Free Elementary Virtue: The Prophecy by Sonja Wuthrich

couldn’t refuse. He's such a sweetheart," she laughed dreamily to herself. Then she cleared her throat, "well, how are things going with Gabe?" She looked around, and didn’t see him anywhere. She then whispered, "Is he a pompous ass like his father?" Ana smiled, her mom was impossible, "You mean my father too? Honestly, I think he is quite weird!" She tapped suggestively with her index finger to her forehead, “and I think it's a little alarming if you consider that I have partly the same genes like him. I hope that I am not a bit batty myself, given the circumstances of my ancestry."
    Her mom laughed aloud "You, never! Cutie, you are my daughter, don’t you ever forget that. Or do I look as if I had roof damage?" she grinned blissfully and then threw herself on a classy living room suite. She took off her high-heeled shoes, "these damn things are going to kill me, and it's not usual for me to walk around on such killer heels." Ana had brought another bottle of mineral water and two glasses from the kitchen meanwhile. "Come on just admit that you wanted to impress Chris. You are flirting with him. Did he ask you out yet?"
    "I don’t know about that; it has been too long since I last dated someone. Honestly, I don’t feel like throwing myself on the dating market again. Being alone has its advantages. I can do whatever I want to and by the way, he is not even divorced yet. The poor man seems to have married a real money greedy beast. She doesn’t even want to let him see his daughter, and it breaks his heart. Good thing that she is sixteen by now and they meet secretly over lunchtime," she laughed, “Can you imagine such a thing?" “God, Mom I’m' breaking into tears,” Ana said sarcastically.
    "But can we please change the subject? Gabe wants me to spy on a girl. He thinks that he can boss me around. Nevertheless, I like this girl. She is nice, and I don’t care what kind of problem he has with her. The guy is trying to use me Mom. You have to give me some good advice how to talk him out of spying on that girl.” Her Mother looked worried, "Hard to believe, but it seems the young man is coming after his father. Then, I suggest that we move to the Hotel, because probably Carmine, your dad is behind it. I know him. He has always had others doing the dirty work for him in the past. I will tell Gabe, that we received an invite to stay at the Hotel because of the Awards or something like that. Don’t worry I will find some excuse."
    "That would be great for you to do Mom because Gabe gives me the creeps," shortly after her words had died away through the front door, and right on cue, he appeared. He had someone in tow. Ana and her mother remained both speechless for a short time, but her mom recollected quickly, "Oh, hi there Carmine, what a surprise! I didn’t expect you, and I would like to say that you look good. As you already know, I don’t tell lies, unlike you."
    What an embarrassing situation! Ana would have given anything to beam herself into another universe. She hadn’t seen her father for at least fifteen years. Last time she saw him was when he left her mother. He had never bothered to contact her in all these years, not even for her birthdays. She didn’t feel like talking to him ever again. Nevertheless, Gabe contacted her mother some time ago, after she started to have some success with her first book. Gabe indicated that he had no contact with his father. That had been the only reason her mom thought it would be a good idea that she got to know her step-brother. They didn’t have many family contacts. Her beloved grandparents had passed away, and she had no siblings. It was understandable that her mom was upset. Perhaps they had been tricked, and she would never have agreed to meet her father, as things were now. Carmine Grande put on a radiant apologetic smile. He bared a row of obviously false dazzling white teeth. He ran his fingers in an uncertain gesture through his still mostly dark hair