HOLLY
Because it is a tea party, husbands and spouses are not expected to go together. But, I am surrounded by men with high testosterone levels today. They are above six feet tall and have muscle mass distributed evenly over their bodies. Gosh! I had no idea that the task could be so entertaining. I was initially afraid that it would be dull, but it turns out that it's rather entertaining."Could you pour some tea for me?" I overheard what the guy said. When I was leaving with the little cart, this dashing gentleman was staring at me as if he was peering into my very being."There isn't a magic word?" I gave him a kind grin. "I'm kidding." I filled his cup, but as I turned to go, I realized that he was staring at me with an even more intense concentration. Am I wearing something that shouldn't be on my face? I sure do hope not. "Do you require anything else in addition to this? Do you feel like trying something else instead? The one you already have is—" Shit. Because of those eyes, he makes me really nervous, and as a result, I've completely forgotten what kind of tea I was supposed to serve."Is?""Uhm— Hibiscus tea." I remember reading that in the Philippines, they call it gumamela."Hmm." He drank a little of it. "What exactly is the magic word?" The man inquired of me, and I responded with a chuckle that eventually subsided. Is he being serious? I believed he was making a joke about it."The word "please" is the magic word.""Foreign." He took another sip of his drink. The man maintains the same expression throughout the entire conversation. It makes perfect sense why he doesn't have any wrinkles. He does not possess the ability to smile. I pity his woman. Or should I say, women? The likes of him definitely doesn't settle."Excuse me?" It shouldn't surprise me but it did."I just said that it's foreign to me. I have never used that word." His eyes never left my face. "What's your name?""Holly.""Holly..." As he tried to say my name, it came out easy and natural on his tongue. It seems to me that he was waiting for me to complete the sentence by mentioning my surname.I swallowed once. "Hopkins.""You're not from here." He commented, but didn't bother to say his name. Well, I am not here to make friends really. I am here to serve tea."I'm here for vacation for a few weeks then I am going back to New York." I shouldn't say that. He didn't ask for my plans. He actually didn't ask me anything.When I didn’t hear anything else, I smiled and took my leave. One of the men approached the guy I was talking to earlier. Both of them exuding the aura of arrogance but then again most of the guests here if not all belong to the high society. Those people have money to burn and they live like there’s no tomorrow.And while the others came from old money, some had their hands dirty.
***
I got home soon after nine o'clock in the evening after taking the bus. Due to the fact that I had to serve tea and then clean up the kitchen afterward, my legs were sore. If I didn't need the extra money, I wouldn't take a job; instead, I would just relax and enjoy my time off. Yet, I require additional time in order to find what it is that I am seeking for. After all, I did come all the way here for this.
I thought that while I'm in town, I'd be crashing at the house of a friend of mine, Lila. She offered but because her house was smalI and Lila has a big family. I decided to find my own living quarters elsewhere and rented an apartment. Compared to the cost of a hotel room for the length of time I want to spend here, this option is more cost effective.
It's a great flat with one bedroom, and it comes with everything you could possibly require. Both the couch and the bed offer a high level of comfort. On my day off, I need to make sure I don't forget to give the blankets and linens a good washing. The kitchen is on the small side but quite functional. It comes equipped with the fundamentals that I require, such as a stove, a refrigerator and an electric kettle. One of the tasks that I detest doing the most is washing the dishes, and I frequently find myself wishing that I had a dishwasher.
The sound of someone knocking on the door interrupted my plans to take a seat on the couch. I peered through the keyhole to see who it was. I was surprised to see the property manager at this hour. Usually, he is off around five in the afternoon but we can call him in case of emergency. For example, if there's a leak in the bathroom.
I opened the door while the chain lock was still attached to the door.
"Antonio, buonasera. Can I help you with anything?" Antonio is in his mid-fifties and he lives with his cat downstairs. He looks harmless.
"Buonasera, Holly. I am just reminding everyone that the power will be off tomorrow at noon. I am sorry for the inconvenience but they are fixing some electrical issues in the building."
"Ah, yes. I got your note. Thank you. Is there anything else?"
Antonio shook his head. "Nothing else. Buona notte, Holly."
"Buona notte, Antonio."
When I saw that he was about to leave, I quickly closed and locked the door. It will be my day off tomorrow, and although I had intended to take things easy at home, it appears that won't be possible. It can get unbearably hot, especially considering that my flat is located just in front of the busy highway. There aren't even any trees to provide me with some shade.
I walked to the kitchen to get a cold glass of water and as soon as I finished it, I heard another knock.
I have no doubt that it is Antonio again. I rolled my eyes in exasperation. It's getting late, and all I want to do is go to bed. I walked towards the door and took another look through the peep hole. I was astounded to see who was knocking on the door.
The handsome man from the tea party.
HOLLY What exactly is it that he is doing in this building? I'm quite sure I didn't mention my address to him at all. What in the name of all that is holy could he want from me? Another knock rang in my ears. It would be easy enough for me to just disregard it and act as though I had not heard anything. If it comes down to it, I'll just act like I'm asleep and try to get away with it. He is a stranger but something tells me he is a good person. I could be wrong too. I don't know what to think anymore. I lowered my head, took a few deep breaths, and then opened the door, ensuring that the chain lock was in place first. "Do you need help?" I asked him. I'm not sure what he might possibly need from me at this hour, but I'm at a loss for words when it comes to communicating with him. Every time I meet his gaze, I am overcome with a sense of utter disorientation, as if I had just plummeted to the bottom of a pit and had no idea what emotions I would experience next. "Did I wake you?" H
HOLLYIt's a bit muggy out tonight, and if I don't take some measures to cool down, I'll be drenched in sweat before morning. So I took a shower and dried my hair with a towel. I want to have a good night's rest tonight. The fan is all I have for cooling off in my apartment, as there is no air conditioning.I reached for my laptop and turned it on. Before logging in, I took a small device from my bag and activated it. All other equipment used to track me down will be rendered useless. Sometimes, it's tiring to be me, but I have to do this or the past will continue to haunt me.Casa da Varano. He never leaves that place, and I can't just go in there. It would be suicide to face a damn battalion. It is surrounded by a huge wall and moat designed to keep attackers out. It is built on the tops of hills so the people inside could see attackers coming from a distance. I know I won't make it past his second layer of protection, given the number of guards he employs. By that time, he would ha
HOLLY"I wasn't?" He did not seem pleased.I have to say, this man is a bit contradictory. Despite his reserved demeanor most of the time, I saw him smile a little bit earlier and now he's sporting what seems to be a frown on his face. What does he expect me to say? That he would be the first one? I nodded. "It was my mother." "Was?" He asked again.With a straight face, I answered him, "She died when I was six. Mom had a... problem breathing." In reality, her husband murdered her because he thought she was being unfaithful. To put it simply, he choked her death. But I can't tell him that— not right now anyway. "I'm sorry to hear that. And your father?" I shrugged my shoulders even though I know exactly where he is. "He left me to the care of my mother's relatives and took off when Mom passed. I haven't seen him since. But it's okay. I managed to finish my studies. I had a hard time staying in one place though so I keep changing jobs." I reached for the glass of water and took a
LUCA As the lights went out in the room, I stood there staring aimlessly out the windows. I could hear breathy moans coming out from the television. Fuck. There have been many attractive women dangling themselves in front of me over the past few weeks, but I haven't been able to work up even the slightest interest in having sex with them. Now, however, skinny Holly Hopkins in mediocre clothes has me swooning. Swoon. I never swoon. Holly is not really skinny— she's just too lean for my liking. But his plump breast and firm buttocks just won't leave my mind. Adding her beautiful face in the equation is enough to drive me insane. And look where it got me? I am living in the same building. I asked Dante to have someone move out and offered them the triple amount of their rent so I can move in last night. I figured if I stayed the night near her place and ate breakfast with her in the morning, the strangeness would go away. But as we ate, she switched into full-on flirt mode and t
HOLLYI haven't seen Luca for quite awhile now, but I know— he will come back for me. I saw the fire in his eyes. He wants me, just the same as I want him. All I need to do is make him fall in love with me even more so I can go to the next level— meeting his uncle. And just as I had anticipated, there he is again. All that was required of Luca was a little prod. To his good fortune, his relative enjoys drinking tea. Oh, it's true that doing research the right way can pay off, and I seem to be doing extremely well at playing my cards right now. If he has lost interest, there is no reason for him to be in this room."What are you doing here?" I asked him after that sweet kiss. I'm not going to lie— I missed him. I missed his company and his not-so-smiley face. "I was... going to ask if you're free for dinner." Luca is still holding me and his eyes never left my face. I furrowed my brows. "It's not even five yet.""So?" He looked lost."So? That means I am still at work. You shouldn't
HOLLYI haven't seen Luca for quite awhile now, but I know— he will come back for me. I saw the fire in his eyes. He wants me, just the same as I want him. All I need to do is make him fall in love with me even more so I can go to the next level— meeting his uncle. And just as I had anticipated, there he is again. All that was required of Luca was a little prod. To his good fortune, his relative enjoys drinking tea. Oh, it's true that doing research the right way can pay off, and I seem to be doing extremely well at playing my cards right now. If he has lost interest, there is no reason for him to be in this room."What are you doing here?" I asked him after that sweet kiss. I'm not going to lie— I missed him. I missed his company and his not-so-smiley face. "I was... going to ask if you're free for dinner." Luca is still holding me and his eyes never left my face. I furrowed my brows. "It's not even five yet.""So?" He looked lost."So? That means I am still at work. You shouldn't
LUCA As the lights went out in the room, I stood there staring aimlessly out the windows. I could hear breathy moans coming out from the television. Fuck. There have been many attractive women dangling themselves in front of me over the past few weeks, but I haven't been able to work up even the slightest interest in having sex with them. Now, however, skinny Holly Hopkins in mediocre clothes has me swooning. Swoon. I never swoon. Holly is not really skinny— she's just too lean for my liking. But his plump breast and firm buttocks just won't leave my mind. Adding her beautiful face in the equation is enough to drive me insane. And look where it got me? I am living in the same building. I asked Dante to have someone move out and offered them the triple amount of their rent so I can move in last night. I figured if I stayed the night near her place and ate breakfast with her in the morning, the strangeness would go away. But as we ate, she switched into full-on flirt mode and t
HOLLY"I wasn't?" He did not seem pleased.I have to say, this man is a bit contradictory. Despite his reserved demeanor most of the time, I saw him smile a little bit earlier and now he's sporting what seems to be a frown on his face. What does he expect me to say? That he would be the first one? I nodded. "It was my mother." "Was?" He asked again.With a straight face, I answered him, "She died when I was six. Mom had a... problem breathing." In reality, her husband murdered her because he thought she was being unfaithful. To put it simply, he choked her death. But I can't tell him that— not right now anyway. "I'm sorry to hear that. And your father?" I shrugged my shoulders even though I know exactly where he is. "He left me to the care of my mother's relatives and took off when Mom passed. I haven't seen him since. But it's okay. I managed to finish my studies. I had a hard time staying in one place though so I keep changing jobs." I reached for the glass of water and took a
HOLLYIt's a bit muggy out tonight, and if I don't take some measures to cool down, I'll be drenched in sweat before morning. So I took a shower and dried my hair with a towel. I want to have a good night's rest tonight. The fan is all I have for cooling off in my apartment, as there is no air conditioning.I reached for my laptop and turned it on. Before logging in, I took a small device from my bag and activated it. All other equipment used to track me down will be rendered useless. Sometimes, it's tiring to be me, but I have to do this or the past will continue to haunt me.Casa da Varano. He never leaves that place, and I can't just go in there. It would be suicide to face a damn battalion. It is surrounded by a huge wall and moat designed to keep attackers out. It is built on the tops of hills so the people inside could see attackers coming from a distance. I know I won't make it past his second layer of protection, given the number of guards he employs. By that time, he would ha
HOLLY What exactly is it that he is doing in this building? I'm quite sure I didn't mention my address to him at all. What in the name of all that is holy could he want from me? Another knock rang in my ears. It would be easy enough for me to just disregard it and act as though I had not heard anything. If it comes down to it, I'll just act like I'm asleep and try to get away with it. He is a stranger but something tells me he is a good person. I could be wrong too. I don't know what to think anymore. I lowered my head, took a few deep breaths, and then opened the door, ensuring that the chain lock was in place first. "Do you need help?" I asked him. I'm not sure what he might possibly need from me at this hour, but I'm at a loss for words when it comes to communicating with him. Every time I meet his gaze, I am overcome with a sense of utter disorientation, as if I had just plummeted to the bottom of a pit and had no idea what emotions I would experience next. "Did I wake you?" H
HOLLY Because it is a tea party, husbands and spouses are not expected to go together. But, I am surrounded by men with high testosterone levels today. They are above six feet tall and have muscle mass distributed evenly over their bodies. Gosh! I had no idea that the task could be so entertaining. I was initially afraid that it would be dull, but it turns out that it's rather entertaining. "Could you pour some tea for me?" I overheard what the guy said. When I was leaving with the little cart, this dashing gentleman was staring at me as if he was peering into my very being. "There isn't a magic word?" I gave him a kind grin. "I'm kidding." I filled his cup, but as I turned to go, I realized that he was staring at me with an even more intense concentration. Am I wearing something that shouldn't be on my face? I sure do hope not. "Do you require anything else in addition to this? Do you feel like trying something else instead? The one you already have is—" Shit. Because of those eye