It's been a few days since Emily told me about her plans to break my own brother's heart. I am not in support, but there is nothing I can really do to stop her. We are having lunch together, and I am waiting for her to arrive at the restaurant. It's not too far away from the office, so I wonder why she is late. I am not coming from the office, but she should be here any minute.
I see Emily walking inside the restaurant, and I am glad she has arrived because I am starving.
"Hello, Boss," Emily says once she gets to me.
"I have told you, you can call me by my name outside the office."
"I know, but I have gotten used to calling you boss since you refused to allow me to even call you ma'am."
"I could not stand my friend calling me ma'am. Boss sounds calmer to me."
"How?"
"I don't know, but I just like it."
"Okay, if you say so and please, why didn't you pick a cheaper restaurant? You are forgetting I can't afford a meal here with all the bills I have to pay,"
"Don't worry; your amazing boss is paying for lunch today."
"You are the best," Emily says, smiling.
"I know, and why did you come late? If any one of us should arrive early, it should be you,"
"I was talking to Santiago, and it took longer than I thought it would"
"Oh, what did you guys talk about?" I ask, curious to find out
"I told him to take his money back, but he refused."
"I am not surprised,"
"Neither am I. I also told him I will think about forgiving him"
"Really, you would," I ask, surprised she would.
"No, I won't. It is all part of my plan."
"Oh, the plan."
"Yeah, and I know you are against it because he is your brother, but I am still doing it."
"I was not going to say anything to stop you. I know you have already made up your mind, but be careful."
"I will"
"Good, and I have always wondered how you and Santiago got together. I only became friends with you when you started dating him even though we went to the same school. I didn't know you before you dated him, so I always wondered how you guys met"
"I am not surprised you don't know how we got together, but you would even be more surprised when you find out how."
"I am more curious to hear you guy's love story."
"It's not a love story for me. It's the story about how I met the worse man in my life."
"Okay, you can call it whatever you want? Just tell me how" I did not know the hatred Emily had for Santiago was this much. I can already see them never getting back together.
"We started off as friends."
"Really," I can't picture Santiago friends with the Emily I knew in high school."
Emily was not the best when it came to fashion when we were in high school. She was your typical nerd, and they hardly have any fashion sense. She was not bullied at least, but she did not have a lot of friends. I was popular, and we all know popular kids hardly hang out with nerds, so that's why it was only when Santiago started dating her that we became friends.
"Yes, he used to come to the coffee shop I used to work at, and we started off as friends, then months later we started dating," Emily says, staring off into space. I can tell she is in deep thought. I am sure she is thinking about the times they were together. She quickly wipes a tear away before it falls so I won't see it, but I did. Emily must have really loved Santiago.
"Wow, that's so nice."
"Yeah, it was, but enough about Santiago. Let's order food," Emily says, shaking her head and tries to pull more tears back in.
I am so exhausted from work that I can't wait to go home and lie down on my bed to sleep. I am glad today is Friday. I walk out of my office and take the elevator to the parking lot. While walking to my car, I see someone standing in front of it. I can't really see who it is, but the person seems to be relaxing on my car and is waiting for me. I bring out my gun in case I need it and quickly unlock and lock my car so that my headlights would come on. I was not expecting to see the person standing in front of my car until next week. I can't believe he is here. I run into his arms that are spread wide open for me.
"What are you doing here?" I say once I wrap my arms around him and take in his lovely cologne. I have missed his scent so much.
"I wanted to surprise you," Stefano says, hugging me back.
"You told me you were coming to California next week," I say and move my head away from around his neck so that I can see that handsome face of his. Stefano still has his arms around my waist.
"I was, but I finished what I needed to do in Sicily early."
"Oh, and how long are you staying in the states?"
"Two weeks; I want to spend a week with you before I fly to California."
"Oh, alright," I say, but I am mentally screaming. I am so happy he is going to be spending a whole week with me.
"Yeah, and I missed you. Did you miss me?" Stefano says, rubbing the tip of his nose around my neck.
"I missed you too, and have you eaten dinner?"
"No," He says, and does not even take his attention away from my neck, and starts placing little kisses. For a moment, I forget we are outside and allow myself to enjoy the feeling his kisses are giving me.
"Stefano," I unexpectedly moan. My body has missed Stefano's hands around it. I am not surprised; I moaned just from a little neck kiss. "We should get going," I say, stopping him from his assault on my neck because I can already see myself having sex with him out here for the first time with how my body is reacting.
"Yeah, we should." He says, stepping away from the car so he can open the door for me to enter into the passenger's seat.
"Thank you," I say, entering the car while he goes over to the driver's side to get in. I give him the car keys, and Stefano drives us to the nearest restaurant to have dinner.
While we are eating, Stefano speaks up.
"So, how are things with your brother?" He asks
"Still the same,"
"You are still not talking to him?"
"Yeah,"
"I know it's none of my business, but have you thought about the fact that your brother might actually be in love with Emily and is sorry for what he did?"
"I actually believed he was in love with Emily until I found out what he did."
"What he did is horrible, but it's been years. He won't be sorry and asking for Emily to be with him now if he was not sorry."
"I know, but I am a woman, and I can't help and have doubts about his feelings since Emily told me something about you rich men."
"We rich men, what does our money have to do with any of this?"
"Emily told me that sometimes you rich men like to have certain women because they refused to be with you, not because you actually want them. You men just make sure you get them to prove you can have any woman."
"Hmm," Stefano says, pausing for a second before he continues speaking. This makes me wonder if Stefano is like that, but I doubt. I don't remember rejecting Stefano. If anything, he was the one who rejected me but on second thought. He only kissed me to make me stay in Sicily when I wanted to leave. Now I am just confused. I shouldn't think about such things. I am happy with Stefano, and that is all that matters. "Emily is not totally wrong. There are men like that, but I don't think that is the case with your brother."
"Why do you say so?"
"He already got her once. Men that do that to prove their point don't chase after you twice."
"That's actually true, and do you believe Santiago is sincere about his feelings for Emily?"
"Yes, I do."
Stefano made some valid points, but even if I forgive Santiago, I don't think Emily will forgive him so easily. I am just angry with him for what he did to Emily. Emily is mad at him for what he did to her. It's not the same thing.
The following day, I get ready early and drive to Stefano's hotel to meet him. We plan to spend the day together. I give my car keys to the valet and walk inside the hotel and take the elevator to Stefano's floor, where his room is. Once I am at his door, I knock and enter; after he says come in, the door was left unlocked. I wonder if he left it unlocked for me or something is wrong. I walk inside to find Stefano zipping up his luggage.
"Where are you going?" I ask, confused as to why he is packing his things.
"I know, baby, I said I will spend a week with you in Miami, but something bad happened in California that needs my attention immediately," Stefano says as he walks around his room, picking up all his belongings. Stefano has never called me baby; he must be really sad that he is leaving and wants me to forgive him because the way my body loved the way he called me baby is something I will keep to myself. It's so funny how such a small word makes me feel special.
"Oh, and how long do you think you are going to be in California before you can come back to Miami?"
"I don't know, but why don't you follow me?" Stefano says, walking up to me and pull my hands in his, and gently massages them.
"I don't know if I can because of what happened the last time I went to California. I missed four months of work."
"It was not your fault you did, and I can have you back by Sunday evening. I will have my private jet waiting to take you back," He says and wraps his arms around my waist. He uses the tip of his nose to trace around my neck and leaves little kisses all the way to my shoulder. He lingers a little longer on my shoulder because he knows that is my weak spot. Stefano knows how much I love his kisses, and he is using them to make me want to come with him to California.
"Alright, fine, but I have to be back by Sunday," I say, giving in to his kisses.
"I promise you will," He says, smiling and kisses me.
After Stefano and I release from our kiss, I quickly walk out of his room and leave the hotel to be on my way home. I text mom on the way home to find out if she is around; I want to tell her that I am traveling.
Once I arrive home, I park my car and quickly walk inside to get my things for my one-day trip to California. While folding my clothes into my luggage, a knock is heard at my door. I ask the person to come in.
"Hello dear," Mom says, walking into my room. She must have heard me come in and came to find out why I wanted to know why she was home.
"Hi, mom; I am so happy you are home."
"Why is that, and where are you going?"
"I am going to California for the weekend."
"Why? Is Stefano in the US? I thought he was coming to see you here in Miami next week,"
"He arrived yesterday, and he has to leave today because something happened in California that needs his immediate attention."
"Oh, that's sad. You guys have not seen each other for two months."
"Yes, we haven't, and that's why I am going with him, but I will be back Sunday evening."
"Alright, that's fine, and I hope you have a lovely time, my dear."
"Thank you, mom, and please don't tell dad. He is still a little pissed off I stayed in Sicily longer than I said I would"
"I won't, but you know there is a way to make your dad happy with the fact that you are dating Stefano."
"He is not happy about it? I didn't know he had a problem with it. I knew he was angry I stay even after I said I was coming home, but I did not know he disapproved of Stefano."
"He does not have a problem with you dating Stefano, but I feel if he met Stefano properly. He would not mind giving you some slack when you take these trips because of him,"
"Oh, but he already met Stefano at my birthday party in Mexico."
"That was different. He met him as a guest at your birthday party, not as your boyfriend."
"Oh, and I don't know if Stefano and I have reached the stage to give the boyfriend and girlfriend tag to each other yet."
"You have just been dating for two months, so you still have time to think about if you want to give him that tag, but I already know he is your boyfriend."
"How do you know that I already see him as my boyfriend mom?"
"I see it because, my dear daughter, you have been in love with the same man since you were 17."
"Mom, I am not in love with Stefano."
"You are, but you just don't know it yet, and when you figure it yourself. You will remember I told you so," She says, smiling.
"Okay, if you say so."?