit is as important as yielding it.” Devon added before reaching for the sliced apples. “Thanks for the cut.” He says as he waves his hand and ascended the stairs.

Not long after, Marcus rejoin us in this French table. He looked a bit bothered. “How’s things going?” I asked him.

“Asians are quite hard to deal with. They even asked for a translator to test our patience when I knew very well that they can speak English.” My father explained with gritted teeth as he looks into his steak. “A little more time…then we don’t have to deal with them.” He said before lifting his focus on me.

“How was the business going?” He asked me.

“It was remarkable…increasing in sales these past weeks.” I saw my father give a sly smile.

“Speaking of Asians again…how about the island we are eyeing to buy in the Australian coasts?” Geez! I was reprimanded of how hard it is to arrange a schedule with Mr. Chilagan. He is such a labyrinthine.

“Perhaps by next week we will fly off to Australia to deal with him firsthand.” I chose to assure my father.

“Good. That will be an essential element of expanding our company to the east.”

“Wait Calix…I heard there was an auction event last week? Why haven’t you even invited me?” Mara drops off her own concern as she was sensing how clueless she was on what we are discussing.

“You are still undergoing a training. When your skilled and capable enough, I would proudly escort you in one of the Mafia gatherings.” For now, it will be dangerous. I tried to explain to her as I swallow my last piece of the delicately cooked steak. An uninvited bomb even intrude the venue.

“Did you find out the culprit behind the bomb?” My father asked me leaving Mara more clueless. It turns out that Laghberg sent the least number of delegates on the event. I was sure it was them behind the wanton act. Besides, the nature of the bomb planted was obviously theirs. It doesn’t have any way to be diffuse. Only Laghberg Mafia has that advanced bomb system among all the mafia here in the west. That’s why, my father and I are desperately working for advancing our weapons as well.

“Laghber’s…” I replied shortly.

“As expected from the reckless newly seated boss…” My father drinks his last shot of red wine.

“You better secure the Gun of Yakuza tonight.” He said before leaving the dinning room.

“Wait…What? Tonight? You would be attending my birthday party right?” My sister asked me in confusion. I’ll try. We can’t afford to lose our chance on the Gun of Yakuza neither can I afford to absent myself on your special day.