"Here we are" Felix murmurs when the lift stops on Angelo's floor.

He punches a code into the door's security system and it opens up, letting us in. I don't remember that happening last time i was here but i guess it's because there was someone at the door letting everyone in.

"Uuhhmm, here, Mr Morreli asked me to share the code with you, but i ask that you dispose of that safely once you memorize the numbers" he says, reluctantly handing me a piece of paper with some numbers on it.

"Thanks" i mutter, taking it.

"Your things are over there" He points to my stuff on a table.

"The lights, music, air conditioning.....uhhmm, basically, all electronics are voice activated and will only respond to Mr Morreli, so you will have to switch them on manually, but if you have any trouble, let me know" he adds

"Ok"

"Well, unless you have any questions or need something, i will take my leave now, my number is at the back of the card, just in case." he mumbles.

"No, i am good. Thank you very much." i murmur.

"Have a good evening" He says, and i watch him leave.

Left alone in the foyer, i look around and as i start to walk around, i realise, without the crowd like last time, the place looks different, bigger. And everything looks mighty expensive in here.

My phone beeps and it's a new message from Angelo.

'Bedroom is upstairs to your right, third door. Help yourself to anything.'

I type 'Ok' and start to walk up the stairs in search for it.

The corridor is beautiful, the walls, a combination of white and grey with a beautiful black and white carpet on the floor and chandeliers on the ceiling.

For an apartment inside a multi purpose building, this place is awfully big with plenty of rooms.

I find his bedroom and discover that it has a similar decor with the corridor. The bed is enormous, laid up against the wall in the middle of the room. The adjacent side of the wall made completely of glass but with curtains covering it. There is a desk with a bunch of documents and books laying carelessly on it and some on the floor in front of a bookshelf next to it.

The sight is messy and makes me want to laugh. The rest of the room is neat though, with a tv on the wall opposite the bed and what looks to be a dressing table and mirror next to two doors which i assume lead to the ensuite bathroom and closet.

And there is also sofa, next to the glass wall. Despite all these things, the rooms is still unbelievably spacious.

I go into one of the adjoing rooms and find that it's the ensuite bathroom, i discover it has both a shower and a bathtub. My apartment only has a shower and i decide to make use of the tub which i haven't used in a long time.

After a heavenly forty five minutes of soaking myself in the tub, i decide enough is enough and get out to put some clothes on. Plus my hungry stomach is begging to get fed.

Putting on some tights and a long loose baseball tshirt, i go downstairs to the kitchen and see what i can find. Last time i was in here, i didn't get a good look at the place but now that i have, i find its well equipped with the latest kitchen appliances and cookware.

I wonder who cooks for Angelo since he can't cook very well, plus i imagine he must be very busy to do it himself anyway.

With a well stocked fridge and cabinets giving me plenty of options, i decide to make an italian chicken and sausage rissoto, and maybe some mixed fruit in strawberry yoghurt for desert.

6:56pm.

I just hope i can get it done before he gets back.

*

I wait to eat with him but after a couple of hours, he is still not back and my hunger won't allow me to wait anymore, so i decide to eat while i prepare my notes for tomorrow's class.

After both are done, i call it a night and go back upstairs. I consider calling him to check on him, but i don't want to disturb or become a nuisance, it looked like they had some serious work to take care off anyway.

Switching on the bedroom TV to the Discovery channel, i make myself comfortable in his very comfortable bed, and hope to fall asleep quickly.

*

As the car drives off after leaving Marianne, i lean back in my seat, very aware of Ben's burning gaze on me. I can already imagine the ton of questions he wants to ask and probably will later in private.

I frown, internally. I did not plan on introducing Marianne to anyone of my family members, but i guess now the damage has already been done. I can guarantee for certain that by tomorrow morning, Mom and the rest of the family will be calling me to find out more about the blonde i was with tonight, curtesy of Ben ofcourse.

I take a glance at him now and notice the small smirk on his face as he looks down at the documents on his lap. He hasn't seen me with a woman in a long time and the fact that i interrupted our meeting to meet with her must have gotten him really riled up.

But what could i do? She stopped responding to my messages despite her having seen the last one i sent asking her to have dinner with me and it got me nervous because i don't know what is going on in her head but i want to continue seeing her.

Anyway, when this unplanned meeting came up, i called to let her know but she didn't answer again. I knew i wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything if she continued to ignore me and i hate that more than anything.

So we took a detour, I would rather she told me to my face she didn't want to see me anymore, than to be ignored like that, even I have the decency to make it known when an affair is over.

But then i found the whole Eric situation going on, and ended up feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt, i should have taken care of that little bastard weeks ago, but i thought he was harmless, now i won't make that mistake, not this time.

"We are here" Eva pats my knee to get my attention.

Putting all thoughts of Marianne to the back of my mind, i exit the car. We have a deal to close.

*

"Well that was....something" Ben groans as we get back into the car a couple of hours later.

"You can say that again" Lewis agrees.

"I lean back against the head rest and look at my watch.

10:26pm

I wonder if Marianne is asleep by now.

"Rushing somewhere?" Ben asks, giving me a knowing look.

"Wouldn't you like to know." i respond and he grins, looking out the window.

"You will make it for Bella's birthday Saturday right?" he asks, when i exit the car a few minutes later at my apartment building.

"I said i will"

"Just making sure" He winks.

*

I go up the building elavator anxiously, the thought of Marianne waiting for me up there, giving me an incredible sense of comfort and excitement.

I open the door to my place and immediately get eveloped in the sweetest aroma of whatever Marianne must have cooked up. I am hungry, but i would like to see her first.

It's past 11pm now, but i walk up the stairs, hoping to find her awake.

Opening the door to the bedroom slowly, the sound of the Tv is loud, one glance tells me she was watching Seconds from Disaster on Discovery Channel, interesting choice.

She on the other hand is laid out on my bed, fast asleep. I sit on the edge of the bed and watch her soft breathing, as i brush some hair off her face.

She is incredibly beautiful, so perfect.

I get up, deciding i need a shower. I try to be as quiet as possible, as i go about my business so not to wake her. Afterwards, i eargerly go down to the kitchen to check out what she made.

I sit on the kitchen counter, devouring her delicious food and think about how far gone i am with her. I care deeply for her, there is no denying that now. But i am not very good at this, the whole relationship thing. The last real relationship i had was Claire, and but I was never really emotionally available for her in the way she needed, i destroyed her life, i cost her everything, i don't want to put Marianne in a similar position.

So, if a relationship is what she is looking for, i can't give her that, but i am not ready to stop seeing her just yet either. But anyway, no matter what i resolve to do concerning her, everytime i see her, i end up acting the opposite of my decision.

"Angelo?" A soft voice calls out from behind me.

"Yeah. It's me babe" i assure her.

"You are back" She says, walking up to me"

"Hai....did i wake you?" i ask, stretching my arm to embrace her"

"No, i woke up suddenly and noticed the TV was off" she murmurs, stretching her shirt lower.

"This was incredibly delicious, you are spoiling me" i motion to the food before me, while pulling her closer with my arm around her waist.

"Oh yeah? i am glad you like it. It's the least i could do for having me" she says softly.

"You don't have to thank me".

"Yeah, well, i made desert too" she says pulling out of my embrace and walking to the fridge. She takes out a bowl and grabs a spoon, pushing them both towards me from the opposite side of the counter, where she sits.

I don't like the distance she is creating.

I look at the bow full of assorted fruit pieces in what looks and smells like strawberry yoghurt.

I pick up the spoon and start to eat.

""Your kitchen is amazing, the things i could do in here." she chuckles.

"Actually, your whole house is amazing" she smiles.

"Thanks" i reply, concentrating on the desert. I would have preferred a different kind of 'desert', but i will take what i can get.

"How did your...huh..work thing go. It looked serious" she asks, filling up the silence.

"Why are you sitting over there?" i ask instead, finally looking up at her.

She shrugs, "To give you room to eat"

"I can eat just fine with you here" i hold her gaze.

"You are very vexatious" she responds.

She sighs when i don't reply, and comes over. I push my stool back a little, allowing her to settle between my legs.

"The meeting went well, unnecesarily long, but it worked out." i finally reply bringing a piece of fruit to her lips.

"Mmhhm, i didn't know you worked with your brother" she says after swallowing.

"Sometimes, when it concerns the family businesses, we have some new potential clients we want to engage. I am not very diplomatic.....sometimes, but Ben is, he was there to smooth over the negotiations."

"Huh! No surprise there" she chuckles.

"Hey!!" i return, smacking her butt playfully.

"How are you feeling by the way" i ask, rubbing her where my hand smacked her.

"Uhmm, ok, i guess after i got here i got to calm down and relax, i feel fine" she sighs.

"That's good, but it's not what i meant" I respond, my hand now fully feeling up her behind, every beautiful inch of it.

She gets the message, blushing a little.

"Uhhm, i am ok, i felt pretty beat when i woke up, and abit sore. But it got better as the day progressed. Plus the time i spent soaked up in your tub did a number on me. I feel renewed" she laughs a little, biting her lip at the end.

"I am glad. So how often have you done it before, last night i mean" i clarify incase i wasn't clear.

"What kind of question is that?" She glares, her sassy attitude coming out.

"Just a question between two lovers, don't think i didn't notice your discomfort when we started that first time together" i respond and watch her shift around uncomfortably.

It's either been a long time since her last session, or she has not had that many of them judging from her unbelievable shyness, and tightness. Plus her inexperience was evident, not that i mind it.

"I just...i....who even asks that...what do you want me to tell you... You want me to give you a number or something" she chokes out.

"That would work" i utter and she glares at me again.

"Just this one guy" She supplies.

"Was it Luke?"

"No....Luke and I are just friends" She denies.

"So you have never been intimate with him?" Honestly, Luke is a topic i plan to pursue properly another day.

"No!"

"Not even a kiss?"

"This is beginning to feel like an interrogation"she complains.

"I am just trying to get to know you"

"No, it sounds like you want to scrutinize my sexual history?"

"I have to start somewhere, anyway, you didn't even answer my question" i say and she looks at me in confusion.

"I asked 'how often', as in how many times, not the number of guys" i specify shamelessly, although that information is appreciated too.

"You know what? Good night" She tries to detangle herself from me but i hold her waist with both hands.

"You can ask me if you want?" i offer genuinely. I will tell her whatever she wants to know.

"I am not interested in the details of your sexual past, thank you very much" she says, looking upset.

"But i am interested in yours" i continue. I know i am pushing it, but i can't help myself at this point.

"You are being annoying"

"It's just a simple question" i find myself pressing the issue.

I have never cared about this particular detail with anyone else before, but i find myself feeling jealous of whoever was before me with her, and i want to know who it was.

"It's late, i am going back to sleep." she says walking away and i watch her dissapear through the door, not understanding why she can't just answer a simple question.

Putting the used plates in the sink, i follow her up the stairs, taking two steps at a time.