One Night Only

Lillie

He left me baffled with all his fake acting. My family believed all the kindness he showed them. Besides, they hallucinate with him. On that side, I understand them. I can say that it happened to me on some other occasion too, but I don’t have to let that happen again. I can’t give him pleasure in whatever he wants. If I do, he will think that he has everything to gain with me and he will think that he will already have me eating out of his hand. I have to think smart and astute. I need to do it, as all this confuses me. I can’t believe that in such a short time that he has to be gone I’m already starting to miss him. It’s a stupid and meaningless thing, but something in me changes.

I have a headache from not sleeping very well. My mind kept thinking about him, so I couldn’t fall asleep. My sister gave me something for the pain. I meet her in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Today is Sunday, so he is not working, so it’s his turn to cook.

“Is everything all right?” I ask her when I notice her distracted.

“Yes, why shouldn’t I be?” Try to show security.

“Maybe because I see you’re a little distracted. You just put sugar in Mom’s tea, and she shouldn’t eat sweet things.

“Damn, I forgot! It’s just that” he tries to fix what he did.

“Sister, I’m here to listen to you. If you have something that worries you or any problem, you know that you can count on me.

She doesn’t say anything else, just nods, without looking at me, and continues with her task. I don’t think she’s worried about Mom, as she responded very well to the treatment. I don’t want to think that what has her like this has to do with her ex, with Sandy’s father. That guy disappeared completely, as if the earth had swallowed him up, and it was no wonder, because the guy is a vile criminal, a dealer. Maybe that means he’s locked up in jail or maybe even dead. It’s not that I wish him ill, but it’s preferable that it be so, since that way he won’t look for my sister and my niece again. At some point he did, at first. He said he was sorry. If it hadn’t been for the fact that my mother and I never let Alex go, she would have believed him and maybe she would be with him in who knows where right now. It was very difficult to help her and get her out of that big rut. She didn’t do her part at first, but when she was about to fall to the bottom she realized it before it was too late, and she not only thought for her, but also for Sandy. My sister managed to pull through, and if she comes back, maybe she’ll relapse again.

I have to solve this, to be sure that she is not saving something related to that guy, but how can I do it? Of course I have it, I already know who to ask the favor. Even if I risk him asking me for something in return, I must do it for my sister. I have to be sure that they will be safe.

I text Julie asking for the Devil’s number, since I don’t have it, and I’m sure she does. If not, he will be able to get it.

I was right, she has his number, but she told me that it is private, because it was not easy to get it and that only those closest to him have it. She got it for that guy Edgardo.

I dial the number. It rings several times; it seems that it will not respond. I’m about to give up, when suddenly they take the call.

“Why did you call?” it is attended by a masculine and dominant voice in a rude tone.

That confirms to me that he was upset that I called him or maybe he mistook me for someone else.

“I’m Lillie.

“I know” he mumbles. What’s the matter with him?”. Tell me how I can help you, and make it quick. “I notice him upset and distant.

I take a breath and gather the courage I don’t have to tell him the reason for my call. I have to put my pride aside and have patience to talk to this cocky bipolar.

“Diablo, I’m calling to ask you a favor. “The sound of my voice is devoid of emotions.

I get into a maze with no way out. I myself fall before him.

“What favor?

“I need your help to find someone.

Keep quiet.

“Why do you think I can help you do something like that?

“I know you’re the one to do it. You’re a mafioso, and the person I want to help me locate also has to do with drug trafficking.

“It’s okay. I just need to know more information and what is it all about that you want to know, and such a guy. Oh, another thing” he pauses for a long moment – what would I get for helping you?

He asked the question I was so afraid he would ask. I know it won’t be this easy. Something tells me that he will want something in return, and what better than what he had offered me at the beginning? Sooner or later I would accept him, since he paid for my mother’s operation and treatment. I was just waiting for him to charge me. It took him a while to ask me for something in return.

“I’ll take the deal.

“What deal?

I know you’re pretending not to remember.

“I accept the proposal you had offered me for money. I am ready to give you from me what you want the most.

A silence. Only his deep breathing is heard.

“Perfect. I’ll send for you on Friday. Bring clothes for a day. On Saturday afternoon you will be back at your house, as I have unfinished business at night.

“It’s okay.” I whisper.

I feel as if my heart is squeezed by his indifference in his words.

“If you take more money, tell me and give me an account number to send you more as soon as possible.

“I don’t want money, and I still owe you.

“It doesn’t matter, you were going to pay for it somehow,” he says as if nothing happened. It will be on Friday.

Cocky high-handed idiot. He seems to have no feelings.

“Okay. Until then.

I want to cry. I feel bad for what I accepted. Likewise, he’s getting away with it. I hit him where he wanted the most. He still treats me with the tip of his toe, as if I was dealing with a prostitute, or maybe that’s what I’m slowly becoming because I’ve accepted his deal.

I don’t know how I dared to do that. My pride and my dignity I completely forgot. I’m prostituting myself. Something I would never get to do I’m about to do. I am capable of doing anything for my family, even giving my soul to the Devil, just as I had said.

I cry non-stop in my room. I locked myself up so that my mother and sister wouldn’t find out about anything. I have to do it for them, who gave everything for me. I can’t leave them alone when they need me the most. I didn’t have many options. I also owed that money, and for that reason he cornered me in the hospital bathroom. If I give him what he has asked for so much since I met him, maybe later he will leave me alone and leave our lives forever. It will only be one night, just one night.

Do I really want that? Do I want him to leave? I don’t know what he wants and what he doesn’t want anymore.

I fall asleep for a moment, but I have strange dreams. It’s a huge house and it seems to be from the outskirts. Suddenly, a dark-haired, tanned-skinned, tattooed man appears. I don’t see his face. He lays me down on a desk and grabs me by the legs. I’m just sobbing. He unbuttons his pants and pulls it down to take me by force, without contemplations or anything, while I scream in desperation. I cry again when I wake up. I sweat and I can’t stop sobbing.

Sitting on the bed, I hug myself to try to calm down.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

It will only be once and it will pass quickly.

I’ll forget about it soon. I hope so.

My anguish grows even more when I notice my sister more and more strange. She is distracted all the time and reflects some concern. I don’t want Mom to find out about her mood. I don’t want to worry her. I don’t want it to get bad. She is in recovery and is at risk of relapsing, as she had depression the time she was on chemotherapy. She was diagnosed when she was admitted to the hospital. Something tells me that her ex is behind all this, I know this because he left her affected seven years ago. It hurts me to see her like this, distressed and tired. I’m afraid it will change again. I need the Alex from before, the one who was happy and always smiling.

She is working today, Sandy is at school and Mom is resting in her room. I’m not bothering her. I try not to burden her with things. It’s Wednesday, and I can’t go to work because I’m taking care of her, so I notice at work and ask for a few days. I can’t leave her alone, especially now that Alex is strange.

I hear a knock at the door, so I’m going to open it. It’s Mika, who gives a big smile.

“Julie told me that you won’t be going to work for a while. What’s the matter?” He hugs me and passes.

“It’s about mom, who’s not feeling well, and something else… “I interrupt myself before I tell her about my sister.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself and have him ask me questions. Capable and I open my mouth wider and tell him what I’m about to do this weekend.

“Why didn’t you call me? Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need any help. “He sits down in the armchair. I wanted to ask you something, but I see that you won’t be able to, since you’re busy taking care of your mom.

I make a gesture with my lips and wrinkle my nose.

“What’s it about?” She makes a gesture with her hand, downplaying it”. Come on, tell me.” I encourage her to talk.

“I wanted you to accompany me to a place for the evening, but it doesn’t matter. Mine is not important.

“What place is that?

He looks at me for a few seconds, thinks about it and after a long moment he answers:

“I wanted you to go to a club with me. “I look at her confused. I don’t understand, do you want to change jobs?”. That’s not what it’s for. “As someone says, he reads my mind, because he guesses what I thought”. It’s to go to Ivan.

I still don’t understand, will she go after a man? What’s the matter with him?

“But for what?

“The thing is that I heard in a conversation Julie had with her lover that Ivan goes to a club with his friend every time they come, but that place is very different from ours. They say that there are pure whores and that they only go there to fuck and do business with other mafia associates.

I quickly deny.

“You’re crazy! If they said that, it means there must be a lot of dangerous guys in that place. Even if I was crazy, I wouldn’t go, and you shouldn’t go either.

“But I have to. I want to get out of doubt.

“What are your doubts about? – I’m worried confused.

“I’m in an uncertainty. I want to know if he is really interested in me as he had told me. I want to be sure if he is only going to that place to accompany his friend, for business or otherwise.

I snort exasperated.

“It really hit you hard the feeling towards him.

“That feeling is called money.” He smiles cheekily”. I’m not going to let it get away from me. Besides, I’ve already given her what she wanted so badly. It’s not that I’m trying from bed to bed to find out what my future husband will be.

I roll my eyes just from listening to her. Her love, or rather her ambition for money, affects her a lot, but still I don’t judge her, I don’t have to. That’s his purpose, and I can’t contradict him no matter how much it bothers me.

Maybe I can accompany her. He said that he will return to me on Saturday afternoon because he has important business to attend to. I still have time to think it over. It’s risky to go to a place like that, they may even confuse us with girls who work there, but I don’t think they can force us to do something we don’t want to. If I don’t accompany her, she will go alone, I know her very well, and that will be more dangerous. She always supports me and never leaves me to my fate, so I must do the same.