4

"Mom, you always told me to be nice to everyone, I failed you. I'm so sorry. I'll try to make it up to him, he's not to blame. What a fool, Minerva."

I sighed and stood up. When I realized, my cheeks were wet. I wiped myself with my shirt and opened the refrigerator again.

I looked for something to make something to eat, it was the least I could do. I found meat and spaghetti. I made a tomato sauce and cooked the meat into meatballs, when it was all ready, I put the pasta on to cook.

When I looked at the clock it was 8pm.

I set the table for two and took a Coke out of the fridge. I looked for some bread in the pantry and cut several pieces and put them on a plate. As I was about to take them to the table, I met Ethan at the door.

I almost dropped my plate from the fright he gave me.

"Ethan, I didn't hear you. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes". I smiled kindly and spoke in a rather calm tone of voice.

He didn't answer and helped me, taking the dishes out of the pantry to eat. I didn't know how he knew the dishes were there.

I took the plates and served the food. He put them on the table and sat down. I put the dirty dishes in the sink and sat down to eat too. I didn't know whether to talk or something, as he said absolutely nothing to me.

We started eating and it was very quiet in the apartment, it was strange. I was never quiet, I always had music playing when I was alone or when I was with my father, we always talked and never lacked a topic of conversation.

I decided I should apologize first.

"Hey with respect…," he said first.

"I wanted to apologize," I said almost at the same time as he did, interrupting him.

I couldn't help laughing and he smiled.

"You speak first," he said, as he took a big mouthful of spaghetti.

I nodded and looked down at my plate of food, as I was a little embarrassed to look him in the eye.

"I wanted to apologize for my attitude these past two days, everything you said earlier, you're right about everything. You are not to blame for anything and I know you are just doing your job. I'm not like that, it's just that…," my voice broke and I couldn't continue speaking.

"It's okay, apology accepted. I understand. I would like to apologize too, I shouldn't have said anything like that. My job is to take care of you, not for you to be my servant".

"Can we start again?," I smiled a little embarrassed.

Ethan stared at me for a few seconds and then smiled so charmingly, I got lost in his smile.

"Of course".

"Nice to meet you, my name is Minerva Finn". I released my cutlery to extend my hand to him in the form of an introduction.

Ethan laughed at my gesture and shook hands with me.

"The pleasure is all mine, Minerva. My name is Ethan Bates," we smiled at each other and let go of each other's hands to continue eating.

I felt that now the tension that was there every time I saw him was gone. Maybe this was what we both needed, a good introduction and good manners.

I hope this way we can get along better now.

"By the way, Minerva, this dinner is delicious. The best spaghetti I've had in years," I smiled at her compliment.

"Thank you very much, my father taught me how to make it". We were both still eating, about to finish our pasta. "I'm curious, how old are you?"

"29, little girl," he said in a mocking tone.

"Oh, 29, I see... hey wait, you're only 10 years older than me, you're not so old to talk to me like that either, you have no right to call me little."

He laughed and took both empty plates and got ready to wash them. I smiled at his gesture. Maybe it's not so bad after all.

While he washed up, I gathered everything left over and put it in the pantry and refrigerator depending on what I took.

When I looked at the clock it was 9:30pm. Already the kitchen was as good as new.

Ethan went into the living room and picked up the TV remote. I followed him and sat down on another couch, a single one, and settled in as best I could, lying down slightly.

There was nothing funny on TV and I was bored. He was zapping through the channels, looking for something entertaining to watch.

"What's your favorite color?," I asked, it was rather trivial, but it was a good way to start getting to know someone.

He placed a hand on his chin and made a thinking face. Then he spoke.

"Blue. Yours?"

"Green. Your favorite animal?"

"Bengal tiger, yours?"

"Also," we laughed at the coincidence.

"Favorite movie?," Ethan played along.

I kept thinking, that one was a bit difficult, I really liked all the movies I had seen, or at least most of them, but favorite?

"Promise you won't laugh?," my voice sounded a little embarrassed.

"I promise," he said confidently.

"Ice Age 3 is my favorite, although I like all the previous ones too. Oh and Lord of the Rings".

Ethan laughed and I gave him an ugly look because I had promised not to laugh. He motioned for me not to bother with him.

"I'm sorry, I just remembered when I saw it and it really is funny. I like the Star Wars ones".

"I've never seen Star Wars," I admitted.

"What? I should show them to you, they're really good," he said enthusiastically.

I couldn't help but laugh because I looked like a kid.

"All right, you could show them to me someday". I answered calmly.

I yawned, the tiredness of the day had hit me just at that moment. I closed my eyes for a few minutes as everything was quiet and Ethan wasn't talking.

I hadn't realized at what point I had fallen asleep, for when I opened my eyes, the sunlight hitting me right in the face and I wasn't on the couch, nor was I in my room.....

I was in the guest room.

I looked around.

A double bed, simple, with a closet, two bedside tables, a large window on the right side of the bed, the door in front of the bed, a bathroom on one side....

This is not my room. Indeed, it wasn't, I was in the guest room.

I sat on the bed, I had yesterday's clothes on.

On a small piece of furniture was a bag, I figured it was Ethan's clothes. The bed was a mess, the sheet covering the mattress was wrapped around one of my legs.

Next to me, I had a mountain of pillows and sheets.

"What the hell happened?," I said sleepily.

I was really comfortable in that bed and didn't want to get up.

I lay down again and hugged the mountain of pillows next to me with my arms and legs. I curled up, but suddenly I noticed the mountain was breathing.

I froze. This can't be, no, no, no. This is a joke.

I pulled back some sheets and a pillow and found a sleeping Ethan.

He was peacefully asleep, I touched the pad of my index finger to his cheek to see if he was awake, but all he did was stir slightly. I moved away and lay still so as not to wake him.

This asshole brought me here. He took advantage of me.

I touched my parts imagining what he could have done to me. I lifted the sheet that covered him a little and realized he had no shirt, I lifted it a little more, no pants either, he only had his underwear.

I took a deep breath to hold my desire to find a knife and kill him right there. I don't understand why with him I was bringing out that killer instinct I didn't know I had.

I knelt down on the bed and grabbed a pillow. I lifted it in the air and waited for the right moment to hit him with all my might.

"Ethan, honey? I made breakfast for both of us. Wake up, come and eat with me, will you?," I said in the sweetest tone of voice I could muster.

He shifted in his place and rubbed his eyes as if to wake up. Without opening his eyes, he pulled down the sheet covering his abdomen a little.

Damn, why did he have to look this good? His abs were marked and his arms looked so big and muscular.

He was perfectly proportional to his body, for a second I regretted what I was going to do, but I slept there with him and he was half naked, who knows what things he must have done to me while I slept.

After a few moments, he opened his eyes and I at that precise moment hit him with all my strength in the face.

He got up frightened and impressed by the blow, grabbed the pillow from his face and threw it against the wall, apparently he was upset. I didn't give a damn!

"You're an idiot! WHY THE FUCK AM I IN YOUR ROOM?," I yelled at him in annoyance.