I woke up with Lila's sweaty body pressed against me. I could feel the heat and her soft breasts. She still seemed exhausted; I was very tired myself, but I had to go to work anyway.
Dragging myself out of bed, I made something to eat and prepared something for the girl too. I ran out and arrived just in time to see Eva singing with the kids, which would normally make her very happy. However, that day, she was Itchy.
"Pervert, why do you look like a dead man? Wash your face and get ready for the workday!" She pouted.
The girl was still in a bad mood about the proposal to be my second girlfriend. Knowing how she was, she'd eventually calm down. Eva would stay annoyed for a while, then go back to talking naturally with me. In the end, I'd manage to convince her at some point. She loved me, and the status showed that hadn't changed, so I figured time would be enough.
Either way, despite the tense atmosphere between us, I did my best to improve things. On top of that, I took seriously my responsibility as her agent and did everything possible to ensure her success.
So, I started working on her third song. Despite the issues between us, she couldn't help herself and got adorably excited as we talked about her musics and channel. She was so happy when I praised her.
Of course, afterward, she remembered she was still mad at me and forced herself to act pricklier. The girl was very cute, and it was obvious I'd get what I wanted with her soon. And every day, I fell more in love with her cuteness, so there was no way I'd let her go.
The workday was going well, but I was interrupted by a big inconvenience. Zack, very drunk, showed up at the shop causing trouble with the customers, which was a pain by itself. That had become a common occurrence.
Apparently, his imported Swedish girlfriend had broken up with him, and the guy wasn't handling it well. It was a hassle, and I was annoyed because he sometimes looked at Eva in a perverted manner.
It didn't just bother me; the girl was clearly uncomfortable, so much so that I had to confront him. In the end, another hot girl walked by on the street, with an obviously fake big butt that her tight clothes made evident. The rich boy went off to talk to her, and I'll never know how that conversation ended. They probably ended up at some expensive motel or his mansion.
The day ended up being pretty bad, and work was becoming more exhausting. After that, I'd still have to train like every other day, but first, I planned to head to the cult. I'd already learned the importance of gathering information.
Moreover, after all that chaos, I got closer to the people who worked there and gained a certain status as a hero. In particular, Mr. Alfred, a friendly old man who had worked as Amber's butler forever, invited me for tea with the promise of telling me more about the woman.
True to his word, I ran to the place as part of my training, and when I arrived, the man had everything ready. I also noticed some glances in my direction, especially from some women in the mansion, which made me uncomfortable.
"Is there something wrong with my face?" I asked, concerned, right after the greetings.
"Haha! Did you notice the stares? It's only natural. You're the hero who saved our princess Amber. The girls, in particular, can't stop talking about you."
Could it be that I was actually becoming popular? It was hard to believe. I decided not to think too much about it at the moment. From the start, my goal was to talk to Alfred, and that would be my focus.
"So, was there something you wanted to tell me?" I asked directly.
My life had been a mess these past days, so I couldn't afford to waste much time chatting. And the butler probably also had a lot of work to do, so we didn't waste time.
"Unfortunately, I imagine neither of us has much time," he said, looking at his watch with a hint of regret. "I'd like to have more time to get to know you, but let's get straight to the point: next week marks the anniversary of our lady's parents' death."
Alfred explained that he trusted me and began telling me more about Amber's story, hoping I could help. After all, the girl wouldn't open up to anyone, and maybe, just maybe, she would open up to me.
The blonde lost her parents very young, at the age of 9, and had to deal with everything on her own. Since her parents had no connection with the rest of the family, she had no one to rely on.
Moreover, her younger sister was only 5 years old at the time, so the girl felt responsible for not showing weakness and dealing with everything alone. According to Alfred, since the day her parents died, she hadn't shed a single tear in public. She did everything possible to lock her feelings deep within her heart.
"Even if she doesn't admit it, I know she's silently suffering alone. However, I believe that if it's you, maybe you can confront our lady. Please help her cry; I know she needs it."
After the brief exchange of words, I went to Lucia's house to train as usual. Once again, I got beaten by Lila, as I was starting to train more and more in actual combat.
Of course, there was still physical training, and whenever possible, we'd have some more intimate fun. However, that day, I wasn't very focused on training, which was promptly noticed by the redhead, who showed up a little earlier that day for some reason.
"Tell me, what happened to make you so apprehensive?" she asked as she helped me with the last reps on the leg press.
"Well... Nothing important."
She gave me a cold look that seemed to see through my soul. It was obvious I couldn't lie to her.
"You know you can trust me, right?" She smiled in an indescribable way. "I promise to help you. You know I'm a good advisor. Come on, just trust me." She looked at me kindly.
So for a moment, I felt a faint aura spreading. Was I imagining things? I couldn't be sure, but in the next moment, those doubts vanished from my mind, and I was certain that I should trust her.
"I visited Amber's cult today, and..." In the end, I told her. Trying to hide things from her seemed impossible. Besides, all her advice so far had helped me, so it wouldn't hurt to ask for her opinion.
"I see, so it's about that childish blonde…"
She touched the tip of her lips teasingly as if lost in thought. I was momentarily fascinated by the beautiful redhead. Then I saw a faint light in her eyes, as if she'd reached a conclusion.
"Everyone likes hugs, and all women love flowers." Lucia pulled up a stool and sat down, crossing her legs. "Boy, you don't need to do anything, just be by her side; that's what matters. As long as you're there at the right moment, she'll end up breaking down, because of her desire for someone to be there with her."
And with that, the conversation ended. Lucia made it clear she wouldn't give me more tips or tolerate any more distractions during training.
Still, back home, I formulated a plan. I already knew what I wanted to say. I sent a message to Alfred asking for help with a little something. Then I asked Isabel if she knew any good flower shops and her opinion on the best flower to give as a gift. In response, she teased me, saying:
"Why do you want to buy flowers? Are you planning to make another victim? You are such a lady killer"
She had started to tease me because I supposedly went around winning women's hearts. The truth wasn't like that; the correct thing to say would be that I went around trying to win women's hearts.
Either way, she gave me the two pieces of information I needed.
ooo
Two more days passed in my usual routine, and I finally got some free time to go buy the flowers. In fact, it was a holiday, and Lila had agreed to let me skip training. So I had the chance to enjoy one of the few days off I'd had in a long time. Unfortunately, my partner wouldn't be able to enjoy it with me.
Demand at the restaurant increased during holidays, so Lila had accepted Lucia's offer to work several extra hours that day. In the end, she'd be working all day, which left me on my own. But at least we'd earn a bit more money. I wondered if, after buying the flowers, I should try going out with Eva or something like that. It seemed like a good idea.
I dressed as usual, adding a bracelet and necklace Isabel had given me. Even on regular days, I'd become more conscious of my appearance since meeting her.
According to my friend, the only flower shop in town was located at the market next to the mall, so I decided to walk there. Things were going well until, as I approached the place, a familiar voice caught my attention.
"What do you think you're doing!" Helena yelled in a shrill voice.
In front of her, I saw a beautiful orange-haired girl accompanied by a man who looked all too familiar: Cole.
My heart trembled a little at the sight of other members of Karen's group, but I no longer felt the same fear as before. Partly wanting to prove to myself that I wasn't the same person anymore, and partly to help the sister of a close friend, I decided to intervene in the commotion.