Page 37 of CurVy 13

“Oh?” She twists in her chair, the leather creaking, her frail body slow and stiff to match. Squinting at me, she disagrees, “No. Your parents didn’t name you Donnie. That’s a girl’s name. Your name is Donald.”

For the love of— “Donatello,” I correct, clasping my hands in front of me and staring at her through my mask, which was supposed to inflict terror but... I’m very rarely wrong—arrogant for a reason—but I’ve been floored over and over the past few days.

She doesn’t look up. “What?”

“Donatello, Kathleen. My parents named me Donatello.” I move to stand in front of her, and she squints up at me again, sceptical. “It’s Italian.” I don’t know why I explain, but I add, “My mother is, was, Italian. My brothers got Anglo names, I got the Italian one.”

“Oh…” She looks me up and down as if to judge for herself. She nods. “Well, I can’t see you properly anyway. So, I was watching that Jerry Springer—”

“Fuck,” I laugh, but I’ve no idea where that cheery fucking sound came from. “What year is it?”

“2023, dear,” she answers seriously. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I just meant that’s an old show, so…” I pause, rolling my eyes at myself for indulging this for so long. “Just… Fuck. Nevermind.”

“Oh, okay, dear. So, the young woman cheated on her partner.” Kathleen takes a sip from her prosecco and slips a pear slice in her mouth, enjoying both flavours at once.

She nods slowly, visually judging the taste.

“Hmm. Bit tart.” Then she swallows and says, “She gave another man, I think she called it, a blow job.”

“Jesus Christ,” I spit out.

“And I thought, poor Stephen.”

I can’t believe my ears. “What?”

“Stephen,” she repeats as if I should know who that fucker is. “My husband.”

“Right.”

She goes on, “Poor Stephen lived his entire life, bless his soul and cotton socks, without ever experiencing a blow jo—”

“Oh my fucking God, Kathleen.”

“I’m sure you’ve had one.”

Cutting the conversation there, I wander over to her and snap a picture to send her granddaughter. “Well, I’m glad to see you’re well. Do you need anything for the time being? It’ll only be a few more days.”

“Oh, okay, dear.”

On my way out, I stop and say over my shoulder, “You know, you nearly got me in trouble with a girl yesterday. You want to tone down the damn perfume in this place or what?”

“Oh, I’m sure you get yourself in trouble just fine without me, Donald.”

Well, fuck me sideways.

CHAPTER 16

VALLIE

Sitting through another day of this trial is tortuous, and I can’t concentrate which isn’t bad as all signs point to a guilty verdict.

The evidence that he took her, that he was with her at a hotel, where she was found… are all irrefutable.

So, I let my mind drift. Emotions swirl through me as I replay the past few days in my mind.

Donnie forced himself on me.

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