1. I Hate Men

Erica

 

“I am hungry.” I complained as we exited another shop of many we had visited in the past hour.

 

“You weren’t complaining when you were gushing on all those onesies.” Summer, my elder sister said as we crossed the road, each of our hands were filled with several shopping bags.

 

“But that’s not what we were doing just now!” I replied. Don’t take me wrong, I love my sister more than I loved anything in the world except my little nephew— god, that damn kid was too adorable, but I have had enough of her looking at the barely there lingerie. I knew she loved her husband and I have an inkling of what goes between them but I refused to participate in it in any way. Gag. I said, “You both were drooling over those lîngerie pieces like hungry perverts. Think about my sensibilities. They are like my brothers!” 

 

I heard Amelia snickering softly. The ever quiet and shy best friend of my sister was starting to come into her own person since she married a Duke of her own. Raphael Wolfe, twin brother to my own brother in law— Gabriel Wolfe.

 

I turned around abruptly, making Summer almost smack into me and pointed my finger in her face. “And you are my sister. Isn’t it enough that I had to practically wait and check before I enter a room so I won’t be walking on my brother in law banging my sister that now you have to buy these scrapes in my company, that you’ll wear to do the said banging.”

 

Summer gave me a narrowed eyed glare. But I knew that she loved hearing about her relationship with her husband. They were so in love that the picture they made sometimes hurt my heart. No, I wasn’t saying it in a bad way. I loved my sister something fierce, I’d die for her and I knew she deserved everything. She deserved the man who worshiped the ground she walked on but sometimes my heart longed for what she has, and it hurts only because I knew I could never have what she had. There were only a few men like Wolfe brothers and I didn’t think I’d meet one, not in this lifetime at least. And even if I met him I was sure I’d piss him off even before he even got a chance to fall in love with me. Not that I wanted to fall in love. I knew from the very beginning that love wasn’t in the cards for me, what with me hating on every other man. All I expected from men were violence and disappointed, and the one thing I wanted was to experience the type of sex I have read in books and seen in movies. Nothing else. 

 

“So what!” Summer walked around me as she said, “I won’t stop enjoying myself because of your said sensibilities. I enjoy sèx with my husband and it’s great, especially when something séxy is involved.”

 

“Ughh…” I made a gagging noise.

 

“Don’t be a spoilsports.” Summer said and nudged my shoulder as she added, “And I wasn’t the only one, Amelie was there too and she have got quite a taste for these….”

 

“May be, if Rica got someone to show them to, she’ll be interested in buying them too.” Amelie suggested and pursed her lips when I turned to glare at her.

 

“Oohh… I like this idea…” Summer remarked. “We should find my little sister a man who can help untwist her pànties.” I snorted. But Summer chose to ignore me as she continued, “Amelie, now you’re going to meet all the handsome, British men, all sorts of lords, right? Why don’t you find my sister a Duke of her own.”

 

“If you don't stop talking then I swear I’m going to kîll you.” I threatened my sister and stomped further away, leaving them behind. I was hungry and I didn’t want to talk about men. In my life men were capable of doing only two things: damage and séx. And most of them combined the two which led to nights filled with fear and days in a haze.

 

“She really needs some loosening.” I heard my sister saying to her best friend. “See, how relaxed you are. I wonder if it’s because of Raphael. If my sister only knew what she was missing she wouldn’t be adamant about not wanting to fall in love.”

 

I scoffed to myself. I wouldn’t bet on it. I hated men, especially entitled ones who think that they could do anything. If I could, I’d personally show every man out there that they were nothing without their money and their inherent strength just because they were men. I hadn’t realised that I had left them both behind lost in my own thoughts. I turned and snapped, “What the hell is holding you up!?

 

They both glanced up and my sister admonished, “Oh god, she’s worse than my little baby when she’s hungry.” They came toward me and she said, “Fine, go on..” Summer gestured at an Italian restaurant down the road as she said, “Find us a table, we’ll be there.” 

 

I left those two because I was too hungry and I knew both of them were lost in love with their husbands so they had quite a lot in common to talk to. I made my way toward the Italian restaurant and already my stomach growled in anticipation. Besides my sister and nephew, I loved food. I wasn’t much on being slim and not a fan of dieting, I loved eating good food and didn’t care about anything as long as my stomach was full. Other women showed their anger in denying the food, I didn’t. I showed my anger with my actions and words which had got me in many problems in the past but I preferred it that way. If something is bothering me I do something about, I do not believe in wallowing in self pity. I did it once...

 

The restaurant was warm with the hub-bub of the patrons and soft music was playing in the background. It looked inviting and the aroma of food was delicious, pulling me in. As soon as the place was cleared, the waiter showed me the table for two and I asked him to place another chair. 

 

I picked up my menu and went through the drinks. Some of them I didn’t even understand so I had to G****e them. I settled on the waiter’s suggestion. The waiter brought my drink and some complimentary bread to go with it.

 

I was sipping on my drink and relaxing when my sister and Amelie entered the restaurant. They found me right away and made their way toward me. “What are you drinking?” Ami asked as they sat down.

 

I checked the menu again and answered, “Its called Aperitivo. It’s an Italian drink,” I shrugged. “The waiter suggested it while I wait for food.”

 

“So what did you order?” Summer asked.

 

“A plate of red sauce pasta. Large Pizza. And a lasagne casserole.”

 

“Umm… I don’t think we three will be able to finish all that, Rica.” Ami replied.

 

I frowned at her and said, “Oh, no. That’s all for me.” I take my food very seriously. “You guys order for yourself.”

 

I ignored the look she gave me and my sister only smiled. “Don’t worry. She’s fine.”

 

When we were almost finished with our food, Summer asked, “Hey, guys… do you want to have something else?”

 

“No. I am done.” Ami replied, wiping her mouth delicately. She was quite at home being a Duchess if someone asked me. She excused herself as she stood up and said, “I’m going to use the bathroom.”

 

I burped, not delicately at all. I said, “You do that, mate. I’m going to go to that pretty display with those little sweet thingies.” 

 

.

 

I hummed to myself as I pondered the delicious display, everything looked so pretty. “May I help you, ma’am?”

 

I looked up at the man behind the counter, and gave him a smile. “Yes, please.” I pointed at the display and said, “Pack this one of each flavour.” And then my eyes fell on the two pieces that looked mouth wateringly delicious but I didn't think I had ever eaten it before. I read the label before it. Tiramisu cheesecake. “I will have that too. Both of them.”

 

“Sure, ma’am.”

 

I stayed there near the counter and pulled out my phone as I waited for my sweet treats to be packed. I checked the messages and replied back to some of the girls back at the college in Chicago. It has been sometime now since I came to London to visit my sister. I’d had a great time with my nephew and my brother in law but suddenly I wanted to go back to my dorm and live the life of an ordinary girl with ordinary problems like why these dating apps didn't have the type of men I need.

 

I absently noticed two large men in black coming to stand beside me. Their backs were to me so I couldn’t see their faces but I could see that they didn’t belong in this warm environment with the way they conducted themselves. Living with Gabriel, I knew what bodyguards looked like and these two definitely checked all the boxes as I could detect the bulge of pistols in their sides. And one glance toward the glass door confirmed my theory when I spied more men outside standing guard. But I was unable to find the person these men were protecting. 

 

“Excuse me, Ma’am..” I turned toward the man behind the counter who had taken my order and smiled at him. “Here is your order “ He pushed the box toward me and said, “Ma’am, we are sorry about the Tiramisu cheesecake, they just got sold out.”

 

“Sold out. I saw them and ordered them. How can you give it to anyone else?” I asked, feeling my blood boil for it was totally unacceptable behaviour. “Who did you sell it to? Isn’t it first come first serve?”

 

“Ma’am, you can choose something else...”

 

He trailed off when I narrowed my eyes on him. “Did you get paid more than the actual price for it?” His eyes widened. “As immoral it is, I will pay double. Give that to me.”

 

“No, ma’am, that’s not—”

 

“If you are scared then tell me who it is, I’ll talk to them myself.”

 

His shoulders slumped and he nodded, looking relieved. He pointed at someone standing on the other side of the two towering giants in front of me. I didn’t care, I pushed in between the large men and came face to back with a man who was trying to steal my desert. I tapped his back and said, “The dessert you are paying for, I ordered it first.”

 

The man stiffened at my touch and started to turn around but before he could face me, I was hauled back by one of the giants and he growled down at me. “Step back.”

 

I jerked his hand off me, glared at me and snapped back, “Touch me again and I’ll kick you in the balls.”

 

His eyes darkened and I was sure he was about to punch me in the face when I heard the cool, silky voice from behind me. “What's going on?”

 

 

A. Gupta