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Chapter 2

8:23 AM. At the airport.

Tony walks out of an airplane and hugs Chris, his brother. He then follows Chris into a Mercedes-Benz GLC. Chris turns the key in the ignition and speeds off from the airport.

“Do you know the reason Dad wants me to come back home?” Tony asked.

“I don’t know,” Chris said.

“How’s mom?”

“Fine. I can tell all the girls in this New York would have a crush on you. I am jealous of your handsome face. Can you sell it to me?”

Tony chuckles. “You are handsome, too.”

“Not as you are. Your girlfriend will be missing you so much.”

“I have no girlfriend.”

Chris slams on the brake as a nurse runs to cross the road. The car nearly hit her.

The nurse swiftly picks up her fallen document while Chris gets out of the car.

Chris yells, “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m sorry,” Lola said

Tony looks out of the window and sees Lola hurrying to the other side.

Chris enters the car and starts the engine. “The naughty nurse scares me. I thought I’d killed someone.”

“Do you know her?”

“Can’t know that bitch. Why do you ask?”

“Just asking.”

Chris slows down the car before driving into a mansion. Getting into the luxurious sitting room, they meet Mrs. Lopez watching the TV show.

“Mom! Tony is home.”

Mrs. Lopez hugs Tony “Oh dear! I miss you so much!”

“Why did Dad want me to come back home?” Tony asked.

“You don’t even greet me.” Mrs. Lopez sits back and fills the cup on the table with wine, gulping it. She then looks at Tony, saying,

“You haven’t changed your attitude yet. I made many efforts to change your father’s decision. He is too stubborn, just as you’re.”

Tony turns to Chris. “Where is Dad?”

“In his room,” Chris said.

Tony walks up the stairs.

Mrs. Lopez closes her eyes and sighs

“Mom, don’t worry about Tony,” Chris said

“I told your Dad Tony is too young to live alone in another country. He just turns deaf ears to me.”

Mrs. Lopez sobs. “Tony must have suffered so much. I have no chance to take care of him.”

“It seems you cherish Tony more than me. Maybe I should travel for years, too. It baffles me you cherish an illegitimate child.” Chris storms out and slams the door behind him.

Mrs. Lopez yearns. “Hey! Don’t act weird! You’re going nowhere!”

Mrs. Lopez walks up the stairs slowly, tiptoes, and leans her ear to Mr. Lopez’s room door.

In the room, Mr. Lopez is looking out the window. Tony stood in the middle of the room, staring at the floor.

“I’m at home, Dad,” Tony said.

Still looking out the window, Mr. Lopez said, “You need to forgive your mother if you can’t forgive me. She opposes my sending you to another country.”

“It’s fine. I enjoyed every moment without school. I went hiking and swim more than you want.”

“There’s no point in forgiving me because I’m about to hurt you again. I want to use you. It would be bad to lose the alliance with General Gordon’s company.

“General Gordon request for my son to go on a blind date with his daughter. If I can’t accept what he requested, then I should forget about the alliance.

“Tony, you know how important my company is to me. I can do anything to make it grow.”

Tony raises his head. “Like selling an illegitimate child.”

“If that is what I made you think, I’m sorry. You should be used to my attitude. This is not my first time.”

Mr. Lopez turns to Tony and drops his jaw as he sees stunning Tony’s face.

“General Gordon’s daughter would have no reason to reject you. You are indeed handsome!”

Tony let out a heavy sigh. “I will take my leave.”

“One more thing. You must make the blind date work out. It’s on next week Friday.

“Don’t hate the girl. Even if you see imperfections in the girl, become somewhat blind and accept her. Always remember, this is all about my company. I can’t joke about my business.”

Tony turns to leave.

In the corridor, Mrs. Lopez was still leaning her ear to the door, expecting Tony to say the last word. She didn’t even notice the approaching steps which were coming from the stairs.

“Mom, what are you doing there?” Chris asked.

Mrs. Lopez shivers and wears a fake smile. “Nothing!”

The door was opened. Tony stops as he sees Mrs. Lopez dashing away. He then hurries out of the house.

Chris hurry to Tony. “Where are you going?”

Tony stops and turns to Chris. “I can’t live here. Would rent an apartment. Can we have breakfast together?”

Chris opens the door of his car, and Tony enters. Closing the door, Tony turns the key in the ignition, turning the engine into life.

“Do you know General Gordon’s daughter?” Tony asked.

“A tomboy. She’s a tomboy. Why do you ask?”

“Dad wants me to go on a blind date. What a pathetic to spend my time with a tomboy.”

“Oh! I learned she had gone on twenty blind dates so far. Is that why Dad wants you to come home?”

“This time, I feel like running away from everyone,” Tony said.

Chris drops his jawline. “You feel like running away from me, too? Am I a burden to you?”

“You’re the real son. Why can’t Dad let you meet the tomboy?”

Chris laughs. “You are gentle and I’m not. Dad can’t treat me the way he does to you. It baffles me how you tolerate shit.”

“That’s why he adopted me.”

Tony looks out of the window and sees the nurse again. Lola is on the bike, which passes by Chris’s car.


Lola

A week rushes by like a cart on the market day. Many hours at work felt like a minute. The nights jump off like an antelope.

Every morning and night, you would see me staring at the calendar, wishing for something to come out of the blue and stop me from going on the blind date.

On Monday, I need to take a pill. Something to stop my anxiety for a while. And then the anxiety will enter without knocking on the door, making me wanting taking pills more.

On Tuesday, I prefer to be somber, without taking drugs. I tell myself going on a blind date to secure a place to stay with my family is worth going for.

Staring at the calendar on Wednesday night, I hear knocks coming from my door.

“Lola, are you sleeping already? You haven’t had your dinner, have you?” Ella’s voice sounds somehow. It feels like she was feeling guilty about forcing me to do what I don’t want to do.

“Let’s have dinner together,” I said, opening the door.

The worry on Ella’s face turns into a smile. “Yeah.”

At a nearby restaurant, Ella looks at me as she put a glass of coffee on the table, and said, "Hope you don’t forget about the tricks?”

“Yeah. Can we have some beer?”

“Why?”

“Only alcohol can force me out of this nervousness.”

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