Stars Aligned

Insert 42

Narrated

Leo: Where is Elizabeth?
Leo's first words as he walks towards his brother on the big dining table. Leone glances up from his phone with raised eyebrows.
Leone: What? You feeling suffocated without her presence?
Leo takes his suit off, hanging the black blazer on the chair then takes a seat. His brothers question may have seemed like a joke but to him it felt somehow relevant. Choosing to ignore him, Leo leans back on his chair, and waits for Leone to actually give him an answer.

Leone rolls his eyes and shifts them back to the phone in his hands.
Leone: She went to town.
Leo: Alone?
Leone: Well I'm here now, in front of you. Who do you expect her to go with?
The thought of Elizabeth being alone didn't settle down nicely on his part. Moreover without his permission. As absurd as it sounded, since it was her country and she knew her own people than he ever could. But he couldn't shake the feeling that she shouldn't be alone.

Leone: Relax frater, she's a big girl. You don't expect her to stay confined in this house always do you? Give her a break.
Again, chose not to pay attention to his brother. But he knew that Leone was right, Elizabeth was a big girl, enough to go out on her own. No. He wasn't a reasonable man, it was his nature. Not being told about things wasn't something that sat well with the man.
He didn't want to consider him being stricken that she wasn't here to welcome him was because he missed her and all he wanted to see was her. Leo decided on swallowing the disappointment in the pit of his stomach.

Leo: You know what whipped means?
Leone: What?
He knew that his brother had heard him. Nothing he hated than having to repeat himself, and now to his idiotic little brother.
Leo cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to somewhere other than Leone who seemed to have a smug look on his face.
Leo: Whipped, what does that mean?
Much to Leo's annoyance, Leone's laughter filled the room. He hadn't said anything hilarious did he? Or maybe the word itself was funny. But that meant Snakes insulted him then.

No, it wasn't that. Maybe the word sounded humorous coming from him. It wasn't his type of thing to say anyhow. Leo narrowed his eyes at Leone. He was getting irritated and moreover impatient.
Leone: Frater...
Leo: Forget it.
He got up from his chair and yanked his suit in annoyance. Leone snickered behind him. How he wished to just punch him in the face. Because quite frankly, it wasn't funny that he was in a pickle with his own mind. If he was whipped, then he was going to consult a doctor.

Maybe it was contagious and perhaps he might just pass it to Leone by chance. He was never a petty man nor did he take Leone absurdity serious, but now it felt different. Maybe if he researched the word. That's what he was going to do. Well it was what he was going to do until;
Leone: It means Elizabeth has you by the balls frater.
Leone was always too vulgar with his words. Sometimes it was too vulgar for his liking. At least now he knew that he wasn't sick and whipped wasn't some sort of disease.
Leone: I love this girl, I mean anyone who can melt my brothers heart, now that deserves some global award.

Leo: Call Diego, tell him to fly over and leave everything to Antonio for now.
With that being said he left the room. Leone sighed, a small chuckle with his teeth pulling at his lower lip. Leo wasn't always like that. From a very young age, he was good man. Yes, he was stuck up, he never smiled that much but he wasn't as this cold as he is now.
His arrogance isn't something that's new though, nor his lack of knowledge about love.
Leone was the brother that loved to live life to the fullest while Leo was the brother you could say, was responsible and always cleaned after him.

Things changed a lot when their mother passed away. Their papa was always a strict ma, but when their mother passed away, he became so ruthless and power hungry. Leone knew that his father was a cruel man and Leo always made sure that Leone never had to face his wrath. There were many things that Leo knew about their father that Leone didn't. Leo made sure that his little brother was protected from any harm until their father died. Till this day Leone has no idea what occurred when Leo took the blame for anything he did.

But he knew it wasn't pleasant. Leo was the only one who stood up to their cruel father. The men had too much in common to live in the same house. Leone had his own suspicions about what happened to their father but Leo made certain that Leone never got involved with that incident or the events of that day.

***

Snakes made his way back to the office. Him and his wife got a bit more intimate with each other during the time of their shower. His conference meeting was to take place in a few minutes as he approached the elevator to the top floor. The elevator made a stop on a random floor. Snakes stood uninterestedly still while his assistant appeared in front of him.
Lilly: Snaky.
Snakes: Is the boardroom ready?
Initially the name didn't bother him and he never paid much thinking into it.

Now it irked in a wrong way. He didn't want any woman having to think they can be that friendly with him on a level that is purely prohibited. Lillian was an employee and it was time she acted like it.
Lilly: Yes, they just waiting for you actually.
Nodding his head, and on cue, the elevator doors dinged signalling the stop of their destination to the top floor.
Snakes: Oh and Miss Jones-
The doors opened, the man walked out, turning his head to look at Lilly.
Snakes: Mr Zikalala or Sir would be much more professional, no? Lose the nickname, I'm your boss not your boyfriend.

With that he walked away, leaving a gaping Lilly. It was probably the first time he had been rude with her. He knew his words were rather too harsh but it was needed. Because one thing he knew about people was that misconceptions were their forte. It is either you blatantly clear with them or have them confuse your actions for something else. He chose to go with the easier way, well according to him. He has never cared about people's feelings, especially women who meant nothing to him, and he wasn't about to start now. The only women he ever would care about is his wife and family members.

Snakes: Gentlemen, lady, let's get started.