07

olivia

I have always said to myself and to several people in different situations in my life, that for those who can read, a drop is a letter. As soon as Agnelo said I couldn't stay, I got rid of humiliation and having to beg, even if it was what I wanted. I wouldn't be smirking and hugging him either. I got in the car without looking back and drove home.

When I get home, João is once again not home, he seems to have moved into his girlfriend's apartment. On my cell phone there are no calls or messages from any of the people I know. I close my eyes and try to get some sleep, if being a victim is not my type, I know that everyone has their commitments and tasks. What's left for me is to sleep and wait until the next day for me to run after a college, and a job, since I'll soon run out of money from my parents.

With my bladder full, I run to the bathroom and am punished by the burning, Agnelo finished me off today. I take another shower and go back to bed, where I spend the whole day sleeping. When I wake up again I try not to think about the stupid, hot man who got me right and left me sore.

A week goes by in my life, a week in which I don't hear from Agnelo, we don't even use to exchange phone numbers when we're together, we just think about having sex all the time. I spread summaries in several companies for the position of administration, I have a brief course in that area, I also applied to a college near the center to study architecture. My luck was that I saved some money, enough to pay for a good college.

Next thing I know it's Saturday again, a few days into this rush week I've visited my best friend and my niece who looks more like a painting because of how pretty the little creature is, identical to her father she only has her mother's red hair, but she's the most precious thing in the world. I went to the salon, to the mall, I went to the cinema alone, among other things that made me avoid thinking about the man who insists on living inside my head.

I wake up early and hear some noise downstairs, I'm curious to know who it is, I look in the mirror and I'm done. I put on a simple dress, give my hair an extra mess, I like it that way, brush my teeth and go downstairs, it doesn't matter who's there, I'm hungry and I need to fill my belly until I can' t speak anymore. But as soon as I put my feet on the last step of the stairs, I bitterly regret having gone down, because guess who's here? That's right, Doctor Salvatore.

"Good morning, Olivia." The same comes towards me. I just got off!

"Good morning. Excuse me Doctor, but I'm on my way out." I give a forced smile, if I make it out, I'll have to find a way to go somewhere.

"Where are you going Miss?" He asks and takes my hand to kiss.

"I'm going out, I'm going to eat out." I say and pull my hand back.

As soon as I look up to face him, I see that the man in front of me isn't that bad, he's handsome, older than me of course, which Agnelo is too. But he has a seductive and mysterious charm, apart from the part that he's a madman who makes a contract to marry a woman, in fact I wonder why, he's not one to throw away, he'd get a woman easily.

"Great, I just came here to invite you to lunch with me." He says smiling and I don't know where to stick my face. I got hurt.

"I'm sorry, but I already made an appointment with my friend to have lunch together today." I'm trying to get rid of it.

"Please miss lunch with me. It's just lunch! We can talk about things that will be convenient for you." He speaks softly and winks at me.

Will he give up on my father's preposterous idea? Maybe if I'm a nuisance he'll give up wanting to force me to marry him. I can try to convince him with just the two of us somewhere, obviously public. He won't want as a wife an insufferable woman, which I'm going to play today.

"Okay, I'll get ready, I'll take a while. Mind waiting?" I ask, already creating tricks to make him lose his temper.

"You look beautiful like this, but if it makes you feel better, I'll wait." He speaks and sits down unbuttoning his immaculate suit.

"Okay. I'll be right back." I give a mini smile and head up the stairs.

After an hour and a half, doing exactly nothing, considering that I get ready in twenty minutes, I go down and find my mother together with my father talking laughing with the Doctor who I begged him to leave tired of waiting. Shit!

"Look who showed up." My mother speaks.

"I say the same, how long has it been since I've seen you? I think a few years isn't it?" I roll my eyes and she is furious.

"Okay. Good lunch to you." My father speaks and Doctor Salvatore gives me a huge smile.

"You look radiant! Very, very beautiful." He exclaims and I just nod.

"Please get pregnant from this man." My mother whispers in my ear.

"Why don't you sleep with him and get you pregnant?" I snap back and she pinches me.

"Respect me you spoiled girl. Do what we say and that's it!" He says and leaves smiling as if he were giving love advice to his daughter.

The rage that builds inside me is so great that I want to scream and tear that goddamn dress and not go out with any goddamn man, but I could be rushing and going out with Salvatore would be a great distraction. The further away from here I am, the better it will be for me. With teary eyes I swallow hard and face the man with the green eyes and gray hair.

"Let's go, I'm excited!" I lie and he smiles satisfied.

"And I much more."

Then we left the house, we got in his car with him opening the door for me acting like a gentleman, he doesn't even look like that man who put me against the wall and said he's crazy. If he's crazy, I'm even worse for going out with him like this, but I believe that for bigger reasons and because he's the only suspect if something happens to me, he won't dare.

A few minutes later he parks the car in front of a super chic and reserved restaurant, it has an appearance of the sea, which brings me the obvious idea that seafood is the specialty of the place. Great, I like it. When we entered, people didn't look much, for which I was very grateful, Doctor Salvatore was very kind so far, I think the first time we didn't see him he was under the influence of some drug. Thinking about it things get complicated if he's an addict.

"Everything is fine?" He asks with the menu in his hand.

"Everything's good." I smile.

"Ask what you like." He says and I smile even more, I'm so hungry!

"OK." I speak and a tall uniformed young man appears to take orders. "I'd like a portion of fried shrimp, peeled please. I'll also have salmon in white sauce. And I can drink some water." I try to hold back a laugh but the Doctor looks at me calmly and then asks the same thing as me.

The embarrassment of eating too much won't stick this time, at least not with the Doctor here.

"I love the food here, you will too." He talks and looks at me intently as we wait for orders.

"You know Doctor, I think we should talk about something specific, don't you?" I ask wanting to get straight to the point.

"Of course. About our wedding, you mean." Okay, maybe he's not so nice.

"There will be no our wedding, Doctor." I speak calmly.

"Yes, ma'am, there will be. Otherwise your parents will be poor and as a result, so will you." Reveals. Ruined my day, thank you dear.

"I think it really wasn't a good idea for me to have lunch with you." I say upset ready to get up.

"Calm down, you haven't even heard everything I have to say." He insists.

"So say it, please." I ask.

"How about we get to know each other better? I can try to win you over in another way, you can forget that it will be a marriage resulting from an agreement, look at me, if you had met me under any other circumstances, wouldn't you have been interested in me?" he asks and I look up at his handsome face. Perhaps, Doctor.

"I don't think that's possible, did you and my father not stop to think that my heart might already have an owner?" I lie, of course my heart has no owner.

And shut up stupid conscience.

"Give it up, my dear. You'll be mine, I'll be good to you, as long as you decide. Behave well and you'll have a good man by your side, otherwise you'll experience my crazy side ." His expression is hard and cold.

"You're a really handsome man, you're seductive, you're rich, but you're unhappy. That must be why I wouldn't be interested in a person who has the courage to marry a woman against her will. " I speak furiously but try not to show too much.

"You'll change your mind, I guarantee that." I want to yawn and sleep through all the annoyance. Where's the food anyway?

I decided not to insist too much, he doesn't seem to be that dangerous and his threats don't scare me at all. When the food arrives my smile widens and I eat everything without leaving any leftovers, the man in front of me looks shocked when he leaves half of the food on his plate. I don't feel comfortable having hungry eyes on me as I eat, but I can bear it, my hunger is so great I don't want to know anything but eat this delicious food.

"Thanks for the lunch, it was great." I thank the same one who looks at me without blinking.

"You are so beautiful I feel lost." He speaks and I feel a little flattered, it's always nice to get compliments.

"Thank you Doctor." I say smiling. Suddenly I'm in a good mood, with a full stomach nothing can take my peace.

"Look, there's a good friend of mine. I'll introduce you to him." I don't have a chance to open my mouth when Salvatore waves to someone and they approach, as soon as I hear the voice I want to disappear.

"Doctor Salva! How nice to see you." Shit. I know that damn voice.

"González, I want you to meet someone very special to me." This won't work, Agnelo will think I agreed to marry that man after I cried to him saying I didn't want to! "Miss Olivia Sorello." I look back smiling nervously and see Agnelo's handsome face with the look of frustration.