Chapter 10: Life Used To Be...

Mona was my Ex, Gina now history, Vito seemed safe and I was starting my new life unencumbered. I thought again, except for Eileen, Elle, Sandy, Aimee, Ashley; wait-a-second, what were Mei-Shek, Number One and Number Two; chopped liver? No, no, no ... I never, ever said anything about Matia. I just was sending her something for her birthday.

I may have to rethink that unencumbered description of my future!

Things could get very interesting. The nudge from Mei-Shek brought my attention ‘front and centre’. We had a dinner about to take place,

While Gina was faced with a whole lot of decisions, a call came in to Vegas ‘suggesting’ it might be wise to stay out of ‘Family’ business. The offer to Gina about the use of a plane was rescinded. Some ‘other’ souls were leaving town too before they were really turned into ‘souls’.

Marta made a call to Elle, informing her of the new plans. Well, all she said was, “Get the girls and yourself ready to leave to see Tommy. I have a ‘special’ plane getting readied for Eileen. We all, I mean you, Aimee, Ashley and Eileen need to be ready in two days. Michelle is arriving there to take your place. No questions, just do it!” That was it, no lengthy explanation, discussion or chance to refute anything before Marta hung up; no phone to call. ‘Their training needed to start anyway’ she thought as she adjusted her own collar. She had Marcel, Tony and Marin ready a car to drive her to Frankfurt, she wanted a few extras set up on the plane before they left.

Back home in Buenos Aires, the two gifts from Tommy were being prepped and readied for Matia’s birthday party.

In Milan, Sandy was ‘almost’ confused. If she heard right, her ‘Master’ was ‘kicking her to the curb’. ‘No, that can’t be right’ she thought, he said he was sending her to a new Master or wherever else she wanted to go. That did not sound as if it was a ‘kiss-off’. After that initial, gut reaction, some sense of reasonableness set in. Her ‘Master’ was getting old, very old and from ‘his’ perspective, merely ensuring her safety and happiness. Reflecting some, it would be intolerable to have his son inherit her. That was what she finally wanted to believe.

Sandy made a call within Milan. She simply stated who she was and that a Dassault Falcon 2000 EX, wet, was to transfer content from ‘her’ 650 EX then take off, with her to Hong Kong. There was little doubt this preamble was necessary, details had surely been sent to Milan already, it was merely a formality. One detail remained, which ‘crew’ was taking the plane back to the US. She made the executive decision to leave that to Veronica and called her with the information; again it was unnecessary, she had been informed and was on it. That left her free for a few hours of shopping. She would sleep on the new plane if needed.

For a change everything looked to be in-order, unlike how ‘Tommy’s’ life had been to date. That Chiang, Chang, Change, whatever, had known his ‘other’ name still was a sore point with him. Much worse would be if it was his birth name!

He did not see Numbers Two and Three but one look at Mei-Shek took his mind off of minor details like them. Dinner, ‘What was on the menu?’ he thought. As she had to literally ‘pull’ him forward Tommy was half ready to bolt and half looking forward to this.