A criminal!

"What can I get for you, miss?" The bartender asked.

"Just make me a bomb, please." Anna smiled at the bartender and he proceeded to make her drink. 

After receiving her glass, she downed the entire drink in one gulp and asked for another. As she sat watching men and women dance to the music, she noticed Bay and a stranger dancing closely and she smirked at her friend.

The bartender then offered her another drink, but Anna declined, stating she had had enough. Despite her attempt to distract herself, she couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with Rico earlier about his discovery regarding his father.

*Flashback*

"I know he is a known criminal, he is a godfather."

"What?? How did you find out?" Anna was taken aback.

"I just know, Mom," Rico replied casually.

Anna pressed him further, asking how he found out and warning him not to tell his siblings.

"I overheard some of the guards talking about it and did my own investigation," Rico explained.

"You haven't told your siblings about this right?"

"No, I haven't told any of them," Rico said.

Anna exhaled and pulled Rico closer.

"But why didn't you say anything to me? Why did you keep it to yourself?"

"As I said earlier, Mom, I thought it could make you uncomfortable, and I don't want you to feel that way," Rico said, taking his gaze down to the floor.

"How long ago did you find out?" Anna asked.

"Two months after we turned 5," Rico replied.

"Wow, it's been so long. I'm sorry for keeping it from you guys, but like I said, we'll be leaving Washington next week for Italy and you'll meet him. But if you don't want to meet him, then I'll think of something."

"I do want to meet him, Mom. I want to see him. I've heard we look a lot like him. Is it true?" Rico asked.

Anna forced a smile as she nodded.

"Can you not tell your siblings that he's a known criminal like you put it?" Anna asked.

"Yes, of course. I won't say anything like that to them, especially to my sisters. It might scare them," Rico said.

"Scare them? Aren't you scared of him then?" Anna asked.

"I'm not," Rico giggled.

Anna chuckled and looked away.

"Oh, I forgot that nothing ever scares you, my little champ," she said and touched his stomach, making him laugh.

*Flashback ends*

Anna heard a man asking, "Can I sit here?" She looked up and saw a tall, blonde man with a fine face and a huge smile.

"Of course," Anna replied, smiling back.

"I'm surprised you stayed this long today. You usually leave the club a few minutes after coming in," he said.

Anna furrowed her brows as she turned to look at him.

"Do you know me?" she asked.

"No, not exactly, but I always pray to see you. Every time I think of talking to you, you disappear. I'm quite lucky today. I'm Andrew, by the way. It's nice to see your angelic face again," Andrew said, correcting his grammar.

"I'm Anna. Nice to meet you too, Andrew," Anna replied with a smile and a handshake.

"Do you want to dance? Maybe you should have fun a little bit and quit thinking. You think a lot," Andrew suggested.

"Wow, you sound like you know me, Andrew," Anna remarked.

"I'm sorry, but it's just my humble opinion. You came here to have fun, right? Let me help you," Andrew replied, standing up and extending his hand to her.

Anna stared at him curiously for a while but later decided to take the chance.

Andrew led her to the dance floor, thinking that she didn't know how to dance. However, he was surprised by Anna's dance moves.

"Are you a dancer?" Andrew asked.

"No, I just dance because I can. That doesn't make me a dancer," Anna replied, straining her voice to be heard over the loud music.

"Forgive my thoughts. I thought you were a bad dancer. I'm so ashamed of myself for thinking of you that way," Andrew apologized.

"You are forgiven, Andrew," Anna said.

"So can you tell me about yourself?" Andrew asked.

"No, you go first. Tell me about you, Andrew. Tell me why you've had your eyes on me. Go straight to the point," Anna replied.

"Oh, I'm just a small businessman. My friend owns this place, so I join him here to relieve stress from time to time. I'm 30 and will be 31 soon. I'm guessing you should be around 25," Andrew said.

"You're kinda correct, Andrew, but tell me what you want," Anna requested, and Andrew stopped dancing.

Anna also stopped dancing, and Andrew took her to a quieter place where they wouldn't have to strain their voices to talk.

"You're beautiful, Anna, and I would love to get your number and maybe get to know you more," Andrew said.

"Well, too bad, Andrew, I don't have a cellphone."

Andrew chuckled in amusement.

"Is that a no, Anna?"

"No, I'm serious, I don't have a cellphone. So I can't give you my number since I don't have one," Anna said.

"You're not joking?"

"I'm being serious. I have no cellphone."

"If I may ask, why don't you have one?"

"Because I honestly don't need it. I have no one to call with it. I don't know many people, and the people I know are always with me," Anna said.

"You're a mysterious lady, Anna," Andrew smiled.

"Aren't you turned off?"

"Why would I be turned off? I can just get you one or something."

"No, it's not about the money."

"I know that, but maybe if I get you one, you would start using it to contact me."

Anna laughed, and Andrew laughed with her.

"You're funny for real."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Anna."

"I also have kids, not one kid but multiple kids. Andrew, it would be best if we stop here," Anna said before leaving him there.

She went to the dance floor to look for Bay but didn't find her there. She went to the bartender to ask, and the bartender told her that Bay went into one of the rooms with the guy she had been dancing with.

"Oh Bay, where are you? I need to fucking leave here before Andrew finds me again," Anna whispered as she searched the rooms for Bay.

She continued going from one room to another, interrupting couples who were getting down on each other, until she found Bay with her man.

"Bay, please come out. I don't wanna be here again. I wanna leave."

Bay came out to the door once she heard Anna's voice.

"Can you just wait for me in the car, please? I wanna finish my business here first," Bay winked at her before closing the door.

"Do you have the car keys, or should I use my teeth to open the car?" Anna yelled.

"Chill, alright?" Bay opened the door and gave her the keys.

"Oh, look at your young gentleman. I bet he's looking for you. It's not a crime if you get down with him. I bet Padrino has had more girls in the last few years than we can count," Bay pointed and shut the door.

Anna turned to find Andrew there. He was indeed looking for her.

"Anna, I've been looking for you," Andrew said, coming to her.

"But I need to go now, Andrew," Anna said.

"Will I see you here again?"

"Probably not."

"I understand that you don't like me, Anna, but you should at least try to understand me. I realize that I'm not your type of man, but..."

"It's not like that, Andrew. Trust me; it's not that I don't like you. I think you're a cool, decent guy, but I honestly can't do this. I have a big reason why I can't," Anna said as she looked for the club's entrance.

"Okay, this is my card. If you ever change your mind or maybe when you get a cellphone, just give me a call, please?" Andrew pleaded.

"Okay," Anna took the card and left for their car. She got into the passenger seat and sat there.

I hope Bay doesn't spend too much time. We need to get back before 5:00 am. Rico wakes up exactly at 5:00 am every school day, she thought as she stared at the card Andrew gave her.

He seems like a cool guy. He doesn't look dangerous and is well-spoken. He reminds me a lot of Desmond.

Oh, Desmond. I hope he moved on well. I hate Lady Mary for forcing me to write that letter to him. She forced me to break up with him through a letter and didn't give me the chance to see him before we flew down here.

I hope he found a deserving lady to marry. I owe him a lot, and I will look for him once we get back to Italy. I will tell him how sorry I am and how glad I am to have met someone as decent as he is. I miss him.