MAD LOVE

Chapter 8

"Mrs. Moore, please leave your cooking for another time. I want to invite you and your daughter to a restaurant to celebrate her birthday. My grandmother will guarantee my good behavior; I'm sure Alana and she have a mutual affection for each other."

"You are right," she smiled. "Maybe that's a good sign. But let's see what my daughter says. Today it's up to her to decide."

I never lose, and I would not accept their sudden departure just like that. I even found their home address; it is not a big deal when your close friend's uncle owns the whole resort. But here I also had a bummer - Alana had already left for university. Now I know her parents. It is a pity Samantha was not at home. She would have been surprised.

I was sitting on the steps of my campus house and finishing my second cigarette when I heard the conversation between three guys going out. They were discussing some pretty first-year babe who joined us today. What nonsense! Are they stoned? The university law forbids it... Though I must admit, I was curious to see her. There was a rumor that our administrator Sheila had her eyes on that girl, and unfortunately, you can't get away from that bitch.

"Glad to see you, bro!" Alex's radiant smile almost blinded me. "I thought you'd come later."

"Hi! Yeah, I had to leave the resort and go somewhere, and then I got back here right away/ I didn't want to go home," I said as I tossed my travel bag under the bed and fell on its soft surface.

"I see. I thought you were keeping away from Miranda. I hear she was there on vacation."

"I know. We met. They came with the whole family. I could barely get rid of that snake. And her brother glared at me the whole evening as if I stole his toys."

"Why are you so wound up?"

"She ran away from right under my nose! Can you imagine?" My anger for Alana poured over me again. I have never been dumped before! And this time it was the exact opposite. "But ok, I'll go to the end of the earth to get her, and she will regret ever coming to the resort."

"What exactly do you want from her? Sex? From what you've said, I can state with confidence that you'll have a hard time even getting her to smile."

"Sex is last century. Let's set the bar higher. I want her love."

"And what are you gonna do with her, if she falls in love with you?" This turn in the conversation got Alex tense.

"Nothing," I shrugged, "I won't have to live with that burden."

"Bad idea, really bad idea. Can you imagine what's gonna happen to the poor girl? You can't play with people's feelings like that, Mike. It's mean, to say the least," Alex said, trying to defend the runaway girl.

"Oh, come on! Are you mother Theresa? Decided to work as my consciousness? I'll just prove that even girls like her give in when there's a chance of a stable, comfortable life with a rich guy. That's it."

"And that's it? Then what? You'll throw her out like garbage? Player, I'm appealing to your reason and what's left of your decency, stop. Stop destroying people's lives."

"She's different, Farrel. This girl's not as simple as she seems at first glance. It seems this one's built reinforced concrete walls around herself and thinks no one can get through. Of course, it will be even more interesting to break them down."

"You're going to fall first, Mike," Alex said thoughtfully as he took in my state of excitement. Only once before did I have such an intense interest in a girl...

"That won't happen again... By the way, where is Jessica?"

Alex silently scanned the room and looked like he was thinking about something. After my question he paused, staring fixedly in front of himself.