Chapter 02

As the man approached her, and she couldn't see his eyes very well, as they were covered by shadows, until he got very close. The man must’ve been about two meters tall.

Vincenzo didn't usually pay attention to any woman, just because she wanted him to. However, that girl's offer indicated that she was very naive, or very stupid, or both. She probably had no idea who she was talking to.

“A kiss and nothing more?” He asked, seductively. His dark eyes scanned her, and Lina felt like she was naked in front of him. She swallowed hard.

“Yes, a kiss and nothing more,” she said with confidence.

‘A shame,’ he thought. The woman had a spectacular body. Besides, it was obvious that she wasn't one of those ladies who tried to seduce him at all costs.

“On the dance floor,” she added. Vincenzo frowned.

“Why there?” He narrowed his eyes. That could be a trap.

She glanced at her back, then turned to him again.

“I... I want to prove that I'm desirable,” Lina said with all the courage she could muster.

He was confused. Why would a woman like her need to prove something as ‘being desirable’? Only the blind wouldn’t be able to see that!

Vincenzo looked at the security guards and signaled that he would follow the girl.

“What is your name?” She asked. Lina had never kissed a total stranger.

“What's your name?” He returned the question.

“Lina.”

“Lina...” he repeated each letter and Lina felt as if he was savoring them. He was the sexiest man she had ever seen in her life. She thought that this type of man did not exist and that what appeared in the media was nothing more than manufactured images to deceive the public and sell their billion-dollar businesses.

Vincenzo looked around and noticed a light-haired boy watching them. He was accompanied by a blonde who, in Vincenzo's opinion, was much inferior to Lina. That's why he didn't blame the guy's stares, even though he didn't like it. Theoretically, Lina was with him.

Lina didn't know how to dance, that wasn't her environment. He confirmed this as they entered the dance floor. Vincenzo didn't normally mix with people like that. It was dangerous. But for some reason he couldn't explain, he felt he should follow that woman. He placed one hand on her waist and the other on her face, towards the hair at the back of her head.

She widened her eyes at him. Vincenzo smirked and gazed at her lips. He looked her in the eyes again, pulled her hair, so that Lina's head went back, forcing her to look up at him. Vincenzo ran his tongue across her lips, and she moaned, unable to contain herself. He made a sound of approval in his throat. His lips finally sealed hers, asking for passage with his tongue, which she gladly granted.

Lina's hands went to Vincenzo's hair. She wanted him closer, much closer. As for him, he was ready to take her right there. A clearing of the throat brought them back to Earth.

“Ah...” it was Maddie, who was looking from one to the other, dumbfounded. “We have to go, Lina.”

Vincenzo didn't release her immediately. First, he leaned over and whispered in Lina’s ear.

“Now, you owe me... Bellissima,^[1]”

Lina gulped. Something was telling her he would ask for something she couldn't afford. When he began to place kisses on her neck, she closed her eyes, entering a trance. But she still used a little bit of conscience to ask.

“And what would that be?”

“You. Indefinitely.”

          Lina's eyes widened. He moved his face away from her neck and winked, seductively. Without waiting for her to respond, he walked away.

“What the fuck was that?” Maddie asked.

“I-I ... I have no idea,” Lina replied.

“Okay ... Let's go. I've already called the taxi and it should be arriving by now,” Maddie pulled Lina by the arm, who still had her thoughts out of place.

The two got into the car and went to the apartment they shared, in Kingsbridge, Bronx. It was a rent that they both could afford and maintain their own privacy.

Lina went to the bathroom and took a shower, still thinking about the seductive stranger. He hadn't said his name. Lina sighed. She didn't even remember to look in Noah's direction to make sure he had seen her kissing the sexiest man in that city. Noah couldn't hold a candle to the man.

The next day would be Friday and Lina regretted drinking so much. Her head was already throbbing, and the hangover wasn't even coming to punish her yet.

          She lay down on the bed and didn't take long to fall asleep. Her dreams were a mix of Noah's rejection, and, of course, her in the arms of the mysterious, charming stranger, with a heart-melting, panty-flooding kiss.

The alarm clock rang, and Lina grumbled, whimpering. She didn't want to go to class. But unfortunately, she wasn't working like a bitch to pay for that college for nothing. Missing a day was like throwing away hard-earned money.

She threw the covers aside and crawled out of bed, heading to the bathroom to take care of her personal hygiene.

When she left, Maddie was already sitting at the table, eating cornflakes. From her friend's face, Lina knew that, despite not having drunk that much, Maddie wasn't at her best.

“Argh! My head is going to explode!” Maddie complained. “Good morning, by the way.”

“Good morning...” Lina sat down. “Do you have aspirin?”

“No... I forgot to buy it. We can stop halfway, though. We still have a little time before class,” Maddie said, and Lina agreed.

The two didn't have a car, but the distance from their house to college wasn't very far. If there was a lot of traffic, they would get there in less than an hour. This was also one of the points they considered before moving into that apartment.

Lina ate some cereal and brushed her teeth, before going to get her backpack to go to college with Maddie.

The two had known each other practically their entire lives. Previously, they lived in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. During high school, the two decided that they didn't want to spend the rest of their lives there, in that small town. They worked helping elderly people carry their shopping, washing cars, mowing lawns, doing homework for other colleagues, as well as teaching English and literature.

Maddie 's mother wasn't very encouraging, but Lina's mother supported her own daughter unconditionally. At the time, Lina didn't know, but her mother was sick with cancer and, upon learning that she would not be able to save herself, she decided to help her daughter in whatever way she could so that the future would smile on her. Therefore, Maryam Watson, Lina's mother, motivated her daughter to get a student loan. What Lina did and it was approved. Of course, Maryam did not leave Lina without any money when she died three years earlier, but the amount was not enough to pay for her daughter's studies. At most, it would prevent her from starving until she found a job.

Maddie had her tuition paid by her parents who, despite their unwillingness, accepted her leaving. The two, like best friends, shared a small apartment, with two bedrooms, but enough for them to have dignity and study. They were studying English Literature at New York University (NYU).

“Hurry up, Lina! We're going to end up being late!” Maddie shouted from the living room. Lina appeared at the bedroom door and walked towards her friend, shuffling her feet. “That's well deserved! When I tell you to stop drinking, you stop, got it?”

“Sorry, mom...” Lina said, and Maddie patted her arm.

The drugstore wasn't far away, but because it only had one attendant and a man without glasses was struggling to understand what he should buy, the two almost missed the bus. Luckily, it stopped at a red light, and they managed to catch up to the transport.

“Now tell me: who was that man?” Maddie asked, as soon as the two sat down on the seats at the back of the transport.

“I have no idea.” Lina replied, honestly.

“Not even his name?” Maddie asked. Lina shook her head. “Dang, girl! Look... You're getting naughty...”

“Shut up, Maddie!” Lina said through her teeth, sort of in a whisper.

“But it's true. In the end, I can't blame you. That one was a real knockout. Tell me, was he a good kisser?”

“Good kisser?”  Lina waved her hands as if she were feeling hot. “That’s far from the truth. The guy was great at kissing! He tasted like…Chocolate.”

They both giggled, their faces flushed.

“It's a shame you didn't get his number...” Maddie lamented. “He doesn't have a friend, does he?”

“Yeah, yeah… Such a shame.”

“Noah was looking at you with the face of someone who ate something really bitter,” Lina puffed out her chest and pouted. Maddie knew that when she did that, it was because she had messed up. “I can't believe it, you did it on purpose!”

“Yeah, I did! Not because I want to get back with him, but so that he can see that I'm not as little as he thinks. That man was a thousand times more handsome and hot than Noah.”

“That is true. So, was it revenge?”

“Something of the sort. He deserved it. It was childish, I know, but... It was worth it.”

“That's not very like you, but I'm glad you did it. You swallowed a lot of shit because of Noah.”

“Eventually, one gets tired, right?”

“But be sincere, wouldn't you go back with him?” Maddie asked, seriously. Lina shook her head.

“No. He wanted to have sex with me. I was not ready. So, he decided to do whatever he wanted to. He's with that girl for her money and influence. And she swears it's because he likes her.”

“It's almost sad. Almost. Because she's an arrogant bitch. They deserve each other, after all,” Maddie gave a little nod after saying it.

“Couldn’t agree more.”

The bus stopped in front of the college and both the girls got out of it.

Classes in the morning were peaceful. After lunch, Maddie announced that the theater group would have a rehearsal.

“Cool. Should I wait for you so we can go home together?” Lina asked.

“No, I don't know how long it will take. There will be fabric and clothing fittings for the play,” Maddie replied, rolling her eyes and snorting.

“Ah... Then it's fine. But make sure you don't leave here too late, okay?”

“Don’t worry.”

They went to the remaining classes of the day, and, at the end, the professor asked Lina to help him take some work to the staff's room. She didn't refuse it. The problem was that she missed of the bus she would usually take.

‘That’s just great... At least I won't take the next one full of people,’ she thought and walked to the bus stop.

A black car, which Lina didn't know the name of, only that it looked very expensive, stopped next to her, with its front tilted, to stop her from moving. Two men dressed in dark suits and sunglasses got out of it.

“Miss Watson?” The most muscular of them asked. He had an accent that she guessed was Italian.

“Ah... Who are you?” Lina responded with a question.

“Get in the car, please,” the other man, bald, ordered. Yes, he ordered, because despite the ‘please’, there was no request there.

“No, thank you,” Lina replied with her chin raised. The men looked at each other.

^[1]Extremely beautiful, in Italian.