*MILENA*
He stared at me obviously surprised by how rudely I had interrupted him.
I wasn’t jealous when I saw the host hug him or anything.
Or when he received a call and I heard the name ‘Paula’ from his lips.
Either way how brightly he looked when he spoke to the person who was obviously a woman on the phone,I assumed he might have something with her.
I knew it.Arturo was too handsome and too hot to be someone who would take anyone seriously.
I might be wrong and I might be jumping into conclusion.
But the last thing I wanted to happen to me again was to be foolish and let any man play me.
Dante wasn’t even as handsome and Arturo,yet he still broke my heart.
So Arturo would not be any different.
It was good that I know now that he was a playboy.
At the very least,I’d never have feeling for a playboy.
“Is everything okay?”He asked me.
I nodded.”Yeah.Let’s go eat.”
We left the art exhibition and got back to the car.
Then we headed off to have lunch.I glanced at him.He was on his phone.
He was probably talking to one of his many girlfriends.
I looked away and stared at the window.
I finally had to admit to one thing though.
I was sexually frustrated and the frustration usually gets worse when I’m around him.
I wasn’t a machine and I miss having sex a lot.
I glanced at him again.
Perhaps we could really be friends with benefits.
No feelings has to get attached.
He was a player and I already knew that.Plus,I didn’t want to ever give my heart to a man again.
I felt he was fit the role perfectly because he was already into this no strings attached thing so I didn’t have to worry about him falling in love with me.
I swallowed.
This could really work.
We live opposite each other and it’d always be convenient to please each other,sexually.
The thought of having him as my sex buddy felt so pleasing.
But how do I bring this up to him?
He had been nothing but nice to me.
Would this make him mad?
Or would he easily agree since he was already into this kind of stuff?
If he refuses,things might get awkward between us and I didn’t want that.
Should I just go to a club and search for a sex buddy?
Do they find sex buddies in club?
Would it even be safe to get a stranger to be my sex buddy?
I might barely know Arturo but I was comfortable around him.
I had never done or ever wanted something like this before.
I have always been the proper relationship kind of girl.
The serious relationship.
But I didn’t want that anymore.
“Hey,you’re so quiet,are you okay?”Arturo’s hand touched my thigh and squeezed,making me jump because that touch sent jolts of electricity throughout my body.
Especially between my legs.
I could even feel heat begin to pool there.
God!
I had never gotten so easily aroused before.
Arturo took his hand away,quickly at my jump.
“Sorry,I didn’t mean to startle you.”He looked very remorseful as he said that.
“I thought you were busy with your work so I didn’t want to disturb you.”I replied,trying to ignore what just happened.
“I just got a text from work.They need me for an extra shift.”
He didn’t specify if he wanted to go but I didn’t want him to ignore his work because of me.
“You can go.I had a nice time at the art gallery.You already did so much for me.I could get lunch myself and maybe cook you something nice when you get back…to show how grateful I am.You don’t have to turn down work because of me.”
“The shift is tonight so I can still hang out with you for as long as I want,is that okay with you?”Arturo asked with a smile.
He had such a gorgeous smile.
I nodded,shyly and looked away.
The driver pulled up in front of a restaurant that Arturo had boasted about their great meals.
I didn’t open the door myself and I could see he was all smiles as he opened the door for me.
He held my hand as we headed in.
I felt so special,wanted and possessed.
Arturo guided me into the restaurant as if I was the most important person to him at the moment.
If this is how he makes me feel,I could see why other girls would be all over him.
Becoming friends with benefits with you looked better and better as the day rolled by.
I felt he would be so good in bed.
“Hello,Arturo,table for two?”A very beautiful woman came over.
“I’m so glad to have you in.You need to try out our specialty.”She cooed as she hugged him.
My eyes dilated.
Was this another one of his women?
“Well,I’m looking forward to it.”
The woman barely glanced at me as she sashayed away,leading us to a table.
I swallowed,she had such a great body and I was sure that most men would enjoy watching her as she guided them to their seats.
Arturo held my hand again as if reclaiming me after letting me go to hug this lady.
I was not sure of how I felt about him being a player and involved with so many women.
Will he even have the time to be my sex buddy?
He might already be so busy with these women and work.
And so far,these women are so much prettier than me.
What if he isn’t interested in me,sexually?
*ARTURO*“Can we do both Rissa and Mum's funeral simultaneously? I do not want to go through it twice. Plus, I have an operation booked for a few days; we need to avoid clashing with that.”Lena showed almost no remorse or hurt; it was as if she was now immune to it all, and that worried me.Rio looked at me with the same surprised look, but we needed to figure out how to proceed.“I will call the hospital and see when I can collect her body and notify the funeral service of the added change.”“Want to come home for coffee?”Lena asked Rio.“No, I need to head home, shower, and change. I have a busy day tomorrow.”Rio hugged Lena and shook my hand; I got to pay the bill this time.Lena was too far gone in her thoughts to even think of the bill; score one for me.**********The following two days were a blur. Dad said that Lena might have selective amnesia, not wanting to have that pa
*ARTURO*Being woken up with that news shook me a little; I had to be there for my girl instantly while my head was still foggy. I can honestly say I was awake when I heard those words over the phone and pulled Lena to me. She was shaking, and though her voice was clear, her heart was beating faster, and she was fighting tears. Once she hung up the phone, she cried for a little while. I asked why the tears, and she said because, in her heart, she had lost a mother and sister; even if they were terrible and caused much pain and sorrow, deep down, they were still her family.We headed to the kitchen for breakfast. All ideas of relaxing at home were gone. She will want to go to work and keep her mind busy. We had intended to have a late start; I had no surgery, and her work in the lab was still cooking.I did my rounds at the hospital and released more patients before heading to Lena’s lab. She was checking on the monkey and Mr Green's stats. I loved that she
*JACKO*Being called out to the Sun Valley Sanitarium with my team was not a pretty sight. We could not arrest the woman who did the stabbing as she was already there for life, being classed as a danger to society and never to be released. The two women were never meant to have been put in that wing with that dangerous woman. I am kicking myself for not checking on the woman when I got the news of the first beatings, but I had so much on my plate. I got the call on my way there to check on them that they had been stabbed. I was nervous calling Rio and relieved when his phone went to the message bank. I hung up on Lena, and she promised to tell Rio. I feel bad for interrupting his joy of his first grandson and the honor of being named after him. I will have to catch up later and have a congratulatory drink.Lena seemed to take it well, but then she most likely had a lot to handle lately, and this would be just another blimp on her already rocky road of life.Our team is
“Is that why your Dad is not here? He was at the hospital holding mini Rio?”Felicia giggled,Paula and Alma arrived in time for all the news to be repeated.The den was different without Dad there. It had been a while since I celebrated the game with others, which had not included my Dad being there. I genuinely hope he gets to spend more time with Diego and his little growing family; the three of us used to be closer and somewhere along the line. Mona chased him away. I am sad that I had not noticed her doing it. I was too busy at the time, getting my doctor's degree, and missed out on seeing my brother at a critical time in his life. I hope he knew I supported him with his life choices.“Lena, the lass, is out of hospital and back home. She has her family with her to support her, and the courts have put the man in jail. She can get a divorce from him. Now he is in jail. It has made it easier. I believe she will sell the house and move in with her sis
*RIO*“Come see our son.”Judy beckoned them in.Diego was the first to go to bed, while the rest were held back and watched. He kissed Judy on the lips and then kissed the newborn's butt, and we all chuckled.Lena then offered to let him cut the cord; she turned the baby over so we could see the little boy. Diego took the scissors and cut the cord, and we all cheered as Diego gathered the little one in his arms and kissed his head. I took a small blanket over to him to wrap the baby in and waited for him to.When the baby was wrapped,Diego wanted to give Judy his attention, so he handed the baby off to me. I was shocked he did not give the child to Nate, but then Nate was a mess and may not have been up to holding the little one.“Here, Granddad, take Rio for a while, will you?”I looked at him with shock, but his face was full of love and pride; there was no sign that he was joking about the name, and he broke into a broad smile as I took the little bundle in my arms and almost wept a
*JACKO*The court hearing was underway. It was a Saturday, not a typical day for a court hearing, but it was the only time we could get it heard. The judge slotted the day in for us, as we promised it would only take the day. The courtrooms were booked out for months, and we no longer wish this case to be drawn out. The courtroom was closed, and no public, including the media, was allowed in. We tried to keep out who was going to others; it looked low-key. If someone wanted to push, they could dig further and find out, but it's been so good so far. When I arrived, I had yet to investigate.I sat in the audience watching as our prosecutor tore strips off the first few men from the Gutter Boys gang to pieces, and the four of them went to jail. The first three guys tried were the ones that hit Lena’s car and were also the ones that fired the tranquilizer darts at Scott's team. They had a good lawyer, but our case was airtight, and they were sentenced with parole, but they still had five