On our arrival at the club, we order our drinks and take a seat in one of the booths facing the bar. We have only been here for two minutes, and already we have a bartender setting down two glasses of cocktails, courtesy to the two men dressed in some pricey Amani suits standing at the bar staring at us. I look over at the two men, drinking them in before I smile at them invitingly. I keep a flirting eye on the one standing to the right. Both men look at each other and exchange a few words before making their way over towards us. “You do realise they are coming over, Nessa?” Chrissy questions me with an underlay of irritation in her voice. “Yes, and that’s the whole point.” I look at Chrissy and give her a big smile. “What about Luca?” She asks. “What about Luca? For all I know, he could have a family in Italy. “ I shrug carelessly. “Besides… We aren't exclusive, so I'm not tied down.” I take a generous sip from my glass, giving the impression that I'm here for a good time. “I’l

Like a whip slashing through the air, it brings me back to reality, and I freeze with fright. Shit! What is he doing here? How did he find me? I quickly get off Keith, and I stand behind him. Keith straightens to his full height, his stance strong and ready for combat. I peer around Keith and search for Luca through the crowd of people. When I finally spot him, he looks like he’s about to murder someone. Still in his suit slacks with his shirt, and the sleeves rolled up. God… He looks delicious! His chest rises and falls viciously, with his hands clenching and unclenching into tight fists. Sweat beads from his forehead, and his eyes have thinned into narrow slits as they bore into Keith. I take Keith’s hand and make a run for it towards the women’s toilets, making sure to lock the door behind us. I shove him into one of the toilet cubicles, and I make sure I lock that too for extra caution. I quickly fix my shirt and notice Keith rolling his sleeves up in the corner of my eye b

“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen?” I look at Luca with eyes full of sadness, regret, and turmoil. “No. I guess we both are pretty disappointed. Si?” He looks at me, contemplating as he slowly rubs his jaw. “But I have a feeling you're more disgusted than disappointed in me, Luca.” I look down at the bubbles floating on the top surface of the water. He sighs deeply. “Disappointed? Si. But disgusted? No.” He slowly shakes his head with his eyes closed. I bring my legs up to my chest, hugging them, and I rest my chin on top of my knees. “I… I would rather not feel like this. I don’t want to get hurt.” I sigh. “I used Keith to see if I could get you off my mind. I had this crazy thought of you having someone… A family back in Italy. But deep down, I know that you're not that kind of man.” I sniffle, trying to stop myself from crying. “He gives you a drink and pays you a little attention, and you determine that he was fit to put his hands all over you and drive his tongue deep

Three weeks have passed since I walked out of Lucas' penthouse. Three agonisingly long weeks. He has texted. He's called, and he's also sent me emails on a near-daily basis throughout the first week. Christ, he even showed up on the front doorstep every night, hammering and threatening to break it down by the sheer strength behind his knocking. Poor Chrissy had put herself in the front line, doing her best to deal with him and sternly warning him to leave, or she would have no other choice but to call the authorities and have him arrested for trespassing. “I need to see her, Chrissy.” Luca had pleaded through the door, his voice soft with defeat. “Give her time and some extra space, Luca.” She always told him. “She is hurting and needs to heal before she can face you again.” “I can’t do that. I must see her, to hold her and tell her that she means more to me than my next breath.” The pain was evident in his voice, but it wasn't enough to emotionally drag me out from behind the doo

This morning, when I arrived at the Academy, there was a blanket text sent out to everyone from Sanz.Sanz: Good news for our female staff. Today, you have been invited to Auckland Hospital for a free cervical smear test and breast examination as part of a medical trial. If any of you are interested, I'll meet you out front during lunch break to drive you. Have a blessed day. I believed the offer was too good to refuse. I have no recollection of any members of my family dying of cervical or breast cancer. However, one can never be too careful when the Big C continues to thrive on the death toll tables.That is probably why the majority of us female teachers took advantage of the offer and are now sitting in the waiting room. I decided to make my way down to the cafeteria for a quick bite. I see no reason for all of us to remain here. It is not as if we are all going to be seen simultaneously. I use the elevator to return to the ground floor.After stopping through five levels, the ele