chapter 4

in the afternoon I wore jeans and a top with sneakers to go to the barbecue, but in my bag I had brought a lace top, stiletto heels and a jumper in case it was cool later.

My father accompanied me, recommending that I be taken home.

When I arrived there was still no one there, Lilly opened the door and was still getting dressed. After chatting for a while with her, she had finished dressing and was putting on her make-up, when I said, "I'm going to say hello to Roberto.

"But he's not here!"

"What do you mean he's not here?" I asked, amazed.

He told me to come early the other night and now he's not here?

"He went out saying he had to buy some things but then I didn't hear him come in" he explained.

"He'll be here soon," I said, more to myself than anything else, although she replied.

"yes, for sure".

In fact, a little later we were talking when she knocked "Can I come in?" she asked through the door.

"yes come in" Lilly answered

When he came in, he was surprised to see me, "Lilly, listen...oh hi Anna, you're already here! "

I look at him astonished before I say "you told me to come early remember the party in August".

"oh yes, that's right!" now the confused one looked like him "with all that mess with the documents I forgot" he said looking at me.

"instead of thanking us for helping you you also forget what you tell us" lilly comments

"why did I forget something with you too?" he asked, more and more confused.

"No, but don't you know that what you do to her you do to me too?" she replied.

"I'm OK then..." she said, rolling her eyes, and we burst out laughing.

"then who should I ask to know what time you told them to come" she said looking first at one and then the other one

"to me" Lilly replied "at seven o'clock I told him"

"Why so early?"

"because as soon as they arrive we'll have a little aperitif and then when you want you can light the barbecue"

"But I didn't buy anything for the appetizer"

"Don't worry, I already have"

"what a good little sister I have...so since there's time I'm going to take a shower" he says, about to close the door when I find the courage to ask

Did you send her the documents?

"yes before going out I had to correct something your friend had forgotten about the articles" he replies calmly which wasn't his sister

"I'd like to see the face of that petty being when he saw them done" said Lilly who was almost smoking with rage

"lilly, that's enough, I already told you" she exclaimed tiredly, almost as if they had discussed it for a long time.

which is likely with my friend

"yes, all right, all right, now if you have to go, go, then the others will come," she said, dismissing him, annoyed that she wasn't right.

"alright be good while I'm gone"

"we're always good" we say together

he leaves the room without speaking, shaking his head.

"Did we shock him?" I asked.

"I think so."

Then, changing the subject, I asked him "but how is Roberto's boss".

"He's a handsome man to look at, but he's an impossible person...you know those people who were born rich, grew up rich and get richer and richer and richer and more arrogant every day, well that's him".

"You make him sound like a monster"

"let him tell you what he's up to during the day and not just him but everyone who works with him"

"so why are they there"

"Because he has the best law firm in Los Angeles and thinks he's a god."

"What a thing to be!"

"Yeah, but don't tell Roberto. He doesn't want me to speak ill of his boss."

"Let's go to the garden."

"Yes, that's better".

As we leave the room, he arrives.

"Where are you going, let's go to the garden", she said.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Can you make us one of your cocktails" Lilly said, then turned to me "You know, he's become very good at making cocktails lately".

"Do you want to change jobs?" I asked.

"No. It's just a way to learn something different ... "Then I'll do it. Do you have a particular taste?"

"No, I don't." I said.

"Neither do I. Don't overdo it with alcohol. Remember, we're underage," he said.

lilly

"OK."

so we wait for him outside sitting on the deckchairs by the pool we see him arrive with a tray with three glasses full of a red liquid he puts the tray on one of the many tables nearby and passes us the glasses and then puts in front of us many small glass bowls with chips, saltines, peanuts and olives with toothpicks

"you've done full service" his sister teases him

"You either do things well or you don't" he replies

"congratulations and good" I say tasting the cocktail

Thank you"

"but what did you put in it?"

"black cherry martini juice and a piece of ginger."

"You have to remind me not to drink anything else or I can not go home," I said to Lilly.

"bad luck you sleep here there are two spare guest rooms" she answered and I had done it before without finding anything wrong with it, but now ...

"But I still have to tell them" I try to say

warn me before, even now you can do it" says Roberto intruding

"Let's see how the evening goes and then I'll adjust" in the meantime the others were arriving, in total there were about ten of us, we were all friends, so I began the evening.

That evening left me perplexed, I don't know why, but I'd never noticed that he juggled so well in the kitchen.

and yet it wasn't the first barbecue we had together ...

In the middle of the evening I saw him arrive with a beer "I brought you a drink" he said approaching us, we were only a few centimetres away from each other and I was terribly embarrassed and moreover I was afraid of not being able to hold my liquor so I told him

"Thank you, but not the whole thing if you want to split it".

"You're afraid you can't hold it!" he asks.

"Yes!" I admit, lowering my eyes.

"So you're not staying the night?" he asks again.

"not today!"

but even if I would have stopped I didn't want to get drunk not that I thought he could take advantage of me I just wanted to be lucid.

Hearing my answer he walked over to the table and took a glass and shared the beer.

"There you go!" he said, handing me the glass.

"thank you."

after eating they turned on the psychedelic lights in the garden and the music ...

since I couldn't put on my heels which would have been ruined by sinking in the wet earth I didn't change so much we were all friends with some like lilly sara and luigi we had gone to school together since primary school

until now of course their brothers and sisters had also become our friends and even if they were older, as in the case of roberto, we knew all their friends.

in all, there were about fifteen of us from seventeen to twenty-five years old.

we were still dancing when we saw the security car drive by and stop and roberto approached

"Officer, is something wrong?"

"turn the music down, some neighbours have complained".

he looks at his watch, "actually it's late...all right now we'll turn it down.

"please don't make us come back"

and they leave and he comes back

"guys the evening is over some neighbours have complained and we have to turn off the music" he says and everyone comments on his unhappiness

"ouch!"

"what a pain in the ass people are"

Seeing this he proposes

"let's go inside and watch a movie!"

But many didn't like the alternative, so many left.