CHAPTER 3

(One year later)

Leonard came to Boston for a meeting at the Headquarters and came to Patricia's apartment that night. The tall and broad figure had finished showering and stepped up on a bed. Patricia pushed him to lie down and removed the towel. Her small mouth worked on him, his handsome face lifted up, made a low voice in his throat. He released and let her cleaned up the way she liked to do it for him.

“May I have some extra money, honey. This month I have to pay for the tutor’s fee.” Patricia said, moved up to sit on his lap, using her hand to touch him, reaching up for a condom. Leonard frowned.

“I’ve given you more than enough, Pat.” Harsh tone said carelessly. Patricia was not pleased to hear that but tried to keep a smiling face, kissed him on the cheek. He tilted his face away with the bore in his eyes.

He gave her a lot already more than she deserved. He was not stupid to spend more than he had to, he didn’t even come to her often, less than five times the whole year, his life was more in Chicago and he had never lacked women there. Now the sharp deep blue eyes gazed her body. He felted enough, didn’t want to touch this woman anymore, that meant she was finished!

And another thing, he saw the small room still occupied! She didn’t do what he ordered her to do!

“I have a lot of expenses as a woman who has to look after herself, darling and uh, I have to help the girl too. She has got money problems. “

Patricia lied to him, his handsome face frowned upon after hearing.

“That’s what I wanted to ask you. What did I tell you, Pat? I said nobody’s allowed to be here apart from you!” He said with edgy voice.

“Cut down your expenses by yourself. I haven’t come to you often. That girl is your own problem, get rid of her or I’ll finish with you.”

“Why are you so mean and stingy? I’m your lover, Leonard.”

“You’re my woman, not my lover.” He corrected her words. Patricia felt displeased, but he didn’t care. She tried to control her anger because she knew well, at the end of the day she needed his supports.

“Okay, don’t complain too much, darling. The girl, she has no one … I am helping her because it’s the act of kindness. I don’t think you understand. Anyway, let’s not waste our time, you didn’t come to me for a long time and I miss you so much, my love.”

Finished saying, she lifted her hips and straddled his lap then moved her body back and forth, the ways she knew he loved it. He felt that her body had changed, too loose down there. He thought she might be seeing someone else behind his back. If it was true she would pay for her betrayal.

“You know well if you cheat on me, what will happen.”

Warning her, he suddenly didn’t feel like wanting her any longer. Pushed her off his body and stepped into the bathroom.

“Oh, darling, I don’t have anyone besides you. I swear!” Patricia shouted after him.

Leonard took a shower and walked back out, put on his clothes.

“I hate betrayal, if I know you’re lying and fucking someone else behind my back, you don’t wanna know what you deserve. So make sure it will never happen!” Threatening voice said before he took off.

Patricia could feel her goosebumps raising along her whole body as she was looking at the God-made-body of Leonard Duncan disappear. This whole year he came to her only a few times and she liked sex too much, she felt the need and couldn’t control herself, so she took a few men on and off. After partying she usually brought a date here, having hot sex all night long. Stella knew about it, so she must make sure the girl would keep her mouth shut!

******

Time flew so quickly. Stella was eighteen years old, studying the first year at a private university in Boston. Two years of living with Patricia were not too bad after all. Because her mafia boyfriend didn’t come very often as Stella was afraid he would. She never faced him again since that time when she was sixteen.

“Hey! … Wine, we’re here, darling.”

The noise came from a beautiful young lady, Sophia, her best friend. The stone table under the flower arch behind the building, a tall handsome man sat next to Sophia.

Sam Duncan, very good looking with a tall and lean body. He had got short dark brown hair, the front put some hair gel using his big hand to comb it made it stood up, he could be a supermodel if he wanted to. Sam’s famous among female students around town. The three of them had always been close. friends who had been together since high school. Sam was studying to be a doctor, that was what he wanted to be all along.

“Wine, I’ve bought you a cup of love here, babe.”

Sam said with his handsome face full of cheeky smile, handing Stella a big cup of coffee.

Today was the final exam for the first academic year. Stella was the last student who left the room. She was studying accounting and finance degree, same as Sophia.

“Hey! That one is mine. ” Sophia said loudly, knowing that Sam was always playful with Stella.

“You can share this one with me, ugly.”

A cheeky face turned to Sophia, he always said that Sophia was not as beautiful as Stella, nobody asked his opinions but he liked to express whatever was in his head. Sophia took the cup, lifted it to her mouth, swallowed half of it and kept the cup well away from Sam’s big hands.

“I’ve waited for you ages, babe, what took you so long, and here’s Soph, came out for last thirty minutes and finished the whole bag of crisps? ” Sam shook his head, Sophia shrugged like who cared.

“I am not as good as Soph as you know my dear. This is the last subject for this semester, now I feel like I’m in heaven, let’s go home.”

Sophia said with a happy voice. Sam looked at the beautiful sweet face, her Asian looks always made him unable to take his eyes off her. Sam turned to look at Sophia, American beauty who made men turned their heads around when she walked past. Sam thought how lucky he was, to have two beautiful ladies beside him, a smile spread across his face, thinking about his beloved brother who lived in Chicago.

Stella was from there. Sam was wondering if Leo had a chance to see his close friends, especially, Stella, would his brother stop and turn to look at her as other men. Sam loved his elder brother so much, Leonard was his idol since he had only one brother.

“I thought we would go celebrate first before you fly to Chicago? shall we go for a drink tonight?” Sophia asked.

“Please, Wine. Let’s do that, we won’t see each other for 3 months, and that’s too long.”

Sam helped Sophia to convince Stella, whom she fondly nicknamed Wine, because of her behaviour and personality.

“Mm, I have a Taekwondo class in the evening, but we can go for some ice-cream if you want.”

Stella said decidedly.

She had been taking Karate and Taekwondo classes because her mother convinced her to do so. Mother was worried about her only daughter so she wanted Stella to be able to protect herself. Stella did not like it at first because it’s hard work. But two years in practice, she had started loving it.

“Alright, ice-cream as you wish.”

Sam said. The three walked together to the ice cream shop at the corner of the road in front of the Uni.

While sitting and waiting for ice-cream, they were talking about their plans for three months break.

“I’m going to help my mother at her restaurant, as usual, anyone wants to go to Chicago, helping me serve food and wash dishes are very welcome!”

Stella said with happiness in her voice, could not wait to see her mother. It had been so many months since the last time she had seen her.

“If I didn’t have a summer class I’d have followed you definitely so that my future mother-in-law would see how skillful and hard working I am.”

“Enough, Mr. Sam. I can feel some puke threatening to come out of my throat right now.”

Sophia said bluntly, seeing Sam pretending to make wistful eyes at Stella. Stella was laughing. Sam and Sophia always liked biting at each other like this. They might not realize that they looked more like girlfriend and boyfriend when they did this to each other.

“Hey, don’t say this, Soph. Because your mouth is like this, that’s why no man wants to be your boyfriend. Wine, you don’t have to listen. I can wait for you until you’re ready to marry me, baby.” Sam Said with a cheeky flirting smile. Sophia made a vomiting sound. Stella laughed out loud this time.

“OK, stop, both of you, don’t be silly. After ice-cream, Sam and Soph, you two can go home or go wherever you want, don’t have to drive me to the apartment, I’ll walk, so you guys don’t waste your time.

“Stop saying that, I never think it’s wasting time with you, in fact, I want to be with you all the time.” Sam couldn’t resist flirting, Sophia made a funny face, Sam pushed her head, and Sophia hit him on the shoulder.

“Stop, kids.”

Stella raised her voice to stop the battle. She opened her purse but Sam stopped her and took money from his pocket put on the table. The three held hands.

“I hope you two enjoy the break and see you soon, don’t forget that I still need a waiter and a dish-cleaner, so if you two decide to visit me, please let me know.”

Stella said with a smile but felt a bit sad that she had to be away from them.

“Okay, I’ll drive you home first, Soph, and then I’ll see my bro, he’s just arrived from Chicago.”

Sam said, they walked out of the ice-cream shop, said good-bye to each other.

Stella knew so little about Sam’s family, considered it did not matter to their friendship. She only knew that Sam’s family is doing business about finance involving lots of money. His elder brother was taking care of a branch in Chicago but she didn't know him.

She never asked about his family’s personal matters because it was nothing to do with her and in this lifetime, she probably would never get to know them at all.