Gianna and I are on her couch watching a movie, our usual Sunday routine. Her father usually joins us, but heās avoiding her since she keeps pestering him about getting a girlfriend. Iām glad he isnāt here; I donāt need the distraction. Iām over trying to figure out if it was him or not; it happened once and will not happen again. I will have to update my list to add his name so that we wonāt be matched in the future.
I still feel guilty, though. Gianna would kill me if she found out I slept with her father. Or would she? I know she had an issue with it when we were younger, but weāre both grown now. Itās just two consenting adults having sex; why should she care?
āGi, umm, do you still have an issue with your friends sleeping with your father?ā
āHuh?ā She looks up at me with those innocent doe-like eyes and smiles. I avert my eyes and repeat the question.
āDo you care if any of your friends have sex with Mr. C, you know, since you want him to get a girlfriend?ā
āPapi and my friends? Ewwwwww, yes, B, donāt tell me you have the hots for him?ā
āNo, of course not; I was just wondering since you want him to date so badly.ā
āAnyone except my friends, especially you. He watched you grow up. That would be gross. I mean, really, B, you think heās cute?ā My stomach twists. Right? Heās known me since I was 13.
āHeās not bad⦠plus, what if it was an accident?ā She starts laughing and then punches my arm.
āHow do you accidentally sleep with someone? Trip and fall on his thing? B, youāre hilarious.ā
āNo...drunk or...ā Sex in a room with no lights, I groan. The doorbell rings; Gianna gets up, still laughing, to answer it. She returns a couple of minutes later with an envelope in her hands and a snack on her arm. He has caramel skin, green eyes, and a well-defined body; he is fine, but not my type.
āBrandi, look who showed up.ā I look at the strange man, confused.
āWho?ā
āB! Carlos, I told you about him!ā
āOh, food truck guy? Nice to put a face to the name.ā I reach out to shake his hand, but he pulls me up into a hug. I stiffen; isnāt he friendly? That could be a possible red flag.
āHeās a hugger,ā Gianna explains once she sees my face. I grimace as he pulls away. āB is not; she barely lets me hug her. Iām jealous.ā She looks at me with her puppy eyes and pout. I roll my eyes. Sheās so dramatic. Indeed, I rarely let anyone hug me, but sheās acting like I let him do it.
āGā¦.ā She folds her arms and pouts. āFine, you can hug me,ā I reply reluctantly, knowing sheāll have an attitude all night if I donāt give in.
āYay, your hugs are the best.ā I chuckle as she jumps up and wraps her arms around me. She inhales and sighs as she sniffs me. āDivine, you smell delicious, B. I could eat you up.ā
āIād pay to see that,ā Carlos replies with a grin that earns him a glare from Gianna and me.
āCarly, donāt be gross.ā
āRight, Iām sorry, babe. Ahā¦Nice to finally meet you; Gigi has told me so much about you.ā I eye him skeptically after that comment but soften into a smile. He seems genuine, and I want Gi to be happy.
āCarlos?ā I need his last name to add to the list; after what probably happened between me and Mr. C, Iām not taking any chances.
āSantiago, Dr. Santiago.ā
āG, you finally bagged a doctor after years of trying.ā
āSo itās not me. Itās my profession you like? No wonder you said yes.ā I chuckle as Gianna glares at me.
āBabe, B was only joking. I rejected a lot of frogs before you.ā
āWhat aboutā¦ā
āB, shut up!ā
āFine, but first, let me say one thing. Carlosā¦No, Dr. Santiago, you better treat her like the princess she is, or else Iāllā¦.ā
āKill me? Yeah, I get it. Mr. C already warned me.ā I chuckle softly. Mr. C really is something. Heās such a great dad. And an even better lover if last night was him. Moisture pools between my thighs as the feeling of that manās rod in my core has me feeling rather hot.
āYou donāt have to worry. Sheās my baby. Iāll never hurt her.ā Carlos's voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I realize where I am and what Iām doing. I really should stop this. Where was I? I look over at his big goofy smile; right, I was in the middle of threatening Carlos. I smile at him and reply.
āHeāll kill you; Iāll chop your dick off and feed it to you.ā
āB!ā Gianna screams.
āOuch!ā Carlos grimaces out loud.
āYeah, so donāt even...ā I approach him and stick my finger in his chest; G jumps in front of him.
āB, can you give this to dad, please.ā She presses the envelope sheās been holding in her hand to my chest as she glares at me. She must really like this one to be so protective. Usually, she lets me threaten them.
āWhatās this?ā I ask, looking at the envelope.
āI donāt know; a courier handed it to me a couple of seconds ago. It seems important. You should definitely give it to dadā¦.right now!ā
āAre you trying to get rid of me?ā
āYeah, so take the hint.ā I gasp playfully.
āOn family night too? Iām so hurt, Gianna, youāve abandoned me for a man. How could you?ā She rolls her eyes, and Carlos laughs.
āYeah, yeah, tell it to the judge. Now take your big mouth and go. Maybe hang out with Papi for a while.ā
āYou may regret that,ā I mumble under my breath.
āWhat?ā
āNothing. Iāll be back. You and lover boy enjoy yourselves; Iāll do the same with Mr. C.ā My core jumps just from the idea. I canāt stay up there with him, especially if heās really the guy from last night. Iāll drop this envelope off and head home.
āSee you later, Brandi,ā Carlos calls as I turn to leave. I spin and smile sweetly.
āSure, Carlos, just remember snip, snip.ā
āB!ā I laugh as I make my way out of the living room. I stop at the edge of the staircase and look up. Iām going to be alone with Mr. C; okay, Iāve done this before. So, I may have slept with him; I need to act natural. We can move past this like nothingās happened.
I slowly climb the staircase towards his room, my heart pounding. I approach his door slowly and raise my hands to knock on the door. Before my hand descends on the door, I hear his muffled groans.
I stand frozen.
Is he?
Right now?
Naked? Is he stroking that massive cock?
My head tells me to flee; this is dangerous; I have to get away, I have to leave.
Butā¦..
My throbbing vulva is louder; sheās curious; she has to know if heās responsible for giving her the best sex in years. I clench my thighs, hoping to push away my lust, but the need is too strong. And before I can think, I twist the knob, unlock the door, and step into his room.
I scan the room; heās on the bed. My eyes move up his body slowly. His eyes are closed, the jeans he had on earlier are tossed to the side. His cock is in his hands, and what a massive cock it is. My core heats up as he moans and starts stroking faster. The need to touch him is overwhelming, but I stay planted where I am, watching him pleasure himself. My nipples harden while my core is throbbing like crazy, but I donāt dare to move and ruin the moment.
After a few more strokes, he jerks a little and grunts. A grunt Iām familiar with; Iāve heard it at least six times between last night and this morning. The cologne, his cock, the soundāI have no doubt in my mind itās him.
Shit, I fucked Giannaās father, and from the way my body is reacting to him masturbating, I clearly want to fuck him again. Was he thinking about me as he stroked that massive cock? No, I canāt do this. Sheās my best friend. She made it clear it would not be okay.
I toss the envelope on the chair and back out of the room slowly, close the door behind me, and jog down the stairs. Once Iām on the last steps, I stop running and catch my breath. I straighten my clothes and walk calmly to the living room. I canāt let Gianna see how rattled I am.
āDid you give it to him? I thought you were going to spend some time with him.ā No, he gave it to me multiple times last night. I groan now. Even innocent words like this remind me of her father fucking my brains out last night.
āB?ā
āUhh, Mr. C was busy, and since you have your boyfriend, Iām just going to head home.ā
āReally? You can stay with us as long as you donāt threaten him.ā I twist uncomfortably because I really need to get myself off.
āThatās fine; you should spend some time with him. Youāre both busy, plus Iām not feeling so hot.ā
āPapiās cooking, right?ā No, papa's cock. The after-image of him stroking it sends another river of moisture between my legs. I have to get out of this house.
āUh, no, just a long night. Iāll call you tomorrow, okay?ā
I grab my purse; she stands and hugs me.
āOkay, text me when you get home.ā
āI will.ā
āSee you later, Carlos.ā
āGoodbye, Brandi. I hope you feel better.ā
āI will.ā I think once I get a dildo in me, Iāll feel a whole lot better.
āWho knows, maybe next time we can double date.ā I frown. What are we, in high school? Why do I have to be stuck on a date with them?
āUh...pass.ā
āCome on, Carly has some really cute friends.ā Here she goes, trying to set me up again. I should have known it was coming once she got a boyfriend.
āI donāt do cute; I like my men big and burly.ā
āI have some friends like that too,ā Carlos replies. Canāt he take a hint? I am not interested in any of his friends.
āI doubt it; see you guys later.ā I have to get out of here before they marry me off.
āB, you have to let us set you up. Look how happy I and my snuggle bunny are.ā
āGood for you, but I like my big empty bed with no man in it, so Iām not interested.ā
āB, come onā¦.ā
āLove you, G.ā I hurry towards the door before she can say another word. I have tried the men she wants me to date; their idea of kinky sex ended with some slap on my ass and eating my vagina. That kind of sex puts me to sleep. The kind of sex I wanted was... like last night. I slip into my car and sigh; what would Mr. Caputo do if he knew it was me? Would he want to have sex with me again?
My vagina throbs at the thought of him slamming his cock into me again. I want him; I crave him so much I canāt even think straight right now. I need a release.
I shouldnāt do this here, but Iām too horny to go anywhere else. So I ease back my seat, hike up my dress, and slip my hands between my thighs. I stroke my soaking wet slit slowly as a picture of Giovanni stroking his cock comes to mind. I take my finger and slowly enter my hot core. I moan as I remember each stroke.
āGio.ā I moan softly. Iāve never called him by his first name, but I figure that I have earned the right after all the positions he had me in last night. I grind my hips as my finger sinks deeper and moves faster, but they canāt compare to his cock.
āGio, fuck me!ā I scream much louder this time, feeling my climax near. I grab my breast and squeeze it as a massive orgasm ripples through me.
āGioā¦.ā
āBrandiā¦ā I spin, shocked, and Mr. C stands by my window.
Shit.!!!
GiovanniI grunt, stroking my shaft; my body vibrates as the climax hits. I pant, yanking it. Fuck, that was good. I havenāt been able to get last night off my mind. Her body tasted so sweet; she bent to my will, gave me everything I wanted. Iāve fucked many women, but none who could take all of me so skillfully. No matter how hard I fucked her, her core clung to me tighter, drenching my shaft, begging to be pulverized. I canāt get her out of my head. This isnāt good. Iāve been doing this for five years, and Iāve never fixated on a woman like Iām fixated on her.Maybe itās because I havenāt been participating in these activities much lately. Four months have passed since I last had sex before last night; perhaps thatās the only reason it felt so damn good. And thatās the reason why I currently have my cock in my hand, thinking of splitting that juicy snatch in two.CLICKI sit up immediately at the sound of the door closing. Did I hear wrong? Or was someone just in my room? I shuffle o
BrandiItās 11:00 on Friday; Iām sitting at my desk reviewing room ideas for my latest project. My phone rings; I reach to pick it up. Itās Gianna. Since Sunday, I havenāt spoken with herāthe day I realized I not only slept with her father but also wanted to do it again. Not that heās interested. I wanted to entice him, make him want me. So, I allowed him to see me practically naked, my finger soaking wet, but he pretended as if nothing happened. I groan as I remember licking my finger; I must seem too childish to him. Of course, he doesnāt want me, the real me. Heās probably known me too long to get turned on by my little games.The phone rings again, interrupting my thoughts. I answer it quickly.āHey, G.āāBrandi, want to meet me for drinks tonight?āāMe, as in you alone?ā She sounds skittish; she always sounds like that when sheās plotting something.āUh, Carlos will be there.āāAndā¦?āāOkay, and one of his friends, B. Heās really sweet.āāIām sure heās cane sugar itself, but Iām n
Three weeks later...Giovanni:I walk into the Darkroom, the hottest underground sex club in the state. The club has a decent number of patrons performing various sex acts. Carina, a waitress, saunters over to me in a skimpy black number.āBusiness or pleasure, Big Daddy?ā she asks. I chuckle, amused; she always calls me this.āBusiness, Carina. I see you finally got your breasts doneāvery tasteful.ā She blushes and smiles, then wraps her arms around mine.āThank you; my regulars love it. Iām sure you will too,ā she winks at me. I smile. Sheās been flirting with me since William hired her two years ago, but I tend to keep my hands off women who get paid for sex. Not that I think itās wrong; I just like the idea of a woman wanting me for me.āI bet I would. Whereās William?ā She pouts at my subtle rejection.āYouāre no fun, as usual. Do you believe Iām too young to handle all that dick?ā She grabs my trunk, which surprises me, but it instantly hardens.āSee, it likes me,ā she teases. It
BrandiI walk out of the club, annoyed. That man has been playing the same game for three weeks, which is why I finished his work early. The sooner I can get away from him, the better. But why did the room smell like Mr. C? Is he back? I know he flew to New York after showing up at my apartment that night.A night that has haunted my dreams ever since. I canāt stop thinking about him; all I do is masturbate to the memory of fucking him. I open the car door and slip in; the vibrator Iāve had in all day pulsates in my car. That smellāI grab my nipples, pinching them as the vibrator works. Anyone can wear the perfume, but thatās his scent; I want him.āGiovanni,ā I moan his name, grabbing the remote and increasing the speed. It pulsates faster, harder; I thrust my waist. Shit, Iām cumming.āFuck me, Mr. C,ā I scream, trembling as the climax shatters my very being. I shake a couple of times, grab the remote, and decrease the speed as my breathing slows. I must fuck him. In a week, when he
āYour cousin?ā Giovanni whispers.āYes,ā I reply, still annoyed we were interruptedāand by that asshole, no less.āBrandi, get out here now!āāYou fucked your cousin?ā he asks, wide-eyed as if itās a sin. I frown. I had no intention of telling him or Brandi, but since he already knows, I might as well explain myself.āHe forced himself on me when I lived with my grandmother; it continued until I left for college.ā This is the first time Iāve told anyoneāJameis and my therapist know, but Iām not ashamed; it happened. The only one who should be ashamed is that monster on the other side of the door.āWhat?ā He steps back, shocked, the desire in his eyes replaced by pity. āYou never said... Does Gianna know?āāNo, and Iād like to keep it that way.ā He nods as Colin yells again.āBrandi, come on; I miss you.ā Giovanni clenches his fists and grits his teeth, looking more pissed off with each second Colin knocks on the door.āWhat is that piece of shit doing here?āāHeās a business associate
I cock the gun and press it to his forehead. āIām not that scared 13-year-old anymore, Colin. If you touch me again, I will put a bullet through you. I suggest you take your wife, leave, and never come find me again.ā He takes a step towards me, but I donāt falter. He stops when he realizes Iām serious. We stare at each other for a moment. The sound of the toilet flushing pulls me out of my trance. I shove the gun back in my purse as the door opens, and Kelly enters the room. āOk, honey, letās go.ā He nods and turns to leave. āBabe, Iāll catch up. I want to have a little girl chat with Brandi. Itās been so long, and I donāt know when Iāll see her again.ā He turns back and eyes the two of us cautiously. āOkay, babe, Iāll be in the car. See you later, cousin.ā I clench my fist as he turns to me and grins. I exhale as I watch him walk away, a breath I didnāt know I had been holding in. I look at Kelly and smile. āIām pleased to see you. Sorry, I havenāt been back; itās...ā I begin to
GiovanniFridaySheās on the desk, her legs spread wide, giving me a perfect view of her hot, tight core. Her hand trails up her leg; I swallow hard as she rubs her slit, my mouth watering. She sinks her fingers in and out while juices gush from that perfect slit.āFuck me, Mr. C,ā she grins, slowly pushing her finger in; my cock swells.Ring⦠Ringā¦I pull myself away from my daydream and groan as I reach for my phone. I donāt know what Brandi has done to me, but Iām completely under her spell. All Iāve been thinking about since the party is fucking her. I groan again when I see Giannaās name on the phone. She always seems to call whenever my mind strays, reminding me why I shouldnāt be fucking her best friend. I sigh before answering.āHey, Papi.āāHey, honey. Are you okay? Do I need to shoot that boy now?āāPapi!ā she shouts, which makes me chuckle. Sheās so protective of that punk.āFine, but one day youāll want me to shoot him.āāPapi, stop it! Carlos has been amazing, and trust me
GiovanniMy heart starts pounding as I climb out of bed. No, this isnāt Brandi; it couldnāt be. Sheās not into this lifestyle; she doesnāt know about it. How could it be her? But the voice is certainly hers."Brandi..." I ask again, hoping I was imagining things.āCome back to bed, Mr. C. Iāve been waiting to fuck you all month, and Iām afraid Iām not satisfied. Although it was thrilling, I need a lot more.ā āWhat are you doing here?ā My anger boils over; she tricked me into having sex with her. āWhat am I doing here? You personally requested me. Did you not?ā Did I request her? What is she talking about? The only woman I wanted was... William. I remember his words before he got off the phone and him laughing. āThat was you, the first time?ā I ask tentatively, not quite believing it.āYes. Iāve wanted to fuck you since that day too. You donāt know how wet you made me when I found out you wanted to fuck me again.ā Her words make my dick harden. I know how wet she is, and right now, a
BrandiI sit in the chair waiting for the makeup artist to finish her work as my heart thunders in my chest. This is it. Iām getting marriedāI glance at the clock. Twenty minutes. I have been prodded, plucked, and tucked all morning, and now all I have to do is put on my dress and walk down the aisle to the man I love.āYouāre still doing her makeup?ā G asks as the door opens with a bang, and she comes rushing in. She has been in a frenzy since this morning.āHey, G. You look amazing,ā I say as I admire the champagne maid-of-honor dress sheās wearing. She stops and grins, then twirls to give me the full picture.āDonāt Iāwait. Donāt change the subject. Why is she still doing your makeup? Itās almost time.āāI asked her to change the eyeshadow to something lighter,ā I explain.āOh, but we only have eighteen minutes.āāIām almost done,ā the makeup artist states.G paces back and forth. āHow soon is almost? We only have seventeen minutes, and we need to get her dress on and do last-minute
MeanwhileBrandiI pull the covers tight and reach for a handful of popcorn as I focus on the TV. After cleaning yesterday, I have been flipping between crying and watching movies and TV shows. Except for two hours today, G convinced me to get my hair done because the wedding is tomorrow. I hope it is tomorrow, but Iām still uncertain what will happen because I havenāt spoken to Tes since I told him he has until Sunday to figure it out. I donāt know what heās thinking, even suggesting postponing the wedding. How could he think I need more time? Iām so angry and hurt, I want to hate him. I should hate him right now for putting me through this, but I canāt. I miss him. I ache for his arms holding me. I miss his smile in the morning. I miss our family. I sniff as tears stain my cheeks.āAre you okay? Do you need anything? Ice cream?ā Gia asks, pushing the tub of butter pecan toward me. I sigh, grab the spoon, and take a big bite. āBetter?āI nod before taking another bite. āYour father is
GiannaI pull in through the gate and look around, stunned at the lawn covered in furniture. What is all this? I wonder as I park the car. Are they moving? Neither Dad nor B said anything before this. I slip out of the car and grab my purse before heading to the door, when I see Martha approaching.āMs. Gia,ā she says, smiling when she sees me.āHey, Martha. Are Papi and B moving?āShe shakes her head. āMrs. Caputo woke up this morning, asked us to move the furniture outside, and started cleaning,ā she explains.Mrs. Who? I furrow my brows when I realize she is talking about B. I guess she will be Mrs. Caputo in a couple of days. It feels so strange for her to marry Papi, but now Iām okay with itāhappy even, since he makes her happy, and they gave me two of the cutest brothers in the world. I smile, thinking of their chubby cheeks.āMs. Gia?ā Martha calls, pulling me from my thoughts.āOh, B asked you to move them out?ā She nods.āShe was in a frenzy this morning about getting the hous
BrandiTwenty minutes agoI examine the sample of birch wood on my desk. I like it, but Iām not in love with it like I am with the soft maple. I sigh. Why did the supplier have a shortage of the only wood I like? Well, it doesnāt matter. I have to choose one of these before the call. Shannon likes the ash, but ash is not durable enough, and I want people to pass these on to their kids, not throw them out.I need another opinion. Maybe I should have had Tes stop by with dinner and help me decide. I pick up my phone to call him but hesitate when I remember how tired he was today. Tes is already stretched thin with taking care of the boys, last-minute wedding prep, and getting his company ready for his absence during our honeymoon. Although he never complains, Iām sure he is exhausted. His only being able to have sex once last night is proof. That man never falls asleep before going at it at least twice.Itās a good thing this project is almost complete. Once weāre done picking the wood,
I need to find a doctor, but how do I do it on such short notice? I pull out my phone to call Jorge, my assistant.āGood morning, Boss. Are you coming into the office today?āāNo. Jorge, I need a doctor.āāOh, for what? Is Mrs. okay? My nephews?ā he says, reacting as his usual dramatic self.āFenice is fine, and so are the boys. I pulled my back last night and need to get it checked out. Can you find me a doctor? I need it today.āāI will be right on it.āāThank you.āāYou know, I had a problem once. I was in Colorado when my boyfriend at the time got a little rough. He was hitting it from the back. He can be a little rough.āāJorge, is there a point to this story?āāOh, right. So my back gave out. We were snowed in, so I couldnāt see a doctor. I did yoga for two days. My back felt brand new by the time we left.āāSo youāre saying I should try yoga?āāExactly. I bet it will have you feeling brand new, or you can go see those pill pushers whoāll pump you full of drugs and overcharge you
GiovanniWilliam pulls into the driveway and sighs. We chased her as far as the traffic cameras could track, but we eventually reached a dead end when she took a back road with no cameras. Sheās smart, I give her that, and she is also striking to look at. I can see why William is enamored with her beauty, even though she is a thief.āWhat did she say to you?āāHuh?ā I furrow my brows.āBrandi said she found you two together. Did she try to sleep with you?ā he asks through clenched teeth. I can tell the thought of that pisses him off.āShe walked in and pretended to be lost, then she fainted so I would catch her. I told her to drop the act, and Fenice walked in. I donāt know if she would have tried.ā My voice trails off as I see him getting noticeably angrier.āDonāt worry. Youāll find her.āāHow many men will she have fucked and used by then?ā His eyes flash angrily.āWhat does it matter?āāThey are touching something thatās mineāā His voice trails off when he realizes what heās saying
I push the stroller towards the store, about to go meet Amber and G, who invited themselves last minute when she called this morning.āB,ā I hear her call from behind. I turn slightly and see her coming fast, waving.āYou brought them!ā she squeals after seeing the stroller.āYou wanted to see them. Here you go.ā I push the stroller towards her and hand her their bag.āWhatās all this?āāYou asked me to bring them, so youāre going to look after them. Iām here to shop. Boys, your big sister will take care of you. Be nice,ā I say, blowing each a kiss and then heading through the door of HermĆØs.āWait. I donāt knowāā I hear her behind me. āB, you canāt do this.ā I sigh as she struggles to open the door while pushing the stroller. I roll my eyes, walk back to the door, and hold it open while she pushes it inside.āWhy didnāt you bring one of the nannies?āāThey are off on weekends when Tes and I are free. You wanted me to bring them, so youāre the nanny today.āāWhat? All I wanted to do wa
BrandiāTes, come on.ā I fold my arms as I wait for him to exit the car. We went shopping, and he agreed we would each pick an outfit we wanted the other to wear, and we got to choose the occasion it would be worn. He picked out a white dress and a matching lingerie set. The dress is to be worn to his birthday dinner next Tuesday, and the lingerie for tonight. I picked an outfit for our date in the park: dark-washed jeans, a tight-fitting t-shirt with a black leather jacket, and combat boots. He has been complaining since he stepped out of the dressing room, but a deal is a deal.āTes, come on,ā I call again, growing impatient.āI donāt think this is a good idea. I should go home and change,ā he says, still sitting in the car.āWe made a deal. You picked my dress, and that string you want me wearing tonight. If you want to see me wear that tonight, come out of the car.ā He frowns as he steps out.I smile as I look at him. He does not know how good he looks, but Iām sure heāll turn a fe
BrandiI take a sip of the shot, trying to pace myself because I already feel a little too good, and I know Iām on my way to being drunk for the first time in my life. I look at the shot and then watch as Gianna downs another one. Tonight reminds me of high school when she would get wasted, so I would have to take care of her. I guess some things never change. I put the glass down on the bar top.āNo, no, no. What are you doing?āāI have already had five. Youāre on your seventh.āāEight. I brought you here to get drunk and party our asses off.āāOne of us needs to stay sober and make sure nothing happens.āāWeāre in Uncle Williamās club, surrounded by security. Nothing will happen.āāYou never knowāāāB, heās gone. You can relax,ā she says as she picks up and hands me the shot.She doesnāt say another word; instead, she turns back to the bar and orders more shots. I look at the shot in my hand as her words play in my head. I know she is talking about Colin. Itās true that in the past,