I was pleasantly surprised when I found a taxi stand not too far from the Café.
I hailed one and gave the driver the address to the house.
The ride was quick and pleasant.
The sun was high in the sky when I arrived at the house. I had a quick shower and hopped on my bed, before I knew it I had dozed off.
When I awoke, the sun was setting and the moon was beginning to rise.
"Time for dinner"
I scanned the clothes in my wardrobe and pulled out a small blue short and a faded tee that I bought myself two Christmas back, then I also arranged the clothes I was going to use for work tomorrow on a chair and carefully dropped my dirty clothes into a washing machine, after washing I tossed them into a dryer and headed downstairs.
I opened the double-door fridge and pulled out a jug of sweetened water, poured myself a glass, and drank it all in one gulp.
It fizzled gently as I swallowed.
I sighed peacefully.
I wondered what Kelvin, scratch that, what Alexia put in it.
"Fish, meat, and a little little of everything"
I was almost done with cooking when the front door opened and someone entered.
I went to check.
Kelvin had his suit jacket under his left arm and was holding several nylon bags in his right hand.
"Pumpkin, I'm home and I bought groceries" Kelvin raised the bag for me to see.
I went to collect them but he held them away from me.
"They're heavy, I'll carry it"
Kelvin sniffed the air.
"What's cooking, good-looking?" he asked as he winked.
I rolled my eyes.
"I didn't know you could be cheesy"
"I'm a man of many talents. What are you cooking? It smells great by the way"
Kelvin stocked the groceries in the fridge.
"Spaghetti, meatballs, and tomato sauce, of course, how could forget my parsley leaves? Spaghetti; developed far back from China–"
"China? Isn't spaghetti considered part of Italian cuisine" Kelvin interjected.
"Yes, came to Italy at the hands of MarcoPolo. Italian spaghetti is typically made from durum wheat semolina. Chinese consider spaghetti as noodles but Italians consider it as pasta. Originally, spaghetti was notably long, but shorter lengths gained in popularity during the latter half of the 20th century and now it is most commonly available in 25-30 cm that is if I'm correct 10-12 inches in length. A variety of pasta dishes are based on it and it is frequently served with tomato sauce or meat or vegetables"
"I love thin spaghetti..." Kelvin raised an egg to the light and then put it into the fridge.
"Wrong!" I said entering my teaching mode.
"What?" He asked a little confused.
"Spaghettoni is a thicker form of spaghetti, while capellini is very thin spaghetti. So you'll say, you love capellini"
"Right, pardon me if I've offended culinary terms of spaghetti. But who cares, right?"
"Your definition of food doesn't agree with you"
Kelvin chuckled.
"Food that does not agree with you, eh? What do you define food as then?" Kelvin had problems figuring out where to keep the celery.
"Food on a tray is huite cuisine but in a sink or on the ground is garbage no matter how tasty or beautiful it looks"
"You know what I define food as? Food is whatever is healthy that fits in the mouth"
"That's your definition?"
"It's a simple way to define food"
We sat in the dining, dishing hot spaghetti and slightly chilly tomato sauce.
"I just remembered, so how did it go?"
"Whmmffathh?" I asked through a mouthful.
"Swallow Selene. Chew and swallow" Kelvin shook his head.
I swallowed.
"So?"
"I still don't know what you're talking about"
"The job?"
"I got the job"
"That's good, hope there were no problems"
"Only one"
"What?"
"You didn't tell me you were his godson"
Kelvin visibly grimaced.
"I prefer to forget about that"
"What happened?"
Kelvin pressed his lips to a thin line, a way he expressed his displeasure.
My phone rang and an unknown I.D. popped up on the screen.
"A friend?"
"I doubt, I always save names"
I pressed the answer button and held the phone to my ear.
"Hello? Selene?"
The voice was familiar.
"Felix?"
"Hey, I'm glad you remembered me, I thought you'll be enjoying so much that you'll forget all about simple ol' me"
"How could I? And you know that you're not so simple" I beamed.
"I'm glad. Anyway, I called to fulfill my promise. I did say I was going to call today, sorry if it came late"
"It's fine, I'm glad to hear from you"
"Let's meet up sometime"
"I'm going to work tomorrow–"
"Work? Where?"
"Dusty's Tasty Doughnuts"
"Nice...Did you get a job at Dusty's? How do you know Dusty?"
"He's kinda related" I looked at Kelvin, and he grimaced again.
"Dusty?"
"Yes"
"I see, so how's the weather?"
"Cold at night, too hot in the morning. It's almost like it's fluctuating or something"
"Tropical girls and something about our weather" he chuckled.
"Hey, you asked first" I grumbled.
"I got to go. See you tomorrow, okay?"
"Alright," I disconnected the call and placed the phone on the table.
"Who?"
"Felix. He's a friend I met on the plane"
I spooned another spaghetti serving and gently spooned sauce on it and began to eat.
"Does he have a girlfriend?"
I almost choked on my spaghetti.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's just a question pumpkin, does he?"
"I don't know, we've only met once"
I spooned another fork of spaghetti into my mouth.
"Hmm..."
"What?"
"It's nothing. So you got the job, congratulations"
"Thanks"
"Let's stretch our legs after dinner. There's a park close by"
"I love parks and dogs"
Kelvin did the dishes.
He handed me a thick woolen sweater.
"Kelvin I think I'll die of heat in this"
"It's very cold at the night and I don't want you catching a cold"
True to his words, it was very chilly.
I inhaled the cold air and exhaled.
"It's always something about the weather"
I smiled as I remembered the conversation with Felix.
"I forgot something back home, wait here, don't go anywhere" he turned and headed back home.
Some guys whistled and pointed at me. A guy patted himself on the chest and jumped their fence before heading to me.
"Hey, cutie. Whatcha doing?"
"Taking a walk" I stated in the most obvious tone, his friends looked over the fence holding vodka bottles.
"We're having a party, care to join?" He gestured to the party, if it could be called a party. It looked like an all-boy thing.
"No thanks, I'm not a guy" I shrugged him off.
"It's no biggie..." He persuaded.
This guy was not listening and I was not in the mood to talk for too long, then it clicked.
"Do you know Kelvin?" I asked with enthusiasm.
"Yes? The buffed guy that lives in that fancy chalet bungalow. What about him?"
"She's his sister" Kelvin stalked closer with his lips pressed into a straight line, he radiated displeasure.
I had very great satisfaction watching the dude's face morph from crafty to fearful. He backed away and then said.
"I just remembered, I have something important to do"
"Bye" I waved at him, the bonuses of having a famous buffed brother.
From the corner of my eye, I saw him explain something to his friends, they glanced at me and went back to drinking.
Kelvin grabbed my hand.
"Let's go"
We walked hand in hand to the park.
The setting sun cast its deep red color around and it felt almost ethereal.
"Come let's sit and enjoy the sunset"
"Well, someone is acting Mr. Romantic"
We sat on a bench in the park.
I closed my eyes and allowed the sun rays to bathe my face. Suddenly a shade covered the sun.
"Hi Elena"
Lena?
I opened my eyes to see Lena hovering above us smiling.
"Hi Kelvin, hi Selene. What are you two doing here?"
"Enjoying the sunset. Are you just getting off work?"
"Yes. I owe you an apology, Selene. At Dusty's door, I shouldn't..."
"It's alright"
She finally focused on me.
"There's no need to apologize about that, it's in the past beside I also said something horrible too, let's just call it even. Okay?"
She smiled and nodded.
"Alright, see you tomorrow, I look forward to working with you"
"Me too. Wait you live here?"
"Yeah, we live on the same street. I've got to go, I need a warm shower, I feel cramped"
"Bye Lena" Kelvin waved to her.
"Bye Hero, Bye Selene"
"She's a wonderful woman"
"Careful brother, she's taken"
"Let me guess, you're talking about Carlos"
"You know him?"
"Yes. We both graduated law school, he's a smart attorney, dedicated too, I don't know–"
"Wait are you still talking about Carlos?"
"Yes. He's a criminal defense attorney, we went to the same college"
"Why isn't he in the field?"
"Two years ago, something happened that shook his world, he doesn't like to talk about it. Trust me, I've tried to help him open up but nothing, he just tossed all his credentials aside and began to work in a Café"
Carlos didn't look like he had problems, he had a big goofy smile on his face, a smile that made people want to smile.
"Everyone has some type of burden they carry, not everyone who smiles a lot is happy"
"Isn't that dying silently? How is that any different from depression?"
He shrugged.
"I miss the good old days" Kelvin turned to look at me, his blue eyes mirrored what was hidden in mine, sorrow. "I was a happy child, everything fell apart after our Dad left my mom. My life became a mess, did I tell you I started smoking at the age of ten?"
"That bad?" I rubbed my hand up and down his back.
"You have no idea"
I laughed loudly.
"Your life was heavenly compared to mine"
"It scarred you badly, didn't it? Promise me, you won't hide something that would hurt you from me"
"Okay"
He stroked my hair.
"Let's head back now"
We walked back silently to the house.
After greeting Kelvin goodnight, I raced to my room, showered, and lay on my warm bed as I waited for the guardians of the dream world to open their gate and let me in, it didn't even take long.
An alarm shrilled loudly, it took about ten seconds for my memories of yesterday to rush back.
"Work"
I jumped up from my bed and hurriedly did my morning routine, putting on checkered Capri pants and a long-sleeved black tee that had a caricature of someone I didn't even know on the front.
I raced down the stairs and spied Kelvin in the kitchen.
"What are you doing?"
He showed me a plate of half-burnt bacon and half-done eggs.
"I'm a terrible chef"
"At least it's not completely burnt"
"That's not a nice way to cheer me up"
I scoffed.
"I could teach you"
"Please do so"
He watched closely and then tried a few, some of which he failed and some that were decent enough to eat but lacking salt.
"I think I've gotten the hang of it"
"Slow novice"
Kelvin only flicked my nose and continued to admire his work.
After breakfast, Kelvin drove me to Dusty's in his silver Mercedes car.
"Are you coming in?" I asked him.
Kelvin hesitated before he shook his head.
"Bye" I kissed his cheek, he ruffled my hair then he drove off.
It was still early and the Café had not yet been opened.
As soon as I entered, Mariah handed me a hot cup of creamed coffee.
"On the house. Staff meeting in the staffroom"
"Thank you"
I followed her to the staffroom.
It was barely five minutes later when someone knocked on the door of the staff room. Lena went to open it, and she gasped.
"The Boss wants to see all of you, your manager is already there"
We filed out one after the other.
A man was sitting majestically on the chair reserved for VIPs, he wasn't a male model but he should have been. The lush, raven black hair he groomed so carefully had a rippling quality.
The aquiline nose he sported complemented his prominent cheekbones. Handsome in an understated way, his basalt jaw and Spartan shoulders spoke of strength.
His best feature was his entrancing, moss-green eyes. Sloe shaped, they resembled two liquid-green pools of flashing fire, his presence filled the room and he had an aura that commanded respect.
I tapped Carlos.
"Who's he?"
He clamped a hand over my mouth and the others looked at me alarmed.
"Not so loud. He's Mafia Jason" he whispered lowly.
Emerald-green eyes roamed over us and landed on me, I feel my blood freeze.
Please be looking at someone behind me.
"Where are my files?"
"W...what?"
The messenger man has his gun pointed to the back of my head, his finger set on the trigger.
"You better confess you bitch" it was then I noticed a half-dead man acting as Mafia Jason's footstool. He was bleeding excessively and had an iron collar around his neck, a large chain connected the collar to the hand of a man who stood protectively beside Jason.
"Zip it"
The man pulled the chain causing the footstool to cough in spasms as he struggled to breathe.
I felt sweat drip down my back causing my clothes to stick to my skin.
Jason waves his hand and the man behind me pushes his gun back into its hiding place.
"I'll ask again, where are my files?" He was talking calmly but I could sense the aggression hidden under those cold and frosty predator-green eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any files. I just entered the country two days ago–" I spoke slowly to prevent myself from stuttering in fear.
"Confirm that" Jason spoke calmly without looking away from me.
A bulky man with a scar over his left eye nodded and whispered something into Mafia Jason's ear.
"Selene Fernandez Rodrigo Orlando" He was still looking at me, I resisted the urge to fidget under his piercing gaze, instead I fiddled with my fingers.
He stood up and walked towards me, he possessed a latent, leonine power and always walked with purpose and authority, if before I thought I was frozen, now I was sure I was, I didn't even dare breathe out. He stopped behind me, before leaning in a little, allowing me to bask in his manly cologne.
"Do you know any Ben?" His voice was dangerously low almost like a stalking predator.
"No" I forced the words out of my frozen throat.
He was so close I could feel his breath make my hair strands sway gently.
"Sir, the thief has been spotted in Club Athena. Your orders?" The man with the scar over his left eye passed the information as he awaited instructions.
"Stay with him. I want Cerberus closing in on him, nothing should give us away. Where were we Miss Orlando?" Even when passing out the order, he didn't turn his head, he kept those authoritative eyes on me.
"Ben..."
"Right! You said you don't know any Ben"
"I don't" my voice was quivering.
"Do I scare you Miss Orlando?" his hands massaged my shoulders, they felt hot compared to his chilly tone.
"It's just your aura"
"Sir, we've gotten him"
"I'd love to continue but I've got work to do, let's continue some other time, Miss Orlando"
With that he left the Cafe and entered his sports car and drove off, his soldiers following behind him in SUVs.
Everyone let out a sigh and I slumped down on a chair to relieve my shaky legs.
"That man is a monster" Lena poured herself coffee with shaky hands.
"We dare not breathe aloud in his presence" she took two sips and passed it to me.
I sipped from the coffee and loved the way it warmed my cold fingers.
"If that's how you felt, imagine how Selene would have felt" The crew turned to me.
"Like I died a couple of times and never fully resurrected. I'm still shaking"
The crew gave me sympathetic looks while Lena rubbed my free hand.
Now I'm pretty sure you understand my story.
But what exactly did he mean by let's continue some other time, nobody in their right senses would want a second confrontation; but he was good-looking, very hands–
I slapped the thought from my head.
Get a grip on yourself.
"Let's get to work, we'll have the meeting later"