<-I-L-A-<<<
It has been two weeks since the major shopping spree and I still haven't finish getting all the new clothes into the closet. So far, I've been busy with two activities, either training with Matteo or organizing my office on the second floor.
The office was nearly done, all I had to do was assemble my desk. IKEA furniture has always been difficult, the instructions being confusing.
There was a knock at my open door and I looked up from the paper filled with directions. It was Matteo in his workout clothes.
"It's 5:30." He stated and then asked, "What are you still doing here?"
For the past two weeks, I've been following a routine. Usually, I wake up at 8, get ready, eat breakfast, and spend time in my room fixing my closet until 12. Then I spend 2 hours renovating my office. By 3, I grab lunch and lounge in the living room until 4. Around 5, I'd meet Matteo for training that drags on to 8. After training, I'd go shower, eat dinner, socialize and be in bed by 12
However, today I was determined on finishing my office.
"This is the last thing I need to do," I answered. "I wanted to finish my office."
Matteo walked over and sat down next to me, in front of all the laid out pieces of the desk. I handed him the instructions and watched him read the directions. He looked up from the paper and examined the two parts I was trying to put together.
"Ila, those two don't go together." He said, chuckling. "This one goes with this one while that one goes over here."
Matteo took charge and began to build the desk. in no time, the desk was upright and sturdy. I felt accomplished after we moved it to its rightful place in the room, the corner.
My office was officially done. It looked like a small hospital. There was a row of hospital beds that were separated by movable drapes.
I don't know how Matteo managed to get his hands on medical supplies but there were IV bags, syringes, and all sorts of medicines filling the cabinets.
"Okay, I'll go change into workout clothes." I told him, "I'll meet you in the gym."
"I'll go grab Aiden."
"Huh?"
"You'll see."
<•••>
"You want me to fight Aiden?" I asked, making sure I was hearing right.
There we were, Aiden and I standing in the boxing ring with Matteo outside.
"Yes, it'll determine if you're done with defense training." Matteo said, "If you pass, we can move on to other stuff."
"There's more stuff?" I asked, frowning. "What else do I need to learn? I'm just a doctor!"
"You don't have to beat Aiden," he said. "I just need to see you use the moves I've taught you in real time. Besides, Aiden is easy."
"Hey!" Aiden said, offended.
"1-2-3, go!"
Aiden was off guard thanks to Matteo, giving me an advantage. I punched him at his solar plexus which cause him to lurch forward in pain. Then I kicked him behind the knee, sending him on to the floor.
I was about to attack again when Aiden raised his hand, signaling for me to stop.
"That's not fair!" He whined, "I wasn't ready."
"How was the punch?"
"Solid," Aiden said.
"Thanks," I said, feeling proud of myself.
"Go!" Matteo said.
This time, I was at fault. Aiden swung at my face. I dodged his punch by leaning back. I was unable to stand back upright and ended falling backward on my behind.
Quickly, I scrambled up. We faced each other, circling the floor as we waited for someone to make a move. By now, the adrenaline was high.
I launched my left fist to his face. He blocked my punch. Before I can pull my arm back to my side, Aiden grabbed my hand and twisted. Pain jolted up from my elbow to my shoulder. I lifted my free arm signaling defeat.
"Go!" Matteo said.
The matches against Aiden continued and not once did I win. I wasn't badly beaten by him. It was little mistakes that I did that caused me to lose.
"Did I passed?" I asked Matteo, panting.
"Yeah." He smiled, "You did really good."
Aiden wiped off the sweat on his forehead with a towel.
"You've grown," Aiden said with a dramatic emotional sigh. He placed his hand on my head and ruffled my hair.
I smiled at his compliment. I've grown quite close with the Marcella, Giovanni, Aiden, and Matteo as well as the other members living in the house.
"Sorry if I hit you too hard." Aiden apologized.
"No, it's fine," I said, dismissing his guilt.
It wasn't until I hopped in the shower to see that I've left the matches against Aiden with some bruises. They weren't extremely painful, just the occasional soreness as I moved. The bruises covered my sides. I was grateful that Aiden stayed away from the face area.
I walked out of my room in sweats with my hair still wet from the shower. Preferably, I'd wear shorts going to bed. However, the sweats covered my bruises I gained from Aiden kicking at my legs.
Waking down the stairs, I was accompanied by Aletta on the second floor. She gave me a fake, sly smile as she walked by my side. I slowed my pace down the stairs until I was behind her. I was afraid she'll pull some stunt on me if I had kept walking next to her or, even worse, walk in front of her.
From the back, I looked at her silky, long red hair and her figure. My mind thought of Matteo. Of course, he'd go after girls like that. She was curvy, shaped like an hourglass. I felt a pang of jealousy as I looked down at myself. My chest was definitely smaller than hers.
We both reached the ground floor and parted ways. Aletta had walked off into the living room as I made way to the dining room. I felt relieved that I had made it to the dining room safely. In all honesty, I was expecting Aletta to hurt me.
Entering the room that had all the mouthwatering food, I spotted Giovanni, Marcella, Aiden, and Matteo at the end of the table. They had saved me a spot.
"What time are we meeting the Furfanti?" I heard Giovanni asked Matteo as I got there.
"Midnight." He answered as I sat down.
Immediately, I grabbed the plate of cannolis. Maria, Matteo's grandmother, sometimes help out in the kitchen. If she was feeling generous, she'd make batches cannolis. They were to die for.
"Who's going?" Aiden asked, food falling from his mouth as he spoke.
"Ew," Marcella said disgustedly. "Don't speak with your mouth full." She hit him in the back of the head to shut him up.
"Me, you, Marcella and Gio," Matteo said.
"Who's going to drive?" Giovanni said, lifting his glass, "I had some to drink, so I can't."
I listened to their conversation as I ate. Unfortunately, someone wanted a cannoli and the tray had been passed down to the other end of the table.
"Ila," Marcella said.
I looked at the group because of the sound of my name.
"Huh?" I asked, wondering why my name had been included in their conversation about the meet.
"What?" Matteo asked, frowning,
"Ila can be the driver."
"No," Matteo, to my relief, said, "I'll drive. Ila can stay in this house."
"Why not?"
"She's a doctor, not a driver."
I nodded, agreeing with Matteo's statement.
"Come one," Marcella said. "That should be the reason she comes with us. What if we get hurt? Beside she finished training today."
I shook my head. I was on Matteo's side for this one.
"Only defense training."
"She can stay in the car." Marcella strongly suggested.
"No," I said, finally getting a word in. "It's okay, Marcella. I don't want to go."
<•••>
"Should I park here?" I asked, gripping the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles turned ghostly white.
"No," Aiden said, his voice calming from behind me since that was where he had chosen to sit. "Go a bit more forward, I don't really want to walk."
I drove up a couple feet, "Here?"
"Ila, just drive and I'll tell you when to stop," Matteo said in the passenger seat next to me.
"Calm down," Marcella said. It did nothing to soothe my jitteriness.
"Yeah, calm your tits." Piped in Giovanni. "The worse case scenario for you is a police chase."
"If that happens, I'll take over," Matteo assured me.
I glanced at him and gave him a thankful smile. I drove further down the road. We were on the outskirts of a small city. The location of the meet was -surprise, surprise- at an alleyway between two abandon buildings.
Matteo told me to stop and park under a tree which shaded us from the light that came from the streetlight.
I relaxed a bit after turning off the engine of the car. To finally stop driving made my nerves calm. However, I turned to the group and saw that they were holding guns and my nervousness in the pit of my stomach grew again.
"We'll be back in 30 minutes or so," Matteo said. "Don't drive off anywhere and don't get out of the car."
<~>
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