At The Market.

**

Chapter 8.

He drove at a normal speed to the market. His beautiful mother kept on directing him which road to follow.

Luciano was not conversant with the town. He left a long time ago when he was just seven years old. His parents grew up here, which he admired so much.

Life in Santa Manta was cool. The town was quiet yet had many tourist sites and a good way to entertain its guests.

"Mother, will you tell me about the Jimenez family?" he asked as they neared the parking lot. No one in the family wanted to tell the truth. His mother was good at telling him secrets. Maybe she might open up now that no one was with them.

Luciano turned and saw his cousin on the owner's seat. The little girl was busy with her tablet. The sound of the game stopped her from listening to their conversation.

"Don't start, amor," Mrs. Julio rolled her eyes. She was not going to tell him because of the oath she swore years ago.

"Please, mother" he tried to persuade her.

"Point a gun at me, I won't tell if I knew the story," she lied to her son for the first time. Mrs. Julio looked at the market. It was bright, full with colors. "Watch, we are here."

Luciano stopped the car. He knew that his mother was lying. She was not a good liar, unlike the rest of the family. She was soft….so soft that he promised to protect her at all the time. "Fine, I'm not pressing anymore. If y'all feel it's useless to tell us, then it's fine."

Mrs. Julio felt terrible. But whatever she was doing, it was for the good of the family "c'mon. Let's go down."

Luciano got out of the car. He was going to get his cousin from behind when he noticed the fair-skinned beauty that stood across the street. A young woman who should be in her mid-twenties. He wasn't sure if his guessing was correct.

Her body spoke for her. Her long dark hair stopped at her butt, which made her stand in the crowd.

From a distance, their eyes met, and she reminded him of the woman from the masked party. His heart skipped.

Luciano kept on staring and his mother noticed it. She opened the door for Rosa, and they walked to where he was. She asked "do you like her?"

"W-what?" he stuttered, as he looked away.

"I am asked a question," Mrs. Julio smiled as she held Rosa by the hand. "You promised me that you wouldn't do that play boy's thing once we move to Santa Marta. Should I be worried?"

Luciano knew where she was heading to. His family would have named him the perfect something on earth if not for this character of his. He had so many relationships that didn't even last for a month. He was a cheat and a womanizer. A playboy that never loses his card.

The only time he felt defeated was when he met the lady at the mask party. He truly liked that strange woman.

"No, mother," he put his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "I promised you that I won't be that bad boy anymore."

"I hope so," she smiled, looking in the direction of the other woman. The young woman was beautiful, no doubt. She was also staring at her son. "Bad boy, let's get going. We have so much to do."

"Fine, mother," he picked his cousin from the floor and held her. They walked right into one of the shops in front of them. It belonged to his mother's old friend.

****

He wasn't a male model but he should have been. The lush, black hair he groomed carefully had a ripping quality. A sign of his rude health. His skin wasn't blemished nor was his skin fair? His furrowed brows were neatly carved into an arc shape and they sometimes knitted in frustration.

The pointed nose he sported complemented his prominent cheekbones. Handsome and cute was an understatement, his broad and Spartan shoulders spoke of a mighty strength gotten from daily exercise. He possessed power, and wealth and always walked with pride and authority.

Isabella did not take her eyes off him. For some reason, she felt like she had seen his face before. His green eyes reminded her of Juan's dad.

"Do you know who that is?" She asked her friend who had come out of a shop with Juan.

"The handsome macho over there?" Manuela pointed at the guy who stood beside a black Jeep.

"Do not point at him," Isabella snorted. She knew her friend was going to behave stupidly.

"He is don Julio's eldest child," she replied. "He is his only son and the most successful among them all."

"Oh, I see…," Isabella looked away. She touched some of the beautiful flowers on display. Manuela spoke about him this morning. He was their enemy's son…one, she was not supposed to like.

"What did you see?" Manuela did not stop. She picked a flower and handed it to Juan. But it was clear that he was not interested. She sighed and handed it back to the seller.

"Nothing. Everyone looked at him when he came," Isabella answered. Her heart was still at race. She knew that it was being stupid again. The last time she got this confused with men, they broke her heart and left a son to raise alone.

"I want a bicycle, mom," Juan spoke for the first time. His green eyes shone like an emerald under the sun.

Isabella looked at the bicycle shop. She knew that this was the only chance to take a closer look at don Julio's son. "Won't you wait a bit longer?"

"Mom, please," the little boy dragged on.

Isabella sighed. She was not going to pick a stranger over her sweet son. Never! "Let's go and get it."

**