Chapter 15
I have been working for pan for a little over a week now, When he paid me my first salary, I went immediately to share it with Pamela. It was my way to show hom grateful I was that she let me into her home and led me daily. Yet, Pamela refused to take my money, no matter how macht begged herto. In the end, I bought her a new dress and a doll for Sottu That, at least, she accepted.
Bruno didn’t find a job for me vei. The more time passes, the more worried become. I know Joan will have to part with me soon because Lost him too much. The last thing I want is to be unemployed again it wontes me a lot, almost more than the Whitlocks.
ne but a maid. There are
I haven’t heard from them since the day I left, Ivan stopped testing me like to imagine that they’ve moved on. After all, I’m nothing thousands of other girls like me that they cantecture instead. Prahaps some of them would even accept it, in exchange for money.
I just wish I could go back to that mansion and retrieve my family portrait, Eletti och a hurry that it didn’t take any of my belongings and that portrait Iscertainly my most prized possession. I’m not foolish enough to go and get it, though. I’ll just consider it lost, even if it hurtsm
To free im mind, i decide to go out with Pamela. She doesn’t work tonight and the left her daughter with the neighbor so we can have a little girl time, We at only twenty war old and deserve a little bit et fun, no?
1 love to ilance. II Ii wasiči for all the issues in my life, I’d be partying every night, Pamela shares the same passion so naturally, we decide in go to a club te We choose a safe neighborhood where youngsters like ourselves stood the streets. Every shop, bar and restaurant is open and diffusing music. The neon lights and make this street look more welcoming
but it’s ladies” night, so it’s free for us. Inside, the music is very food. It’s not Pamela’s first time so she takes me to a club she knows well. You need to pay to get almost deadening. I look around at the dancing crowd and immediately want to join it. But first, Pamela and me get cocktails at the her
“Girl, this is bomb!” I yell over the music before taking another sip of my spicy, fruity cocktail.
krow, mama. This place makes the best drinks.”
We Emish ours quickly and I’m already feeling light headed but also much more excited. Pamela and go to the dance floor to start moving our bodies. Loving to dance doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m good at it, though, In fact, I look a little stupid next to my talented friend but I don’t care, what matters is that I’m having
Pamela twirls me around and we actually start to attract attention from the people around. They cheers on and soon, we find ourselves dancing with a bunch of
irst time in a while, I feel young and carefree. strangers. We just go with the flow, carried by the dwthm of the music. For the
A guy approaches me a while later. He obviously catches my attention because he’s gorgeous. He has a beautiful caramel skin tone and thick blonde curls over his
he addresses to me while dancing. He’s not very good at it either end it makes me laugh.
“Are you laughing at my dance skills, right now He says loudly with an advesed expression on his face.
“You just remind me of myself.” I respond with a giggle.
My eyes fall on Pamela who is standine a few feet away. She’s also dancing with a guy but gives me encouraging thumbs ups at the same time. I direct my attention back to the handsome guy who I definitely find very attractive. He lears closer to whisper in my ear
What do you say we go for a drink and rest our feet?”
I nod with a little smile. He takes my hand and guides me away from the dance floor. like how he makes sure that I don’t bump into anyone on the way. He orders mur dricks and we sit ned to each other at the bar. I’m feeling warm and sweat trickles down my torehead and neck. Hie my hair up into a ponytail
“10” The guy smiles. “I haven’t seen you here belove.”
augh. “Are you such a regular that you know every person that walls into this club?”
“Ha–la, no. It’s just that I’m bere most every Saturday and this neighborhood is small so you easily get to recognize people ”
“Every Saturday *
– My other is the beans come to keep him company.”
Itum to the German and there is definitely a hint of resemblance between the two of them,
starting with the beautiful live skintone.
by best der hedds molte against his palin a little longer than necessary.
hunka to the dim lights
smann touch covers TV an
jan with Causebumps and so dues bis enticing smile
ep Huought I was the worst daters in fur world you just proved to me that put that had after all” ife says
obs poke inari her laugh and almost spill my cocktail troll my rye
that bad. * T complain.
Mielen
Triky, nes, all pikemaside
person on that dance thor, Tomildi‘ krepiny eyes away from you and you know, I’uumally a
you won’t mind getting bo kauwine, Catalina ”
krale men who don’t know hate
“You don’t have a crazy boyfriend who’ll come nut of nowhere and beat the shit out of me, right? He adds in an amused tone,
“Ha–ha No, Titio. You can rest assured.”
My eyes fall on his chest. The top of his shirt is unbuttoned and I see that he’s wearing a gold cross, almost similar to mine
“I’d love to get to know you. ” I say to him.
*So you wouldn’t mind giving me your phone number?”
I give him my mumber but also make sure to warn him that 1 |
don’t know how Team begintersplain all the dhama with phone aff most of the time during the day. He doesn’t ask me why and that’s arellet because
- ne. The difference is
Pietro barys us another rounded cocktails and 1 get to know him while we drink, the tells me that he’s ternity there and works as a junior accountant in a small company downtown. He has four siblings, including the barman, I’in sumptised to hear that he grew up in a poor neighborhood too, just
ist like me. that he has supportive parents who did their best to give ban the education he needed to build a better life.
Don’t get me wrong. My mother was very supportive too and perhaps could have pursued a biglier education just like Pleten if she had more money to space for me.
tell Fiets briefly about my own life, even though there is nothing to be proud of. He’s clearly interested in me but my insecure side belleses that he’ll soon malize that he deserves better. Yet, Pietro listens to my story with undying interest.
“You’re streng, Catalina.” He tells me tisthfully, “Tew would mutter the courage to keep on going with enthusiasm after what poor experienced and yet, you do it with ease. I have no doubt that you’ll manage to fulfill all of your dreams and sooner than you think.”
It feels nice to heat these words coming from a stranger. I dare to believe in myself again, even if I don’t see a way out of poverty. Petro rakes my hand and invites me to dance again. A slower song plays so he pulls me in his arms, holding my hip respectfully, I let myself drown in his hazel eyes, thinking that Thaven’t liked a
I spent the rest of my time in the club with him. Pamela left a little earlier with her male acquaintance and Pietro offers to take me home when I start to get ticed Toom standing on my high heels. He drives a silver Audi. I tell him the address to Pamela’s home and he takes off.
The trip is spent in comfortable silence except for the music coming from his radio. I can feel Pietro’s eyes on me every once in a while. I know he wants to a me (but but doesn’t have the courage to do so yet.
soon enough, his car is parked in front of Pamela’s home. He looks a little disappointed, certainly not expecting that the trip was going to be this short. I smile at
“Thank you so much for bringing me home safely.”
you for spending time with me.
1 stare at him through my Lashes, waiting for him to say what’s in his mind. Finally, he draws a deep breath and speaksi
+ know we Batter Catalina but I really like you. I think you’re a nice girl, funny, kind and hardworking…I would be honored to meet you again. Would you
mind it
My smile waders Butterflies swid in my lower stomach in excitement.
“I would love to have lunch with you Pietro.”
Hebrann like a dald on Christmas Eve. Petro thanks me again. I appreciate that he doesn’t lean forward to kiss me or do anything else of that nature. He must be burring arry senous intentions about me. Nonetheless, I take the initiative to kiss his cheek and watch him blush.
then
I step out of his car and stand on the sidewalk Suddenly, s
clothes Trandio tell that fur isn’t drunk yet, !
“alley next to Pamela’s home and calls out my name:
Tote that he looks better than 1 ·last time I saw him. He showered and put on clean
li there is the falan amell at cheap boʻromdim.
Partisi watches him appeterli with a suspicious look Heel kind of.
of anxious too. What was dad doing in that alley all by himself?
Dari pritatis teeth together the states kuietly made the cat | Pieten before refunding; bös attention tor
sayı dü a darker tone. “Nome could have agreed to filde you except this foolish girl, Pamela”
Dad has actary lonk uni
“Air you alright, Gallina?” ||2
“What do you mean, hide?” | growl at dad.
I never told hlin that Tam lading from sounendest soitething urlow._/
As if oncur, two men in police uniforms come out from the same alley as dad earlier. My eyes widen in shock. One of them holds handcufts and his menacing gaze
e police
“Do no try to run away, Miss Nunez.” He speaks in a low tone. “You know why we’re here and you better cooperate. We just need you to come with us to the
station
“What the hell is going on here?” Pietro yells at them.
I’m horribly i
y reminded of Ricardo, the last man who tried to defend me and whom I still ignore the fate of. I certainly don’t want Pietro to end up like him.
Dad stands on the side with a proud look on his face.
“Sir, you will have to step aside.” The police officer says to Pietro. “Your hands above you head, please.”
Pietro remains defiantly unmoved.
“Please” tell him. “Just do as they say.”
can see that he’s confused. I didn’t tell him about my adventure with the Whitlock family so he naturally doesn’t know that I ran away from their mansion with a possible debt.
The police officers are now close enough. One of them turns me around, pushes me roughly against the wall and starts handcutting me. I wince in pain at the tightness but I do my best to keep staring at father who 1 low must have something to do with this
“In which station are you taking her?” Pietro asks but no response is given to him.
I gasp when another man comes out of that alley a few feet away. I almost pee my pants when I meet his eyes, the same murderous ones that I see in my worst nightmares.
Ivan stands in front of me after an entire week in which I thought I escaped from him. It’s when his lips rise in a sly smirk that I realize that he’s here to end me, just He feared would happen.
A
