Page 12 of Stevie
CHAPTER FIVE
“Well,” my beautiful mother sips her coffee as she mulls over her next words. “Bejbe, I understand that there isn’t much we can do now, but I feel that the girl this morning with the bat was a bit much.” I rest my head in my hands and groan. It’s been three days since I made that video. Millions of views, shares, and comments, and now they’re stalking me. And today, some angry apprentice came into Nuts while I was working with a baseball bat.
“Ah,” Baka scoffs as she sits at the table in the empty restaurant. “That was nothing. I could snap her legs like the chicken wings if your bear would let me.” I laugh lightly. My Baka and Mama are the most extraordinary people I’ve ever met, and I love them so much. Baka is an immigrant from Croatia. She moved to the United States long before I was born. She was a housekeeper and cook for years until Mama started a bakery shop with the money from my dad’s life insurance when he passed away. Mama and Baka live in a house together. It’s a small bungalow with an urban farm in the backyard. I love that little house with its green siding and giant lilac bushes. I planned on staying there after my operation, but now that the stalking and death threats have started, I know I can’t involve them. Even though I’m pretty sure Baka would love to deal with them.
“I’m so sorry,” I sigh. “I had no idea it would go to hell like this. And Brooks isn’t my bear.” I don’t know how to make him go away. He’s been constantly around. Calling, texting, showing up, staying for all meals, or being at Hel’s if I’m there. I understand why, but I don’t like the added attention.
“It’s no your fault, you no apologize, Stefa.”
“I’m just worriedheis going to contact me,” I mutter into my hands.
“Bejbe,” Mama’s soft voice coos.Bejbe, or “baby” in English, has been my only pet name that I’ve ever approved of. I like my name, Stevie, and it’s the name I prefer to be called. Except for Mama and Baka, who insist on calling me by my given name, Stefa. “You can’t live your life in fear because of one man.”
“One man who should be fed to the pigs,” Baka grumbles. I only told them the reason I left New Orleans after my run-in with Vincent at the convention in New Orleans, even though I’ve been back in California for years now. It’s not a time in my life that I’m proud of, and I didn’t want to bring that shame to them. Of course, when I said that, Baka hit me upside the head and started screaming obscenities in Croatian… I think. I don’t know. I told her I couldn’t understand her, and she replied that it was because I’d become lazy with my Croatian, as though I am given the opportunity to use that language so often outside of these two women.
“Baka, you can’t murder every man that you don’t like.” The old woman barks out a laugh.
“This! This is what is wrong with your generation. Eye for an eye, Stefa. The man hurt you! Then you cut off his testicles and serve them to him minced in pasta.” I curl my lip at the visual.
“Okay,” Mama says slowly before looking back at me. “So, what are you going to do? You won’t stay with us and can’t take those stairs after surgery. Plus, I’m worried about your safety right now. You being here alone…”
“I know. Brooks said he would have his company come out and help beef up the security or something.”
“Alone?” Baka chirps, and I groan.Here we go.“The big bear with the beard and the–” she makes hand motions in the shape of a round bottom.
“Bakaaaaa…” I whine while hiding my face. “You know his name is Brooks, and whatever you’re about to say, please don’t.”
“Ne! Stefa! You listen to Baka! I know the bear man stay here at night! He cares for you, yeah? You climb the bear man! You tame the bear man, and you marry the bear man. Right now!”
“Mama!” I look to my pink-cheeked mom for help as she tries to hide her laughter behind her coffee cup. “Traitor,” I mutter.
“Ne! Stefa Kovac, you turn the ears on! I know you give the milk to him in the cover of darkness.”
“This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening,” I mutter repeatedly. Baka taps the top of my head.
“You drag the bear man in here to show you have claimed him. He big. Strong. With the muscles and the money, you get him now.”
Well, this conversation is going swell. “Baka, what happened to ‘men only good for one thing’?”
She scoffs, “You listen to your Baka. The bear man was in the vision–” Mama and I both groan. I’ve been hearing about “the vision” since I was ten.
Baka raises a brow in warning to both Mama and me, “The attitude, both of you. My vision was real.”
“Baka,” I sigh, exhausted from the day. “I love you, but my soulmate is not a bear. He and I aren’t living in the jungle. Just because Brooks is large doesn’t make him a bear. Besides, he lives in the suburbs across town.”
“Ahh,” she waves her hand. “Baka know what she saw. Bear man with nice butt, he is the one. You wait, Stefa, Baka never wrong.” I watch her walk away, leaning on the cane, though it’s on the opposite side from where she had it the other day.
“You switched sides!” I call after her before looking at my all too amused mother. “I wish you would do something about her,” I hiss.
Mama chuffs, “What would you have me do? Tie her to a chair and gag her?”
“Happened before!” Baka calls from the back room, startling us. “Three men try to tie up your Baka. Ha! I ate their cocks for breakfast.” Mama spews her drink everywhere as I drop my head into my hands.
Maybe not staying with them won’t be such a bad idea.
* * *
Wow, talk about being salty. Your boss didn’t want to fuck you — Get over it.
