chapter 2

ANTONIO

I had been invited to the party by roberto but since I didn't know anyone except him and his sister's girlfriend whom I had met a few days before at the office .

I was Roberto's boss and a couple of days before he was late for a meeting so I went to call him and his sister was there and they were talking about the party and when I arrived and pointed out that he was late he invited me to apologise.

I had gone even though I didn't know anyone, maybe if there was an interesting girl I would have found a diversion.

The interesting girl had arrived almost immediately, she had wavy brown hair and green eyes, she was the first girl that evening who wore stiletto heels to perfection, she had class and a strong sex appeal, from the way she moved I imagined her statuesque body slightly concealed by her Charleston-style dress,but while she was dancing with all those fringes moving around she was too intriguing I watched her for the whole evening as if she hadn't noticed me, but when she went to get a drink our glances crossed and I felt the air around us sparkle. She looked at me for just a moment and then approached a girl with red hair, they talked for a while and then she resumed dancing, this time turning towards me from time to time.

For the whole evening I look at her without ever speaking to her I don't even know her name but when I see her dancing with Roberto something bothers me and the annoyance becomes stronger when I see her talking together and looking at him she turns red and when they say goodbye kissing she reaches her peak and I go to get another drink while I'm there I notice that when some of Roberto and his sister say hello to them they say something so I bend my ear and understand that they're organising something for Saturday night and I leave too.

"I want to see what he does! "

I say in my mind

but it doesn't say anything to me ....

Once I get into the car I shake my hands on the steering wheel I understand that he likes the girl and doesn't want any competition because if I get in the way there's no match . .

there never was ...

Women had always fallen at my feet, not for nothing I had the reputation of a womanizer, but seeing that girl who did not pay attention to me was a bet for me I was already thinking how to ruin his Saturday night ...

I'd find a way

I always found a way to get what I wanted, and in this case it was to ruin her Saturday.

The next day

In the afternoon I call him

"Roberto, sorry to call you while you're on holiday".

"Oh Mr. Antonio, tell me" he says, always so helpful as to be irritating.

"and that I need a favour from you" I say confidently

"alright if it's possible!" he already had an uncertain voice

"I'll send you some documents to translate they're in Chinese and urgent ok!" it wasn't a question and he was smart enough to understand it

"OK and when do they need them?" he asked me cautiously

"right away because I have a meeting on Saturday night".

"but actually I'm busy, can't someone else do them" he dares to say but I knew how to frame him

"you know very well that in the studio only you know Chinese".

I answer him

"alright then" he says defeated

"I'll send them to you right away" I told him, closing.

Instead I calmly looked for some old documents in the computer, I remembered that there were some old documents in Chinese, so just before dinner I sent them to him, even if I had worked all night it would have taken half a day.

ANNA

it was just before dinner when lilly calls me

"Do you want to watch a movie on Netflix and have a pizza?"

"ok I'll tell my dad and see you later"

I went downstairs to the kitchen my parents were on the couch watching TV

"Dad called Lilly, can I go over there and we'll watch a movie and eat a pizza?"

"OK, but I'll drop you off and I'll drop you off on the way back, you know I don't like you walking around alone."

"OK"

When I arrive I see Lilly angry.

"What happened?" I ask and she starts railing.

"That scoundrel, spoiled brat."

"Who are you talking to?" I asked, astonished.

"With my brother's boss!" she answered.

"What did he do?"

"He told him to translate some documents for tomorrow, even though he's on holiday, he did it on purpose.

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"no, neither you nor I know Chinese," she says resignedly.

I think about it for a moment and say "true, but google it...turn on the computer and the printer and I'll be right there".

I went to Roberto's room

"Hey, how's it going?" I ask in my usual tone.

"so... I have to work," he replied, sluggishly.

"Weren't you on holiday?" I say, approaching him.

"I was, but these are urgent documents" he replies without taking his eyes off the PC.

"Can I help you?" I ask again

"No, go ahead if I can, I'll take a break later".

he had not noticed that I had got so close to the desk that I looked for a moment and immediately spotted the bundle of papers in question and took them in my hand but he immediately scolded me

"without listening, I counted the last ten sheets and took them out, "I'll take these," I said, walking away.

"no, don't joke..."

but I had already left and was entering Lilly's room

"do you think we can scan them and use the automatic translator?" I ask him

"Let's see," he answered with a shrug.

after several attempts we had done it was about ten o'clock when Lilly said "oh god I forgot to order pizza".

"Well, never mind.

"I'm going to make two sandwiches, will you finish?"

"yes, that's fine" a little later she came back and while we were eating we continued working, it was about eleven o'clock when we finished and we went to see Roberto.

"Where are you at?" asked Lilly.

"I haven't finished yet".

"we are" I tell him, handing him the papers and he looks at me in amazement.

"how did you do it"

"with a couple of friends ..."

"that would be "

"scanner, printer and google"

he bursts out laughing "let me check what you've done" he exclaims suspiciously as usual, but shortly after admits "but it's a good job".

"then let's do this: you check these and we'll do the others" I say.

"OK" he replies looking at me in that way like a few nights before that I don't know how to define....

so we exchanged papers and we went to finish the work by now we had become fast and shortly after midnight we had finished and Lilly said to me "do you want to stay here and sleep?"

"no I told them I'd be back, maybe I'll call them tomorrow night".

"OK then let's go and tell them we've finished".

when he saw us coming he said in amazement "already done?"

"yes!"

"thank you then" he said looking at Lilly so much that she replied pointing at me

"don't say thank you to me, say thank you to her.... she had the idea".

"thank you then!" she said smiling at me and I couldn't help noticing that her eyes were reddening.

"Don't mention it" then after a pause I asked "would you drive me home because my father doesn't want me to go out alone at this hour".

"OK, but first I'm going to get an ice-cream" she answered.

"then we'll wait for you in the backyard" Lilly said as he took the car keys.

"ok"

I came back a little later with three huge bowls of ice cream and I remembered that I hadn't called home at all so I sent a message to my mother "we're having ice cream and I'll be home soon".

"Do you want us to pick you up?" she answered.

"no, Roberto will take me".

"OK"

after eating the ice-cream roberto drives me home when we're in front of the driveway he stops the car and says "thanks again for helping me".

"Not at all, I was glad to help you"

"if it wasn't for you I would still be there and also tomorrow thank you again" as he spoke he got closer and closer ....

we were so close ...

I didn't know what to do so I didn't move and he kissed me ...

oh god what's happening?

I feel something inside me like a flickering in my stomach but I don't have time to analyse what is happening

It had been a short and sweet kiss, I open my eyes just in time and out of the corner of my eye I see a light go on in the house "goodnight" I say almost in a panic and with another kiss, this time only on the lips, he says "goodnight".

I get out of the car just in time to see my father open the door.

"Are you okay?" I ask, not knowing if he had seen anything.

"Yes, now go to sleep, it's late" he replies annoyed.

"Good night Dad" I answer

"Good night"