Hello Maybe 1l651r

HELLO, MAYBE

Copyright

Copyright © 2016 by Whit Gale

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

ISBN 978-1-365-24119-2 Gofaone Galeage Private Bag 154 Gaborone, Botswana

First Printing: 2016 First Edition

WHERE IT BEGAN

Samorena Maduo began her Saturday as she had done for the last twenty six years. She woke up from the right side of her bed, as she had done for most of her life, slid the covers off her body and made her way to the bathroom. She went through her usual morning routine. Normal everyday things; however that Saturday was not a normal one for Samorena. That day was special. It was on that day that she would do something she had wanted to do for the last thirteen years but had been unable to do. She was going to watch, live, her favourite football team, Manchester Mavericks, play a football match. This day had been set up six days ago when she sat at her computer in her office and pressed the enter key to purchase match tickets for herself and her friend, Saone. Saone was not much of a football fan but since she was going to be with Samorena she had agreed to go and watch the game instead of staying in the hotel room. Samorena skipped to her friend's room to wake her up and found Saone was already up and dressed. She smiled, let Saone know why she was in the room and the two exchanged jokes about Samorena's excitement. Samorena went back to her room to change into jeans and the team's red home shirt. She put on eyeliner, lip gloss and a little blush to her cheeks. She ran a comb through her hair; it being short meant she did not have to spend so much time on it. She was ready to go. As they walked into the stadium with other fans, Saone was cool and detached, taking in every detail while Samorena was like a child in a toy store. She took pictures of everything in sight, pointed out things she thought were important to Saone who tried to act interested and chatted non-stop about the importance of the match. Banners and team flags decorated the stands; red, black and white on one side for Manchester Mavericks and, blue and white on the other for Chelsea. The roar of the crowd was deafening as team fans traded barbs, insults and cheers. Samorena was in the thick of it, singing just as boisterously as the rest of them, while Saone tried and failed to in finally settling for watching everyone. For years Samorena had been watching the team play matches on television and

dreaming of one day sitting at Asher Smith, the team's stadium, while her team tore another apart and she ed in the banter with the other Red Devils ers. That day had finally come and fate could not have staged in better; Chelsea were top of the league, leading second placed Manchester Mavericks by three points with just six league matches remaining. *** Luca listened to the gaffer hand down his last instructions then tuned everything out as he did before each match. In his head he pictured the match, seeing it play out in his head how they would win. Their opponents on that day were tough and this was an important match that could make or break their season. Chelsea had been hard to catch all season long and if they won this match they would cut their lead to nothing but goal difference. This was his pre-game routine and nine times out of ten what played in his match translated, somewhat, into what transpired on the pitch. His teammates clapped him on the back as they walked out in front of him. He was always the last to leave the changing room. He jogged behind his teammates as they made their way down. He barely ed the roar of the crowd, so engrossed in his mind he was. He went through the motions of shaking hands with officials and opposing players then jogged some way to his position. While he waited for the referee to blow the whistle he did a few stretches as he always did. Manchester Mavericks were down by two goals to one with ten minutes remaining on the clock and Chelsea had packed their half of the pitch with players leaving only the striker in the Manchester Mavericks half, while Manchester Mavericks had thrown every man available, save the goalkeeper, into attack. This was the team that Samorena knew and loved, even with their backs against the wall they never caved in. Their never say die approach to every match is what had attracted Samorena to the team which now held a very special place in her heart. It was never over for the team until the final whistle was blown and there was still a lot of time left in this match. The crowd kept up its cheers in an effort to motivate their team to turn the match around. Manchester Mavericks were leading an attack through Luca Bataglia when from out of nowhere a Chelsea defender came and swept Luca off his feet. The referee blew his whistle and a free kick was awarded to Manchester

Mavericks. It was in a favourable position for her team and even more so for the man stepping up to take it, Luca Bataglia. He was the best free kick taker she had ever seen and Samorena was overjoyed that she had the best view to be watch him take one live. She faced Saone to explain how thrilling it was to be watching this live and hoping to place a bet on whether Luca would score or not when she felt a blow to her face and everything went black. A hush fell over the crowd as everyone realized that the ball that should have hit the back of the net had knocked a woman unconscious instead. Medics sprang into action as play was halted so that the woman could be seen to. She was stretchered off for medical attention and play resumed as soon as she had been taken to safety. *** A goal kick from Catch fell to Lutz who connected immediately with Leopard. Leopard sent the ball in Hazard's direction but it was intercepted by Warwick who found Luca and a counter attack formed. Luca spotted Rodney who was surprisingly unmarked and ed the ball into the space in front of Rodney. Rodney made the run, saw an opening and made a through ball which Van Persie locked onto sending the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net. Catch was powerless to stop it. Celebrations did not last long as Hazard, having received the ball from Torres, ed to Luiz who ed it to Ramires. Ramires sidestepped Vera and fed the ball to Hazard. Hazard connected cleanly with the ball but sent it bouncing off the crossbar. It met with Oscar on the rebound whose cross met with Torres' left foot however the shot did not trouble Reyes at all. He kicked the ball to the middle of the park. The ball met with Warwick's chest, he moved ball from chest to feet and onto the quick feet of Kang Tae Joon. Chelsea defenders were all over Kang Tae Joon but he managed to get a shot in anyway however Catch was ready and he parried it his defender's way but Rodney was quick to relieve the defender of the ball. Luca called out for the ball, it met his right food and he watched it sail into the top right had corner of the net. The crowd was up on its feet as they realized that if Manchester Mavericks could hang on to the lead for the next two minutes they would be the new log leaders. They hung on to the lead in spectacular fashion as Rodney volleyed the ball into the top left hand corner of the net two seconds before the referee blew the final whistle. Asher Smith roared. The Manchester Mavericks players applauded the ers as they walked off the field to the changing rooms while the ers cheered them on.

Luca had watched in disgust as the ball flew from his feet and over the crossbar instead of into the net as planned. He turned away, still in disgust, and jogged to the centre of the pitch. He heard the crowd gasp and turned around to see why, for a second he saw nothing and confusion crept in. He looked up at the screen and saw a replay of his shot hitting a woman in the face then watched in shock as she collapsed. Play was halted as medics rushed for the woman. Luca stood and watched the scene unfold praying that she was alright. He was well aware of the punch his balls packed and wondered whether he might have killed her. When the medics signalled then stretchered her off he went to a linesman to ask if she was alright. He was told he was unconscious but would be fine. Relieved, he went back to his position. He threw himself back into the game and put up one of his best showings of the season. After the match, congratulations had been given, a summary made with the gaffer pointing out holes that needed closing, he took a shower then went to ask which hospital the girl had been taken to. He took the shirt that he had worn for the match and signed it with the intention of giving it to her. He ed she was a woman and picked up flowers and chocolate on the way there. When Samorena regained consciousness she was immediately aware of the fact that she was in the hospital. The bright smile on Saone's face told her that everything was fine. She let out a breath and made to sit up. She clutched her head and eased back into the pillows. 'Hey.' Saone said, 'Doctor said you need to rest for a little bit to allow the pain medication to do its work.' 'Fuck! What the hell happened? Last thing I boo was taking a free kick.' Samorena said. 'Well, boo's free kick flew straight into your face. I've never been as scared as I was when I watched you go down.' 'Shit!' 'But in hindsight, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was.' 'Did I go down like a sack of potatoes?'

'You were very graceful.' Samorena laughed and Saone smiled along with her. 'And the match? How did that end?' Samorena asked. 'I...' Saone started to speak. 'We won.' A male voice at the door responded. Both women turned to the direction of the voice, both gasped and jaws simultaneously dropped. Samorena tried to sit up again and her head felt like it was going to explode. 'Bloody hell! I really should stop doing that.' she said. Luca Bataglia stepped into the room. Saone stood up to shake hands with him while all Samorena could do was watch from her position on the bed and gape. All she could think about was no person had a right to look as good he did. She could not believe that he was standing in front of her at that moment in time and pinched her arm. When it hurt she went from resenting the pain she was in to thanking whatever god had ordained the event of the ball hitting her in the face. 'I was going to ask how you are feeling but I have a pretty good feeling from the 'bloody hell' He said, mimicking her accent. She smiled, 'Yeah, I would choose a hangover right now.' Smiling he walked up to the bed. Saone vacated the seat she was in but he declined it with the shake of his head. 'Hi, I'm Luca, the prick who landed you in hospital.' he said. 'Pleasure meets you. Samorena I am and friend Saone is.' Samorena said. 'I think she means her name is Samorena, I'm her friend Saone and she is pleased to meet you.' Saone said. 'Yes, what she said.' Samorena said. Luca smiled, 'I am pleased to meet you both although I wish it were under better

circumstances.' 'I wouldn't...don't beat yourself up...it could have...' Samorena trailed off. 'Allow me atonement, for peace of mind, and let me take you out to dinner as soon as you are feeling well.' He had come to drop of the shirt, chocolate and flowers, maybe take a couple of pictures with them and give an apology. Dinner was not part of the plan. He had walked up to the door; saw her friend sitting by the bed watching her. He had been about to knock when she opened her eyes. They were the darkest brown he had ever seen and the perfect shape for her face. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen without make up on and he was instantly attracted to her. Then she spoke and that sweet voice and sexy accent did strange things to his insides. He decided he wanted to spend some time with her. 'Sam?' her prodded, dragging him back to the present. He noticed how uncomfortable Sam looked and realized he was staring at her and looked over at the friend then back at Samorena. Sam did the same thing; looking from him to her friend then back to him. 'We would love to you.' Sam said. He fought hard to hide the pleasure that had come with her accepting his invitation to dinner. She had looked for a second like she would turn it down. It was only after the friend had nodded, almost imperceptibly, that she had accepted. He wondered if she was one of those women who depended on the advice of others. He did not find that the least bit attractive. 'Find out what the doctor says then let me know when is good for you.' Luca said, as he hoped it would be that night. 'That sounds like a plan.' 'You might need my number for that.' 'Oh right! I would...um mm...'

Saone produced Samorena's cell phone and Luca saved his cell phone number. 'That should connect you straight to me. I look forward to hearing from you.' Luca said, then bowed slightly then left the room. He chastised himself for the bow as he left the room to the flashing of cameras and murmur of a crowd of reporters. His security team backed up by nurses managed to shove the crowd out of the hospital. He wondered if he should have some of his men stay to watch her and decided he would. *** Three hours later, loaded on pain medication and told she would be fine tomorrow, Samorena and Saone were shopping for dresses for dinner with Luca. She had been cleared for dinner the next night but she was yet to let Luca know. 'Pinch me Sasa I swear I am dreaming! No, wait! If you do and I am dreaming then I will wake up. I don't ever want to wake up.' Samorena said. Saone giggled and said, 'You need to relax.' 'Yeah? What's that again? I think I will need to set reminders to breathe.' Saone laughed out loud bringing attention to their little corner. They ducked out of sight. They continued to look for the perfect dress. Saone picked out a red flowing dress and went into a fitting room to try it on. 'Did it really happen or did we have the same hallucination?' Sam asked, as she put the dress on. 'It's real love, although I am not the least bit surprised. I always said it would happen.' 'Heavens Saone I am so nervous.' 'I know and it's normal to feel nerves but you will be alright.' 'I hope so.'

She stepped out wearing the long red dress and twirled in front of her friend. 'How do I look? ‘Samorena asked. 'You look absolutely beautiful.' 'Thanks. Is this the one?' 'Let's try the other one first.' 'Alright. And you, why are you not trying anything on? Aren't you buying? But then you have that gold dress, did you pack that?' 'I am not going to dinner with you.' Samorena felt her heart lurch to a stop before it started an uneven beat. 'Saone you will not do this to me.' 'Sam, you have wanted to meet this man for such a long time, he is all I have been hearing about for the past six years and now you have a chance to be with him, at dinner, one on one. You must be crazy if you think I am going to take that away from you.' 'Sasa, you have to be there. You know how I am around people I don't know. I will be quiet and it will be awkward. Please, I need you to be there! This is Luca; I want him to think I am interesting.' 'Firstly, you are interesting. You are the funniest person I know. You are beautiful, charming and intelligent. And secondly because this is Luca I know you will be devastatingly irresistible because you speak the same language; football and you are gorgeous. Plus, I saw the look on his face when he was looking at you and the man is smitten.' 'Saone you have to come; besides he invited the both of us, how do you think it will look when I show up by myself?' 'The way it is supposed to look, that you want to spend time with him. Besides, it will be easier to go back to his place with him when I am not there.'

'Saone! 'What? Don't act like the thought has never crossed your mind. Have dinner with Prince Charming, have sex with him if you must and have a story to tell. Maybe he won't live up to the fantasy and you will be cured.' Both women giggled. 'You are sure you will not change your mind?' 'I've never been into threesomes and even if I were, it would never be with you. You are gorgeous my friend but that would be incestuous and I'm so not into that.' Samorena nodded, took a breath and looked at her image in the mirror. 'Then in that case, I should go with the blue dress. I look devastating in it and it's easier to take off.' 'That's what I'm talking about!' The dress was paid for, along with shoes to go along with it and a new bag. A woman can never have too many of those. When they got back to the hotel, she debated calling Luca but felt she would be too nervous and wouldn't be able to string together two words so she texted him in the end. She told him that she had been ordered to stay in that evening but was available for dinner Sunday night. He texted back immediately that Sunday night dinner was perfect. *** Luca walked into the closet feeling excited and nervous about his date. He was more excited about seeing this woman than he had ever been about any woman and that made him nervous. His girlfriend, Diane, called as he was slipping his shirt on. He cursed quietly as he did up the last button, debated answering it and decided to because she would keep calling until he did. 'Hey.' he said.

'Hey?' she responded. 'Amore.' he said. 'Better. How are you?' 'I'm good yeah. You, how are you?' 'I'm in Manchester; we are shooting two scenes at this lovely estate.' "Shit!" Luca thought. 'Oh, that's nice.' 'I was thinking we could go out to dinner and then back to the house.' 'I would love to babe but I have a business dinner tonight and you know I never mix business with pleasure. I'll pick you up early tomorrow morning and we will have breakfast.' 'Luca, I have not seen you in a month, let me come to dinner.' 'I want to have dinner with you too my love but I can't do tonight.' 'Are you blowing me off?' 'I'm not. This is a business dinner and if you had told me you would be in town I might have rescheduled, I can't drop my plans at the last minute to include you especially if its business, you know that.' 'I sent you an email three days ago.' 'I did not get it. Antonio just walked in; I will call you when I get back.' 'Where are you having dinner?' 'I don't know they are sending a car for us.' She sighed audibly, 'Alright, breakfast then.' 'Sure. Love ya.'

He hung up to finish getting dressed and did not hear her respond in kind. He felt bad for lying to Diane. He knew exactly why he had lied and it had everything to do with the woman he was seeing that night. The woman with the short black hair, almond shaped eyes, button nose, small but very full lips and a smile that light up every corner of a room. He was attracted to Samorena in a way he had never been to any other woman; he felt giddy with excitement and hummed as he went along. This was as good as cheating on Diane and he felt guilty about it. He felt an infinite amount of guilt where Diane was concerned. The truth was he had stopped loving Diane a long time ago, that's if he ever loved her in the first place, and stopped liking her even longer back. The things that had attracted him to Diane in the first place were the things that annoyed him now, such as how bitchy she could be-which he had mistaken for confidence. Even making love to her was not as exciting anymore. It was not just Diane that he had not been interested in. Even other women; the hangers-on, the actresses, the models and the TV hosts, they did not excite him much anymore. It was eight months since he had been attracted to a woman. This woman that he had met the day before had excited him like no other and he was not about to let her get away without trying to find out if there was more to the attraction. He was curious about her. He found everything about her charming; the way she had bit her lower lip when nervous then trying to cover it up with a sweet laugh. He loved her accent but could not quite place it. He wanted to find out where she was from, where she lived, what she did for a living, who her family was and what she likes. What her lips would taste like and how it would feel to have a woman like her surrender to him. He imagined running his hands through her hair as he walked out of his house and could have sworn he felt the texture on his fingers.

THE DINNER Diane sat on her bed wondering why Luca had lied to her. Even after a year together he thought she couldn't tell when he was lying. It was driving her crazy wondering why he was lying this time. He had never cheated on her, she knew that for sure because she had sent two women to try and tempt him but he had sent them both packing even though they were two of the most beautiful women in the world. His life was football and his family. She wondered if he was simply avoiding her because he did not want her or if he had finally found a woman he could not say no to. If it was the latter then Diane really had to see who this woman was. She had noticed his odd behaviour over the past three months. She however took into consideration the fact that he had narrowly missed out on the Ballon D'or after his team did not win any silverware last season and his form taking a slight dive and figured it was his career that was stressing him out. Her career was stressful enough but she had a whole team designed to make her looks good and she could reshoot a scene if they were not happy with it. He on the other hand had the mammoth task of making the team look good. His fans were mostly unforgiving and would pick apart his every action, expecting him to give his best with each and every single match; mistakes would be dissected and criticized. So she had assumed the role of the understanding girlfriend who would not ask him to choose between her and his career. She had thought with the season coming to a close, his form having picked up and his team on the verge of winning all four cups that he would go back to being normal but it had gotten worse. She could not find an excuse for his behaviour anymore, especially that evening. They had not seen each other in a month and even though they had agreed that business dinners would take precedence it could be overlooked in some cases such as when she had been away for a month shooting. The fact that he said he had not seen her email was worrisome on its own. They used to talk every day and about everything, now she was lucky if she found anything out before the newspapers and magazines published it, such as this dinner. She suddenly ed that he had told her he was getting dressed. She knew it took him at least an hour to get ready, so she got up out of bed, grabbed her keys and raced to his house. She would follow him and see whether or not he was seeing another woman. If he wasn't, she would come back to his house and wait to surprise him. She waited outside his house until she saw him drive away

and followed him. The fact that he was driving to the restaurant instead of being picked up like he had said sounded alarm bells. He saw her pull up to a hotel so she parked at a discreet distance, got out of the car and headed for the hotel restaurant. She asked the hostess to show her to Mr Bataglia's table. 'It's free seating in this restaurant, no need to make reservations.' she said. 'Oh! Um...ok, well thank you. On second thought could you show me to a table?' Diane knew she was acting odd and hated the look of pity that crossed the woman's face before she replaced it with a blank look. She picked a table that would allow her to see who was seated inside the restaurant as well as everyone who walked in. 'Will Mr Bataglia be ing you?' a waiter asked, as he led her to the table. 'No. In fact, I don't want him to know I am here.' She gave the waiter a wink which he met with a smile. As she sat down with the menu in her hand and her eyes surveying the crowd she realized she was acting like those insecure women she always swore she would never be. If she was not so focused on the task at hand she would have laughed at herself. She ordered wine and tried not to bring any attention to herself. The last thing she needed was to be recognized before she did what she had come to do. The odds of her getting recognized increased with every minute she spent in that restaurant especially now that her waiter and the hostess knew that she knew Luca. It would not be long before dots were connected. She tipped him a hundred, let him know who she was and promised him there would be another hundred if he made sure no one found out who she was. As she waited she wondered why Luca would agree to meet at a place like that. She would talk to Luca about this in the morning and maybe dissuade him from going into business with anyone who could not afford a more decent place. She got hungry and ordered a salad while she waited. Halfway through her salad she had still caught no sign of Luca so she decided it was time to leave. She asked for the bill, tipped her waiter and left. Outside she bribed valet to let her know if Luca's car was still there but they told him he had left within ten minutes. Fuming she drove back to her house. She called him but it went straight to voice mail so she left him several messages and text him for good measure. Five hours later, unable to concentrate, she drove to his house.

Samorena finished putting on lip gloss; part of her make up routine which consisted of eye liner, mascara and blush. She always tried to keep her make-up minimum because she had convinced herself that she did not have the time for more. She rarely accessorized either but that night she put on a diamond earrings and a matching bracelet. Next she combed her hair and smiled at her reflection. The little blue dress she had picked hugged her wide hips in a most becoming manner and emphasized the smallness of her waist. Her long legs were shown off to perfection and the red shoes she had on showed off her toned legs. When she stepped back into the living area Saone grabbed the edge of the sofa and pretended to swoon. 'You are going to knock him off his feet...that is if the heart attack doesn't do him in first. You look amazing.' Samorena smiled. She was happy. A knock at the door had them both gasping and Samorena running to the bathroom to do final touch ups while Saone went to get the door. Samorena listened from inside the bathroom. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach when she heard his deep voice. 'You are not coming?' Luca asked, Saone. He noticed that she had no makeup on, her hair in a messy bun and, she was wearing a sweater and jeans. 'Oh! No, I have to Skype with my boyfriend. Long distance, time zones, jealous boyfriend, you know?' Saone said. 'Does Samorena have a jealous boyfriend too?' he asked. He could not believe he had not asked before. The last thing he needed was some jilted lover running his mouth to the tabloids. 'No, no, no. No boyfriend at all. She is single. Unattached. Solo.' 'When you run out of adjectives...I think he gets the picture.' Samorena said, as she stepped out of the bathroom. Conveniently, Luca had his back to her, so she was able to check him out for two seconds before he turned to look at her. He looked dashing in his navy blue pants and crisp white shirt. His fantasies sadly had not done this woman justice. She looked even more

breath-taking than he could have imagined. The way that dress clung to her hips and brought out the gold tones in her skin was a sight to behold. For a second he forgot to breathe as his mouth went dry. Without make-up earlier he had found her beautiful but with make-up she was absolutely stunning. He knew that when people looked at them that night they would not be staring at him and he felt himself unreasonably possessive wanting to be the only man to behold her. When she moved closer to where he was standing he was happy to realize that, even with heels on, she was still a foot shorter than he was which he found incredibly sexy. She smelled good too. 'You look incredible.' he said, when he found his tongue. She smiled and he almost choked on the said tongue. 'I bought you these.' He produced a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums. His first impression of her was she was not the roses or daisies type of girl and the way her face lit up at the sight of the flowers told him that he had guessed correctly. She gnawed at her lower lip, seemed to recover herself and stopped. 'These are beautiful, thank you. You know this is the first time anyone has ever given me flowers.' she told him. Luca frowned in surprise. How can a woman this beautiful have never been given flowers before? Were there no men in her part of the world? Saone reached for them, 'I'll go put those in water.' she said. 'Thank you again. They really are beautiful.' Samorena said. 'So are you. You look absolutely breath-taking.' Saone listened from the bathroom at the two. The chemistry between them was unmistakable. Saone was nowhere near surprised; men always reacted in the same way to her friend. Famous or not, Luca was still a man and he was bound to react to her beauty. 'Shall we go?' he asked. 'Yes please.' she said. ***

Samorena got her first taste of the paparazzi the minute she stepped out of the hotel with Luca Bataglia at her side. His security team kept the crowds at bay while he helped her into the car. They kept up lively chatter about the paparazzi situation and what she had gotten up to that day as he drove to the restaurant. When she stepped out of the car and the lights began to flash once more she had to hand onto Luca's hand. He reached for her hand knowing she would need to be guided into the restaurant. The flashing lights could be a little disorienting for someone who is unused to it. She knew that right at that moment search engines were getting familiar with her picture as every paparazzo worth their salt sought to find out whether she was anyone famous. Within the hour her picture would be all over social media and at least one person will have her cell phone number by the morning. She found she missed those days when it would take at least a day before anyone saw pictures of her and started speculating. She glanced at the man leading her to the table and realized that he came with the territory and if she wanted to spend any amount of time with him then she would have to get used to this. They reached their table and he pulled out a chair for her and she graciously thanked him. The waiter placed their menus in front of them. 'What can I get you to drink?' the waiter asked. 'There is this really good wine that they serve here; shall I get us a bottle?' 'I would like that.' The waiter announced that their wine would be with them in a minute. She thanked him as he walked away. 'You are not from Manchester are you?' he asked, as the waiter retreated. 'Why do you say that?' 'Your accent...' She smiled, 'I am not. Not from this country either.' 'How long have you been in Manchester?' 'It’s...since Thursday, that's uh...four days right?' 'Right. Did you fly in for the match? Is that something you do regularly?'

'No. This is a business trip but I'd always wanted to watch a match so I figured I would since we are here.' 'I'm glad you did. So, business..?' 'Yes.' 'Let me guess you are a model.' She smiled winningly and shook her head. 'No, nothing glamorous.' 'Heavens! It's difficult getting information out of you.' She laughed. 'Occupational hazard I guess. Uh, Saone and I run a PR firm' she said. 'Stop me if I am being nosy but I find you very interesting.' 'No, not nosy at all. What do you want to know?' 'What business brings you to Manchester?' She gave him that smile again. He wondered if she would continue to smile like that if she knew what it was doing to him. 'It's like this, like when you win one cup and then the following season two, then you decide to see if you can win a treble and so forth...well Sasa and I have enjoyed a lot of success back home so we decided to try expanding business and this seemed like the perfect place to start.' 'Can a woman be any sexier? How long will you be here?' 'We are here until the end of the week, in New York for a week, Spain for another week and then we are flying back home.' 'Where is home? 'Home is Botswana.' 'Bots-wa-na.' he struggled with the word. 'Where is that?'

'In the southern region of Africa.' 'Did you grow up there?' 'Born and bred.' 'I've been to South Africa, 2010 world cup, but I would love to go back and see some of it, maybe see a lot of Botswana.' 'I would be happy to show you a lot of Botswana and maybe a little bit of South Africa.' He was about to ask her more about her home country when the waiter appeared with a bottle of wine and asked to pour for them. They looked at each other while the waiter poured their wine. He asked if they were ready to order and they were not but asked for a little bit of time to make their selections. They asked him to hang around and were ready to order almost immediately. Conversation resumed as soon as he was gone. Samorena was surprised at how much more comfortable she got as time went on unlike a lot of her first dates. She figured she was not as nervous because this was not a date. He had watched her speak to the waiter and was shocked to realize he was jealous of her interaction with the guy. He wanted to her smiles to himself and hated that other men were surreptitiously checking her out. What drove him even crazier with jealousy was the fact that he had no idea where he stood with her. She was throwing mixed signals; one minute she was flirting with him and making him believe the attraction was not one sided and the next she was just friendly. He was used to women showing their hand from the start and knew within the first ten minutes whether he could have a woman or not. He wanted to know if she was as turned on as he was sitting across from her, wondered if she wanted to run her fingers through his hair, if she wanted to taste his kiss and feel his body against hers. He wanted to know he was not alone in this but he was a patient man. and would not press the issue. One thing he was sure of and it was that, whether she felt anything for him or not that night, by the end of the week he would have her. She saw the looks he was throwing her way and knew that Luca was attracted to her and wanted her. While that thought made her head spin and her heart race she tempered her emotion and tried her hardest not to let it show. At least not until she decided whether she wanted to be with him or not. She had to find out

what type of man he was and dinner without the anticipation of sex was the best way to find out. Dinner went smoothly and they both had a fantastic time of it. When he had exhausted questions about Botswana they moved on to talk about football. He asked her if she had always been a football fan and she told him about being Wilson's daughter and Isaac's sister. There was never any doubt about her learning to enjoy football since it was practically the only thing they ever watched, except when their mother put her foot down. When Ashlee came along her mother decided that she would not be corrupted. He laughed at that because she used those exact words. She was surprised to learn that he had turned on to football after realizing he was not as good at tennis as he would have liked to be. She asked him about his pre-match routine and that led to talk about music and music moved to movies. There was never a moment of silence between the two of them. She found that the more she talked to him the more human he became but sadly the more she liked him. He was lost by the time the final course made its way to the table. He knew he was smitten. As they enjoyed dessert both knew that the night would have to come to an end and the question lingered on their minds; would they go their separate ways with memories of the dinner to hold on to, or would they spend the night together? Samorena made the decision that would change her life forever. She took Saone's advice to spend the night with Luca hoping that it would cure her of her obsession with him. Many conversations that cantered around "I only want one night with him, one night, just one." had taken place between the two best friends and there she was with the opportunity to realize that fantasy. He was doing nothing to hide his attraction from her while she was doing all she could to hide it. Luca decided that once they were in the car he would ask her back to his place. If she said no, he would be disappointed but he would live with that. Rejection was a thousand times better than wondering what if. Several times he asked himself what it was about her that he found so much more intriguing than most of the women that he met and finally reasoned that it had everything to do with the fact that she was not throwing herself at him. She was a beautiful woman, possibly more so than a lot of women he had met, but he did meet beautiful women every day and he was no longer taken in by just a pretty face. Maybe it was the way she was so mysterious. He liked to solve mysteries and women were not the exception. He would bed her and tomorrow she would be just another woman and he would go back to his normal life with Diane. A wave of guilt swept through him at Diane's name but he quickly quashed it. They finished dinner; he settled the bill then led her to the car outside.

They had not gone far when he bit the bullet and asked her. 'I am having a really great time.' He said. 'I'm having a great time as well.' 'I would love to spend more time with you. We could go out to a club or something and have a drink or two. Or we could go back to my place where it will be just the two of us, no nosy reporters or waiters coming over for pictures and autographs. That’s if you are not tired of my company.' She smiled and surprised him by saying, 'I was beginning to think you would never ask.' He did a double take then chuckled, 'Alright then.' He was smiling from ear to ear and felt like he had been given a treat when he least expected it. He wanted to race back to his place but reigned that thought in and continued at the leisurely pace in spite of the fact that he was more turned on than he had been in a very long time. He wanted to savour the feeling. Samorena was calm and expected in waves over the prospect of realizing her fantasy. Surprisingly, she was not nervous at all. She hoped the reality would be as good as the fantasy. Thus far, meeting him had been just as she had hoped it would be. He was every bit the man she had imagined him to be. He was charming and witty. It did not hurt one bit that he looked as good as he did either. The nerves hit her as they drove up to the front of the house. 'Welcome to mia casa.' 'É molto bello. Mi piacciono i colori che hai usato.' 'You speak Italian?' 'I fake Italian.' 'I like that. Da questa parte, prego. Vino?' 'Si, rosso, per favore.'

'Bene.' He led her to the lounge where he offered her a seat while he went to fetch a bottle of red wine. He was back and pouring them a glass each in no time at all. He sat down next to her and noticed something from this close distance that he had not seen earlier; her eyes were brown and not black. 'Your eyes are brown.' he said, and then bit the inside of his cheek. She smiled when she saw that he was as nervous as she was if not more. It shocked her and relaxed her that she would be making such a good looking man nervous. 'You are very beautiful.' he said. 'Thank you.' She bit her lip, set her glass down, took his and placed it next to hers. He knew what was on her mind because it had been on his from the moment he met her. He felt his heart pound and wondered at the nerves he was experiencing. You could swear he was a teenager again and not the experienced man of twenty eight that he was. When her lips touched his instinct took over and he snapped out of it. When he kissed her back he felt her shudder and let out a sigh. It was better than he had thought it would be. The taste of her, the smell and feel of her lips on his was a myriad of sensations that he could not describe. He cupped her face and deepened the kiss wanting to explore the sweetness of her mouth and was rewarded with a moan. She moved in closer until there was no separating their bodies and her arms wrapped around his neck. He slipped his hands under her and lifted her, without breaking the kiss, and carried her to the bedroom. Samorena looked up at him as he ed her on the bed. He looked down at her, stroked her cheek then leaned down to reclaim her lips right with these words right before he reclaimed his prize. 'So beautiful.' His hand moved from her neck, travelled the length of her body before coming back up to rest of a breast. Her nipple puckered up in an invitation which he accepted by circling it with a finger. Samorena gasped, smiled and took possession of his lips once more.

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? As Diane walked up to the front door she prayed she would find Luca home and alone. She hated that she was acting this way and wanted to laugh at herself for it. She could not shake the niggling feeling that something was amiss but convinced herself that it was her overactive actress mind that was conjuring all this up/ 'How foolish will I feel when I walk in there and he is sleeping the sweetheart?' she said, to herself. She let herself in and went straight to the bedroom so she did not see the bottle of wine or the two abandoned glasses of wine. All she could think about was crawling into bed next to the man that she loves, taking in the smell of his hair and his neck. She loved the way he smelled after his nightly shower and could not wait to surround herself with it. What greeted her as she opened the door to the bedroom that she had slept in several times over the last year was something that shook her to the core. She had been cheated on before once or twice, she had found out at the end of the affairs but she had never actually seen them with other women and had hoped she never would. She had come to his house expecting her suspicions to be confirmed but hoping to be proven wrong. Her boyfriend was sleeping but he had a small smile on his lips and his arms were around a woman so beautiful that she made Diane's beauty insignificant. But it was the look of contentment on his face that tore Diane up. She had watched him sleep before, while she held him, but he had never looked so happy or at peace as he did in that moment. Nor had he ever held her like he was holding that woman. He was holding her like he never wanted to let go of her. This was a man in love. So this was what Luca looked like when he was in love? Her eyes moved once more to the woman in her man's arms. She was filled with such rage as she had never felt before. How dare the woman look so comfortable in the bed and sheets that she, Diane, had picked out? When she and Luca started seeing each other, she had slept over twice before she told Luca that she did not want to sleep in the same bed that his other women had slept in and so they had gone to buy a new bed. Now there was another woman in it. How long has she been sleeping in her bed? Have there been others?

Diane felt the scream bubbling up from the stream of her consciousness to come out loud and high pitched. Luca and his companion were startled awake and sat up sharply. He instinctively grabbed onto Samorena hoping to shield her from whatever that was and went cold when he relied that the source of the disturbance was Diane. He jumped out of bed and slipped on his sweats. It took Samorena a little more time to piece together the pieces of the puzzle in front of her. She grabbed the sheet to cover her upper body as Luca left the bed. Samorena looked from the beautiful woman at the foot of the bed to the equally beautiful man standing next to the woman. It slowly sunk in that the beautiful woman was one of her favourite actresses and Luca's ex-girlfriend or current, she was not sure. When her brain aught up and the picture completely formed in her head she felt disgusted and started throwing up diving for the carpet. Luca looked at his girlfriend as she stood screaming and wondered how the hell she had gotten into his house then ed giving her his keys the last time they were together. Fuck! 'Di, I can explain.' he said. He clenched his jaw as the most cliché words in the world left his mouth. He had always laughed when people on television immediately went for these words yet there he was adding himself to the statistics. He understood why clichés were clichés. Diane stopped screaming and stared at him. She looked like she wanted to kill him and he did not blame her one bit. Even though he wanted to calm Diane down, it was the woman in the bed that he was worried about. His hard-on had robbed him of the ability to think things through. He should have known that Diane would come to his house but it is very difficult to think with a hard-on. He looked from one woman to the other. Diane was royally pissed and waiting for an explanation, while Sam looked confused, at first to see Diane standing in the bedroom, then disgusted when it sunk in why Diane was there. He had assumed she knew about Diane but the look on her face when she looked at him told him that she'd had no idea. He wondered how that could be. Diane laughed derisively, 'Business meeting my ass! Last time I went to one it was in an office with clothes on!' she said. Diane turned back to the woman who was retching all over the carpet that she

had put in three months ago. 'That was expensive you stupid whore!' she spat at her. She knew it was wrong to take the fight to the woman but she was not ready to deal with Luca and it was easier to cast the woman as seductress rather than her man as perfidious. 'Diane.' Luca began. Samorena's first spurt of tears came and she found she could not control them. They were tears of embarrassment and hurt. She had never been with another woman's man and that was something she prided herself in. She always steered clear of taken men no matter how interested she was because she knew the pain of being cheated on and yet there she was caught in the act, and the first time it happened at that. 'What the hell are you crying for? I'm the victim here!' Diane continued. 'Luca, what is going on?' Samorena asked. She was angry at Luca for putting her in this position but if she was honest with herself she would it that she had not asked him whether he was seeing someone or not because she wanted to pretend he was single. She did not want to be there anymore. She hopped out of bed in search of her dress in all her nakedness. 'Where do you think you are going? We are not done here!' Diane yelled. She picked up Samorena's dress and flung it out through the window. 'Sit your ass back down. Nobody is going anywhere. When you spread your legs for him did you not think that this would happen? What you went on the internet, found out I was out of town and decided this was your big chance? I hate you fucking groupies!' 'Diane shut up!' Luca said. Samorena watched in sick fascination as Diane's face turned pink and waited for the woman's head to explode. She sat back down on the bed, this time with a sheet wrapped around her body. 'What did you say to me?' Diane asked, her body pulsating with rage as she looked around for something to throw at him. She wanted to cause him physical

pain. She took off one shoe and threw it at him. He dodged it with ease and approached her. 'Let's all calm down and talk about this. There is no need for this to get ugly.' he said. 'I just want to get out of here. Diane I thought...I didn't know if I had known I never would have...' Samorena tried to speak before Diane cut her off. 'Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! Not one word from you! You were caught and now you want to play victim, not very original.' Diane said. 'Diane if you want to take your anger out on someone let it be me.' Luca said. 'Of course I am going to take it out on you. You are the source after all, what did you think? That you are off the hook?' Diane raged. Samorena ran a hand through her hair; she was getting more and more uncomfortable as well as angry. She wanted to get out of there before someone called the police and the place was overridden by paparazzi. They would be on the cover of every magazine and newspaper and, on every news outlet. The whole world would know. Her mother would find out. Her potential business partners. Anger caught up with all her other emotions and she shot up from the bed to slap Luca. She backhanded him for good measure. 'Diane whether you believe me or not what I am saying is the truth. I did not know about you. I'm sorry.' She grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from the closet, slipped then slipped from the room while the pair continued to talk. Diane watched as Luca's eyes followed the other woman and when she tried to catch his attention he left her standing in the room by herself as he followed that woman. Luca stood immobilized as Sam put clothes on and left the room. When the door closed behind her he snapped out of it and followed her. ***

Samorena was calling a cab when Luca ed her in the lounge. 'Please stay.' he said. She finished giving the driver Luca's address and turned to face Luca astonished at what he was saying and even more so by the fact that he was standing in front of her and not in the bedroom with Diane. 'You have to let me explain.' he continued. 'You have got to be kidding me! Do you really think that I am going to give you any more of my time after what just happened in there?' she said. He stepped closer to her but she held up a hand, 'Don't come near me. I think maybe I gave you the wrong idea of me and for that I apologize. I am not a groupie; I don't go around having sex with famous people, that's not me. I thought you were different...I...' she trailed off, feeling like an idiot with every word that left her mouth. Luca ran a hand through his already ruffled hair. He didn't know what to do and all he knew was he did not want Sam to leave. He wished he had taken her somewhere Diane would never have discovered them. Or that he had been upfront with her. Now she was going to walk out of his life and he was certain he would never get the chance to talk to her again. Ever. The realization was more painful than he could have ever imagined it would be. How could he explain his actions in a way that would make her want to hear him out? He could it that when he first met her he was only physically attracted to her but as the night progressed she spoke to something inside of him that had been long buried. She made him feel things he had never felt before and was enthralled. The first time he and Diane made love he had left the room to get a drink while she had fallen asleep and only ed her much later when he was sure she was asleep and only a few times in their relationship had Diane woken up in his arms. Sam was different and he could not explain why. He had not wanted to let go of her from the moment he kissed her, he'd held her in his arms after, and they had just talked until they fell asleep. The only other time he had talked so much with a woman after sex was the first time he fell in love when he was eighteen. Never, since then, had he spent so much time talking to a woman; those moments were usually filled with more sex. With Sam he had been turned on several times while he held her but all he had wanted was to feel her in his arms. Now he was

watching her as she half faced away from him wanting with every cell in her body to be as far away from him as she could get. She probably hated him and he could not blame her for that. He was torn between continuing to beg her to stay and letting her have her distance. Maybe in a day or when she had cooled off he would call her and she would be more willing to listen, or maybe as soon as she was out of his house he would never get another chance to talk to her. 'At least let me drive you home.' he offered. 'I've already called a cab.' she said. 'I really wish things had turned out differently.' 'How? Diane not coming over?' 'Yes...I mean no...I...' 'Save it.' *** Diane stood in the bedroom for a moment waiting for Luca to walk back in and beg for her forgiveness. She could not understand how Luca had left her standing all alone like that. She is every man's dream woman. Many men want her and many more would give almost everything to have her in their lives. Yet here was the man that she loved running after another woman when she too was hurting and he was the reason that she was hurting. Who was this woman? What was going on? How long has she been in Luca's life? When had Luca fallen in love with her? There were so many questions and no answers. There was too much confusion for her to deal with. None of this made any sense. Of one thing however she was certain and it was that she still wanted Luca. He would beg for forgiveness and she would punish him but in the end she would take him back and they would have the life they were always meant to have. This woman was nobody. She was Diane Armstrong. There was no competition. When Luca did not immediately come back she left the room in search of him. She was fuming. She found with the woman in the lounge. The woman was hugging her body close and half turned to the doorway. Her body language screamed that she did not want to be there. Diane wanted to believe her but it did not make sense when she and Luca were so famous. This woman must have known how could she have not known when there were so many pictures of them out there? Diane

gave the woman a filthy look, slapped Luca and made sure to slam the door behind her. Luca had been slapped three times in the space of half an hour but that pain was nothing compared to the one his heart was in at the thought of Sam walking out of his life. He felt awful that the woman who loved him was hurting and he had spared her only a moment's thought and not the amount she deserved for giving him a year of her life. He seemed to have no say in where his attention went as all of it focused on the woman who had now turned away from him to face the door. 'You don't have to talk to me Sam but please listen to me. Diane and I have been off for months now. I fell out of love with her months ago and I have been too much of a coward to let her know. I wish I had because she deserves it and so do you. I have no excuse I just...I met you at that hospital and you enchanted me. I have never believed in love at first sight and I still don't want to believe it but how else am I to explain it?' Samorena snorted. She might not believe him but at least she was listening and that's all he wanted in that moment. 'I know, it sounds ridiculous even to me. I have not been able to get you out from under my skin, everything about you intrigues me. I want to be around you all the time and soak up all there is about you. It was selfish of me and I know it. I should have told you the truth and let you make the decision to come back here with me with full knowledge. Sam I...' he trailed off. 'You should have done that.' she said. His heart leapt. 'I have many regrets Sam but being with you is not one of them. I regret not being honest with you and what I have exposed you to and I wish I could undo a lot of things.' 'But you can't.' 'I know. What can I do?' 'You can let me walk out of here. Allow me to forgive you. We will go our

separate ways and eventually we will forget about each other. Life will go on.' Her words hurt but he understood why she felt that way and had the roles been reversed he would have left a long time ago. He wanted desperately for things to be different and knew he would have to let her be the one to decide which way to go from there. It was difficult for Sam to hold her tears in. She wanted to beat herself silly for being so stupid as to be taken in by the fantasy. Of course the man has a girlfriend! How does one this handsome and rich stay single? This was partly her fault. She blamed herself more than she blamed him but she did not want to give him that much power. She hadn't asked because she had wanted to cling to the fantasy and now that it was crumbling she wanted to shift all of the blame to him. It was slightly unfair but it was self-preservation at its best. As she listened to him talk about how enchanted he had been with her she wished she was hearing those words under very different circumstances. In those circumstances she would rejoice in the words. Now they were a stabbing pain reminding her of what she could never have. Right now she did not feel like anything but a groupie. How was she different from one anyway? Except for the fact that she had not done it to get a taste of fame. When news broke she would be cast as a groupie who had torn apart one of the world's favourite couples. *** When the cab finally arrive she literally ran out of the house and quickly climbed into the cab. She did not look at him once because she knew if she did she would be the one begging to stay. Safe in the back of the cab she allowed the tears that she had been holding back to fall. 'You alright love?' the driver asked. 'I'd rather not talk about please.' The drive to the hotel was the longest ride of her life and she cried the whole time. She was hurt, embarrassed and felt like a horrible person for causing Diane pain. Not only had she slept with her man but said man had paid more attention to her than to Diane. It was four in the morning and she did not expect Saone to be up so she went straight to bed and cried herself to sleep.

*** She woke up the next morning to the sunlight streaming in and Saone sitting on the side of her bed. 'Hi!' Saone said, excitedly. 'Well..?' Samorena tried to speak but burst into tears 'Hey, hey, what's going on?' Saone asked. 'Sasa it all went horribly wrong. It's just...it's a mess.' 'What are you talking about? I saw pictures of you going into the restaurant and he looked absolutely besotted.' 'Did you also read about his girlfriend?' 'His what?' 'Diane.' 'Diane? Wait, I thought that was over.' 'Well, it didn't seem over when she walked in on us.' 'While you guys were..? Did you guys..?' 'No and yes. It was after, while we were sleeping. It's bound to be in the news by now. I feel like such a...why? We...I should have found out.' Saone held her as Sam started to cry again. Saone was sad to see her friend hurting so much. She could not count how many times she'd had to pick up the pieces. They had known it would not go beyond one night with Luca and if it did then great. This was the last thing they could have anticipated. She would never have urged Sam to have sex with the man if she knew that he was involved. 'Do you want to go home?' Saone asked. Samorena snorted, 'No. We are here to handle business. We will not let a man derail us.'

Saone nodded. Sam was a trooper and so was she. No matter what was going on in their lives they were able to put that aside and focus on business. That's how they found success at such a young age. Samorena wiped her tears away and picked herself up. 'How was your evening?' Samorena asked. 'It was great, I had a terrific love affair with Leo DiCaprio in Titanic then I went to bed.' Samorena smiled and Saone smiled along. Later, after breakfast, they sat down to watch television. They checked E! Entertainment to see what the world knew. They were not surprised to find that she and Luca were doing the rounds. They were the main story of the day especially that all the media knew was she and Luca had dinner, went back to his house and Diane walked in. Luca nor Diane had spoken to any of the reporters that had cornered them. Nobody thankfully knew who she was yet but she was sure it would not be long before she was tracked to this hotel through the cab service she had used. That's where she would start if she were looking for herself. She watched videos of Luca leaving his house that morning and being asked questions about the scandal. He ignored everyone and climbed into his car and sped off, next they showed Diane arriving on set and being accosted by reporters wanting to know the same thing. She met them with the same response; not a word. She and Saone exchanged a look; the look said that they would not be leaving the hotel room for any reason at all. 'We have come to the biggest story of the day. We've been hinting about it since the start of the show and it’s here now. The story involves the king of football and the queen of film.' They showed a picture of Luca, then of Diane, then several pictures of the both of them. They looked happy and in love in all of the pictures. Sam could not believe she had not seen any of them. She rarely ever tuned to entertainment news or read tabloids. 'There is trouble in paradise it seems as word reaching us says Diane Armstrong

caught Luca Bataglia with a mystery woman. We don't know how true this is but if it is then I can assure you we are devastated. Diane and Luca made such an adorable couple. We have been unable to talk to either of them or the mysterious woman but as soon as we have more information give you the update. Keep tuned in. Now in other news...' 'At least they don't know who I am yet.' Sam said. 'Yeah.' They both gasped when a knock sounded on the door. They looked at each other and shrugged. 'Who is it?' Saone asked. 'Room service.' 'Did you order room service?' Sam asked. 'Yeah, coz I figured you wouldn't want to leave the room.' 'I'll get it.' Sam went to open the door and it was indeed room service however there were reporters camped outside the door. As soon as the door opened cameras began to flash and reporters started asking questions. She stood there in stupefaction until the room service attendant asked her where she would like her food. She stepped aside for him and he helped keep the dozen or so men and women outside while she shut the door. She showed him where to put their food. 'We did not order paparazzi.' Sam said, to him. 'I apologize ma'am and I assure you this has never happened before but I could not hold them off.' he said. Angry as she was it was not the man's fault that she was being stalked. She fled to the bathroom while Saone tipped him and showed him to the door. Sam came out when Saone let her know he was gone. She and Saone looked at each other then each sank to the ground.

'Sasa what the hell are we going to do? They know who I am.' Sam said. 'What we are going to do Sam is show up for the meeting, do our presentation, blow their fucking socks while we smile for the cameras. That's what the hell we are going to do. We are so close to realizing our dreams and we cannot let people with cameras and recording devices derail that dream. Then when that is done we are going to clean up this scandal because that is what we do, that is why we are the top PR firm in the country. We could make the devil look like an angel.' Samorena nodded and tried to believe the words that her friend was saying to her. She wished she had Saone's confidence but all she felt was panic. Before the paps had showed up to their door this had all been a distant dream. Even though she had known it would happen eventually she had allowed herself to believe that she would not be found, at least not until she had gotten the presentation over. 'Sam, stop panicking. We will be fine. We are prepared and we have been doing this for the last eight years.' 'I want to believe you Sasa but I am freaking out.' Then the tears started to fall. Saone knew it would take a little longer for Sam to see that there was a way out of this and soon the nightmare would be over. She needed Sam to be in top shape for tomorrow. They had put a lot of resources into this and she could not have it fail for lack of trying. If they failed it would be because they were not wanted and not because they put it a shoddy performance or were not prepared. She made Sam tea and helped her to the sofa. Sam drifted off as she sipped her tea, the tears still falling down her face.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON When Samorena and Saone woke up on Tuesday morning they were both incredibly nervous and, if it counted for anything, well rested. They had gone to bed early the previous day. They had their lunch over an hour after it had been delivered. Then had spent the rest of the afternoon re-rehearsing their presentation and preparing for how to answer questions regarding Luca. They were certain at least one question would pop up. By the time evening strolled in the world knew who she was. They had her name, where she was from, where she worked, who her parents were as well as who her last boyfriend. He would love that! She was officially the world's hated person if not then definitely top five. It was a difficult thing to ignore or carry on one's shoulders, especially where a verdict was ed without hearing both sides of the story. They both did the best that they could to ignore everything that had nothing to do with their presentation that day. Over tea they went through the final preparations, making sure they were both on the same page. Saone gave Sam one last pep talk because Sam looked like she needed one. 'We are good at what we do, we are prepared for this and our portfolio does the talking for us. We are money waiting to be made and they would be crazy not to partner with us.' Saone said. 'Hi 5!' They hi-fived each other. Both women have the very rare ability to keep their separate lives from their professional lives. Business hours were business hours and they were business partners in those business hours but as soon as those hours were up they would go back to being the best of friends. That is largely why they were so successful. It was due to the fact that they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses as well as how to make the best of those strengths and weaknesses. 'Work mode on.' Saone said, making Sam giggle. Sam had on a grey skirt suit, royal blue silk shirt and black shoes while Saone had on a black pants suit and a light grey shirt with charcoal grey shoes. They

gathered up their papers and packed them in their briefcases, then packed up their laptops and tablets. As they were preparing to leave the knowledge that there was a group of people waiting for them downstairs never left their minds. 'Do you want to turn on the TV and see what they are saying?' Saone asked. They had not turned the television on since last evening and were curious what new developments there were. Sam was surprised to learn that Luca was planning on doing an interview later that day. What was less surprising was that while Luca kept a low profile Diane had been talking to people. They saw a clip of Diane playing the victim perfectly and thanking everyone for their well wishes and asking for privacy in "this very difficult time" She would always be fond of Luca and would not sully the memory of their relationship by talking about it. She was good. Effectively telling the world that she was done with Luca while also making it sound like she did not want to talk about it. Diane had every right to play victim because she was, but she was not the only victim in this. Sam was too. Sure she was not Luca's girlfriend but she had not set out to sleep with another woman's man either. 'Luca is keeping a very low profile. It's two days without a word now. He is looking even more the cad by the day.' Saone said. Samorena was about to respond when her phone rang. It was a UK number so she answered it assuming it was Mandy or Dave; the people that they were meeting, but praying it was not a reporter. 'Hello.' she said. 'Hi. How are you Sam?' a man said. 'I'm fine. Who am I talking to?' 'Luca Bataglia please do not hang up.' the last five words were spoken almost as though they were one word. Her body stilled and words fled her mind. She had saved his number in order to avoid his calls in the event that he tried to get in touch. He must have known that which is why he was calling her from another number. She wanted to hang up but she was curious about what he had to say.

'Who is it?' Saone asked. 'Luca.' Sam mouthed and Saone frowned. 'Are you there?' Luca asked. 'Yeah, I'm still here.' 'Where do I start?' 'You could start by hanging up and letting me get on with my life.' 'I can't do that, not yet. Listen, I called to let you know I am doing a live interview later tonight and I would like for you to be there, so we can set the record straight.' She thought about it for a second then said, 'I have a business meeting in an hour, I will talk to you when I am done.' 'Where is your meeting? Maybe U can you, later when you are done, I mean.' 'That would not be a good idea.' 'OK. The interview is later this evening at six for seven.' 'Text me the details. Bye.' She hung up then took a moment to gather herself. She had always scoffed at the idea of love at first sight or any of that romantic stuff but there was no other way to explain the effect that he had on her and she had known him for four days. Four days was not enough to create as strong a connection as she felt with him. 'Are you ok?' Saone asked. She did not ask about the details of the phone call, she knew Sam would tell her when she was ready, all the wanted to know was that Sam was fine. 'Yeah. Let's just get out of here and be businessy. Forget all this bullshit.' Sam said. Somehow they managed to work their way past the dozen or so men and women

waiting for them and got into a cab. The questions rang in their heads as they sat at the back of the cab. "Are you and Luca lovers?" "How long have you been seeing each other?" "Is it true that you are secretly engaged to him?" "Are you a mail order bride?" "What about Diane?" It took every ounce of the strength that she possessed as well as Saone's strength to hold it together. She hated herself for having dinner with the man. Her face was all over the news on all seven continents. She could just imagine what was going on back home. What should have been a fairy tale had quickly turned into a nightmare that she desperately needed to wake up from. 'Oh Sasa I thought I could handle it.' Sam said. 'Of course you can.' 'What possessed him to call me?!' 'This is not the place or time to talk about this.' Saone glanced at the driver who was paying more attention to them than the road. Sam took a deep breath let it out then smiled at Saone. 'Believable?' she asked. 'Almost. You'll get there.' The ride felt like an eternity in hell. The nightmare continued when they realized even outside Dave and Mandy's office there were reporters waiting there. 'Who the hell told them we were coming?' Sam exclaimed. 'We've just stepped into hell.' Saone echoed. As they muscled their way into the building Dave wondered how famous people coped with this kind of intrusion everyday of their lives. She could not imagine having to live like that for the rest of her life. One day in it and she wanted to burrow into the ground and never resurface, at least not until another scandal swept hers under the rug. The building's security kept the reporters outside so the

pair could breathe normally again. They approached reception and introduced themselves. They were shown to the conference room and entered the room as though they had not come in from chaos. Dave and Mandy were already in the conference room waiting for them. They both stood up when the women entered the room and shook hands with them. 'You are quite the celebrities; we have been fielding calls non-stop all morning.' Mandy said, as soon as they were all seated. Samorena laughed nervously as she removed her laptop from its bag. 'It would appear so.' She said. 'It's really none of our business.' Dave Elliot said. Mandy Elliot eyed Samorena suspiciously. She and her brother Dave were wealthy and had decided several years ago to invest in start-ups as well as companies that had promise. They were currently looking for an international PR firm. They had identified four companies from three different continents and GLAMAGE were the most impressive they had come across. The fact that they were also publicists gave them an edge over the other three. GLAMAGE had been sure to get the funding until news had broken about the scandal involving one of its owners and a famous football player. Mandy had wanted to axe them immediately but it was Dave who had convinced her to change her mind because scandal or not this was a great opportunity. Africa was virtually uncharted territory and they both realized how much growth and expansion was to be had from this one investment. Even as she sat at the table with the woman in question, Mandy was not sure she wanted their brand associated with that sort of image. The only reason she was sitting there was for two reasons, the first of which was her brother had convinced her to hear the two women out and the second was if the women could spin this scandal in their favor then half the work would have been done for them. In the world of entertainment, especially, there was no such thing as bad press. Her brother was all for investing and Mandy knew, as talented as the women were, his interest lay in the women and not the company. The fact that Samorena was embroiled in scandal made her very interesting to Dave. He was and has always been attracted to trouble and controversy. As Samorena set up their equipment Saone began the pitch. Mandy was impressed by their poker faces. Other than the occasional sip of water by

Samorena, one would not be able to tell that anything was amiss or that she was facing a potentially career destroying scandal. She felt a little sympathy for the young girl, guilty or not, it must not be easy to be going through this. 'The society that we live in is fickle and unforgiving, and nobody is safe from censure. It does not matter who you are and it seems the higher you climb the more your mistakes are picked apart. What’s more, we are, none of us, perfect and now and then we gaff, we make mistakes. Yet it seems those in the public eye such as businesses, athletes, actors, musicians and politicians are held to a different standard and expected to never make mistakes. Is that possible? Not at all. That's why we are in business and that's to help those who find themselves in a position where they have lost the favor of the people they serve, that adore them and that purchase their products. Our job is to make the public do one of two things. One, realize that these people are human just like they are, two, minimize the impact of the scandal.' Saone said. 'We have been doing exceptionally well and have a strong client base that is loyal to the work we do for them. Our wish is to enter the UK market and a liaison with you would make this penetration a lot smoother.' Samorena added. Dave laughed out loud then excused himself. 'I apologize. Please, do go on.' he said. Samorena felt her cheeks burn. She could tell exactly where the obnoxious redfaced man’s head was at but she could not put him in his place because she needed his money and connections more than she needed retribution. 'We have a strong and talented team who are the reason we are so successful. We have three branches in our country; in Gaborone the capital city, Francistown the second city and Maun the tourist capital of the country. Each branch is made up of fifteen to twenty employees. Five PR people, three publicists, two secretaries; one for PR the other for publicity, three drivers, two marketing executives, one person in legal, one in ing and two assistants for myself and Miss Lebang.' Samorena continued. As Saone continued where she had left off Samorena handed out hard copies of the information on the screen. 'If you could look to the screen there.' Saone said, 'On the left you will see our total turnover over the past three years, on the right is a breakdown by branch. We have been in business for six years and while the first two were difficult the

last three have been good to us. On the next slide you have financial projections for the next three years and what you are looking at are projections for the Southern African market; that includes South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The next slide shows projections for UK if we were to go in alone on the left and on the right are projections with you on board. These projections were informed by our performance from inception to yesterday, your organization's reputation, the target market that we have identified in each market as well as resources that we will be available to us. As you can see we expect a hike of about five to eight percent in the first three years with you on board than the two to three percent we would enjoy in the first five years were we to go in alone.' 'The type of investment we are talking about will give you partnership which means you will have a say in how the company gets run and how profits are divided and expansions within the UK.' Samorena added. Then she switched the projector off and spoke to the siblings again, 'We are confident that this partnership will reap benefits for years to come and together we can build an empire which is why we are hopeful of you coming on board. Thank you.' 'Thank you ladies.' Dave said. 'Do you plan on hiring your people or locals?' Mandy asked. 'Naturally, I would bring some of our officers to train anyone who would be hired. There is a certain culture that has been cultivated within Glamage that we feel has been part of the reason for the success enjoyed and we would want that culture to extend to this market. However, majority of the employees will be locals.' Samorena said. 'How do you intend on going about getting clients?' Mandy inquired. 'We have identified several niche markets in England, Manchester especially, that could be profitably explored. And some of our clients back in Botswana have branches here and could be swayed to shift some business our way; we have in fact struck up tentative arrangements with several of them.' Saone answered. 'It’s very important for us to know who we are going into business with and so there are things that I need to know which may be of a sensitive nature. I would

be pleased if you would be forthcoming so we know how to proceed from here.' Mandy said. She took a sip of water and watched Samorena over the rim of her glass. 'Samorena may I be frank?' 'Please.' 'Alright. I was impressed by your presentation and I must it I fell in love with your company the first time I read about it. However, certain things in your private life have come to light and it has made me a little hesitant.' 'What my sister, in her roundabout way, is saying is that we are worried how your affair with the football player will affect us.' 'There is no affair. What happened was...the record will be set straight and the truth will be known. I want you to know that at Glamage we run things in a professional manner and never let our private affairs affect business in any way.' Mandy nodded and looked at Dave who nodded as well. 'Mandy and I will think on it and email you our decision in a week.' 'Thank you for meeting us.' Saone said. They both got up and shook hands with one another. Dave gripped Samorena's hand a little tighter and held on a little longer than was necessary. They said their goodbyes and left the room with the other pair's eyes following them out. They muscled their way to the waiting cab. Sam threw her head back and stared up at the roof. Tears trickled down her face. 'I am sorry.' she said. 'Whatever for?' Saone asked. 'Screwing this up for us. How ironic is it that there was actual screwing in this.' She laughed bitterly. Saone pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. Then she started laughing. 'What?'

'I was just thinking how we added lesbian lovers to the equation with me kissing your forehead just now.' Samorena sighed loudly and said, 'This is a never ending nightmare. How the hell did we become more famous than our clients? It's not supposed to be that way.' she said. When they arrived at the hotel Samorena ed her phone call with Luca that morning and how he had said something about an interview. She checked her phone for messages and sure enough he had text her the details. They were going to be live on one of the biggest talk shows in the world. They had viewership on six continents. She had not properly spoken to Luca since she stormed out of his house on Sunday morning. It would be wise to so that she knows exactly what he is going to say but she knew it would be a bad idea and would set all types of tongues wagging. The last thing she needed was to be seen with Luca Bataglia. She debated the pros and cons of going on the interview. The biggest pro was the fact that she would finally get her side of the story heard. The con was the fact that by going on this interview and talking about her life she would be making it okay for other people to talk about her and her affairs. However the fact that people would continue to talk, especially the longer she kept a low profile, overrode any need for privacy. People would talk either way but it was better for them to talk about the truth. So she decided she would do the interview. She called Luca on the number he gave her at the hospital and waited nervously while it rang. Luckily she did not have to wait very long. 'Cara...' he said. She ignored the endearment in spite of the fact that it made her heart do leaps and bounds. 'I will do the interview with you but I have conditions.' 'Let's hear them.' 'We will not arrive together. We will not talk to each other before or after the interview and there will be no physical .' 'Your demands are reasonable.'

As she hung up she hated that he was being so nice to her.

WE ARE FRIENDS Luca's Monday was a nightmare straight out of hell. His publicist and brother, Antonio, was angry with him. Antonio had woken up to a nightmare on Sunday morning. He had gotten a call from his at Hello! wanting a confirmation of Luca and Diane's split. Shortly after more reporters had called for official comments from Luca's team. Of course he had nothing because he did not know his younger brother had ended things with the actress. He turned on the news and got a second hand of the fact that Diane had caught Luca with another woman. Then when he called his brother to get an explanation he could not get a hold of him. It was only when he went to Luca's house that he was able to talk to him but only after threatening to call their mother. By that time several of the brands that Luca was ambassador of had called threatening to drop him. That was 15 million Pounds a year threatening to leave. Not only that but his public image was being shredded. He'd had to jump into action and plug holes so that their ship would not sink. Luckily for him he was owed a lot of favours and this was a hot story so he was able to get Luca three interviews the first of which was Melissa Cartwright. Melissa Cartwright hosted a show called At Home With Mel. This show made or broke celebrities, if you wanted to be taken seriously you had to be on her show. It was not easy getting on the show but he had managed to get Luca on for that Tuesday evening slot. The next two interviews were local and on Wednesday and Thursday. The weekend had not gone as planned for Luca. He had hoped to see how things went with Sam and if he still felt the same way after making love to her, which he did, then he would talk to Diane and hope to have an amicable end to things. Now he had neither woman in his life and both were pissed off at him and with good reason. After both women had left he had gone back to bed with the phone in his hand. He'd wanted to call Sam to see if she got home safely and because he just wanted to talk to her. This woman had left her mark on him that was for sure. He had struggled to fall asleep with her on his mind. When he woke up on Sunday morning she was still on his mind. Every time that his phone rang he jumped for it hoping it was her but it was either reporters, Antonio or Diane. He did not want to talk to any of them so he let the phone ring. Of two things he was certain, the first of which was he did not want to be with Diane anymore and the second thing was he had messed up possibly forever with Samorena. He was not surprised when his brother showed up at his house after he refused to

take his calls. He refused to let him in until Antonio threatened to call their mother and he was forced to open the gate. 'What happened?' Antonio asked, as soon as he was in the house. 'Diane showed up.' 'As true as that is that is not how you want to answer that question.' 'I fucked up man. I had a girl over and Diane came over...and she found us.' 'Haven't I taught you anything?' 'This girl is different.' 'They always are.' 'Not this one. Besides you know Diane and I have been off for months.' 'I thought you would snap out of it. Diane is perfect.' 'Nobody is perfect.' 'You know what I mean.' 'This girl blew my mind. She is gorgeous and what a body on her. She is sweet and she knows football like you and I know football, if you'd met her you...plus she owns her own company that she and her friend built from the ground up. You know when you are talking to her that she is interested in what you have to say and you can really talk to her because it’s you that she is interested in.' Antonio expelled a breath. 'You sound like a lovesick teenager.' he said. 'I know. That's what I have been trying to tell you. I have to see her again.' 'That's a terrible idea. Wait at least until this thing blows over.' 'I know that but...'

'Think when your big head. And listen to your family. Your sisters are dying to talk to you oh and mom wants to know what's going on with the lovely blonde girl.' 'I can't believe she still won't call her by name.' They laughed. 'I have to go clean up your mess. Stay out of trouble and don't call her.' Antonio left and Luca was left alone once more. He woke up later that Sunday evening, ate, watched a little television until he fell asleep again. In the morning when he woke up he went to take a shower, have breakfast then watch more television. He came across an interview of Diane and his heart broke for her. She was a great woman and deserved none of this but keeping his distance was for the best. The colder he was to her the faster she would get over him and on with her own life. He switched off the television and checked his social media pages. People were going at him on Facebook and Twitter but that was to be expected. There was a lot of as well. He Googled Sam and was saddened to see how people were going at her, calling her all sorts of names. There were a few calling for and reminding people that it was unfair to blame her when this was a two way street. He resolved to try and absolve her of any blame in this debacle, even if his image took a dent, he would get by. He decided to call her to let her know about the interview and that he was going to do everything in his power to clear her name. She answered his call but was so cold that Luca lost his nerve and only gave her the basics. He was happy that she had agreed to do the interview and was getting ready later that afternoon when Antonio came by. He was giving him pointers as he was getting dressed. 'You would swear this was my very first interview.' 'Well Luca you tend to say the first thing that comes to your head and with football that's fine, but this is a different ball game and you need to play by the rules.' 'Alright coach!' Antonio ignored that and continued to address him as he finished getting ready.

He could barely concentrate on what Antonio was saying his excitement was through the roof. He was going to see her again. He wished for the thousandth time that he was meeting with her under better circumstances. *** Diane half listened to her PR team as they shared ideas on how to deal with the "situation." Her love life was a situation now. She sighed internally as she resigned herself to the fact that this came with giving yourself to the public. Your life ceased to be yours and became public property. The plan that her team had come up with was to go on exclusive interviews to talk about Luca while avoiding him. She was told not to talk to him, text him nor email him. She wanted to talk to him badly to hear him confirm that he indeed did not want to be with her. Because until she heard him from him she would still hold on to the hope that they could work things out that he would tire of this girl and come crawling back to her. She itted her surprise at the fact that the girl, Samorena, had not cashed in her five minutes of fame yet. She was after all a nobody from some obscure country in Africa and this was her ticket to fame. An errant thought threatened to throw Diane's equilibrium off and it was the fact that neither the girl nor Luca had been seen or heard from. She wondered if they were holing up together. She'd left before the girl so maybe the girl had never left Luca's house. Maybe they were playing house. She tamped down on a rising panic. 'This will work and make you a lot of money along the way. The world loves a woman who rises from adversity and lives to tell the story. We are going to bury him.' Amy, her PR manager was saying. 'As of yesterday you are the hottest thing on the planet.' She nodded then spaced out again. When Amy left she sat in make-up for an hour getting ready for the scene that they were about to shoot. She was doing a drama. The scene ahead needed her to portray a mother whose daughter had died violently and she had witnessed it. When the camera started rolling she was no longer acting. As she held her dying daughter in her arms she was back at Luca's house watching him in bed with Samorena. The cast and crew applauded when the scene was wrapped up and everyone agreed that it was the money scene. It was going to resonate with the audience and make them a lot of money. Diane was sending them to the top of the charts with that one.

'This is your third Oscar Diane.' her director promised. She should have been happy and on any other day she would have been ecstatic. Federico always could call them; he always knew which actor would win which award. This was exactly what she needed in her life. Her career had started to wane in recent years with new and younger actresses coming up almost daily it was a struggle to stay relevant. The past three years had been horrible. At twenty-nine she was being cast as the older sister, aunt and mother. She needed to get back to being the hot lead actress. Those were hard to come by and the competition was stiff. She was counting on this movie to put her name back on the radar and force people to take notice of her once again by showing them that she was diverse. Luca cheating on her had come at the right time. She needed those emotions to tap into to produce a top class performance and so far it was working. *** When Luca arrived at the television studio he found that Sam and Saone were already there. She was talking to Saone and she was smiling. He liked that she seemed happy. He stood and watched her in fascination until Saone said something to her and she turned to look at him. His heart stopped beating. Then she turned away. "I'm screwed. I've gone and fallen in love." he thought, to himself. Sam looked in the direction Sasa had pointed her in and found herself looking at Luca. Their eyes met for a brief second and then she looked away. The racing of her heart confirmed the one thing she had been trying to run away from. She had feelings for the man. 'I look at him and I can't breathe. I should hate him but I want to vault into his arms and kiss him until we both can't stand. What is wrong with me?' She said. Saone gave her a sympathetic smile and indicated that he was coming their way so she stopped talking and prepared to face him. 'Hey.' he said. 'Thank you for coming.' 'Thank you for inviting me.' she said.

'Hello Saone.' 'Hello asshole.' Saone said. 'I deserve that. ‘he replied. 'I will see you in there then.' 'Sure.' Sam said. He left and Sam felt herself relax. She had not realized how tense she had been until she felt her muscles relax. 'Let's get this over with.' she said. She had insisted on no make-up but the producers were having none of it and insisted that once they had done Melissa she would be called. She was summoned then. She got her make up done and was led to the set where Luca was already seated and waiting for her. They were seated off stage waiting to be called. It was difficult for both of them to be so close to the other. They both tried not to look at each other but constantly found their eyes straying to the other when they thought the other was not looking. The show started, Melissa did her routine of recapping the latest in news then introduced her special guests. It was odd for Sam to hear her name called out. Melissa called for Luca to her on the stage and Sam watched him walk away. Melissa welcomed Luca to the show and talked for a bit about his achievements as a football player, calling for the audience to applaud him. Next she asked Luca questions to prompt him to talk about his projects including a community sports centre in his hometown, and then he talked about his busy schedule including the weekend's very important fixture. Next he talked about his charitable activities. He was enjoying talking about this so much that he forgot what the main story was until she brought it up. 'With such an illustrious career and so much that you do for the community, the world kind of feels a kinship with you.' she said. 'I do with them too.' he replied. 'Which is why everyone wants to know what is going on? You and Diane were like royalty. The king of football meets the queen of the silver screen. The world fell in love with you. Now we see Diane in interviews and it sounds like you've

split up. What is going on?' 'I don't normally discuss what goes on in my private life or I would have a reality TV show but certain things have been said that have veered slightly from the truth. There has been talk, especially on social media, that I have been cheating on Diane with Samorena for months. That is not true. Until Saturday afternoon, Sam and I were strangers. We met when I visited her in the hospital after there was an incident involving her at the stadium on Saturday.' 'What you are telling me is that you and Samorena are just friends and nothing is going on between the two of you?' 'I doubt she would consider me a friend after what she had been through but I hope she does. Because she is such a wonderful human being who deserves none of the bad press she has been getting. The only reason that her name has been dragged through the mud is me.' 'Well you heard it here in this exclusive interview with Luca Bataglia. When we come back from the break, we speak to Samorena Maduo, stay with us.' Samorena knew she would be up soon and her heart pounded as she waited. Make-up crew came by to retouch her makeup and in what seemed like a second later Melissa was back on and she was being ushered on stage. She was seated next to Luca who smiled at her. He was the only person who smiled at her. 'Welcome back. We have Samorena in the studio with us today and she has agreed to talk to us. Welcome to the show.' Melissa said. 'Thank you for having me.' Sam said. 'I hear you prefer being called Sam.' 'That's right.' 'And I also hear that you own a PR firm.' 'That is correct, well part-own; my best friend Saone co-owns it.' 'At twenty six, you built, from the ground up, a successful business. You must be really proud.'

'Immensely, I cannot explain how fulfilling it is. More so because it allows me to give back to the community.' 'Tell us about that.' Even though she had not intended to go down that route she began talking about the homeless shelter she ran for orphaned children living on the street. She knew the tactic, it was one that was always employed; make them feel comfortable then blindside them with the main issue she was still barely prepared when they got around to it. Luca watched Sam as she spoke to Melissa and he wondered how she was doing. He ed his first interview and how nerve wrecking it had been without the animosity that surrounded them that evening. 'How are you feeling today?' Melissa faked kindness. 'Nobody can begin to imagine how uncomfortable this is for me and how much I would rather not be discussing my private life with the world. However, like Luca already said, the truth has been stretched and I need to set the record straight.' Sam said. 'I can assure you that my audience wants to hear your side of the story.' Melissa assured her 'My story is, on Saturday I went to watch my favourite football team play a match for the first time. What should have been a great experience ended with me landing in the hospital.' Sam said and then looked over at Luca. 'I took one of my free kicks and instead of the ball sailing into the net as was the intention it hit Sam in the face and she was knocked out.' 'Next thing I wake up Sasa-Saone is telling me that I was hit in the face and Luca is there in my room. I'd never met him before then and I have been a fan for the longest time so it was quite a trip to see him there.' 'As soon as the match was over I asked what hospital she had been taken to and went to apologize, bought her flowers and chocolate.' 'And a signed shirt.'

'And a signed shirt. She looked fragile in that bed and I felt awful that I was the reason she was there.' Sam smiled, Luca smiled back. Melissa decided that was the time to go for a break. 'Before we went to commercial Luca Bataglia and Samorena Maduo, who are in the studio right now, were telling us how they met. So, you saw her in the hospital...' Melissa prompted. 'Yes and I knew I had to get to know her.' Luca said. 'Let me see if I get this right, at the time you and Diane were still a couple?' Melissa asked. 'In a sense, yes. I mean, look I really hate doing this but because of me two very special people are hurting so I have to do this. Diane and I had been together for a year but we died somewhere along the way. I knew it and I thought she did too, neither of us ever said anything about it. I figured we were waiting for it to die. I won't lie and say there weren't times when it seemed to spark but it would die out just as quickly. This woman excited me inside the first ten minutes in a way I have never been excited before and I asked her to have dinner.' 'You asked out to dinner another woman while you were still involved with Diane?' Melissa asked. 'That is correct.' She nodded, 'Sam, this man who is in a relationship with another woman asks you out to dinner and you accept?' 'Melissa, I met a man who was essentially the man of my dreams, someone I never thought that I would meet. I was caught up in the moment. Plus he is handsome, charming and unbelievably nice and I was swept off my feet. Were he a man I met on the street I probably would have been affected the same way. He asked me out to dinner and went back to his house afterward. I will not apologize for that. I do however regret not asking him if there was anyone in his life. It was dinner in a public place and if he were seeing someone wouldn't he get caught? You know? So I made the assumption that he was single. So I was just as surprised to see Diane as I imagine she was to see me.'

'I don't understand he and Diane are everywhere. My seven year old daughter knows about them. I'm sure even in Africa people know.' Melissa said. 'I don't read tabloids or keep up with celebrity news so I never know who is with who. I knew at some point they were a couple but that night and because of the way things were going I figured it was one of those things I did not know about.' Sam responded. 'We will be right back with final words from Luca and Sam.' Melissa said. The look Melissa gave Sam told her that Melissa did not believe a word of what she was saying and it made her panic slightly. She needed her on her side in order to draw her audience to her side. But she was the other woman, whether intentionally or not, and she would not get sympathy. Luca was unable to take his eyes off Samorena as she nervously wrung her hands then wiped them down the front of her pants. He could safely say he knew a few of her tells. When she was angry, her mouth thinned and her eyes narrowed. When she was happy and was trying hard not to smile it starts in the left corner of her mouth before it spreads into a full smile. When she is nervous she bites her lip or wrings her hands. He caught himself thinking he would like to see the look of love cross her face. Samorena felt his eyes on her and lifted her eyes towards him. They locked eyes for the longest time. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she watched him watching her. He got even more handsome each time she saw him and she was in danger of losing herself to him. He wished they were alone and he could talk to her, tell her everything that was going on and tell her how he hoped they could work through this. Get a fresh start. They were oblivious to the fact that they were the subject of intense scrutiny and to everyone watching this was a couple that was very much in love. Her eyes told him how much he had hurt her and that it would take a lot to repair the damage while his eyes told her that he was sorry and would do everything in his power to try and repair the damage if she would let him. They broke eye when Melissa came back on. They started broadcasting again and Melissa reintroduced her guests then gave a little synopsis. 'I am not proud of what I did and a man worthy of either woman would have done things differently. I did not treat Diane with the amount of respect that she deserves for giving me a year of her life. She was nothing but good to me and I rewarded her with selfishness. For that I am sorry. This woman next to me did

nothing wrong expect follow her heart. Nobody should be crucified for doing that. I did not tell her about Diane because I knew she would have never agreed to go back home with me.' His words caused tears to fall down her face and Luca instinctively reached to dry a tear. She had thought she could handle whatever was said or asked in this interview but Luca talking about her that was way was her undoing. The fact that, even unwittingly, she had come between Luca and Diane was a sore spot. She had not caused the breakdown but she had contributed to it and being the romantic that she was she hated that. This was breaking her heart. 'Do you need a moment?' Melissa asked. 'No, I'm alright.' 'We'll get you a tissue.' A box of tissues made its way to her and she wiped away the tears while the interview continued. 'What happens now?' Melissa asked. 'What happens now is we all three go back to our normal lives and try to fix this mess that I created. If Diane is listening, I want to tell her how sorry I am for my actions and for hurting her, it was never my intention and I know sorry does not fix it or won't make it go away but I am. To you Sam...' He took a moment to pull himself together. 'Sam, I never...this is not where I pictured us ending up. I was going...I should...I'm sorry.' She nodded. ‘I understand you care about Diane and about me and I am grateful for it but I'm asking you to give us time and space to deal with this. Most of all I ask that the media stop hounding these women. Sam is not at all like she has been portrayed, she is the sweetest, most guileless person you will ever have the pleasure of meeting, I ask that you not call her names and blame her for something that I did.' 'Your story is incredible, I have to tell you that, but as someone who has been in

the limelight as long as I have been I know how things can get twisted up. I wish you peace and the best of luck. I hope you are able to resolve this.' 'Thank you.' Sam and Luca said, at the same time. 'Well, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it here first. There has not been an affair, it was two people meeting and life happening. Tomorrow on the show we have...' Sam tuned out the rest of what Melissa was saying. She could not wait to be off the set and in her car on the way back to the hotel room. She knew, without being told, that her life had changed forever. When the cameras went off she thanked Melissa one last time then fled to the back to Saone. Luca came hot on her heels. 'Sam!' he called. They were already leaving. They stopped and turned around at the same time. 'I want you to know that I meant every word I said in there. I wish, I wish things were different.' he said. 'I forgive you.' she said. He caught up with them and held his arms out for a hug. She accepted it and they held each other for one last hug. He felt really good in her arms and she wished they had been given the chance to explore what might have been between them. Luca held her a little tighter and longer than he should have but he had a feeling he was seeing her for the last time and he wanted it to last. 'Goodbye.' she said, when they pulled apart. 'Goodbye, cara.' he said. He wanted to kiss her one last time but two things stopped him. The first was he did not think she would want him to and the second was they were in public and the last thing they needed was to feed gossips. With sad hearts they parted. *** Diane sat in her trailer watching Luca talk to Melissa. The realization that she

had lost him forever hit her hard and she allowed herself to cry. She had been in denial for the longest time that letting go was difficult. It's this distance that is tearing us apart, she had reasoned wanting to believe that once the distance was breached things would go back to normal. She had clung to the few moments where things between them were great and she coloured their relationship in that shade. She had not wanted to see the different shades because it hurt too much. This pain could have been lessened had she been honest with herself. Diane had no fight left in her and was prepared to throw down the gauntlet. She was letting him go. She watched him as he talked about Samorena and realized that he had never spoken of her in that way nor looked at her the way he was looking at that woman. No matter how big a fight she launched she would always come out the loser against the woman. She wondered if Samorena was aware of how Luca felt about her and would she take advantage of that? As she continued watching him every dream she'd ever had about them as a couple faded right before her eyes. This filled her with an intense despair that made it difficult for her to breathe. She did breathing exercises to try and slow down her racing heart. Water helped and she sipped it slowly as she thought back on her relationship. Luca was the first man she had loved in a very long time. The only other man she had loved was the one she ran away from home with at sixteen; he too had deserted her. To avoid being overrun by pain she turned the television off and tried to focus on work. This was their last day, of three, in Manchester and they were flying back to New York in three hours. New York was where they would wrap up the movie. Editing would begin and she would have nothing to do with herself for a month and she dreaded that month. Her friends would tip-toe around her or be too sympathetic, either way she would be reminded of Luca. An hour later she was going over her lines as her assistant finished packing their things. Every now and then her mind would wander to Luca and she wondered if she should call him and let him know she was leaving England for good. She was from Minnesota but had moved to England to be with Luca and had fallen in love with the place but now it held too many memories to hold any peace for her. She had a two year lease on the house that she lived in and would have to pay three months’ rent in order to get out of it. The reason she had leased a house instead of buying was she had hoped she and Luca would get married and move into his house. That brought back too many memories for comfort and she tried to think about something else. As she stood up to pace the room her phone rang and it was her mother. She did not feel like talking to her mother knowing what the woman would say to her. The last thing Diane wanted was to hear her mother tell her that she had told her so. Her mother hated all athletes. Diane's father was

a retired American football player who had walked out on her mother when Diane was a year old. He'd sent money every month but wanted nothing to do with mother and child. When Diane became famous he started trying to get in touch. Diane's first love was an American football player as well and he too had torn Diane's heart to shreds. Her mother had gone on a two day tirade about football players. When Diane started dating Luca and things got serious her mother had tried to warn her off him but Diane had not listened and her mother had left her with these parting words, "when this boy breaks your heart, and he will, don't come expecting sympathy from me." Diane had no doubt that was the reason her mother had been calling her and she was not ready to deal with any of that. 'Would you like me to pack these shoes?' her assistant asked. Lisa's voice roused her from her musings. 'Hmm?' Diane responded. 'These shoes, do you want them packed as well? I noticed they are separate from the others so I thought...' 'Oh. No, I want to wear those.' Lisa nodded then retreated to close the one bag that was still open on the floor. 'Lisa?' Diane called. 'Yes Miss Armstrong?' 'Am I so unlovable?' Diane could tell that Lisa was uncomfortable as the younger woman shifted from foot to foot. 'I...' Lisa began. 'Never mind. Forget I asked.' Diane said. Lisa went back to her task, stopped then turned back to Diane and said, 'My mother always told me that every time someone breaks my heart it rebuilds itself

when it heals and is a practice run for my happily ever after. She says you have to taste the bitter to recognize and appreciate the sweet. So it's not you at all.' She smiled then started carrying the bags outside. Diane found she was surprisingly touched by Lisa's words and took heart in them.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK 'I do believe our time in this city is up.' Samorena said. They were sitting in their hotel room. 'I am glad you said that because we leave for New York in three hours.' Saone replied. 'And that's why I love you.' The two women hugged. 'I know and you can thank me later.' Sam smiled then went to start packing her clothes. She was relieved the meeting was over and done with and even more so that she had done the interview. She was tired of always wondering what would be said about her or what new thing she would read. At least now most of it would be the truth. She cut that train of thought because that was not where she needed her mind to be. They had another meeting in New York and that was what she needed to be focusing on. The trip, however, was more of a formality than anything. They were traveling there to meet with the investors and discuss a few items in person. The had been agreed on in a series of telephone calls, video conferencing calls and emails. Even though they were flying out that Wednesday afternoon their meeting was not until Tuesday of the following week. Sam was grateful for this because she felt she needed that time to get her head back into the game and for the one night stand with Luca to stop being everyone's focus. Two hours later they were on their way to the airport and as usual they were hounded for pictures and comments. 'I could get used to this. I feel like such a star.' Saone remarked. Samorena smiled. She could see the humour in all of this and she was getting used to it. Not that she enjoyed it but if she tried hard enough she could pretend that none of this was going on around her. That said, she could not wait to be back home where there was a lot less intrusion. There would be a few barbs in the media and a few questions then they would move on to something else.

It was a crazy scene at JFK airport as celebrities arrived at the airport and left the airport. They found themselves mixed in with that elite group. It was bad enough that, this being their first trip to New York, and they had to work their way around the airport, they had to fight past microphone, recording, camera wielding people. They found their way and were met by the hotel's shuttle service driver to drive them to the hotel they would be staying at. 'I am exhausted. Bed. I am going.' Samorena announced, once they were in their room. Saone seconded the motion. They stayed in their room on Thursday and ordered from room service. Sometime during Thursday afternoon Samorena decided it was probably a good idea to call her family back. She had been unwilling to talk to them since she had awoken from Luca's house on Sunday morning. She knew her mother was upset and it would not be a very pleasant conversation but she could not put it off any longer. 'Hello mommy.' Sam said. She always called her mommy when she wanted to soften her mother up. 'Samorena Louise Maduo why have you not been taking our calls? Do you have any idea how worried about you we have been? Especially after reading all those things about you and then seeing you on television with that football player. What is going on?' 'Mom you need to breathe.' 'Don't tell me to breathe. You are in no place to be telling me to do anything.' Samorena took a deep breath to relax. She could not let anger take over. She and her mother were too much alike and every time things got heated up, for the sake of their relationship, Sam had to be the calm one of the two. This was the very time to be calm. 'Mom, I'm sorry. How are you?' 'I am worried about you.' 'I am fine. You don't need to worry.'

'Well I did not know that what with you not answering your phone or bothering to call us.' 'I'm sorry.' 'Baby what are you doing sleeping with married men in Europe?' Her mother had effectively summed it up. That's close to what had happened but she had hoped her mother would be the first to jump to her defence. 'Ma, that's not why I called. How is everyone?' 'Everyone is worried sick about you. You went to Europe to promote your company and next thing you are in the news for sleeping with a married man. What were you thinking? How did I fail you as a mother?' 'I didn't know he was married until she walked in...wait, he's not even married!' She heard her mother sigh and it broke her heart. Her mother was disappointed in her and it hurt more than anything had. 'Well are you two together now?' 'Mma?' 'It's the honourable thing to do. Any man worth his salt would do that after...you know...' Sam had to put the phone down and take deep breaths to calm herself down. She picked the phone up and said, 'No mother we are not together. We didn't and even if...I would have turned him away.' 'Are you out of your mind? Why would you do that?' 'I met him on Saturday...' 'That did not stop you from you know.' 'Besides that he cheated on his girlfriend with me, how could I ever trust a man like that? I deserve a man who will be good to me like daddy is to you. Is he there?'

'Yes he is. How are you coping my baby?' 'I'm doing alright.' 'Good. How did your meeting go?' 'It went well but we won't know until next week.' 'They would be crazy not to invest in you. You two are the smartest young people I know and you work so hard too.' Samorena's eyes filled up with tears, that was the highest praise she had ever gotten from her mother. 'Thanks mom. Can you put dad on the line?' 'Alright, hang on.' She listened as their mother walked to fetch her father. She imagined she saw him in his usual spot, in the same chair facing the television, with the newspaper in his hand and the TV on in the background. 'Hello.' he said. 'Hello daddy.' 'Hi sweetheart, how are you?' 'I'm ok. How are you?' 'We are fine although your mother threatens to drop dead at any minute. How did your meeting go?' She silently thanked her father for not bringing Luca up. 'It went well, I think but we won't know until next week. They have to look at three other companies before they make their selection.' 'Did you hit them with the big finish?' 'Just like you taught me.'

'That's my girl. I am so proud of you. Taking on the world.' 'Hardly the world.' 'But it's a start.' 'True.' 'When are you coming home?' 'Hopefully in three weeks, we have to meet with the New York people in a week, then Madrid in another two weeks. When that is done we are flying home.' 'I am convinced that they will all invest and if they don't they are idiots. I want you to that whatever the outcome I am proud of you.' 'Thank you. I have to go now and get ready. I will talk to you again in two days. I love you.' 'I love you too honey. Your mother wants to talk to you.' 'Alright.' 'Louise.' her mother said, 'Try to stay away from men while you are out there.' Samorena groaned. 'I am sure that attitude is what got you in trouble in the first place. You should take my advice.' her mother said. 'Yes mommy, I will stay away from men. I have to go now. I love you and please ask Ashlee to call me.' 'I will baby. Bye.' Samorena hung up the phone and let out a breath as Saone walked back into the room smiling in sympathy. 'You heard?' Sam asked. 'Yup.'

Both women sighed as they sat down to watch TV. By the time Saturday afternoon came they were tired of being indoors and felt they needed to get out. They searched the internet for some time looking for places to go to. Saone ed that her friend who lived in New York had gotten in touch with her on Friday morning and asked her to dinner. She had turned in down because she did not feel Sam was up to leaving the room or being on her own. She suggested that they take her friend up on the offer. When Sam agreed she got in touch with her friend and they made dinner plans for later that day. 'I had such a crush on this guy.' Saone said. 'In junior sec, I . I don't think anyone has ever been able to live up to him.' 'And if he has not changed one bit then I am in trouble.' 'He's the one that's in trouble.' That made both women break out in giggles. 'Where us he taking us?' Sam asked. 'He wouldn't say only to dress up.' 'I hope it's not a club because these old bones wouldn't handle it. So what are you going to wear?' Saone held up grey shorts and put them next to a red bedazzled top and a white blazer. 'Nice. You have the legs to pull of those shorts.' Sam said. 'What are you going to wear?' 'I have no idea.' 'Let's go look.' In the end they decided on a little black dress, white jacket and grey shoes for

Sam. They were meeting Saone's friend at seven or rather he was picking them up at seven. 'Tell me more about this guy.' Sam said, later while they waited for him to come by.

SHE IS DIFFERENT MOM 'Hello ma.' Luca said. 'Luca what have I ever done to you that's made you want to hurt me so?' his mother said. 'How are you doing mama?' He was tired from a long day of training and the last thing he needed was to deal with his mother's histrionics. He heard his mother sigh. 'Are you coming for dinner on Saturday night?' she asked. 'I would not miss it for the entire world.' It would be the first time he saw his family, or anyone other than his teammates and team staff, since the match last Saturday. His mother had found it difficult to get in touch with him during the week and had finally given up. Antonio was the one who told her that Luca was fine and that he needed time to deal with this problem and would talk to her when he was ready. She wanted to talk to him about it but she knew her son and it would be futile to try and get him to talk so she decided to wait until the weekend. As he prepared for bed he turned on the news to catch up on the latest. Then out of curiosity he tuned to E! Entertainment. He found out that Sam had left Manchester for New York and so had Diane. He prayed that they would not run into each other. The worst thing right now was for both women to get into an altercation with each other. He itted he did not know Sam all that well but he knew Diane and the woman never was one to back down from confrontation. Most likely she would be the one doing the confronting. He sighed heavily. He threw his head into work for the rest of the week and it helped to take his mind off everything else. During the day. Because at night he found it difficult to fall asleep. He ed her voice, her scent, the taste of her and most of all how she had felt in his arms. He could not resist looking her up online and took to stalking her Facebook, Instagram and Twitter s. He followed her on Twitter but could not get access to her private Facebook and Instagram. He Googled her constantly wanting to know where she was, who she was with and

what she was doing. He was both hoping to find that she felt the same way that he did and that their time together had meant something to him but also dreading finding evidence that she cared nothing about him but what he could do for her. He found neither. She never tweeted anything personal or talked to the media. He was appalled at the hatred a lot of people were giving her on social media. People that had no right talking about her felt they could say anything about him. The posts ranged from jealousy by females to obscenities by some male folks. When she was not being picked apart by females she was being objectified by men. He hated this but he continued to read on hoping to get some clue as to where her head was at. They had said their goodbyes and he was fair certain she had meant hers but he wanted to talk to her again. He knew he had to give her some time and space even though it was killing him. If he tried to get in touch with her it would negate what they had said on Melissa's show. The hours he put in during training paid off when he played a brilliant match on Saturday even scoring a hat trick. 'I am lucky to play in the best football team with the best players. In this game you are only as good as your teammates so it's really a reflection on them.' he said, as he collected his man of the match award. Afterward he went home to get ready for dinner with the family. As the week had wound down he'd dreaded dinner with his family but soon looked forward to it. It would be nice to talk to someone about it who could be understanding and where he was safe to talk about how he felt. When he arrived at his mother's house he found that his brother Antonio's car was in the driveway as was his older sister Maria's and younger sister Anna's. He was late, great! They would all be waiting for him. He climbed out of his car and took the two bottles of wine with him. Antonio opened the door and both shook hands while his younger brother congratulated him on the match. Luca found his mother in the kitchen. The woman had four grown children yet still did the cooking whenever the family got together and refused to have anyone else do it. She greeted him with a smile and a kiss to both cheeks then went back to stirring her pots. He was dismissed for now. His mother Paula hosted this family dinner at least once a month and she expected everyone to be there. The only excuse that she tolerated was "I'm in the hospital." so Luca had them schedule the dinner around his most pressing engagements and his other engagements worked around the dinner. In the lounge he found Maria sitting with her husband Luigi engaged in a discussion with

Antonio and his wife Isabella. Anna and her husband Mario were in one corner with Antonio's sons Guido and Raoul, Maria's children Paolo and Roberto and their son sco. He waved to Anna and Mario then ed the other couples. He smiled in irony as he realized that before he met Samorena he was not envious of his siblings and their families now he wondered. He wondered what it would be like to have all of that with her. He wondered how well she would get on with his family and how much they would love her. 'Tell us what you think Luca.' Isabella said. Luca realized Isabella had asked him a question and they were all looking at him. 'Hmm?' he replied. Silence crept into the room. Paula rescued the situation by announcing that dinner was ready. Luca let out a breath in relief, shook his head as though to clear his mind and made a mental note to be present with his family. As they sat down Paula asked them to hands while she said a prayer. She always prayed before a meal. Conversation resumed as everyone started piling their plates with food, everyone but Luca. Conversation skirted the topic and everyone was careful not to go there but he was aware they all wanted to ask. Especially his mother who kept giving him looks. When she could not hold back any longer she asked, 'Where is that nice blonde woman?' He cleared his throat, 'Diane? She is in America shooting her film.' 'Oh. She was such a nice girl. She was. What was that business about the two of you in the news? What did you do to her?' There was silence as everyone looked at him. 'I will not have this from my own family.' Luca said. 'It's not that Luca. We just want to hear your side of the story.' Anna said. He clenched his jaw, 'I would expect this of everyone else but not the people closest to me.' 'People are writing all these awful things about you and you don't talk to us. What are we supposed to think?' Paula said. 'Yes well mother I am not perfect and I will not always live up to your standards.'

'Luca watch yourself!' Maria said. 'Excuse me.' Luca said. He got up and left the room and as he walked away he heard Antonio calling for him to get back and his mother asking what she had said that was so wrong. He went to the garden and sat on a bench with his head in his hands. He was not ready to talk about this with anyone because talking about it meant he would have to deal with the fact that he had fallen for a woman he would never have. And he did not know how he would explain how he had fallen in love at first sight because as incredible as it was that was exactly what had happened. Nobody, especially his mother would understand and he did not need negativity right now. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see his mother approaching. She sat down next to him, put an arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. 'I will never it to saying this but you were always your father's favourite, probably because you looked the most like him.' she said. He turned to look at her. She rarely ever talked about their late father. 'You do. Even now I see it. You two always seemed to get on so well and understood each other better than other people, even me, understood you. If he were here he would know what to do.' 'Ma...' 'I know you son and I know as much as you act like everything is fine you are hurting. It reminds me of the time that girl with the big teeth broke your heart.' 'Antonella.' 'Yes, that's the one. For two days you were in a sulk, refusing to eat and snapping at everyone. We didn't know what was wrong and the only person you talked to was your papa.' 'I .' 'It was the first time you got your heart broken and I wanted to comfort you so

much but I was unable to. Your heart is broken again, I can tell. I am not your papa but I will do my best hmm?' He softened at his mother's words. It was unfair of him to shut his family out when all they wanted to do was help him. 'Ma I don't need you to be papa.' he said. 'Why don't you call the blonde girl and try to patch things up. I know I didn't try to be nice to her but I'll do my best.' 'It's not the...Diane. I'm not sad because of Diane.' 'Then what is it? What happened last weekend?' 'Diane caught me in bed with another woman.' His mother was stunned. She only just tolerated his fornicating ways so this was more than she was prepared for. She was not as shocked though due to the fact that she had read as much in the papers and magazines and from what Antonio had told her, but it was still surprising. It went against the way she had raised all her children. Luca saw the disappointment in her eyes and swallowed hard. 'I swear I have never done that before and it’s going to be difficult for you to believe. I love this woman.' 'If you love her then why would you be with another woman?' 'Not Diane. Sam...Samorena. The woman Diane found me with. She is everything that I want in a woman even some of what I didn't know I wanted. She understands me; she gets my humour and is so sweet. She is a true football lover not one of those that started watching as a way to meet men or because her boyfriend loves football. I could talk to her all night and nothing could be better.' 'I don't understand...I thought you were in love with Diane.' 'I am not sure I ever loved Diane, I think I loved the idea of her. We'd been growing apart long before Sam came into the picture. Meeting her made me realize what I had been missing and possibly looking for in Diane. I don't know if you understand.

'How long have you known this woman?' 'Today makes me it a week.' Paula laughed in astonishment and found herself at a loss for words. What had happened to her intelligent son? This was someone she did not recognize. 'It sounds ridiculous but I know what I feel and I have never felt like this.' he said. 'How did you meet?' He related the story of how he had knocked her out with his free kick, how he had then visited her in the hospital ending up with dinner and being found by Diane. 'How does Sam feel about you?' Paula asked. 'She...I think right now I am the last person she wants to see or talk to.' 'You ever thought maybe she got what she wanted from you?' 'She is nothing like that?' 'How do you know? You barely know her.' 'I don't know how. I know that I do.' 'The best thing about you is also the worst thing about you. I love how you give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty and people, once they see that, will always want to take advantage.' 'I know what you are about to say ma and it could not be further from the truth.' 'You know how girls would try to get your attention for money or fame when you were younger.' 'I know and I have learned to spot them, she is not that type. She has her own money and she does not need fame.' 'There are also women who take pleasure in sleeping with unavailable men.'

'She didn't know I was with Diane.' Paula laughed ironically, 'My son you are so clever but so naive sometimes.' 'She is everything she appears to be and if you met her you would see it.' 'For your sake I hope you are right, but until then I say wait until she comes out with a book in a few months.' That was the first time Luca had spoken with anyone about Sam and the first time he saw her through someone else's eyes. He valued his mother's opinion above all others and if that was what she thought of the situation he would take her advice and proceed with caution. What she said made sense but it was difficult for him to reconcile it with the picture he had in his mind of Sam. He was too good a judge of character to be this wrong. However, he was glad he had talked to his mother because another perspective might help him deal with the situation a lot better.

SAUNA IN THE KITCHEN Samorena considered backing out of dinner with Saone and her friend. As much as she was dying to leave the room she did not feel she was ready to face the world either. Mostly she wanted to give Saone room to catch up with her friend like Sasa had done for her and Luca. Even as she thought about it she knew her friend would not allow it. 'No. You are coming to dinner. Kevin will be here to pick us up and he will be with us every step of the way. We cannot allow other people to run our lives. They know nothing about you, Luca, or what really happened that Saturday and they have no business knowing. Live. Fuck them!' After much back and forth on the issue Sam caved in. Saone was nervous but would not it it to Sam because she knew Sam would insist on staying and there was no way Sasa was leaving her friend all alone in her time of need. And another reason that she was not willing to confront as yet. When Sasa's friend arrived Sam was confused and thought he had the wrong room. How could she have known Sasa for ten years and not have known that her junior secondary school was a famous R&B singer. She knew Kevin Mearson as the boy Saone had crushed on for three years but how was she to know that Kevin Mearson and Kevin Hall was the same person? All she knew was she and Kevin had gone to the same Junior Secondary school then he and his parents had moved back to America. Sam threw an accusatory look at her friend who had failed to mention that they were going to dinner with one of their favourite singers. They had all his albums and knew the words to all of his songs. Suddenly a lot of things made sense to Sam such as how Saone had known so much about Kevin Hall. Sasa had let Kevin in and Sam had watched as he dropped a kiss on her cheek and the two hugged. Saone had then let him in and Sam had not missed the looks the two of them shared. Sure they were glad to see each other again but there was more. That little look excited Sam. She introduced Kevin to Sam then went to pour them drinks. She was nervous about seeing him again. Sam had not exaggerated when she said no man had ever been able to measure up against Kevin and back then he had been a scrawny boy and not this man she had let in a few minutes ago.

Sam had left the TV on one of the football channels where they were talking about that weekend's fixtures. Saone listened as her two friends talked about football and sighed. It would never end. She found she could not get used to looking at Kevin when the tray wobbled a little in her hands when she saw him looking at her from the sofa that suddenly looked too small. She felt her mouth go dry and her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth. 'I feel like I have seen you somewhere before.' Kevin said, to Sam. 'My face has been everywhere of late.' Sam said. 'Are you a model or actress?' Kevin asked. Sam giggled flirtatiously, caught herself and reminded herself that this was her friend's man. She was a woman and he was a very good looking man, she could appreciate that but he was off limits. 'Nothing close to that.' 'Oh. I know someone could hook you up. With a face like that...' 'Thank you.' Saone brought the drinks at the right time. 'So Sasa what brings you to The Big Apple?' Kevin asked. 'Work.' 'So you are the model.' Saone giggled and Samorena had a tough job not laughing. She had never seen Saone simper like that and it was highly amusing coming from someone with the best poker face around. She really liked Kevin. 'No. I'm not a model. I'm behind the scenes. I'm in PR.' Saone said. 'That's hot. How long you in town for?' Kevin asked.

'A week. For a week.' 'Cool.' Samorena excused herself to allow the two to catch up and catch up they did. It was an hour and a half later before any of them realized that they had to go. Sam was on the internet in her room when Saone came to fetch her. 'You sly dog you!' Sam said. 'I didn't know how to tell you.' 'And "the Kevin that I had a crush on in junior school is Kevin Hill" was difficult for you to say?' 'Not really but...' 'It's alright, I forgive you.' Saone laughed, 'You are an idiot.' 'That's why you love me.' Saone rolled her eyes, 'Are you ready?' 'About that...' 'No!' 'But Sasa...' 'No Sam, no. You are not pulling that shit on me. We are going out with Kevin and we are going to have fun. If you don't say yes I am going to get him in here and make him get you out of bed.' Sam did not have it in her to remind her friend that they were trying to keep a low profile and going out in public with Kevin was not exactly low profile. It would only increase speculation about who they were. Saone was too excited for Sam to ruin it. They would deal with it tomorrow. She sighed and got off the bed to retouch her makeup and fix her face.

Dinner was wonderful, the food was tasty, the drinks even better and the conversation was the highlight. Samorena found Kevin to be really nice and very down to earth. The cherry on top was the great sense of humour that he possessed. By the end of the night she understood why her friend likes him as much as she did. She decided that if Kevin was single she would play Cupid. By the time they got back to where they were staying Sam had, slyly, found out that he was not seeing anyone. When Sasa invited him for a nightcap and he accepted she wanted to squeal in delight. Sam talked Saone up the entire time she was with the couple. She explained to Kevin how it was Sasa who had come up with the idea to do PR for the University's SRC and how it was her who then convinced her to start a PR company with just the two of them. She even got it ed all on her own. They'd started out from their dorm room, using a printer that had been given to them by her parents, a letterhead designed for a favor by one of their friends. The bulk of their allowances had gone to the business as well as from their parents and friends who could. Slowly it had grown as they could more and more clients mostly through word-of-mouth but through advertising as well. It was Saone who had pushed them when Sam was ready to give up. She talked about what a loyal and wonderful friend she was. When she felt her job was done she excused herself to go to the bathroom but went to her room instead to give them privacy. When Sam did not come back within the first five minutes Saone realized she had left them alone and silently thanked her for it. Now that she was alone with Kevin she lost most of her nerve and started to feel self-conscious. She had not realized that Sam had been her crutch throughout dinner. She had hoped, going into dinner, that she would realize she had been idolizing a fantasy and this Kevin would be nothing like the Kevin she had known in her youth. He was not the Kevin she had known in her youth because he had gotten better. He was a lot more mature and a lot more grounded than the young boy she had last seen fifteen years ago. To get away from him for some time to get her cool back she excused herself to fetch more wine. She was leaning against the counter and had not fully released it when he appeared in the kitchen. She watched him slowly advance and came to stand in front of her. He put his empty glass on the counter behind her in a move that left both his arms on the counter and her trapped between them. She caught her breath and looked up into his eyes. 'I have been dying to do this since the moment I met you.' he said. He lightly brushed his lips against hers and it was the most erotic thing she had

ever experienced. When she did not push him away, he repeated the motion and she parted her lips. He caught her lower lip in between his and in the same movement cupped her face. His tongue danced along the edge of her lip and that was when she started kissing him back. When she did she almost exploded from the intense pleasure she felt. She moaned when his tongue slid past her lips and she pulled him closer. His finger tracing a nipple had her mewling and gyrating her hips. She felt him shudder and was pleased to see she was not the only one affected. She felt his other hand drop from her face to cup her other breast and he began a slow sensuous massage of her breasts. She would have fallen if her back was not leaning against the counter and he was not ing her. He pulled away from her slowly then put his forehead against hers. He took a deep breath to steady his breathing. 'I should go home.' he said. She clenched her jaw when she realized she wanted very badly to scream "NO" at him. He stepped away from her and she nodded slowly. He claimed her lips once more this time in a sweet kiss. He felt her shudder and it excited him even further. She way she wanted him was intoxicating but this was not how he wanted her. Not on their first date and certainly not against a counter. He'd been halfway in love with her in junior school but she had friend zoned him then he and his family had moved back and he never got the chance to tell her. When he heard that she was in New York he could not believe his luck and when she agreed to go out to dinner with him he was excited. He moved with caution though because childhood friend or no he could not be sure she did not suddenly want him because he was famous. Especially after reading about her friend and the famous football player. Having met the friend however, he was torn. He knew how the media could distort things and was usually the last person to believe anything in the media. However it never hurt to proceed with caution. 'I'll see you tomorrow.' he said, but made no move to leave. 'Stay.' she said, 'You could sleep on the couch or I could sleep on the couch or...' she trailed off. He found the idea appealing but he knew there was no way he would sleep knowing she was one room away from him. This was no way to proceed. 'I'll come by tomorrow morning, I promise.' he said. This time he stepped back

from her. He heard her sigh then saw as she resolved to lead him to the door. He kissed her one last time at the door and promised to come by in the morning to take them out to breakfast. She painfully made her way to the room and slid into bed. She suddenly realized how tired she was. A smile adorned her face when she replayed Kevin's kiss in her mind then it faded when she realized that he had not stayed in spite of her near begging him to. She wondered if he had kissed her to see if he was attracted to her but found that he wasn’t. "But that's crazy! You felt his reaction." She thought. Then panic rose as she wondered if maybe he too had a Diane in his life. She shook her head and decided to deal with it in the morning when she woke up. *** The light streaming in through the open window made her want to cuss out the person who had opened it along with the curtain shielding it. She made to get off the bed to close the offending thing and her head felt as though it weighed twice its normal weight and she put it back. When she finally got it off the pillow it hurt so much that she thought it was going to explode. Her mouth felt as though someone had shoved cotton balls in it. Memory flooded her and she ed the kiss. She lifted her hand to her lips and smiled. Gingerly, she made her way out of the bedroom and found Sam in the kitchen looking chirpier than usual. As soon as she sat down Sam handed her two painkillers and a mug of coffee. 'Thank you.' Saone said. She sat down and swallowed the pills washing the after taste down with coffee. Sam was making breakfast and the smell made Sasa's stomach growl. She was finishing her coffee when Sam put a plate of food in front of her and wouldn't stop looking at her nor smiling. Sasa lifted the sausage to her lips stopped and looked at Sam who was still smiling. 'What?' Saone asked. 'What do you mean what?' 'You are smiling at me as though you got some last night.'

'Is that code for I got some last night?' 'What do you know?' 'Let's just say I came down here for some water and the two of you had turned this room into a sauna.' Saone smiled and looked away coyly and Samorena gasped theatrically. 'Ooh! You got some.' she turned her voice into a whisper, 'Is he still sleeping?' 'No, he did not stay.' 'What? He left? Are you serious? People still do that?' Saone giggled then swore when her head threatened to split into two; the pain killers hadn't taken root yet. 'Relax mom. We just kissed and then he left.' Samorena giggled and jumped up and down, 'Details, I want details.' 'What are we twelve?' Saone smiled, 'OMG Sam it was everything I thought it would be and then some.' 'When are you seeing him again?' 'He said something about breakfast.' Sam gasped then removed the plate of breakfast from in front of Saone. When she protested Sam told her she would not go to breakfast with Kevin on a full stomach. 'I can't go hungry either.' Saone protested. 'You are not hungry. Now go and get ready for your date.' Saone realized there was no arguing with Sam and went to get ready. "It was just a kiss and not like he proposed to me!" she reminded herself over and over as she showered.

While Saone was getting ready for her date Sam finished eating her breakfast in front of the TV to wait for Manchester Mavericks’ match. 'But of course.' she said, when he heart leapt when she saw Luca. She listened as the commentator talked a little about him and the camera trained on him. He was widely tipped to win the next Ballon D'or, the most prestigious accolade in football, for the fourth time and third time in a row. They still had eight months to go but pundits were saying there was no way anyone else could catch up with him. He could basically have half a good next season and still be miles ahead of everyone else. Like a love sick teenage she watched him, her heart thudding, pulse racing and body reacting in ways in which it should not due to the circumstances but just as it should knowing what it felt like to be with him. She wished she had never known what it was like to kiss him let alone go to bed with him. He was now, to her, a tattoo you get when you are a drunk and it seems like a really good idea at the time but when you sober up you regret getting. And like a tattoo he was engraved in her memories. She watched the match anyway, reacting the same way each time he popped up on her screen which was frequently, given that he scored three times and helped create a number of chances for his teammates. Sometime during the match Saone had finished getting ready and come down to her while she waited for Kevin. Then when Kevin arrived to pick her up they watched a little of the game and left. When the match ended Sam was all alone in the room with thoughts of Luca to keep her company. Saone texted her once to see if she was alright. Sam had ordered Saone to have fun on her date and stop checking in on her, she was fine. Sam was happy for Sasa but it still hurt watching Sasa with Kevin while nursing her broken heart. She found herself with her phone in her hand about to call Luca. Closing her eyes she forced herself to take two deep breaths. To get her mind off everything, that is Luca, she decided to go and do a little clothes and make-up shopping. She managed to get a cab and got to the nearest mall. She was in the first clothes shop about ten minutes before people started coming over to her and asking if she was Samorena. She denied it for as long as she could but they recognized her and a lot of them asked to take pictures with her while some asked her questions about Luca. She said no to the picture taking and refused to answer any questions then left the store. Realizing what a terrible idea it had been she went back to the hotel where she curled up on the sofa, cried while trying to watch a movie, and fell asleep.

When next she woke up it was to Saone getting back from her date. Sam checked the time and six hours had ed since Saone left with Kevin. Saone was still buzzing from the excitement of her date with Kevin and Sam could not help but smile. She was in the honeymoon stage where it was all bliss, romance and excitement, and it was good to look at. Sasa poured them both a glass of wine and sat down to relate the details of her date with Kevin. 'Oh! Listen to me going on and on about myself. How was your day?' Saone asked, a lot later. 'Uh...it was okay. I went out for a little bit, came back and fell asleep here.' 'And when last did you eat?' 'Uhhh...breakfast?' 'Get your shit; we are going out to eat.' 'It's not necessary I'm not even hu...' Sasa gave Sam a look that promised no brokering so she gave in. 'Fine.' Sasa smiled and Sam left to go and get dressed.

SQUASH THE BEEF Diane sat in her dressing room as her make-up artist applied the finishing touches. She was on a break from shooting and was meeting her agent for dinner. She had two weeks of shooting left and she had decided she wanted to dive straight into work. Her agent had been hard at work finding her projects that she would like. James, her agent had identified two scripts that he was sure Diane would love and he was really excited about them. It was a week since her disastrous trip to Manchester and she was aching to put all of it behind her but she knew it would not be so easy. Every interview that she went on it was all people wanted to talk about and she had to politely steer conversation away from it. The last thing she wanted was for the world to think she was bitter about the break-up. She wanted people to believe she would get over it if she was not already and she wanted to believe it too but it was difficult to get over someone when people regularly brought them up. She may as well be living in the same room as him and trying to get over loving him. She looked her face over in the mirror and liked what she saw. James was already at the table when she arrived. He kissed her cheek and they sat down. A waiter rushed to their table and she ordered a glass of dry white wine. 'How are you?' James asked. 'What do you think dear cousin?' Diane asked. James Mildred was Diane's cousin and the reason Diane was as successful as she was. Sure Diane was talented but it was what James did behind the strings that had things coming together as beautifully for Diane as they had. When Diane's good for nothing boyfriend had dumped her once they got to LA, knowing she could not go home and face her mother, it was James she had gone looking for and he had taken her in. After two years of her waiting tables and the pair struggling to make ends meet James suggested that she try her hand at acting. James knew what a talented actress she had always been and how shy Diane was about her talent. He appointed himself her agent, sought work for her and practically dragged her to auditions. He was determined to make something of Diane and make money off of it and she, once she put her mind to something, never stopped until her tasks were completed. Together they made the perfect

team. James would find her good Indie projects and she would blow them away turning them into box office hits. Soon she made waves and big names started calling. Together they took Hollywood by storm and her name quickly became etched on everyone's tongue. The hard work never stopped, Diane continued to put her all into what she did, always looking to improve her craft and James made sure she met and talked to the right people. He had even been responsible for Luca and Diane finding each other. He knew how much the public loved the idea of two strong, famous and rich people coming together and creating the perfect relationship. To say that he had orchestrated the relationship would not be stretching it. When he heard what had happened between Diane and Luca he had not be all that surprised. What had surprised him was the way Diane and the team had managed to turn it around. 'This has been a real hot mess.' James said. 'Yeah. Anyway, that is not why we are here.' 'Yes. Yes. But first we eat.' He signalled the waiter over when they were ready to order. They were sipping wine and talking about the first script, the one Diane liked even more, when she walked in. Diane had lifted her head in thought when she caught sight of her. A face that she could and would never forget. The girl suddenly looked in her direction and froze as their eyes met. Sam could not believe her eyes. Of all the restaurants that they could have gone to it had to be that one! She saw the woman looking at her and wished the ground would swallow her up but she could not leave. Not when the paparazzi were watching and waiting for something, anything. She did not want to risk an altercation with Diane but she also did not want to be in the next issue as the coward who had ducked out weighed down by her guilt. She squared her shoulders and walked past Diane like she had not seen her. She wondered if she should have said hello or at least smiled as the woman but she knew how that could be twisted. When they sat down Sasa squeezed her hand in sympathy. 'You did good. I’m sorry; I didn't know she would be here.' Saone. 'Guess we should bookmark TMZ or something.' Sam replied. Sam ran a hand through her hair but stopped when she realized she was mussing

it up and sighed. Then she shook her head. 'Heads up! She coming our way.' Sasa warned. 'What?' Sam whispered. Diane made a mental note of the fact that the girl had looked away first and not in a defiant way. She looked like she was weighed down with guilt. Now that a week had ed and she had thought about it she realized how genuine the girl had sounded when she claimed she had not known about her. Diane was great and knew a lot of great actresses but neither she nor them could have pulled that off in one take. Even if the girl was guilty of the crime it was of no use being angry at the girl when it was Luca who had approached the girl. His every action that day and since pointed to him being the guilty party or at least the one who shouldered most of the guilt. Plus it was just ugly for two women to fight each other over a man when it was the man who should be getting the beating. 'Would you excuse me for a little bit?' Diane said. 'Where are you going?' James asked. 'To do something I should have done a long time ago.' She got up and approached the table where Samorena was sitting with her friend. She gave them what she thought was a friendly smile and greeted them. The women seemed uncomfortable as if waiting for Diane to cause a scene. 'I'm sorry to bother you, but would you mind if I ed you for a little bit?' Diane asked. Both women looked at each other in stupefaction as Diane stood looking down at them. 'Ummm, not at all.' Samorena said, finally finding her tongue. 'Thank you.' Diane said, as she sat down, 'I realize how awkward and uncomfortable this is for you; I mean we both slept with the same man. So U will make this quick. I want to apologize.' Sam was stunned. Of all the words the woman could have said to her those were

not words she would have picked. 'Apologize?' Sam asked. 'Yes. For some, most of the things I said to you. They were uncalled for and completely out of character. There is nothing uglier than two women fighting over a man when he should be the one getting the beating. Metaphorically that is.' Diane said. Sam smiled uncomfortably. 'I hope you can forgive me. I can't say I hope we will be friends because that would be awkward for both of us but I do hope we can be civil to one another henceforth.' Diane said. 'There is nothing to forgive.' Sam said. 'Wonderful. I will let you get back to your dinner.' She gave them another friendly smile, which they mirrored, before she walked back to her table. 'That was unexpected.' Sam said. 'Tell me about it!' 'I hope she means it and I hope she tells those people she has been talking to.' 'Or stops talking about it completely.' 'Speaking of things to never speak of again, how about we toast to Luca-free conversations from now on?' Sasa lifted her glass and they toasted to it. 'Speaking of moving on...after our meeting on Tuesday, when do we leave for Madrid?' Sam asked. 'If you don't mind I was thinking Friday because I want to spend a little more time with Kevin.' Sasa gave her a hopeful look.

'Awww...I have never seen you like this.' 'I know. So you know we have to have someone head the New York team and I was thinking....' 'You know that this is your baby.' 'And that's why I love you.' Sam smiled. She would have preferred leaving as soon as Wednesday but she was hoping for too much and being selfish. Of course Sasa would want to spend more time with Kevin. Who would not? She knew that if things had worked out with Luca she would have wanted them to put off leaving for as long as possible. 'What was that about?' James asked. 'A little PR of my own. I want to squash this thing before it turns into a thing.' Diane said. 'Who was that?' 'Oh her? She is only the woman who slept with my ex-boyfriend Luca.' 'That's her?' James whistled through his teeth. She was gorgeous. 'And you spoke to her because..?' 'Because I don't want her to think I hate her even though I really do and I want the media to stop giving her so much attention. When she stops being my rival she stops being significant.' 'OK. What did you say to her?' 'I apologized for calling her a slut.' 'What's happened to my cousin?' 'We all grow up at some point.' 'I'm proud of you.' 'Whatever.' though a small smile played on her lips, 'Let's get back to business.'

James had come through for her on this one. She loved both of them and saw herself doing both of them. One was an action movie which was a great departure from the romantic comedies that she usually did. It would be a great opportunity for her to show off her diversity especially with this drama coming out. The other one was about the pressures of being under the media spotlight and how it had claimed the life of one of Hollywood's most iconic women. They would both require her to produce skills that Hollywood had never seen from her and which she was sure she possessed. She felt great about coming out of her comfort zone. 'James these are wonderful. I love them.' 'Great! Because the writers and the directors of both movies want you for them.' She smiled as she felt real excitement for the first time in many months. For the first time in many years she would be working on something that she truly believed in and could not wait to get started. *** As Sasa went on more dates with her new beau-because they were officially a couple now, Sam’s scandal with Luca cast a cloud over her friend's burgeoning relationship with Kevin and she hated that she was the cause of it. Sasa was not bothered by what people said about her. She subscribed to the notion that people will talk whether you are doing good or bad and what they say about you is none of your business. ‘Look babe our parents taught us to mind our own business and what others say is none of our business so you know what I’m going to do?’ Sasa said, when Sam voiced her concerns. ‘Mind your own business?’ ‘That’s right.’ Sam envied Sasa who true to her word never once cried about the negative attention that she was getting and concentrated instead on enjoying her time with Kevin. Often times they went out leaving Sam behind but only because Sam would tell them they were crazy and needed to spend alone time together but she grew lonely. Although she would never it to it. There was no fun in going

out by herself as she had discovered on numerous occasions so she stayed in and watched television. She knew she was going mental when she found herself looking at pictures of herself on television and thinking how great she looked in the pictures. With that she pushed off the couch to find her laptop and prepare for their meeting. She was done with that soon enough and found herself again with nothing to do. So she checked her Facebook and was blown away by the number of friend requests she had gotten. She felt terrible as she deleted them but she was very private and the one hundred plus people on her friend list were people that she actually knew. Their business had a separate Facebook page and so there was no reason to bring her business associates and clients onto her personal page. She knew this surge of requests was due to her one night stand with Luca. When she was done deleting requests she responded to messages which were from her friends and family. While some were the mundane, "How are you? Just checking on you" type of messages a lot of them had everything to do with Luca. Next she updated her status to Time machine anyone? Willing to pay big money. #rewind She logged off Facebook then checked Twitter knowing there would be an even bigger surge on that one. The numbers blew her away. She had one hundred and thirty five thousand six hundred and fifty new followers on top of the two hundred that she already had. Something led her to check who was following her and was shocked to find that Luca was finally following her back. She clicked on his profile and moved the curser to hover over the unfollow link but could not bring herself to do it. It mattered not either way because even if she were unable to see what he was posting he would see everything that she posted. 'Oh what the hell!' she said. She closed her computer and went to get something to eat. She was pouring chips into a bowl when her phone rang. She ran for it hoping it was Luca and it was him. 'Hello.' she said. 'Hi, it's Luca.' 'I know. I have your number.' Why the hell had she said that?

'How are you?' he asked. 'Fine.' He followed up her response with a moment of silence. He didn't know what to say next. He had been lying in bed thinking about her when he decided to try her number hoping to find that it still worked. When it went through he sighed in relief. Now that he was talking to her he did not know what to say to her. 'How...how is New York?' he asked. 'Good.' she said. He could tell that she was still angry at him even though she had told him he was forgiven. The woman confused him. 'What are you up to?' he asked. 'What is it to you?' she asked. 'I was...I'm...' he trailed off. 'Luca we are not friends. We had one night of sex and that was it. I don't know why you still call me.' She did not mean a single word of what she was saying but she needed to say it. He needed to hate her and keep his distance so that she could piece her heart together. No matter how much she wanted Luca and no matter how much her body craved him he was not the man for her and the best option was to move on from him. And for him to move on from her. It was the only way. 'I'm sorry I called. I won't bother you again.' he said. He regretted making the decision to call Sam. He was being an idiot. Not once had she sent him a text or called him in the week since she had left. Not once since Diane found them had she expressed any desire to see him again. In fact she had told him repeatedly that she wanted nothing to do with him. Yet he could not let that sink in. She shook as she put the phone down and tried unsuccessfully to stop the tears

from falling. It was comical, to say the least, that they lay in the same position. Each on their back, right hand behind their head, left hand on stomach and the same wounded look on their faces.

WELCOME ABOARD Their meeting went just as they had expected. The New York investors reiterated, at the end of the meeting, how much they looked forward to working with Glamage. After which the five of them went out to celebrate. It was a media circus, as expected, and the quintet made fun of it. For the first time in a very long time Sam had fun and nothing to agonize over. She was focused on food, drinks and dancing as well as the great company they had. When she went to bed that night her last thought was about the work load that they had ahead of them and for the first time since meeting Luca, he was not on her mind. It finally sunk in that the next year would be busy and incredibly stressful for them. They knew how hard the first year of business was and what a toll it can take on a relationship. However they were prepared for it. Their biggest worry was the fact that for the first time in eight years they would be apart from each other for more than a few days. They would be living on two different continents for at least a year. Sacrifices have to be made though. Saone was up and in the kitchen when Sam woke up so was Kevin and another person that Sam did not recognize. Saone introduced the stranger as Kevin's friend Chris. 'Chris plays basketball.' Saone said, 'Chris, this is my best girl Sam.' They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. 'The men were thinking of taking us out to breakfast.' Saone said. Sam imperceptibly ground her teeth then signalled to Sasa that she wanted to talk. 'Sasa I am not ready for this.' Sam said, as they left the room. 'How do you know? You won't know until you have tried.' Saone said. 'It's only been two weeks.' Sam protested, but Sasa was not taking no for an answer. Sasa took Sam to her room then picked out clothes for Sam to put on Sam’s protests fell on deaf ears.

‘Put them on.’ Sasa said. ‘Sasa-’ ‘Sam do this and I won’t ask you to do anything like this ever again.’ ‘Fine.’ ‘Good.’ Sasa left Sam alone to finish getting dressed. Sam knew Sasa would cancel her date if Sam decided she wanted to stay and Sam didn’t want that to happen. When she finished she walked out to the kitchen. The men stood when she walked in and she smiled. ‘Are you ready?’ Sasa asked. ‘Yes.’ Sasa got up on her feet and took Kevin’s hand. The two walked out ahead of Sam and Kevin. Chris turned to Sam, smiled and said, ‘Shall we?’ ‘Let’s.’ He walked out ahead of her and waited while she shut the door. Kevin and Sasa were a good distance away which Sam recognized had been done intentionally. She was deep in her thoughts when Chris spoke, reminding her that she was not alone. 'I think it is really cool what you and Sasa have done with your lives.' Chris said. 'Thank you.' Kevin and Sasa were waiting for them in the lobby. They ed them and the four of them made their way to the cars. 'Sam Chris will be driving you.' Saone announced, to both Chris and Sam's surprise. She and Kevin climbed into Kevin's car. Sam sighed as Kevin guided her to his car. 'So, you play basketball?' Sam asked when it seemed they would drive in silence.

'Yeah. You seen one of my games?' 'I'm not really a basketball fan.' 'Yeah? What are you into?' 'Football and I mean proper football not your American Football.' 'And what is "proper football?"' He mimicked her accent. 'Proper football is what you Americans call soccer.' 'I'm not a soccer or football fan.' 'It's an acquired taste.' Saone called to announce that Kevin had a studio session that they had forgotten about and would Sam and Chris have breakfast on behalf of them. Saone was on a mission and was currently not Sam's favourite person. She told Kevin the details of the conversation and had an impossible time keeping the ire out of her voice. 'You really don't want to do this do you?' Chris asked. 'You can tell?' 'I might not know a lot of things but I know when a woman is not into me.' 'I'm sorry, I've just...it's been such a...it's not you-' 'Whoa hohoho!' Chris laughed, 'Really? That line? So original.' Sam smiled, 'It's horrible isn't it?' 'Yeah it is. Want me to take you back to the hotel?' 'If that's alright with you.' 'It's the least I can do for getting you stuck with me.' 'I don't see how it is your fault.'

'Kevin is very much like Sasa. Having met her I get why they are so into each other. He feels that because he's got Sasa that it's his job to get me my own Sasa.' 'I'm sorry.' 'What for?' 'That you got me instead.' 'No, you are perfect, we can tell them we tried but it just didn't work. I'm glad you are not into me because I'm not looking for anything serious.' 'Yeah?' 'In fact, nothing at all. I want to focus on my career.' They had a nice comfortable conversation all the way back to Sam's hotel room where they said goodbye and went their separate ways. *** On the other side of the world Luca was getting a set-up of his own. He sat in a restaurant with his mother who was positive that he had to take out to dinner a nice young woman she had met in church. 'She is Italian. Molto bella and she goes to church. Your father would have liked her.' she said. He sighed gently. He hated when she played that card. Every time she wanted to back him into a corner she brought up his father. 'Mama I just want to focus on my football right now and not be involved with anyone.' 'I'm not saying marry her. Take her out and see if you like her.' 'You make her sound like she is a car. Go on take it for a spin and see if you like it.' He saw the flash of pain cross her face and he could not say no. 'This is her number. Call her.' she said.

'I will.' he said, as he took the piece of paper. 'Now.' 'Now?' 'Now.' He took his phone out and dialled her number. She had a pleasant voice but Luca did not miss the fact that he compared it to Sam's and found it paled in comparison. 'Hello, it's Luca. You probably don't know me...' he began. 'Of course I know who you are. I have been waiting for you to call.' There was no playing it cool with this girl was there? He wanted to see how game she was. 'I want to take you out to dinner. Are you free tonight?' 'I am.' 'Pick you up at eight?' 'I look forward to it.' He hung up and looked at his mother, 'Done.' 'You will thank me for it.' He knew he would not but she looked hopeful and he did not want to spoil her mood. 'I have to go. See you on Sunday.' He got up, kissed her on the cheek then left. He went straight home and into his gym where he stayed for two hours. He took a shower after then whiled away the time by playing FIFA. He did not want to go but his mother would want to know how it went and he had to have an answer.

He drove over to the girl's house to pick her up. He knocked on the front door and heard her call out for him to enter. He opened the door and went into an empty living room where he sat himself down on a sofa and waited. When she finally came out she was wearing a knee length white dress and red shoes. She was a lot prettier than he had expected and saw why his mother was so excited, other than her being Italian. He did wonder at the almost virginal garb though. He kissed her cheek and presented her with a bouquet of yellow roses. She thanked him and went to put them in a vase. 'What do you do for a living Clara?' he asked, as they drove to the restaurant. 'I am a model. I mean not yet but I am working on it.' she said. 'Wonderful and what are you doing in between?' 'Oh you know odd jobs here and there.' 'Good. Well we are here.' They walked in and he asked if there was a table available. There was no table available but they waited two minutes while one was made available. Luca felt bad for the person whose table he had been given but he had to do this. 'What are you doing right now?' he asked. 'Having dinner with you.' He smiled, 'I want to get to know you. What do you do for fun?' 'I like to go shopping and clubbing with my friends.' 'Sounds interesting.' 'We get wasted so much that sometimes we wake up and we don't know where we are. Like last week I woke up in some strange man's bed. But it was ok because turns out he was rich so we probably had a good time right? I mean imagine if I had partied and spent the night with a broke guy. You know? Anyway he is Sharon's boyfriend now.' When she saw the look on Luca's face she hurriedly added, 'Yeah but he is nowhere near as rich as you are though.'

He gathered Sharon was one of the girlfriends. 'Oh! What a relief!' he said. 'I know right!' Luca shook his head and smiled ironically. If this was who his mother thought he would hit it off with then she had no idea of the kind of women he was interested in. This type had stopped being attractive over five years ago. "How would she know the women I go for when she's refused to get to know all his girlfriends?" 'Where are you taking me after dinner? My friend owns this really cool club and we can totally get it for free.' 'Club? On a Wednesday night?' 'Yes silly. Why are you talking like an old person? Don't you know Wednesday is the new Friday?' He raised his eyebrows, 'The new Fri...how many days of the week are there?' She laughed and he smiled. 'Clara as fun as that sounds I have to rest, I have a big game coming up on Saturday and the coach would have my ba...head if I went clubbing midweek. So if I want to stay rich home resting is where I should be.' 'That's cool; I can totally work with that. I have a change of underwear and if you give me a shirt I can turn this dress into a skirt.' His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline with each word she spoke. The girl would be ready to move in by the end of the week. 'That's uh...that's very tempting.' he said. She smiled. 'But I have to rest and I have a feeling there would be none of that if you went home with me.' he said, untruthfully. There was no way he would touch this

woman. She smiled widely. 'Saturday night then?' she said. 'Would you look at the time?' He faked a yawn and looked at her. She got the hint and prepared herself to leave. They settled the bill and he drove her home. 'As short as the night was I want you to know I had a really good time.' 'I'm glad.' 'So you will call me.' He smiled at her. She leaned in for a kiss and he planted one on her cheek. He practically ran back to his car and drove as fast as he could back to his house. He sighed as he climbed into bed and vowed that he would never let his mother talk him into another blind date ever again. As has been from the moment Sam walked into his life his last thought before sleep claimed him was of her.

HI, I'M RAFAEL 'So...how was your date?' Saone asked, excitedly. 'Oh that's what it was is it?' 'When are you seeing him again?' 'I am not seeing him again. Sasa, my love, the other half of me, listen to me ok. Are you listening?' When Sasa nodded, 'I don't need to be set up, just because it did not work out with Luca and you are happy with Kevin does not mean I am lonely and need to get back on the horse. I am enjoying my time on solid ground. When I am ready you will know. 'Oh.' Saone seemed disappointed. 'I mean I just want you to be happy.' 'I am happy.' 'Yeah?' 'Yes.' 'Alright. I'm going in for a shower.' 'Cool. Oh and I thought I should remind you that I booked our flights. We leave on tomorrow afternoon.' Saone felt her stomach drop. She was not ready to leave New York. To leave Kevin. But they had to. Under normal circumstances they would be on a plane to Madrid that very moment but Sasa knew Sam had put it off for her. They did after all have a meeting on Monday. It was still painful to accept. She nodded and went to have a shower. She spent the next hour on the phone with him. He planned to come over in the morning and even drive them to the airport. Sam was itching to move on to Madrid. She had a really good feeling about the

place. That did not stop her from feeling bad for Sasa. It is painful to connect with someone and have your time with them cut short. It was even more difficult for Sasa having spent so many years completely oblivious to the fact that he felt the same way about her. With that weighing on her conscience Sam went to bed. When she woke up the following morning Kevin was already there. It had become a regular occurrence in that week. She was used to seeing him and would have been surprised to not find him in their room when she woke up. She showered, put her clothes on then followed the sound of voices to find Kevin and Sasa engaged in a lively debate. When she asked what it was about she was surprised to find it was over whether to have breakfast in or out. Sam was asked to be the tiebreaker and it was no surprise that she opted to stay in. They spent the morning packing, singing along to music playing on the television-well Kevin sang while Sam and Sasa tried an imitation of singing, and reminiscing over the week. When they were done packing Sasa and Kevin watched a movie that was playing on TV while Sam emailed her family to let them know that they were alright and moving on to Spain. She promised to call them as soon as she got to Madrid. Kevin suggested taking them out to lunch then to the airport and met no resistance this time around. Going out to lunch with a couple when your heart is in pieces is a real test, one that Sam discovered that day. Without intending to Kev and Sasa made her feel invisible several times. When they realized they tried to include her which made things even worse. Lunch was over and they were driving to the airport. This was met with different reactions as should be expected. Sam was relieved. Sasa was sad as was Kev. 'Thanks for driving us to the airport.' Sam said. Technically it was Kevin's assistant who was driving the car but it was Kevin's car. Sam was really grateful because Kevin's security team would come in handy at the airport. 'I couldn't have my woman riding to the airport in a taxi.' he said. The girls exchanged looks. 'Your woman?' Sasa asked, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice and not even trying. 'My woman.' he said, his smile matching the one on Sasa's face. Sasa kissed him while Sam looked out the window.

Nothing had changed since they arrived in New York. They still had people jostling to take pictures of them. It still boggled Sam's mind how people could be interested in her because she had slept with Luca. Sure Luca was famous but who was she? It made more sense for him to be the one that they follow. However, they followed her too and always with the same questions. "Are you secretly engaged to Luca Bataglia?" "Are you really having his baby?" "When is the wedding Sam?" "Does Luca know about the man you were out with yesterday?" That one was new and how the hell had they seen her with...oh, she ed that he dropped her off and led her to her door. "Do you know he is seeing other women?" That one made Sam pause in her step for a brief second and, sensing they had hit a nerve, continued that line of questioning. She had thought he would wait a little longer before dating anyone else after declaring his love for her. "So much for love. He could only wait a week." she thought to herself. "Kev is that the new girlfriend?" "How long have you been seeing her?" "Are you three in an open relationship?" "Is that why Luca is okay with this?" The sound of their voices as well as the clicking of the cameras melted away as they made their way inside the airport. Sam and Sasa shook their heads simultaneously. 'I don't know how you live with this every day.' Sasa said, echoing Sam's thoughts. 'The price of fame. As long as you don't feed them they leave you alone and the

more you ignore them the more they become background noise.' Kev said. 'These past two weeks have been a nightmare.' Sasa supplied. Sam did not in the conversation because she was still thinking about the fact that Luca was seeing other women. Especially after the last time he called her. He had made it sound like he really missed her. Was that before or after he went out with the other women? Famous men! She looked over at Sasa and Kevin. He looked besotted with her. They looked so happy to be near each other. As happy as any new couple had a right to be. He was a singer, and a very famous one at that but he was different right? Sasa was different right? They had known each other before the lights, the cameras, the glitz and the glamor so that made it different right? She hoped so. She had to believe in it. She thought about another time when she was wrong about a man. Luca. She had allowed herself to believe, all through the night, that they were on the same page. She had seen it in the way he looked at her. Felt it in the way he touched and held her. Especially when she had fallen asleep after. Every moment from the time they kissed had been spent in his arms as though he had not wanted to let go of her. She had not wanted to let go either. She swallowed hard as emotions came tumbling out from the pit of her soul and she battled back her tears. She saw Sasa's lips moving and realized her friend was talking to her and forced herself back to the present to catch the end of what Sasa was saying. Her friend was basically saying it was time to check in. When that was done Sam said a quick goodbye to Kev then stepped back. She watched as Sasa and Kevin said goodbye and knowing that the goodbye was not forever made it easier to swallow. She smiled when they started kissing oblivious to onlookers. "Two good things came out of this." She thought to herself. As they went to board Sasa tried hard to hold back her tears and Sam tried to comfort her as best as she could. Once they were seated however Sasa allowed the tears to fall and Sam held her until they subsided and Sasa was able to smile again. Sasa poked fun at the waterworks display while Sam tried to make light of it. Sometime after they were airborne, at different intervals, Sam and Sasa fell asleep. Madrid was different. They felt it in the air the moment they stepped off the plane. As they walked through the airport they realized even the press was different in Madrid. There were people taking photographs of them but it was

not as intrusive as it had been in New York or Manchester. It was so pleasant that both women humoured the press with responses. 'Welcome to Madrid.' A voice said. 'Thank you. We are glad to be here.' Sasa said. 'How long do you plan to stay for?' another asked. 'I heard there is a magic about this place that pulls you in and never lets you go. So who knows?' Sam replied. 'Is true. Madrid is a magical place.' a voice added. Sam turned to the source of the voice and saw one of the most handsome men she had seen in a while and that was saying a lot because she had been running into many of those. Her eyes locked with his and he smiled at her making her blush. "Rafael! Rafael! Over here!" came from somewhere to their left. The women smiled as the cameras turned to the one they called Rafael who had their attention. They stood watching filled with curiosity as to the identity of Rafael. After answering a few questions Rafael politely dismissed them. Most of them left while a few remained to see where this would lead to. They started snapping pictures as Rafael made his way over to the two women and introduced themselves. 'Hola. My name is Rafael.' he said. 'I'm Saone and this is my friend Samorena, but you can call her Sam.' Saone said. Even though the handsome Rafael had addressed his introduction to Sam the woman in question was in a trance that Saone had not seen since Luca. 'I'm pleased to meet you Saone and Samo-re-na.' he said, making an attempt at pronouncing her name the way Saone had done and failing at it but looking so adorable that Sam giggled like a school girl. 'Close.' Sam said. He shrugged in that way that confirms one’s Latin origin. 'I think we would all

agree I need a lot more practice saying your name.' 'We do.' Sam agreed. Saone looked between the two and decided there was some sort of connection there and in spite of what Sam had said in New York she would try to play matchmaker. 'The best way is to have conversations and say her name often.' Sasa supplied. 'Excellent idea.' Rafael agreed. Sam saw that she would soon be backed into a corner and tried to get out of it by suggesting it was time they were headed to the lodge where they were staying. 'Where are you going? I might give you a lift.' Rafa offered. Sam and Sasa exchanged looks. Sam begging her friend to say no and Sasa begging Sam to say yes. Sam did not want to be dragged into another Luca and the sooner they were rid of the man the better. He made her feel things she did not want to be feeling especially when she thought she might be in love with another. 'Thank you but it's not necessary. We've already made transportation plans.' Sam said. 'No we haven't.' Sasa said. Rafa looked from one woman to the next and wondered at the differing opinions. He wanted to get to know Sam and almost willed her to agree to it. 'We would love a ride.' Sasa continued. Sam lost her cool and walked away from the two of them. Sam felt eyes on her as she looked around for some sort of cab that could drive them to the lodge. The last thing she wanted was to be anywhere near the too attractive man with the deep voice that made her tummy flip flop and do spins and twirls. Sasa watched Sam walk away to try and find a cab and sighed. Her friend could be so stubborn sometimes but so could she. This was the sort of man that Sam

was usually attracted to and she had not missed Sam's reaction to the man either. All that she had to do was create a moment and the man would do the rest. She had a good feeling about this one. She ignored Sam's little hissy fit and told Rafa where they were staying and it turned out to be on his way home. 'Your friend is not too keen on the idea.' Rafa said. 'She had a long flight.' Sasa said. It was a flimsy excuse and he knew it but he let it be. He wondered if he should just leave them alone but knew he could not do that since Saone had already accepted his offer. He would drive them to their place and if Sam really wanted nothing to do with him then he would leave her alone. Sasa managed to talk Sam into accepting the offer though after much arguing. 'What if he is some kind of serial killer or serial rapist? I mean what kind of guy offers women he does not know a lift unless there is something wrong with him?' Sam said. 'A man who sees two women who are new to the country and wants to be nice to them.' 'Have you never watched Taken?' 'That was a movie.' 'Yeah but every movie idea has a real life basis.' 'Don't be ridiculous. Sasa I'm tired and do you really want to be riding in a cab?' 'Not really.' 'Good. It's settled.' Sam tried to argue back but Sasa was already walking away to the man who Sam realized had been watching them the entire time. He did not look like a killer or a rapist but then again who does? Sam realized she had no choice when Sasa and Rafa started walking out of the airport. She also realized that they were being followed by more photographers. Although she hated the idea she hurried to them.

'What brings you to Madrid?' Rafa asked, as soon as they were on the road. 'Business.' Saone said. She had maneuvered it such that Sam had the front enger seat. She had put all their luggage in the back next to her insisting that it would be easier to unload it. Sam had wanted to contest it but realized she was holding them up and climbed into the car. She would have had the back seat if she had gone ahead of Sasa and should have known the girl would do something like that. 'If you don't mind my asking...' Rafa said. He was trying to have a conversation with her even though she was facing the window. She realized she was being rude and turned her head to face the front but for now she would let Sasa do the talking. Sasa realized Sam was not going to talk to the man and so she did the talking to avoid things getting awkward. 'We are in PR.' Saone said. 'That's cool.' he said. 'Thanks.' Saone said. 'What do you do?' Sam asked. She had to know. He was too nice to strangers to be a celebrity but the cameras did not make sense. 'I dabble in a lot of things.' he replied. 'Dabble?' Sam asked, an eyebrow cocked up. 'Yeah, this and that.' he said. 'Any of it legal?' Sam asked. Rafa burst into laughter and turned to look at her then turned back to the road still chuckling he replied her, 'All of it is legal.' 'What's one thing you dabble in?' Sam asked. 'Houses. I buy and sell them. Well not me personally. I own a business that does that.' he said.

'That does sound legal.' Sam said. He smiled, 'It does. Are you here for a job?' 'We umm own a PR firm back home and...want to expand by setting up shop here. We...there is an investor that we are meeting on Monday who is going to...who we are going into a partnership with...well I mean if everything goes well which we hope it will.' Sam said. 'How old are you? I'm not trying to offend you it's just you are talking about owning a business and expanding yet you look barely eighteen.' he said. 'Nice save. Twenty five. I'm twenty five.' 'And you Saone?' 'Same ago.' 'How long have you been running your business?' he asked. 'Since we were nineteen.' Sasa said. 'Wow. I am impressed.' he said. Sam knew she was thawing when she found herself saying, 'Thank you. How long have you been dabbling?' 'Since I was thirteen. I started selling stuff at school and that's how I knew I was good at buying and selling. Are you American?' She wondered why he was shifting attention from himself but answered him anyway, 'No. African. From Botswana.' 'I have not spoken to anyone from Botswana before. I spoke to a few Namibian and South Africans during the last world cup and I have a few Congolese friends.' 'Well there is a first time for everything.' 'Like your first time in Spain. I am assuming it is your first time?'

'Yes.' 'Have you ever been out to lunch with a Brazilian before?' 'I don't believe I have.' 'Well we don't want to break this chain of firsts. Please have lunch with me. I will pick you up around two?' 'I don't know...' Sam felt the back of her chair being kicked and gritted her teeth. She was enjoying talking to the man and there was nothing wrong with making a friend. Her hesitation was she was more than certain the lines of friendship would get blurred along the way. 'Alright, let me put it this way. Lunch or dinner?' She smiled, 'Lunch.' 'Perfect. And we are here.' They pulled into the driveway of the lodge where they were staying and he stopped. He, along with the staff, helped them carry their luggage to their rooms as the paparazzi snapped pictures from a distance. They walked him back to the car when they were done. She thanked him and they shook hands. That handshake sent the picture taking group into a frenzy. She sighed. 'By the time lunch is over I will be your girlfriend and cheating on Luca whose baby I am carrying.' Sam said. Rafa paled and his smile faded, 'What?' She laughed and pointed to the men and woman taking pictures and typing into their gadgets. 'Them. In the last two or so weeks I have been reading the most ridiculous things about myself. Do you know I had lunch at the Ivy last week Wednesday?' He shook his head, 'Neither did I. I read about it on the flight over. I'm finding out I have boyfriends I don't know about.' She said, with an impish smile.

'But are you with Bataglia?' Rafa asked. 'No!' She said, 'Why don't I tell you that story over lunch?' 'Look forward to it.' He said goodbye and climbed into his car. With the way he had reacted to her attempt at a joke she wondered if she was ever going to see him again. She found she would be sad if he never came around to pick her up.

STOOD UP Rafael Ramalho was a Brazilian striker for Los Reyes who also had great business acumen and had been that way from the time he was thirteen years old. He was orphaned at ten years old and raised by his poor aunt. By the time he was thirteen years old he had learned to be an entrepreneur to help out around the house that was also about the time he discovered he was really good at playing football. Well his school's football team coach had discovered his talent and together they worked hard to develop it. It was his aunt who made sure he stayed in school by working as many jobs as she could in order to pay his school fees. At the age of fifteen he was signed by Ipatinga after their scout heard about him and went to check him out. He played for Ipatinga's youth side until he was seventeen. He caught the eye of the Santos manager who signed him. He impressed in his first year and was promoted to the first team. By the time his second year with Santos, and his eighteenth birthday, came by he was already signed to Nike in a deal worth millions. Some of the money he made from playing football and many of his endorsement deals went to investments. He was well aware of the fact that one cannot play football forever and there was always the chance of an overzealous defender breaking his legs and possibly ending his career so he made sure to have a cushion. This came in the form of stock and business buying. His fortunes continued to grow as Los Reyes came calling in the January transfer window of that year and he had been unable to say no to playing for one of the biggest, if not the biggest in his opinion, team in the world. He had first noticed Sam on the flight from New York, where he had been in talks about his new fragrance, and naturally had thought she was exceptionally good looking. He also recognized her the minute he laid his eyes on her. She had been all everyone talked about in the last two weeks. He had seen her face on the news, in magazines and on social media and had wondered if she was as beautiful as she looked in pictures. He had to it that she was even more beautiful in person and without much help from cosmetics. He noticed she had on lipstick/lip gloss and mascara but nothing else. He found curiosity got the better of him and as soon as he could he looked her up online. The name sounded familiar to him and he spent twenty agonizing minutes trying to where he knew it from other than the news. When it hit him he sat back in his seat and smiled. Samorena and Saone were the owners of the company that he had asked his friend and financial manager to look into

investing in. He had stopped buying businesses two years ago, realizing that he could not manage all of them, and now invested in start-ups and ailing businesses that showed potential. So the woman whose company he wanted to invest in was Luca Bataglia's girlfriend. He would be lying if he said the thought did not intrigue him. He read on and discovered that both she and Bataglia had appeared in an interview disputing rumours of their involvement. If he was smart he would leave the woman alone but he was curious about her. He was curious about her involvement with Bataglia and wondered at the possibilities. He and Bataglia had been rivals for the last six years with the last six Ballon D'ors going back and forth between the two of them. He discounted the idea just as soon as he got it. It was better to not get business and pleasure mixed up. For the next two hours he focused on his pressing business matters, talking three of his CEOs and replying to emails. Then his mind strayed once more to Sam who was now sleeping. He had been watching her for a few minutes when he saw that she was stirring. She woke up and for a few seconds their eyes met then she turned away. When they got off the plane he watched how she dealt with the reporters and found himself smiling at the answers she was giving them. He hoped he was not recognizable with his new black locks and dark sunglasses but the media spotted him and he was obliged to talk to them. He saw his opening to talk to her when he saw that they had lingered. He introduced himself and waited for the gush following recognition of his face and name that he gets from men and especially women. Or maybe the glint in the eye when she recognizes him but does her best to pretend not to know who he is like most professionals gold diggers do. He saw a glint in her eye but not one of recognition but attraction. Glad but piqued that she did not recognize him immediately he engaged them in conversation hoping to catch her off guard but it was either she genuinely did not know who he was or she was a very good actress. That alone made him want to get to know her. When she'd refused his offer for a lift and walked away he had been taken by surprised even more surprised when it was her friend who talked her into it. He was confused and resolved to find out which of the two was rumoured to be involved with Bataglia. He waited to see if and when she would bring Bataglia up and when she did it was in the most unexpected manner that he was taken aback. It had sounded like she was giving credence to the pregnancy rumours. He found that he wanted to discover that she was a woman who had been caught in an unfortunate situation like she claimed she had been. After he dropped them off he called Raul Ramirez, his financial manager, to let him know that he wanted to be present for the meeting on Monday. It was ironic, in a way, to find that he was the reason that she was in Spain. She, the supposed girlfriend of his rival, was in Spain to get his money for her business. Had she known? Did she

know who he was and that was why she had selected him? How could she when he instructed Raul to keep his identity a secret. Only top management, except in the construction business, knew about his involvement in the businesses. Therefore the likelihood of her knowing he was involved was incredibly slim to impossible. This was just some weird, random coincidence. Later as he got dressed for lunch he thought of many reasons why he should not go to lunch and countered them all with "She is beautiful, intelligent and very interesting." He was almost out of the house when he was called to one of the buildings his construction team was renovating. There had been a fire and he'd rushed over with no time to call Sam and explain. Well there was time but he did not want to cancel over the phone especially when he was not sure he would miss lunch. There was a chance he might still make it. He wanted to have lunch with Sam but not because he was interested in her romantically. That ship had sailed a long time ago. It was a year and a half since he was last involved with anyone and hoping to keep it that way for a while. Carmen. Beautiful, beautiful Carmen. He'd been with Carmen for three years before their relationship ended. He had loved Carmen and had even thought about asking her to marry him while Carmen had wanted what every woman in his world wanted, money. She wanted someone who would spend his money on her and could not understand why he would not. He had money but not the money she wanted him to spend on her just yet. He was saving up for retirement. When Carmen found someone who was willing to give her what she wanted Rafael was old news. He had taken it hard and for seven months refused to have anything to do with any woman. When he came out of his women hiatus he decided he could not let Carmen dictate his life. He started dating again but all he met were women that reminded him of Carmen and wanted the same thing that she had wanted from him. He went back to the drawing board and looked back at the women he had dated before Carmen and those he met after Carmen trying to find what they had in common. To see if maybe he was going for the same type of woman. The next step was to clearly define what he wanted in a woman and potential life partner. What he came up with was nothing like what the women he dated were like. He wanted a partner who would be there with him through the good times and the bad times. Wanted someone with her own money and who would not depend on him for every little thing. Not that he would not spoil her but he wanted an independent woman; he wanted a partner not a child. She has to be intelligent, thoughtful, warm and sensual. His woman would fire him up body and soul. ***

'I'm so proud of you for saying yes to Rafael. I have a good feeling about him.' Saone said. Sam was not sure she had done the right thing. The last thing she wanted was to be going out to lunch with a guy who had cameras on him all the time. What happened to the times when she attracted regular guys? Now none of the regular approached her. Plus the whole mysterious vibe that Rafael was giving off was not really her thing. The only thing she knew about him was his name and that he was possibly in real estate. Maybe in Spain real estate people were really popular? Because that was the only thing that would explain the cameras. Perhaps he was royalty. But royalty would have more security, right? Or he comes from a really wealthy family. That could explain it. This was part of the reason she had said yes to the lunch invitation. She hated mysteries and always wanted to solve them. She was certain by the time she finished eating she would know who he was. She looked at Saone and could swear Saone was picturing her in a wedding dress. She sighed quietly. 'I'm doing it so you don't try to set me up with another basketball player.' Sam said. 'Uh huh...and nothing to do with how gorgeous he is.' Sasa quipped. 'Yes well...' 'Don't yes well me!' She sighed, 'Yes Sasa he is gorgeous! And can he hang a suit' 'Fit as a football player.' 'Right? But he isn't. I would have recognized him surely.' 'Definitely.' 'I don't know why...he just...' Sasa nodded. Sam did not have to say it for her to understand. Luca was never far from Sam's mind. Sasa knew she should not rush it but she was sure that once Sam started dating again she would get over her obsession with Luca. He was definitely not waiting. She had seen pictures of him arriving at a restaurant with

a gorgeous brunette. So maybe Rafael was not marriage material but Sam had enough time to worry about that. Right now she needed to know that there were other men just as handsome and just as fun as Luca and Rafa was bachelor number one. 'I'm going to take a shower and get ready.' Sam said. 'Sure.' Saone watched her walk to the bathroom. She wanted Sam to be happy again. The last two weeks had been tough on her. Sam tried to put on a brave face but Sasa knew inside her friend was hurting. She hated it. She hated that her beautiful, kind hearted friend seemed to have the worst luck when it comes to men. It did not make sense to her. Then when fate had thrown Luca Sam's way she had thought that finally the fates were being kind to Sam only for it to be possibly the worst. She sighed as she poured herself wine then settled down to call Kevin. 'Hey.' She said, when he answered, 'It's me. We are in Madrid.' 'Hey baby.' he said. She felt giddy from the use of that one word. She wondered at that seeing as she was not a fan of pet names. She thought it was stupid. 'What you up to? Sam's in the shower. She has a lunch date.' She said. 'Damn them Spanish men move fast don't they? Let them know you are taken.' he said. 'I tell them my boyfriend is a crazy wrestler.' 'Boyfriend, I like the sound of that.' 'Yeah, it's got a nice ring to it don't it?' 'That's your last stop right then home?' 'Yeah. For a month or so.'

'I'm not into the whole long distance thing. I might have to move back to Bots.' 'You might not have to. If I can twist Sam's arm the New York job is mine.' 'I have a stronger arm.' 'Why did we wait so long?' 'Coz I was afraid to mess our friendship up. I thought you weren't interested coz you always treated me like I a brother or gay best friend.' 'Yeah I did treat you like a gay best friend. But that's coz I thought there was absolutely no attraction on your side.' 'We were idiots.' 'But we turned out so well.' 'You sure as hell did. You are even more beautiful than I ed.' 'You cleaned up nice too.' They talked until his assistant let him know he needed to do sound check in five minutes. 'I gotta go baby. Talk to you after the show.' he said. 'Sure. Later.' Even though they had joked about distance she knew their relationship would never work unless one of them moved. She would have to be the one to make that sacrifice so this expansion could not have come at a better time. She was the type of girl who wanted to be with her man every chance that she got, and so was he, so them being on different continents would never work. She wanted this one to work. This was the first time ever that she had wanted a relationship to work. She really believed that Kevin was her one. Sam came out of the bedroom wearing black slacks, an azure blouse and red shoes. She looked beautiful with nothing on her face except eye liner and lip gloss. She was putting on her pearl studs when she saw Sasa looking at her and

did a twirl. 'How do I look?' Sam asked. 'Like you are going to a business meeting. Come' Saone said. They went back to the bedroom where Sasa picked out a blue dress to complement the red shoes. 'Now you look like you are going to lunch with a gorgeous business man.' Saone said. 'I'm not sure about this one Sasa. Last time I felt like this the girlfriend walked in on me and again I did not ask this one if he has a girlfriend.' 'You are not sleeping with this one are you? It's just lunch and you can find out what's up.' She poured herself a drink then sat down to wait for Rafa while trying to convince herself and Sasa why she should cancel lunch. 'Fuck!' she exclaimed. 'What?' Sasa jumped. 'I haven't called mama. I'm dead this time.' She grabbed the phone and dialled her mother's number. 'Mommy.' she said. 'Hello baby.' 'How are you mommy?' 'I'm fine. Glad you finally ed to call and check on us.' 'I did not forget about you ma, I've just been busy.' She knew it was the wrong thing to say and bit her tongue as soon as the words left her mouth. 'Too busy for your mother eh? The woman who carried you for nine months,

spent twenty hours in labour and dedicated her youth to raising you and you don't have five minutes for her?' 'Ma that is not what I meant.' 'That's alright. I am old and easy to forget and you have that business of yours to worry about.' 'Work is not more important than you.' 'What can I say it is partly our fault for pushing you to be successful? How are you?' Sam sighed, 'I'm alright. We got the New York job.' 'That is fantastic! Are you still in New York?' 'No, we just arrived in Spain.' 'I know I don't say thing often enough but I am very proud of you.' 'Thank you mommy. That means the world to me.' 'You mean the world to me.' She teared up, 'I love you too mommy.' 'Did you settle that mess with the football player? When do we get to meet him?' Sam knew that it was too good to be true. 'You will never meet him ma because I am never going to see him again.' 'You chased him away didn't you? I saw that interview he did with you and I saw the way he was looking at you.' 'He lies mom, that's what he does.' 'The eyes don't lie.' 'Mom I have to go. Please send my regards to the family. Tell them I can't wait to see you again. Love you.'

She hung up the phone before her mother snuck something in about how she should have hung on to Luca. It was not like she did not often wonder if she had made a mistake letting Luca go. She did not need someone else pointing that out. She checked the time and was surprised it was twenty minutes past three. Saone checked the time as well. The two's eyes met. 'You don't think he is blowing you off do you?' Sasa asked. Sam shrugged, 'It's an hour twenty minutes past the time he was supposed to pick me up.' 'I am sure there is a reason. Give him half an hour. Let's watch something while we wait.' She flipped through the channels, 'The Kardashians are on.' When Sam rolled her eyes Sasa laughed. She continued searching. 'Oh! The match is on.' Sasa said, then tuned in. 'Or not.' 'No, let's watch the match. We can't let Luca ruin football for me.' She had wanted to miss the match but did not want Sasa to catch on to it because there would be questions that she was not ready to answer. After the rumours of him dating other women Sam had found it was even more difficult to think about him much less see him. She could not look at him and not want to be with him, touch him, kiss him and listen to him talk. She would want all the things that come with being in a relationship. That hurt too much. Especially that her last relationship had ended because the man had decided two years into it that he was not ready for commitment. Sam had thought Luca could not possibly top last week's performance but she stood corrected as Luca scored another hat trick and assisted two goals. He was on fire and it was even more proof that he was not pining for her. Why would he when he hardly knew her and there were many women who would fill her position just as quickly? Perhaps she was putting too much stock in herself where the man was concerned. She had to it that so far this season Luca was the teenager whose football skills she had fallen in love with and it did not hurt that he looked good while doing it. When the match ended and Rafael still had not shown up or called she decided it was for the best. She had not really wanted to go on the date anyway. She changed into jeans and the two went out to lunch. On the ride to the restaurant, for sport, she logged onto Twitter.

'Sasa you will not believe this! I have over five hundred thousand followers. This is ridiculous. Who are these people?' Sam said. Saone leaned in for a closer look and the two laughed. 'Let me check mine.' They checked Sasa's Twitter and found that she had over four hundred thousand followers. She decided it would be fun to read the tweets out loud. A lot of them were about her and Kevin. So that explained the people now following her. Some of the tweets were sweet, others funny while the rest were disturbing. Some people thought she and Kevin looked good together and thought it was sweet how they had found each other after all these years. Others hated that she was with him and called her ugly along with an assortment of ugly words. What should have been fun turned ugly really quickly. 'I might as well be naked on the street. Who gives these people who know nothing about me or Kevin the right to express to me their opinion about my relationship with him?' Sam shook her head in sympathy, 'The price we pay for seeking happiness. I thought it would be easy to block it out but when you read some of this shit it makes you want to slap someone.' Sasa laughed, 'You know we are going about this the wrong way. I mean if this was one of our clients we would be telling them to use this to connect with people yet we are letting other people control what the world hears and keeping quiet. They don't know who we are because they don't know our voice. We are trying to move mountains and heaven knows we need all the strength we can get and this could be it. But here we are rolling around in misery and throwing pity parties while lies get spread.' 'I keep praying it will all go away.' 'You know it never does. We may as well take advantage of it and incorporate it into the marketing strategy for Glamage worldwide. When we are done with Madrid we are going to sound our voice and it will be loud as hell.' 'He stood me up! I can't believe he stood me up. Do you know the last time anyone stood me up? I was in junior school. Twelve years ago. I mean who the

hell does he think he is?' For Sam to be thinking about him at a time like this meant he had somehow gotten under her skin and it was not necessarily a bad thing, so Sasa smiled. This was progress. 'Forget about him. He is not the only handsome businessman you will meet. You are famous now.' Sam snorted, 'Famous. Yeah right! More like infamous.' Sasa laughed, 'Alright. Okay but you know what I mean. Oh my God! Look at this. It's been confirmed that you and Luca are having a baby.' 'What? Who confirmed?' Saone handed her the phone and Sam read a story that supposedly had insiders claiming that she and Luca had been seeing each other for a long time and that they were expecting a baby in January. The piece had a picture of her walking in for the meeting in New York where she had worn a high waisted skirt that showed a slight bump in her tummy. 'That is not a baby bump! I've just not been exercising. Oh ma will love this one. Who comes up with this shit? Who wrote that? I need to have a talk with the writer and the editor.' 'Relax. We will deal with this.' Sam wanted to panic. Luca would think she was the insider or Sasa was the insider giving information to these people. 'They have one about me.' Sasa said. 'It says I am Kevin's rebound.' Saone laughed finding the piece ridiculous. She continued to read and got ticked off when she read one part that said she and Sam went around targeting rich men. 'What?' Sam said. The cab driver turned around and said, ' Perdón, ¿qué ha dicho?' 'De nada.' Sasa said.

'Estamos aqui.' he said. 'Gracias.' They paid the driver and got out. Other than the paps snapping pictures from a distance and the waiter taking their orders and checking on them nobody paid them much attention. It felt a lot like home. They had their meal then went back to the hotel. When they got back they fell straight into bed jet lag finally weighing them down. That Sunday they had breakfast at the lodge then went out shopping then to a spa before going back to the lodge. There was a message waiting for them when they got back. Rafael had called while they were out and had left a message on the phone along with his phone number. He said he wanted to explain and asked that Sam call him back. 'Do you think I should call him back?' Sam asked. 'I think if he is serious about getting in touch with you he will figure out a way.' 'I like the way you think. I'm going to take a shower.' 'Cool. I'll get us dinner.' Rafa called while Sam was showering and Sasa asked him to leave a message. 'Why did you not tell me?' Sam asked. 'You were in the shower.' 'I would have liked to have a say in whether I take the call or not.' 'Sorry. Are you going to call him?' 'I don't know. I've never called a man like this before.' 'Then wait for him to call. He will call again. He sounds like he really wants to talk to you.' Sam's phone buzzed and she went for it. She found a tweet from Rafael.

RafaelRamalho You are a difficult woman to get in touch with @SamMad. She smiled as she read it. 'Rafael?' 'Yeah. A tweet.' 'Oh? Tweet him back.' SamMad You don't know how to find me @RafaelRamalho You are a difficult woman to get in touch with @SamMad @SamMad Mad at me? @RafaelRamalho You know what you did. @SamMad let me explain. Call you? @RafaelRamalho Yes. 'He's going to call.' Sam told Sasa. 'Good.' The phone rang and she smiled. She went to answer it. 'Hello.' she said. 'Samorena is that you?' 'Yes.' 'It's Rafael.' 'I know.' 'I'm calling to apologize for yesterday.' 'What about yesterday?'

'Not showing up for lunch yesterday and not calling.' 'I see.' 'I got called away on urgent business and I did not want to cancel over the phone. In fact I did not want to cancel at all but it went on longer than I expected. One of the buildings we are working on caught fire yesterday and some of the workers were injured. That's why I could not meet you for lunch because I was attending to that.' 'How bad was the fire? Any fatalities?' 'No fatalities but a few second degree burns and one third degree. One of them was careless with a soldering iron.' 'I'm so sorry to hear that. My heart goes out to them and here I was being so petty.' 'You didn't know.' 'Still.' 'Can we meet tomorrow for lunch? I promise to be there this time.' 'I have a meeting tomorrow ummm how about lunch on Tuesday afternoon?' 'Tuesday afternoon works for me.' 'Fantastic. We will talk then. Goodnight.' 'Good night.' She hung up then did a dramatic twirl, smiled then sank into the sofa with a sigh. 'That good huh?' Sasa said. 'His building caught on fire.' Sam said. 'And that makes you happy?' 'Ha-ha. Very funny. No. I mean that's why he did not come to lunch yesterday. I

feel bad that I was sitting here complaining about being stood up when people could have lost their lives.' 'What?' Sam related the story to Sasa who came out just as affected as Sam had been. They talked about it for a little while until they decided they were tired and should go to bed.

I AM NOT LUCA Good morning bonita. Hope you have a lovely day. The text read on Sam's phone when she checked it the following morning. She ed giving Rafael her cell phone number before they hung up the previous day. It was a very long time since she had last received such a text from someone that she was not related to. It was two years since she and Tlamelo had broken up. It had taken her six months to stop missing him first thing when she woke up and last thing when she went to bed as well as at random moments during the day. Another three months for her heart to stop beating at the mention of his name. When that stopped she had given the dating scene another go but only seemed to meet men like her ex. This led her to take more time off to do some soul searching. She wanted to see whether or not she made men commitment phobic or if she went for the wrong kind. The results had been inconclusive. Luca had come along and she had jumped right into it disregarding everything. Because for one night she made herself believe she had found the answer to everything. She was afraid she would do the same with this new one and needed to slow things down. As pleasant as the text was she could not fan the flames. She put the phone down and went to find Sasa. Sasa was drinking coffee in the kitchen as well as checking the latest news. 'Morning.' Sam said. 'Hey.' Sasa said, 'I cannot wait to be done with this and on my way home.' 'Home where the press mostly leave you alone or watch from a respectable distance.' 'Home where we can walk down the street and people either ignore us or just wave.' 'Home where family and friends are.' That elicited a sigh from both women then Saone's phone rang and the mood was dispelled. She smiled as she answered it. 'Hello stranger.' she said.

'How's my number one lady?' Kevin asked. 'Nervous.' 'You are going to kick ass. And I'm not saying so coz you're my girl but I don't know anyone half as persuasive as you.' 'Awww thanks babe.' 'We go way back me and you and uh you mean a lot to me. I hope you know that.' The tone in his voice put her on alert. 'I think so. What's up?' 'Been reading some shit online and usually it don't bother me none but...listen I wanted to see...' 'You mean about you having a baby by some other woman?' 'Yeah, that.' 'Are you?' 'I'm not. I mean I don't know that I am.' 'Whatever it is we will deal with it together.' 'That, that right there is why you are my number one.' 'Oh so there is a whole list.' 'Quit playing.' 'Promise me you will never lie to me and we are cool.' 'I haven't and I won't.' 'Sweet.'

Sam felt her phone vibrate and extracted her attention from Sasa's phone call. "Can't stop thinking about you and can't wait for lunch." It was a text from Rafael. ":) can't wait either." she text back. 'And don't I know it.' Sasa was saying into the phone when Sam turned her attention back to her, 'I so want to keep talking to you coz you have the sexiest voice over the phone but I have to finish getting dressed. The meeting is in an hour.' 'I will.' she said, a moment later. She hung up the phone with a huge grin on her face and turned to find Sam staring at her. 'You are the cutest thing when you are talking to Kev.' Sam said. 'Get out.' 'I think we both should soon or we will be late.' Sasa smiled as she went to her room to get dressed. They met in the living room thirty minutes later both dressed to the nines. After paying each other compliments they got a cab and to the address they had been given. They arrived at the office with ten minutes to spare. They gave the receptionist their names and told her that they had an appointment with Senor Martinez. 'He is expecting you.' she said, 'Please follow me.' They followed the pretty blonde as she led them to a surprisingly empty conference room. 'Senor Ramirez is still in his office and will be ing you in the next five minutes. Please make yourselves comfortable. My name is Camille. Feel free to buzz me if you need anything.' the receptionist said. 'Thank you Camille.' Sam said. Camille walked back to her desk while Sam and Sasa set up their equipment. This was their last presentation which made the

whole thing bittersweet. On one hand they were relieved that they would be going back home while on the other hand they would miss this time on the road. It had acted like a mini vacation and heaven knows they had needed the vacation. They were both very well aware of the fact that from then on and for the next two years at least they would be incredibly busy with little to no time for rest. They had just sat down and were going over their notes when the door opened and a very handsome man walked in. He introduced himself as Raul as he shook hands with both of them. Sam swallowed hard as she shook his hand and introduced herself while wondering if there were any ugly men in Spain. She saw Sasa blush too as she shook hands with Raul and found that his looks were not lost on her either. They were about to start their presentation when Rafael walked in. Her first reaction to him was a smile and a quick racing of her heart but it was followed just as quickly by confusion. Her confusion intensified when Raul welcomed him and shook his hand. She frowned and watched it play out in front of her. 'Buenos dias senor Ramalho.' Raul said. 'Buenos dias Raul.' Mr Ramirez said. 'Estas son...eh these are the women I was telling you about. Please meet Senora Saone y Senora Samorena. Ladies, meet Senor Ramalho. He is the one investing in your company and asked to be present for this meeting.' Raul said. Sam sent a questioning look in Rafael's direction, as Raul made the introductions, but he did not look the least bit surprised to see them there nor like he was about to offer an explanation. If anything he was waiting for them to start their presentation. Saone looked at Sam who looked every bit as shocked as she felt and more than a little angry. He must have known who they were from the start; which would explain why he had been reluctant to tell them what he did for a living. Sam wanted to confront him but at the same time felt like she should go along with whatever that was wondering if this was some sort of test. She decided to be professional about it and get on with the presentation. Whatever side issues there were she would deal with them after. But if they got his money she would always wonder whether it was because he believed in them or because he wanted

to sleep with her. She squared her shoulders and went up to the projection screen. 'Good morning Ra...eh Mr Ramalho. Thank you for ing us.' Sam said. 'My pleasure.' Rafael was sure he detected anger in her eyes and he understood why she would be. He would be just as angry if not more were he in her shoes. He could not help but ire how well she wore her anger. He had not thought she could look any more beautiful. The presentation was excellent. They covered all the points that he needed to be covered and answered any questions that he could ask. By the middle of it he was sure he wanted to be a part of what the women were building. Even had he not met her before he would be just as excited. He had learned a long time ago to separate business from pleasure and though they may dance precariously close to each other sometimes they never intertwined. 'Brilliant presentation ladies. Senor Ramalho and I will discuss it and get back to you.' Raul said. 'There is no need to discuss it further. I want to invest.' Rafael announced. Raul was stunned. Rafael was a wealthy man and like all wealthy men he was cautious with his money. Every investment, big or small, was discussed and analysed in great detail after extensive research. They had done extensive research on the women and had found no skeletons in their closets except for one of them with Rafael's "rival" Bataglia. Even so, Rafael usually wanted time to look everything over. Even with as solid a presentation as the women had given. Credit had to be given to the women though because they had done their research and had a sound business plan. 'I did some research of my own on this company and I love your work. You two are very talented. You make a lot of money and I love making money. This would be a partnership that benefits everyone.' Rafael continued. He went on to list jobs that Glamage had done that he was mostly impressed with and impressed Sam and Sasa in turn. Sam's fears about this being driven by his attraction to her were allayed and excitement took root. They exchanged

smiles. 'Great.' Sasa said. 'We will draft the paperwork and mail it to you within a week.' 'Sounds good to me.' Raul said. 'We look forward to working with you.' Sasa continued. 'Likewise.' Raul replied. As they shook to shake hands Rafael and Samorena exchanged a meaningful look. Raul and Sasa led the way as they walked out. At the door Sam stopped and so did Rafael. She wanted to speak to him as much as he wanted to talk to her. 'Hi.' he said. 'Hello.' she replied. 'Where do I start?' 'With what the hell that was in there.' She folded her arms and her eyes bore into him. 'When I talked to you at the airport I knew who you were.' he said. Her mouth fell open and she took a step back. 'I don't know whether to be flattered or seriously worried.' She told him. 'You are a beautiful woman Samorena but you don't need me to tell you that, so of course I noticed you. And your face has been on every news media available.' 'Yes. Of course.' 'And I always do research on the people I invest my money in.' Sam felt stupid because everything he was saying made sense.

'And asking me to lunch...what was that about?' she asked. 'I like you and I wanted to spend some time with you.' 'Do you think that's wise given...?’ She trailed off. 'Firstly, I never mix business with pleasure. I want to do business with you because you will make me more money. Secondly, I like you and I don't see why doing business with you should stop me from getting to know you better, there is no reason why we cannot separate the two.' 'Mmmm' 'It's lunch not a marriage proposal.' She laughed. She ed the last time she went on a date with a man and her laughter faded. Rafael watched her intently as she wrestled her internal demons and saw the moment that she agreed to have lunch with him. Sam felt it was a horrible idea to have lunch and with the last bad decision that she had made she was not keen on making another one. She had also promised herself she would move on and moving on meant going out on dates. 'Alright. Lunch.' she said. He was not on her list of undateables. Those would be sportsmen, models, singers, actors, anchor-men or any famous person. She watched the grin that spread on his face and found she was grinning along. One lunch never did hurt anyone, she convinced herself. Rafael took her to one two of his restaurant. One served a mix of cuisines while the other served exclusively Brazilian food. He took her to the Brazilian restaurant. 'I have never had Brazilian food before.' she told him. 'You are in for a treat.' he promised, 'I own this restaurant.' They were seated down and she ordered mineral water and an iced tea while he got orange juice. She smiled at the waiter when he placed her water and iced tea in front of her, and thanked him. The waiter wanted to know if they were ready to order but they were not and told him so.

'We have three Brazilian restaurants at home but I have never been to one.' she said, then shook her head, 'What would you recommend?' she asked, when the waiter was at a discreet yet close distance. 'I thought we could start with coxinha, followed by vatapa with pao de queijo and (dessert)' he said. 'I have no idea what those are but I'm up for anything.' she said. He explained to her what they were with a smile. He signalled the waiter and gave him their order and asked him to give them a bottle of Chateau Malescasse 2000 to go with the main. 'Did you always want to be in PR? I mean did you dream of it as a little girl?' he asked, as they started on the white wine that Rafael had ordered. She studied him like she was wondering whether to answer him honestly or not then she smiled, 'Honestly no. I wanted to be an actress when I was seven until I was ten then I wanted to be a writer, then a psychologist then back to writer.' 'All good choices. Why PR then?' 'I managed to convince myself that I did not have the patience to be a psychologist. And that I would never make any money as a writer in Bots coz there is a very small market for books, I never thought globally. Then I finished my form five and had to apply for University and found myself leaning towards business programs so those were my choices. I didn't know I wanted PR not really, I picked Marketing at random and found I got lucky.' 'You are a risk taker. Probably why your business thrives.' 'I got lucky and I was young and stupid. I am older and wiser now and don't rely on luck. I do it I tend to take risks but after examining both sides of the coin.' 'Success is luck meeting preparation. Those that are prepared when luck strikes are those that make it.' 'I've never looked at it that way coz I've never believed in luck. Is that how you got into dabbling? Luck?'

'Luck and preparation.' 'How did you start?' 'I grew up poor and every day was filled with a desire to better my situation. I was ten when I first started selling sweets. By twelve I was selling anything that I could get my hands on, some of it illegal, none of it drugs. That was lucky or I would have ended in prison. I looked for opportunity where I could and I was always prepared.' 'Wow. You built all of this from that?' 'Not all of it. When I was not selling I was playing football with my friends. They told me I was good and convinced me to the school team. I was fifteen when a scout from Ipatinga saw me play and next thing you know I am playing for the team. At seventeen the biggest team in Brazil Santos came calling and I ed them. This was luck again.' 'I do not want to believe Santos signs are lucky to be signed. There must be skill there.' He smiled, 'You should judge for yourself.' 'I will. So you used the money you got from football to invest in businesses. Nice.' 'Thank you.' 'It's no small thing to play football let alone Santos I cannot imagine what made you stop.' He frowned at her in confusion, 'Stop? I still play. I signed for Los Reyes in January. I will have you know in some cultures I am a spring chicken.' He said, in a mock serious tone. Sam was in shock. Was this some kind of joke? She looked at him. Really looked at him for the first time and everything started to make sense. The little voice that she had disregarded was singing "I told you so." No wonder he had seemed familiar. She had thought so when she met him at the airport and since he did not introduce himself as a football player she figured he just looked like

Rafael Ramalho the football player. Never mind that they have the same name because it happens. She knew three Thato Molosiwas and Two Will Smiths, not counting the famous Will Smith. History was in full repeat mode Her first real boyfriend, Tumiso, was a football player and she had met him when she was eighteen and thought she was in love. She was but he was not. She knew she was in love and alone when, a year later, she discovered that her boyfriend had a girlfriend in three cities. That had ended quickly. Then she met Luca and completely forgot about Tumiso. Getting involved with Luca had not brought her the best of luck either. Now she was out with a guy she hoped to move on from the football player with and he turned out to be another football player. Fate was shitting on her for being stupid and she deserved to roll around in the shit. She had moved from one football player to another and not just regular football players. No, Samorena Maduo had to go for famous football player Luca Bataglia then move on to his rival Rafael Ramalho. Her head was spinning and she felt sick. She was cursed when it came to football players. That was why she asked Rafael what he did for a living and he had lied to her. 'You told me you are a businessman not a football player.' she accused him. His look asked how she could not have known, 'I did not think it was worth mentioning.' he said. 'Really? In the circumstances I think those should have been the first words out of your mouth!' 'What difference would it have made?' 'This lunch was a mistake. I am sorry for wasting your time.' She grabbed her purse and left. Rafael immediately followed her out of the restaurant. 'Wait!' he called after her. She would have continued to walk away but they were attracting attention and the last thing she wanted was to make the news again. She rolled her eyes, she was already there whether she wanted to or not. But she stopped and turned to face him.

'I can't do this! You and Luca, the whole rivalry. Me and Luca, the news. I can't.' 'You cannot judge me and you solely based on that. Let me take you back to your motel and all I will ask of you is thirty minutes of your time.' She did not want to talk because her mind was made up but they were attracting too much attention. She nodded and he led her to his car. Saone was out when they got back. Sam had hoped Rafael would drop her off but realized she had agreed to thirty minutes by getting into his car. She let him in and got a bottle of wine because she felt she would need the courage to say what she needed to say to him. She was starting to like him and would have to tell him goodbye. There is never a right time to tell someone goodbye. This goodbye had to be said though. 'I am sorry for the way I reacted. I guess I knew in the back of my mind but I wanted to believe you were not Ramalho the famous football player but Rafael the businessman. I mean the hair....the suit...' she trailed off. 'So I take it you don't like football players.' She took a huge swallow of wine. 'The first time I got my heart broken I was eighteen and he was a football player. For the past three weeks I have been reduced to nothing but a slut by people I don't know all because I had a one night stand with a football player. People have one night stands all the time and it's ok but because mine was with someone known by a lot of people I am judged differently. Details of my private life have been paraded for all the world to see and for people to judge.' 'I am more than a football player or a businessman. You wanted to know what I did for a living and for the first time in a very long time I had a chance to not be the football player and I took it.' 'All the football players that I have met have lied to me. If they are not seeing other women behind my back I am the other woman.' 'Everybody lies and I am not Luca. I am not married nor seeing anyone. I have not had a girlfriend in over a year and the last time I was with a woman was well over three months ago.' 'And I am fairly certain that you are a great person but what you do for a living

makes it incredibly difficult for me to see you in any capacity. I don't normally care what people say about me but they don't just talk about me. My parents have been dragged into this, my sister, my brother, my best friend who has finally reconnected with quite possibly the love of her life. She cannot enjoy it because of her connection to me.' 'What does that have to do with you and I?' 'You and I. You and I...there can never be a you and I don't you see it? I slept with Luca Bataglia the man to whom you have lost the Ballon D'or the last three years do you know what that would look like? How that would make me look?' His first instinct was to show her that she was wrong. But was she? He knew that she was not trying to seduce her in fact she had been doing the opposite from the moment they met. He wanted to laugh. If this was what Bataglia had been up against then he understood how he and Sam found themselves in the mess that they did. He finally understood. He knew that if Sam had responded to her the way she had responded to Luca they would probably be in the same situation in a short amount of time. She was right, of course, about how she would look to the rest of the world. To Luca. To her parents. To her business associates. He stopped and investigated his attraction to her trying to see if it was really attraction or the need to beat Luca at something. Taking his woman away from him would certainly make up, in some way, for losing the Ballon D'or to him. If that was the reason he wanted to pursue whatever this was with Sam then he needed to step back and do some introspection. 'May I be honest with you?' he asked. 'That would be very welcome.' 'I am attracted to you and I would love the chance to get to know you however I know where you are coming from. You have my phone number so if you find you have changed your mind I will be waiting.' Sam stared at him when he spoke. She heard the words but she saw a different face. Luca's face. Weren't these the same words he said to her? Not the exact same words but something along these lines. What was happening? Why were these men saying these things to her? This type of thing never happened to her. She did not attract celebrities. Never. Bots celebrities never gave her the time of day beyond the services she provided for them and even then they kind of looked

past her. Now here were two incredibly gorgeous and very famous men telling her that they were attracted to her and wanted to get to know her. Yet she could not explore that with them. How fucked up was this? She could not be with Luca because she did not trust him and they attracted far too much attention. She could not be with Rafael because he and Luca were rivals and this may hurt Luca thereby attracting even more attention. Sam did not want any more attention. She refused to spend her life under the glare of the spotlight for some man. She shook her head then stood up, Rafael stood up with her. He could see the turmoil on her face and wondered if maybe he should not have said those last words. 'I don't mean to be rude but I think you should leave.' she said. With her back to him. She heard as he sighed then walked away. She heard the door open then close.

I'M SORRY ABOUT THE MATCH When Saone came back to the lodge from shopping she found Sam watching a movie by herself. She was barely through the door when Sam started telling her about lunch with Rafael but she was talking too fast for Saone to keep up and she got snatches of what she was talking about. 'Businessman' 'Football player.' 'Walked out.' 'Married.' 'Never again.' Saone grabbed her by the shoulders and gently shook her. 'Breathe. Then talk. Only this time with a little more logic.' Saone said. Sam smiled then took a deep breath and let it out. She waved her hands in front of her in an outward motion then sat down. 'Rafael Ramalho is employed by Los Reyes FC.' Sam said. 'That is a football club.' 'Any other obvious thing you want to point out?' 'What is he employed as?' Sam gave Sasa a blank stare, 'Football player?' Sasa asked. 'Striker. Not only is he a striker for one of the biggest clubs in the world he is also Luca's main rival. Nemesis. You know the guy I love to hate.' 'What? The guy that plays for Santos?' 'Used to play for Santos.'

'Damn.' 'Damn.' 'How did you find out?' 'He told me.' 'What did you say?' 'I ran out.' 'Sam...' 'What? He followed me and convinced me to hear him out. We talked about it but then I told him I can't ever see him again.' 'Because he plays football?' 'Yes and he is Luca's arch rival.' 'So?' 'I slept with him.' 'So that means you owe him your loyalty? If you'd met Rafa before Luca would you have sent him away?' 'No but...' 'But what?' 'It's different. I know Luca now and we...' 'You what?' 'We shared something special.' 'Yes. Sex. Which is probably what he is doing with someone else right now.' Sam knew Sasa was right but she could not believe it. She was the one who had

looked into Luca's eyes. She was the one who had talked to him. Not Sasa. Sasa would never know the connection she and Luca had shared. However, there was always that possibility that she had imagined the whole thing. 'I know that Sasa. OK. But there can never be anything between Rafael and I.' Sam went to her room after delivering those words. Sasa let her be she knew her friend needed her space and she would give it to her. Sam did not come out to have dinner either. *** The following morning the two stayed in watching movies until later in the evening when they decided to go out. Sometime during the day Sasa had apologized for being insensitive and Sam had apologized for being too sensitive. They had been indoors the whole day and needed to go out. Sasa allowed Sam to pick where to eat knowing very well it would be some place where they could also watch the first leg of the quarter-final encounter between Manchester Mavericks and Infesta. To placate her friend even more Sasa wore the white away shirt that Sam had bought for her in Manchester while Sam wore hers. They asked the manager of the lodge where the best place to catch the match and get food was. He told them and even offered to drive them there. 'It's just so surreal watching him and knowing that I have had sex with that man.' Sam said. 'I never did ask for details.' Sasa said. 'There was never a good time.' 'Now seems like a really good time.' 'You have seen the man play football. That's not the only thing he is skilled at.' She sighed as her body reacted to the memory of that one night and Sasa giggled. It was surprising but nice to know that she could talk about it without wanting to break down. Samorena shook her head as she thought about the many things that had happened in the last three weeks. She had met her favourite football player and fulfilled her fantasy of going to bed with him but had been found in that bed by his girlfriend. She and her best friend were on the first step

to realizing their dream of turning Glamage into a multi-national company. Her best friend had found love with an old friend of hers. It seemed an entire lifetime had been crammed into three weeks. 'If someone had told me when we left Bots that this would happen I would have laughed in their face.' Sasa said. 'It has been crazy.' 'But something tells me it is about to get crazier.' 'I have had about as much as I can take so I am going to pray you are wrong.' They were seated at the bar, closest to the television. They'd had their dinner and were waiting on the match to start. Sam ordered a cosmopolitan while Sasa had beer. During the build-up to the match three men hit on them but they managed to turn down their advances. Some of the patrons recognized them and asked to take pictures with them. They were floored but smiled as they posed for the cameras. Sam turned her head to the screen as the players filed onto the pitch her eyes immediately searching for and finding Luca. The camera remained on him as the commentators profiled him. Her heart missed several beats as she watched him and frowned at the effect that he so clearly still had on her. Although she tried to tell herself that she was not doing it on purpose her eyes stayed on him for most of the match. He seemed distracted at times and easily lost possession of the ball which was unlike him. He was largely ineffective for the first half of the match which ended with Infesta leading them by a goal to nothing. When the second half got underway the mood in the cafe, which was over sixty percent Manchester Mavericks ers and forty percent neutrals, went up as the fans cheered their team on hoping the positive energy they were generating would somehow reach them and turn the tide around. Sam was naturally competitive and hated to lose at anything so losing a match of this importance was agonizing for her. She bit her lip as Luca shot over the crossbar once more. In the next ten minutes she slapped her palm on the table as another shot from Luca shot over the crossbar. Then he was back to his brilliant self and she watched as he produced the electric football that had drawn her and millions of other fans to him. The Infesta goalkeeper was having an even more brilliant night and produced save after save to deny Luca. Tension gripped Sam and held

on tightly refusing to let go as she sat on the edge of her seat and watched intensely. 'Damn it!' she screamed, in frustration as Luca was tackled and the ball stolen from him, then she watched in agony as Infesta strung together brilliant es that led to a goal of their own. 'Fuck!' Sam kicked a table then groaned. 'Easy there.' a man to her left said. Sam turned and gave him a baleful glare that elicited an apology. 'Hey. You are Luca's girlfriend. Look what you done to 'im. 'E walk around like man with broken heart while you date Ramalho.' 'Chill.' Saone told her. She put her hand on Sam's hand. Sasa knew Sam well enough to know that she was getting angry. Alcohol and her temper were not the best of friends. The more alcohol she consumed the less of a hold she had on her temper and the last thing they wanted was her throwing a bottle at some random guy. 'It's not worth it babe. He is not worth it.' Sam took several deep breaths to calm herself down then turned her focus back to the match. It was the last few seconds of the match and Manchester Mavericks had possession of the ball in what seemed like a good run. Luca was one on one with the defender. She had seen this many times over the years and Luca rarely ever failed to convert in such situations and this time the goalkeeper was off his line, it was an easy chip and Mavericks were in with a fighting chance. Sam watched as the goalkeeper rushed to tackle Luca. The room and all its noise melted away as Luca stayed on the ground clutching his leg. Sam was oblivious of everything, including the tears running down her face, except Luca on the ground. She realized she had been holding her breath when she exhaled it at the sight of Luca struggling to his feet and began shaking off the injury. She began to breathe normally. The goalkeeper was given a straight red card so Infesta had to put a defender in goal. Luca positioned himself to take the penalty kick. Sam could not the las time Luca had missed a free kick so she felt good about this one. It was not Luca's night however because he kicked the ball straight into the keeper's hands. The match ended Infesta 3-0 Manchester Mavericks. Sam let the tears fall as she watched Luca walk, with his shoulders slumped, to the changing room. She wiped off her tears, finished her third

cosmopolitan. 'Well that was disappointing.' she said. Saone squeezed her hand in sympathy. 'Tell me about it!' Saone said. 'Can't win them all.' 'No you can't.' Sam ran a hand through her hair then signalled the waiter to bring her another cosmopolitan. Her phone buzzed as the waiter placed her Cosmo in front of her. She hoped it would be Luca but it was Rafael. Where are you? he texted. At a bar en Calle Mayor she texted back. I'm sorry your team lost She was drunk enough to forget that she did not want to talk to him. Drunk selective memory. All she ed was her attraction to him and how at ease she had felt with him. She needed comfort. It happens. Do you want to come over? She texted. Give me an hour He text back. Cool. She replied. She had thought that would do the trick but it had not. She needed to talk to Luca and she knew it. "Perhaps distancing myself was not the best idea in the world. I think about him constantly" She thought to herself. She wanted to call him but that would mean an actual conversation and she would not know what to say to him. She considered sending him a text message but figured he might respond quickly which would be the same as a telephone

call as there would be expectation of a response on both sides. She thought about sending him an email but it would most likely go to an assistant or someone and he would probably never see it. She settled on Social Media because she knew he handled his Facebook page and Twitter himself. She decided to tweet him then spent five minutes trying to decide what to say to him. 'You have been giving your phone the death stare for a while now. Either you want to kill the person you were texting or you want to see if you can make your phone disappear.' 'Huh? Oh! No, that was Rafael. He's coming over to the lodge in an hour.' 'And you don't want him to?' Sam took a deep breath then released it. 'You have known me for a very long time and you know how much I obsess over stuff...' 'Call Luca.' Sam smiled. She loved the fact that Sasa got her even without words. 'I should. I know I should but where do I start? He called me in New York and I told him to fuck off now I want to talk to him? I wouldn't answer.' 'You need to try. You don't know maybe he wants to talk to you as well. You know you will never be able to let go until you do. You have questions that only he can answer.' 'You are right. I'm going to tweet him and if he sees it then we are meant to talk if not then I'm going to have to toughen up.' She logged onto Twitter and decided to tempt fate by tweeting him instead of sending him a DM. Sorry bout the result. Gr8 game tho. We'll get them next time @LucaBataglia. With a thundering heart she downed her Cosmopolitan and decided she had had enough and needed to get back and meet Rafael. She did not know what she

wanted from him only that she needed him there. They settled the bill and gave their waiter a generous tip. At the door a man tried to hit on Sasa at the door, she smiled, patted him on the shoulder and said, 'I am married to a pro wrestler.' The man, obviously with very little English skills, thought she was flirting with him and grabbed her arm to pull her closer. Sasa frowned, 'Hey!' She shouted and tried to extricate herself. Sam had no idea all of this was going on behind her. When she realized that Sasa was not by her side she turned back to see her wrestling with a bear of a man. 'Leave me alone.' Sasa screamed as she pounded on his arms. He smiled and tried to kiss her. That's when she kneed him in the groin and stepped back as he fell to his knees. 'What the hell?' Sasa said, as they walked out. *** Luca stood in the shower and let the water run down his body as he replayed the match over and over in his head wondering what they could have done differently. What he could have done differently. He was devastated but kept reminding himself that the competition was far from over. The second leg would now be an uphill battle, which was never ideal in any competitive situation, but not impossible. He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He heard his phone ping repeatedly as he towel dried himself. He knew it was text messages from friends and family, tweets, wall posts and messages from fans all with the same theme; sympathy. He put his clothes on, grabbed his bag and was on his way home. Post-match was always difficult. There were always mixed emotions. Jubilation over a win or utter pain over a loss mixed with disappointment with one aspect of his game or the other. Win, draw or loss he always wondered what he could have done better, how many goals he could have added to his tally or whether he should have ed more to his team mates. He mourned every ball lost, every goal missed and every foul committed. This game was different. It cut slightly more because he'd had a shitty match on of his being distracted. He had seen pictures of her getting cosy over lunch with Ramalho during the week and that had torn him apart. He wondered if his mother had been right about her and how he could have been so wrong about her. It sure looked like she had moved on and with no less than the man the media loved to pit him against. Had she done it out of spite? Is that why she did

not want to talk to him? She was still angry? That lit a fire inside him and gave him hope. Anger meant she felt something for him and that she would do something that was sure to get his attention meant she was thinking about him. He deflated when he ed the last time he had called her, how she had belittled what they had shared and told him to fuck off. He had seen the way she smiled at Ramalho; the same smile he had seen not so long ago. Several times during the match she wondered if she was watching the game with Ramalho or maybe they were too preoccupied doing other things to watch the game. 'Get a grip Luca.' he castigated himself. He checked his messages as he walked into the house and responded to most of them. Then he checked Facebook as he walked to his bedroom seeing if there were any posts or messages worth responding to. He responded to some messages of commiseration and good luck wishes from fans. Next he checked Twitter. Just as he logged on to Twitter a tweet from Sam graced his page and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest. He sat on the bed and read it over and over again. He wanted to know that this tweet was more than what it read. He wanted to believe that it meant she was thinking about him and not Manchester Mavericks the team that she loved and had loved since she was thirteen. "Does she want to talk to me? Do I call her? Do I wait for her to call me? Should I tweet back?" He asked himself. After deciding that their relationship had seen too much of the media he decided to send her a DM. Hey. Thank you. I am absolutely gutted right now. He typed, then deleted it and went with, Hi, thanq 4 the tweet. It is difficult 2 stomach bt we'll bounce back. Hw r u? He popped his knuckles as he waited for her to respond, felt silly then got up from the bed and went to the lounge to watch a repeat of the game, leaving his cell phone behind. When the match ended he went back to the bedroom hoping to find a text or DM from her but there was nothing. He was disappointed but then looked at the time and realized it was late and she was probably sleeping. He suppressed the thought that maybe her time was occupied by something...someone else...Rafael. He Googled her hoping to find a clue as to where she was. He found reports that

she had been watching the match at a sports bar but was home now. He was almost satisfied with the half conviction that she was sleeping until he Googled Ramalho and found that he was last spotted entering the lodge where she was staying. The breath left his body in one whoosh along with any fight he had left in him. They were together at the lodge. Rafael was a man and Sam was a very attractive woman. He knew what he would be doing with her in a lodge at that hour and was convinced it was the same thing that she and Ramalho were doing. He switched his phone off and climbed into bed hoping for the temporary amnesia of sleep. The last thought he had before sleep claimed him was, "Why is she tweeting me when she is with Ramalho?" *** When he woke up in the morning, in spite of his best efforts, he checked his phone. His heart soared when his phone displayed her name. She had text him. Hope blossomed. Good morning. Or afternoon. I can never get these time zones right. Anyway I wanted to say again how sorry I am about the result I know how hard you work and we'll get them on the return leg I am sure. I'm ok. We are doing well on the business front so I can't complain. And you? How is everything? He read the text for a second time then checked the time to find it was eight in the morning which meant it was nine in the morning in Spain. He checked for the time stamp on the messages and was pleased to see it had been sent around seven. She was thinking about him that early in the morning. As much as he wanted to text back immediately he did not want to seem too eager and wanted to hear her voice as well. So he decided to wait a few hours before he called her. He was meeting his mother for breakfast at nine then he was going in for training from eleven until around one after which he was meeting with Antonio for business until three. A meeting with the director of one of the charities he worked with had been scheduled for four in the afternoon. In the evening he was meeting his mates for dinner and a few drinks. That was perfect for keeping his mind off her. He took a shower and was on his way to pick his mother up in the next thirty minutes. He called his mother to let her know he was on his way to pick her up. Trying not to call Sam proved a lot harder than he thought it would be especially

when he had twenty free minutes of the drive to his mother's house. He turned on the news and they were talking about her going on a date with Rafael. He played a CD and the first song that played was the one he had on when they went to dinner. So he switched off his radio. His mother greeted him at the door with a kiss on the cheek which she had always insisted he would never be too old for. 'Are you ready to go?' he asked. 'Yes.' He led her back to the car. 'I saw your match last night.' she said. That was his mother's way of acknowledging it and telling him she was sorry about his loss. 'Thank you. We will bounce back.' he said. 'I know you will.' He smiled, 'How are you mama?' 'I am so lonely in that big house all by myself. All my grandchildren are grown and I have no little ones to bounce on my knee.' 'Don't the others bring their children around anymore?' 'Your nieces and nephews are too big to bounce on my knee.' He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He hated when his mother steered conversation that way. It always came, however, during their breakfast dates. She wanted him to settle down and start a family and had been nagging him about it for many years. 'If you are lonely then maybe you should a club.' he suggested. He ran off a list of those that he thought she would find interesting even though that was not what she was hinting at.

WATCH OUT INFESTA 'I am leaving on Sunday.' Sam said. Rafael sat up straight. They were sitting in her room on Thursday morning. Rafael had come over the previous night and the three of them had spent most of it talking. Sam was pleased to find that he was a really nice guy. However, she was sticking to her guns and a relationship with another famous football player, especially him, was not on the cards for her. When Rafa had tried to kiss her she had gently stopped him and told him that she only wanted to be friends. Rafa was confused. The text message from Sam, the invitation only for it to end with her telling him that she only wanted to be friends? He wondered what the woman's play was. A realization that he really liked her had set in then and he'd felt a keen disappointment at her words. He could have left then but truth was he did not want to leave. If friendship was what she wanted then he would give her that, for now. There was chemistry between them and Rafa knew that she felt it. He figured her declaration had everything to do with the fact that she was dealing with unresolved feelings for Bataglia. Bataglia had cropped up in conversation the night before and Rafa could tell, from the way she talked about him, that she had feelings for the man however much she tried to deny it. In spite of her feelings for Luca Sam was attracted to Rafael and he knew the more distance she kept between her and Bataglia and the more she got to know Rafael the more her feelings for Bataglia would fade. He was a patient man and he would wait. He had spent the night in her room, in her bed, keeping as much distance from her as he could manage. To ensure that nothing happened between the two of them they had both slept with their clothes on. They had not ed for the ever present chemistry between them that had both seeking the other in the middle of the night and had them waking up in each other's arms. For a moment Sam had allowed herself to be in the moment and not think about anything other than how good it felt to be in Rafael's arms and to watch him sleep. Then she had extricated herself from him and scooted to the other side of the bed. He woke up when he felt her moving away from him. Their eyes met and both froze. Sam broke the spell by smiling and saying good morning. Her declaration about the impending departure had him sitting up. He knew she would have to go back home but knowing and being prepared for the eventuality are two very separate things. 'When will I see you again?' he asked.

'I don't know for certain.' she said. His eyes involuntarily shut and she cringed. It felt as though she was breaking up with him even though they were not even together. He wanted to know whether she would stay in Botswana or move to Madrid to head that division. Sam had not decided yet what she wanted to do. Sasa was definitely moving to New York but Madrid had not been decided yet. There were several promising employees that they could send in to do the job and Sam had complete trust in them. However, a part of her wanted to move to Madrid because of the pull she felt towards Rafael. That was also the reason that she wanted to go back to Botswana and stay there. She was afraid that if she spent more time with Rafael and got to know him she would fall for him which was the last thing she wanted. She still had unresolved issues with Luca and she had no idea which way the pendulum would swing on that one. 'Come to my match on Saturday.' he said. Without meaning to, her mind went back to the last time she went to watch a live match at a football stadium and what had followed; the difference was this time there was no girlfriend in the picture. Los Reyes was another team that she had always wanted to watch live. In spite of herself she had warmed up to the team, in part because one of her favourite, and the world's favourite, football player, Cristiano Ronaldo, played for the team. It would be an absolute treat to watch him play and she would get to finally see Rafael play. She did not have to think about her answer. 'I would love to.' she said. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. She smiled too. Even though she was apprehensive about the scrutiny that she was placing herself under by going to watch the match she was excited. That done Rafael went to take a shower then left for training. She headed for the shower as soon as Rafael was gone. In the shower she planned her last few days away from home. She and Sasa would go shopping then do all the touristy things that day. Friday night she would go and watch Il Divo in concert, while Sasa went to a fashion show, then they would meet up for dinner. Saturday she and Sasa would go and watch Rafael's match. On Sunday she would fly to Manchester to watch one last Manchester Mavericks match, and also to see Luca

one last time, while Sasa flew home. Then she too would go home to sort out business. She and Rafael were just friends. They had agreed to remain friends and she liked that thought. She could use another friend. That said, he and Luca were "rivals" or at least portrayed as such by the media. Even though she knew it was really none of his business who she associated with she wondered if she should tell him about wanting to meet up with Luca while she was in Manchester. From the moment that she had walked away from him after that live television interview she had known that they would cross paths again. It had seemed inevitable and she could not go on ignoring it. She had to see Luca. But she did not want the world to know that she was meeting with him. How she was going to manage that, she had no idea. Of one thing she was certain and it was that her going to Manchester would not go unnoticed. 'Oh well. We will cross that bridge when we get to it.' she sighed. Sasa was having a cup of tea when Sam walked in wearing jeans and a t-shirt. 'Hey.' Sam said. 'Hey.' Sasa smiled. 'Nothing happened.' Sasa put up her hands as if to say "I'm innocent" 'What did I say?' Sasa asked. Of course Sasa had noticed that Rafael had stayed the night. Sam had to explain that nothing happened between her and Rafa and that nothing would happen because they were friends. Sasa knew where that would lead to but chose to let her friend ride it out. If Sam chose to believe that lie then so be it. 'So where are we starting?' Sasa asked. Sam was grateful that Sasa would not pursue the matter any further. She pulled out a piece of paper with a list of places Rafa had guaranteed would suit their every need. The two spent the day going from place to place buying clothes, make-up and shoes, as well as gifts for their families. They discovered that a day

was not nearly enough to get all their shopping done and decided to do it again the following day. Later that Friday evening while they were getting ready to go their separate ways Sam ed that Rafa had invited them to watch their match on Saturday. The tickets had been delivered that afternoon. 'Oh cool. Who are they playing?' Sasa asked. 'Levante.' 'I don't know who they are.' Sam laughed. It was not that Sasa hated football, because she did not. she was just not crazy about it. She went because Sam loved the sport and Sam was her closest friend. When they met up for dinner that night it was difficult for either to get in a word edgewise. Both their evenings had been enjoyable and one wanted the other to hear about their event. Somehow, the other heard what the one was saying. The two spent the morning of Saturday writing notes for the report of their trip. Overall they were pleased with how things had gone. Losing the Manchester investment was disappointing but two out of three was not bad. The bright side was that they would use experience from these first two to go back to England and try another city, maybe London. In a year or two the world will have definitely forgotten about her and Luca and they could go back. When they were done Sam decided to get her packing done. Being a Scorpio came with the intrinsic need to be in control. Control meant being prepared for any eventuality and never being caught unaware. She always got her packing done a day in advance just in case anything happened and she had a plan as well as backup plan for everything. She packed everything except the Los Reyes shirt, which she had purchased on Friday, and the jeans that went with it, as well as the outfit she would be wearing on Sunday. When she was done packing she took a shower and changed into the Los Reyes shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. She brushed her hair back, put on lip gloss and blush then went back to the living area where Sasa was just getting off the phone with Kevin. 'So Kev says he is wrapping up his tour in two week and guess where he's going

to end it?' Sasa said, as excitement shone in her eyes. 'No way!' 'Yes way! It gets better. He will stay and fly back to New York with me.' The two jumped up and down celebrating like they were teenagers. Things were absolutely perfect for the both of them and they had not been happier in a very long time. Sam was nervous driving to the stadium. Rafa had gotten them seats right behind the players. As they made their way to their seats they caused quite a stir as a lot of people looked at them. Catcalls began to sound around the stadium and a camera swung to them. When they popped up on the screen a cheer rang through the stadium embarrassing them. They sat down and looked up. They were both blown away with how good they looked on screen. Every football fan in the stadium recognized them. It was hard not to after weeks of being in the news. They especially new Sam and many were envious of Luca and Rafael, especially with news of a budding romance between her and Rafael. Everyone came to the conclusion that the rumours were true which ed for her being there that day. Sam managed to tune the rest of them out as she stared out in front of her. The dug out was right in front of them and there sat the coach, Cristiano Ronaldo, Meerut Ozil, Michael Essien and Angel Di Maria. It was surprising to see these names in the dugout and not on the football pitch but she was happy that Rafael was starting. Also on the pitch were Iker Casillas, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Fabio Coentrao, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Ricardo Kaka, Arbeloa, Luca Modric, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain. She had no idea that while she was focused on the screen showing the players on the pitch, everyone at home was watching her watch the players. As each player's face went up on the screen she waited to see Rafa's face and was pleased with the roar that accompanied his face. She smiled, still oblivious to the fact that she was also being shown smiling. The players took up their positions on the field and the match got underway. It became apparent in the first five minutes that this was going to be an exciting match. After half an hour Los Reyes were down by a goal to nothing but Rafael equalized with five minutes to go before the break. After the break Benzema came off for Ronaldo, Higuain for Ozil and the tide swung Los Reyes's way. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, Ozil got one and Rafael added another as the

match ended Los Reyes 5-1 Levante. Sam who had always been La Liga's biggest critic became a fan that evening. The pace was electric and the tactical decision making of both coaches, as well as players, was first class. The level of skill and finesse possessed by the players won her over. While the English game was a lot more physical, fast paced and highly competitive, the Spanish game allowed for flair which both sets of players were not short of. Even though Cristiano Ronaldo was voted man of the match Rafa had been impressive, scoring two goals. However, Cristiano Ronaldo, as always, was incredible. Watching him on television and in person were two very different experiences. You do not appreciate how hard he really works until you see him on the pitch because you get to see the moments that the cameras fail to show you. He scored two on the night and assisted one. One goal was a characteristic free kick that left the goalkeeper without a fighting chance. Analysts say that a free kick taken by Cristiano Ronaldo packs quite a punch and changes direction at the last second which is why you see a goalkeeper dive in one direction and is too late by the time he realized that the ball has gone in the other direction. She understood now why Los Reyes were as good as they were and added Rafa to her list of favourite football players. Top of the list was Luca, for obvious reasons, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo and now Rafa was third, also for obvious reasons. 'It should be a crime to have this many fine men in one place.' Sasa said. Sam pretended to fan her face with her hand causing both women to collapse in giggles. This caught the attention of one of the cameramen as once more their faces appeared on the big screen. Both women smiled until the cameras swung in another direction. When the match ended they waited for majority of the people to file out of the stadium before ing the procession of happy singing Los Reyes fans. Many of the people they found themselves surrounded by were friendly and smiled at them in recognition. Some took pictures while those who could speak English spoke words of acknowledgment to them. Sam found that being aware of a loss of anonymity and experiencing that loss were difficult to reconcile. It was easy to think, in the abstract, of people knowing your name, feel a right to stare at you and talk about you, like they have a right to than it is to actually have that happen. She felt this lost most acutely as

people snapped pictures of them talking away in Spanish; the language they felt she and Sam were unfamiliar with. One man in front of her, short thin, yellowing teeth and a bald patch, turned around to ask her, 'Ramalho your boyfriend, no? Or is it Bataglia?' She pretended not to hear the man and continued to look straight ahead but he would not be brushed off easily. 'I no believe rumours en media pero si es verdad, Ramalho es muy fortuna por que tu eres hermosa mamacita.' he said. 'Muchas gracias, pero eso es no verdad.Bataglia no es mi novio. Y Ramalho es mi amigo.' She told him. 'Tu hablas Espangol?' he exclaimed. Sam wondered why that was the one thing of all that she had said that he felt inclined to comment on. She nodded and was saved from further conversation by the fact that they were at the exit. She and Sasa slinked away to a waiting cab. They were getting into the cab when Rafael called and asked them to meet him outside the team's locker room. He rushed to meet them; hugging both of them. 'That was a hell of a match. You are really good. But you already know that.' she said. 'I am glad you think so.' he said. 'So what do you usually get up to after such a victory?' Sasa asked. 'I go home or to one of my offices.' 'You are kidding me! How do you do that when you live in a city like this one?' Sasa replied. 'What can I say I am married to work.' he shrugged. 'You sound just like someone I know.' Sasa said. Sasa looked from Sam to Rafael as Sam and Rafael shared a meaningful look.

'Where were you ladies off to?' 'We were going to go back to the motel.' Sam said. 'Would you mind if I ed you?' he asked. Sam knew it was a terrible idea to have him over again, especially after they had been to watch him play, but she really was enjoying spending time with him. *** Luca sat in his living room with his friends Wayne, Joseph and Ferdinand to watch Los Reyes take on Levante. The four had played their own match that afternoon beating Aston Villa by four goals to nothing. Luca had scored a brace in the match and felt good about his form. Los Reyes was a team that they all four had massive respect for and even though if someone asked they would say they watched Los Reyes matches to scope out the competition it was really because they enjoyed watching the team play. Luca could trace his respect for Los Reyes to his early youth. Manchester Mavericks was the team that he played for and ed with his heart and soul but he counted AC Milan and Bayern Munich among teams he respected and watched some of their matches every now and then. However not as much as Los Reyes matches and especially so ever since Rafael Ramalho ed the outfit. He never missed Los Reyes's football matches however, that evening he wished he had missed it. He saw something that he had not expected to see; Sam's face on screen at a Los Reyes match. He felt his stomach drop. His heart did a few jumping jacks and somersaults so he took a swig of his beer to distract himself. 'Hey isn't that Ramalho's bird?' Joseph asked. 'Yeh. She's fit.' Wayne added. He and Joseph clinked bottles to cement their agreement. 'She looks a lot like that girl you were with three weeks ago.' Luca clenched his jaw. The boys were pissing him off talking about Sam like she was a piece of meat and referring to her as Ramalho's woman. Sure she was not his but he was certain she was not Ramalho's either. Or was she? Why else would she be at the match? he asked himself. Maybe she is also a Los Reyes fan? he answered himself. 'She does look like her. What was her name? Sammy or something?' Joseph said,

then whistled through his teeth, 'If that's what you were up against I don't blame you for shaggin her mate, I'd have done the same.' Luca wanted to smash Joe's face in but he could not do that without giving himself away. He did not want anyone knowing how much Sam meant to him. He half listened as Joe and Wayne continued to discuss Sam's looks even grading her on a scale of one to ten. Only Ferdinand and he were not ing in the talk. That was because while he was thinking about Sam and trying not to start a fight with the two younger men Ferdinand was watching him and trying to read him. 'Look at that! Even the bloody cameraman can't keep his cam off her. Damn Luca if she don't want you can I have a go?' Wayne asked. 'Have respect! This isn't some broad!' Luca snapped. Joseph and Wayne snickered while Ferdinand gave him a sympathetic look and ed him another beer since he was out. Ferdinand understood what it was like to be in Luca's shoes. He'd messed up when he first met his wife and it took him seven months to finally get her to change her mind about going on a second date. After the second date he knew he never wanted to be out with another woman again and seven months later they were married. She was the best decision he ever made because in a profession like theirs, with lots of women throwing themselves at you constantly, you need a woman that will keep you grounded. From what he had gleaned in those few minutes, Luca had it bad for this woman and she could be what will finally ground him. As the camera trained on her the commentator announced her as Ramalho's new girlfriend and Luca's chest felt as though it might explode. He could not help but wonder if his mother had been right about her and that she was indeed just another fame hungry gold digger. He forced himself to calm down and asked himself what was so wrong about a single woman dating another single man like Ramalho? If Sam was his woman then he would be worried but he had no claim over her and maybe Ramalho did. But why would she agree to fly down to see me? he wondered. The match started and everyone in the room forgot about Sam except him. The cameraman was clearly in love with her as he continued to flash images of her, especially when Ramalho was in action. He wanted to smash the television, so jealous was he of what he was seeing. He wanted to declare that she was his

woman. His. He ed her laugh, her kiss and the feel of her skin. Everything about that night came back to him, including that look of desolation as she stood in his shirt and pants, clutching her bag to her body, as she waited for the taxi. He got up from his seat to get away from the boys, who whooped and hollered every time she came on screen and the television, which showed far too much of her and Ramalho. He fetched a bottle of whiskey, a six pack of lemonade and a glass from the bar then went back to sit down. The rest of the match dissolved in a whiskey lemonade cocktail. He ed nothing of the night after his third lemonade. Wayne and Joseph told him, the next morning at breakfast, that he'd cried about how in love with Sam he was. 'You are whipped brotha.' Wayne said. 'She's a ten for sure.' Joseph said. 'But she's Ramalho's bird.' 'She is not Ramalho's woman.' Luca told them. 'How do you know?' Wayne asked. 'Would she be coming down to see me on Wednesday if she were?' he asked. 'I didn't want to ask...what's the deal?' Joseph asked. 'The deal?' Luca asked. 'Diane? Sam? Or are you back in the bachelor pit?' Joseph asked. Luca gave them a sly smile inviting them to conclude what they will from it. Joseph and Wayne laughed. 'You sly dog you.' Wayne said. He and Joseph laughed conspiratorially. Luca watched the young men. Wayne was nineteen while Joseph was twenty one. They had ed Manchester Mavericks in the same transfer window and had taken to each other as the new lads. They had impressed Ferdinand with their talent but had been so wild and out of control that he had played the big brother role while roping Luca in. Ferdinand and Luca had ed Manchester Mavericks at the same time and had taken to each other almost immediately. As a result the four of them had formed a strong bond over three years.

Wayne noticed two women at a nearby table who had been casting longing looks in their direction since they sat down and invited them over. The women practically ran over and shyly asked to take pictures with them. Luca subtly shifted away from them and then surreptitiously left the table. He sent Sam a text message as he made his way out of the restaurant. He hoped she would respond quickly and wished it were Wednesday already. The sooner Sam was out of Spain and away from Ramalho the better. Outside Luca was accosted by the paparazzi who peppered him with questions. "Did you and Sam end things when she found out you were cheating on her too?" "How do you feel about her seeing your rival?" "Are you and Sam in an open relationship or was it really just a one night stand? Is that why you are dating other people?" "Is it true that she is carrying your child?" 'Sam and I have said all we have to say on this very personal matter. Ask me about football and I will be happy to answer you. As far as Sam is concerned what she does and who she spends her time with is none of my business.' Luca told them. "So does that mean you are not together?" Luca sighed then climbed into his car and headed for Carrington. The match on Wednesday was important and he needed his mind to be on that and nothing else that could distract him. As daunting as the challenge was to come back from behind it was not impossible and Luca was determined to do everything to make sure it happened. They needed to score four goals and concede none to knock Infesta out of the tournament. Four goals was a possibility and they had fired a warning shot with a victory over Aston Villa.

LET ME GET TO KNOW YOU Sam was the first to get up next morning and with a mild hangover. Rafael was sleeping peacefully beside her. There was never a time when she had spent the night with a man who was not her boyfriend where there was no sex. She had done it twice now with Rafael and he seemed quite content to do that. They had gone out dancing after the match and there had been drinks. When he dropped them off they were all too drunk to go anywhere and they did not think to call anyone. Truth was both of them had wanted to spend the night together and were ready to make excuses for why he did not go home. She propped herself on her elbow and watched him while he slept. She was leaving for Manchester that day and she found that she was going to miss Rafael so she wanted to memorize his face in order to be able to conjure it in her mind. She looked from his thick dark hair, his thick and surprisingly shapely eyebrows with the high arch, eyes that were closed but which she knew were a raw sienna colour, and down to his full and incredibly soft lips. Her eyes followed the path of his broad shoulders, which were still covered by a t-shirt, down his broad chest, past his washboard abs which she had seen when he took his shirt off to celebrate his second goal last night and all the way down to his long muscular legs now encased in denim. When her eyes travelled back up to his face she found those raw sienna eyes watching her in amusement and a sexy smile playing on his lips. She felt her eyes widen and smiled guiltily. 'Hey.' he said. 'Hi. How long have you been up?' she asked. 'Long enough to watch you rape me with your eyes.' 'Ra...what?' she laughed nervously. 'I am not complaining.' She smiled. Then her smile faded. She didn't need to say it nor did he need to hear it. She was leaving on that day and they were not sure if they would ever see each other again. Spending time with Sam had reinforced what he had known from the first day they met and that was the fact that Sam was someone he would enjoy spending a considerable amount of time with. Sam was glad that

she had given him a chance because she had enjoyed getting to know him and had found a really good friend in him. It was inevitable that she would compare him to Luca. There had been fireworks from the moment that she met Luca which was different from the tinglings of attraction that she had felt when she first met Rafael. ittedly, she did not know Luca as well as she knew Rafael but strangely when they spoke it felt as though they had known each other their whole lives. There was a sense of rightness in it. She wondered where she would be in that moment had Diane not been in the picture or had she allowed Luca to talk her into staying. Would it be Luca she was waking up to instead of Rafael? Would she have shoved him into the friendship corner like she was doing Rafael? Sam had to question why she was pining over Luca when she had a man who was gorgeous, successful, funny, intelligent and available. To top it all off this man wanted her badly but he was willing to let her move things at her own pace. Even though it was clear he did not want friendship it was what he would give her because that was what she wanted. How does one fight a connection as strong as the one she and Luca had? She looked at Rafael then, really looked at him, trying to see into his soul. Rafael thought she was going straight home and had no idea that she was planning to go and see Luca. He would know though by day's end. Question was would she be the one to tell him or would the media tell him. He had to hear it from her and she needed to tell him in order to gauge his reaction. 'Rafa?' she began. 'Yeah?' Rafael wondered what had planted that look on her face and when she called his name he tensed in anticipation. 'There is something that I have been meaning to tell you.' she said. 'Okay.' 'I am going to Manchester. Today. Until Thursday.' His chest tightened. He knew without a doubt that she was going to see him. 'For business?' 'To watch the Champions League match. And to see Luca.'

He swallowed hard and turned to face her. 'I see.' he said. 'I will ask you this one last time. Are you involved with him?' 'I'm not. I had a one night stand with him and stupidly I thought it was a fantasy come true and that we would be together...I don't know, it's stupid. So now I'm stuck in limbo and I have to talk to him...I need to move on with my life...he keeps texting and I...this is so I can move on with my life. I need to close that chapter before I can open another with someone else.' He heard her loud and clear. He hated it. But he understood why she needed to do it. 'Do what you need to do mami...I'll be here when you come back.' The relief on her face made the difficult words that he had said a lot easier. He knew how she felt about the man and thought he knew how Luca felt about her. He was taking a real gamble in letting her do this but better that that for her to go into anything still carrying unresolved feelings for Bataglia. If she were to drop him for Bataglia it was better now than later. She leaned in and kissed his cheek which made him want to forget that he was supposed to be a gentleman. 'I'm going to take a shower.' she said. He watched her walk to the bathroom and tried not to imagine her naked and wet in the shower. He was going to need a really cold shower now. She let out a deep breath as she walked away from him. She liked their friendship and wanted to keep it so the fact that he took that as well as he did made her appreciate him even more. When she got out of the shower he was talking to someone on the phone. She went in and picked out her clothes. She wondered who he was talking to and wondered even more at the slight jealousy she felt. He got off the phone, kissed her on the cheek then went to take a shower, leaving her to get dressed quickly. Saone was in the kitchen on the phone with Kevin, they nodded good morning to each other, and then Sam poured herself a drink and scrolled through Facebook and Twitter checking to see what she had missed.

When Rafael ed them Saone was still talking to Kevin. He sat down next to her and she poured him juice. 'So I was thinking. You want to see Luca but you also don't want the media on your back right?' Rafael said. 'That's right.' she said. 'This is what I was thinking that maybe you could put off flying to Manchester until Wednesday.' 'Yeah but I'm not going to fly to Botswana and then fly to Manchester in four days. It doesn't make sense especially financially.' 'That's the thing you won't have to go to Botswana.' She creased her brow in thought and when it hit her, 'Rafael, I don't think...' 'I'm not going to lie, I want to spend more time with you and this is basically a win-win situation for the both of us.' 'He's right you know.' Sasa interjected. Sam should have known the woman would take Rafael's side. The next question, of where she would stay, popped into her head and Sam knew they would both suggest she stay with Rafael which was a horrible idea or that Rafa would pay for her stay; an even worse idea. She would have to dig into her savings but that was alright. Rafa was right in that if she went to Manchester that day to wait for Wednesday she would definitely attract a helluva lot of media attention. Her choice was between two evils. The Madrid press was the lesser evil of the two therefore her decision to stay was an easy one to make. As she and Rafael drove Sasa to the airport it sunk in for Sam that this was the first time that she and her best friend would not be in the same town. It was strange to think that even as she was saying goodbye to her friend for about a week she was swapping her for another potential best friend. 'Take care of her.' Sasa said, to Rafael, as she prepared to go board her plane. 'You have my word.' Rafael said.

'Have a safe trip. I love you.' 'I love you too.' The two leaned in to hug each other and Sasa whispered in Sam's ear, 'Give this one a chance, I have a really good feeling about him.' Sam shook her head in response and sighed. When they pulled apart Sasa looked intently at her friend, as though she might say something but seemed to think better of it. Rafael slipped his hand into Sam's as she waved goodbye to her friend. 'We've never been away from each other.' Sam explained. 'How long have you known each other?' 'About eight years now. We clicked from the moment we met.' 'I had a friend like that once; we grew up in the same neighbourhood.' She saw a dark look come over his face as he went back to his childhood. 'Had?' she asked. 'How about I tell you that story when you come back from Botswana?' She smiled at his deflection. 'You have me for the rest of the week what will you do with me?' she asked. The look he gave her promised so much and for a second she was tempted to take him up on his unspoken offer. Then the look was gone. 'I was going to by the hospital to check on Miguel and Fernando then go to the site and if there is time check in with my Real Estate people. You can come with me if you like.' he said. 'Working on a Sunday. Are you sure we were not separated at birth?' He gave her a slight smile. 'First we need to get you settled in.'

'Sounds like a plan.' He led her back to the car, stopping several times, at the request of his fans, to take pictures or sign autographs. Sam marvelled at the way he interacted with his fans and how he managed to make it seem like it was the highlight of his day and not a chore like many famous people do. She smiled at him as he met her at the car after taking the last of the pictures. 'I'm sorry about that.' he said. 'You do not have to apologize for that.' On the drive to his house his phone rang all the time. Most of the calls were business calls from his managers in Brazil as well as those in Madrid. In spite of the fact that he had appointed managers to handle the day to day running of all his businesses he expected to be updated almost daily so that he kept abreast of all developments. 'Some days, such as this one, are worse than others. I assure you this is not what I meant when I said I wanted to spend time with you. I have not had to make time for another person in so long that I have forgotten how to do it but I will try.' 'Stop feeling bad. I am the female version of you, except with only one company.' Before he could form a reply his phone rang again and he was talking in rapid Portuguese to someone then switched to Spanish. She did not catch a single word of the conversation but she enjoyed listening to him speak. 'So...' he began, and then paused with a smile, 'When we met at the airport...' 'Yes..?' 'I was coming from a meeting in New York. In a few weeks I will be launching a fragrance for men. That was my manager on the phone. He talked with the marketing execs from the company I am working with and they want me back in New York two week from now to finalize the designs...am I boring you?' 'Rafa...business talk can never bore me.'

'If you are still saying that six months from now I am making you my wife.' 'Promises, promises. Tell me more about this fragrance; do you have a name for it?' 'Not yet. That is one of the things we are going to talk about. I already have one in my name so I need something different. And the shape of the bottle, I want it to say something. Maybe you could help me out with that while you are here?' 'I would love that.' She had never expected to meet anyone who worked as much as she did. This three week trip is the longest amount of time she has taken off from work since Glamage started running. It was great to see that there was someone who could possibly be worse than she was. She pictured a life with him and how it could possibly work. She would be very busy for at least the first two years in Spain and he never seemed to stop working so would they have time for each other? She shook her head to dispel the thoughts. They were just friends so there was no point in thinking about all of that. 'I am switching this thing off. They are not going anywhere.' he said, then switched his phone off an instant later. Then they took a left turn into a driveway. She looked out through the windshield and saw a huge gate swing open. As they drove past the gate she noticed the landscaping. She loved nature, loved tress and there was no shortage of either. The house itself took her breath away. She swore she had driven into paradise. She stared up at the house as Rafael opened the door for her then led her to the door. The door swung in and a butler welcomed them. 'Buenas dias senora, senor.' he bowed to each in turn. 'Buenas dias Manuel.' Rafael said. 'Buenas dias.' Sam said. Sam tried not to look too impressed as she took everything in. The room they were looking into was all windows with a pool beyond. To her left was a marble staircase with a very expensive looking carpet. To her right was what she presumed was the lounge. The room was all white; white walls, white furnishing with spots of colour in an ottoman, for one, and a painting on the wall.

'Wow. This. This is beautiful.' Sam said. The best part of it was this was a bigger version of her own house. Rafael smiled, 'Thank you. This way.' He led her into the lounge and it was even more beautiful inside. What really caught her eye though was the lack of a television. Next was the huge fireplace that she was sure would warm up the entire room. The furniture was three snow white couches, a brilliant white coffee table, all laid out on white carpeting. He motioned for her to sit on one of the couches then sat next to her. 'This is my living room. Well not this one, but I have similar furnishing. I mean it’s just...' 'Mind blowing?' 'Yeah. Well except mine is not this huge.' He smiled, 'Would you like something to drink?' 'Yes, iced tea please.' He got up from the sofa and opened a in the wall that she realized was a fridge. She gaped. He listed the flavours that were in there and she picked pineapple. He pulled out two bottles of pineapple flavoured iced tea and grabbed two glasses from the bar area that she was just noticing. He sat back down next to her and poured her a glass. 'Thank you.' she said, when he handed it to her. 'Manuel has gone to fetch your bags from the car. The housekeeper is setting up a room for you; we will go see it when she is done.' 'Thank you.' 'Would you like a tour of the rest of the house?' 'I would like that.' She had never been inside a house that big before. There were no houses that big

in Botswana. In her neighbourhood her house was one of the biggest but it was a shack compared to the one that she was now touring. There were three floors to his house. There was a gym, laundry room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, the television room, a bathroom and two toilets, and a playroom for children on the first floor. The second floor housed a library, the second kitchen and dining area, a bathroom, two toilets and a games room. The last floor had his bedroom, two bedrooms; one of which she would occupy, a nursery, a theatre room, his office, two bathrooms and three toilets. He led her down a staircase from his bedroom to the backyard. She also noticed that the dining area opened to the backyard. The backyard was home to a swimming pool and opposite to the pool was the barbecue area flanked by benches that would seat up to thirty people. Beyond this barbecue area she saw a tennis court and a mini play area reserved for children. 'When I signed for Los Reyes I decided that I wanted to move to Madrid and so when I bought a house I wanted one for myself, wife and children. I did not want to wait for the wife and children before I got the perfect house.' 'But what if she does not like this house?' He paused, smiled, then said, 'Then we will move or she can redecorate.' She smiled, 'Well she would be crazy not to.' Something meaningful ed between the two of them before she dispelled it by looking away. They walked back to the house where they were informed that her room was ready. It was the only room that she had not seen during the tour. If the rest of the house was anything to go by she could not wait to see her room. The door opened into a gold painted room with high a high ceiling. There was a wall, partitioning the room, that had a fireplace built in. To the left of the wall was the bed where she would sleep, to the right of the wall was a sitting area where she could sit and read, or work or watch television. She walked in, surveying the room, pleased by all that she saw. She noticed a door to the right of the bed. She opened the door and saw that it led to the bathroom. 'Wow!' she said. The shower caught her eye first. It was flush to the right wall, there were double jet sprays, an overhead shower and a wrap-around bench where she could sit and

turn the shower into a steam room. She sighed as she walked around the shower, past the bath, complete with a fireplace, that she could swim in, and to the basin at the far end of the room. In the middle of the room was a couch, an ottoman and a vanity station. She noticed a door to the left and when she opened the door she was led into a walk in closet complete with a make-up artist's dream vanity station. "This," she thought to herself, "is how a rich, famous person lives." She turned to Rafael and smiled. She was clearly loving this room and he was glad. He returned her smile. 'Feel free to explore even more. I will be in my office if you need me. If you need anything Manuel and his wife Teresa are available just buzz them.' he said. He gave her a kiss on the cheek then left her. She continued to explore the closet, noticing that her clothes had been packed already and thinking how she could remodel her house to fit in this closet and that bathroom. That bathroom. She sighed as she walked back into it. She would definitely make room for a bathroom like this one in her house. She walked back to the bedroom wondering if there was a way to get to the closet without going through the bathroom. She tried all the doors in the bedroom until she found the one that led to the closet. When she'd had her fill of the room she went in search of him. He was typing away and humming to himself when she walked in. Oblivious to her presence he continued to arrange his business affairs. For most people Sunday was a day of relaxation and preparing for the next day. For him it was time to catch up on his business affairs. There were times during the week when he managed to squeeze time in for work, like Monday and Thursday evenings, Tuesdays and Wednesdays always depended on how far in Cup competitions his team was. Sometimes his league matches were played on Sunday meaning he would have to move work to Monday, but mostly Sundays were his own. She looked about his office while he finished typing and when he reached to answer his phone he noticed her presence for the first time. With a sheepish look he took the call. She sat down in the chair opposite him and took out her blackberry to check email messages. There were no pressing matter only updates on how events had gone. She felt a twinge of jealousy that other people were able to run her company without her. But also pride that she and Sasa had done well. She felt useless sitting there doing nothing while he was working. Rafa got off the phone and shot her another guilty look and this time she laughed. 'I've checked visiting hours and the next session is in forty minutes. The hospital

is fifteen minutes away. If we leave now we will have enough time to pick up a few things for them on the way.' he told her. She could at least make herself useful on this trip. 'Great.' she said. They stopped at a convenience store and she picked up essential bath items as well as comfort food. Both the men were out of harm's way and thanks to Rafael's great medical insurance both men were receiving the best care available. On the way to the construction site Rafael received a call and from his tone of voice as well as body language Sam could tell he was not happy with what he was hearing. When she asked if, after he got off the phone, he told her it was about his media company. They were making a loss and he wanted to sell it. 'It's made up of a radio station, a television studio, a newspaper, sports magazine and a lifestyle magazine.' he said. 'Sell it to me.' she said. 'We could use a media company.' 'Really?' 'Yeah. What better platform to push the company and our clients than with our own? I think it's a brilliant place to start, plus the revenue would come in handy.' 'Will I or Glamage be paying for it?' 'No, I'm buying it, not Glamage.' 'OK. When we get back to my office we will look it over and settle .' 'Perfect.' 'Do you always make such impulsive purchases?' 'When something feels right why wait?' 'Yeah.' They exchanged a meaningful look. He took a left and they were driving towards a very busy construction site.

'Now this is my pride and joy. I love construction work and if I were not a football player this is what I would be doing. The thrill of taking someone's drawing and making a structure out of it that people appreciate is...I don't know how to put it in words.' Sam watched him and his enthusiasm became infectious. She was excited about walking out and watching. Construction was something that would never have caught her eye, if anything, it made her impatient because she wanted the end result and cared nothing for the in between. He clearly loved the in between. They had been contracted to build a hotel and as he showed her around she could tell that he had not been overstating from the pride in his tone as they walked around the site and he introduced her to some of the men. The easy friendship he shared with the men was something to watch. They were not in awe of him either as their boss or a famous football player. On the site he was just Rafael. Not Rafael Ramalho 17. Or Mr Ramalho. Satisfied that things were going well he said goodbye to his project manager and they left for his Madrid Real Estate office. He introduced her to his team and she could not help but notice just how attractive everyone in that office was, especially the women. She looked down at her own silk blue blouse, black skinny jeans and Louboutin heels, and compared her outfit to the perfectly tailored suits of various colours that everyone wore. Clearly he paid them very well. After meeting everyone he led Sam to his office at the back. 'I don't mean for this to be offensive and if you take offense I apologize but I prefer you this way. I prefer to think of you as this guy and not the guy from yesterday on the football pitch, as talented as that guy is, I like this one more.' 'You like me?' 'That's all you got from what I said?' He shrugged in that Latino way that was fast becoming one of her favourite things. 'Since we are here, how about I give you the daunting task of finding me a house?' she said. 'You want me?'

'Yes you are the only Realtor I know and I trust you.' 'Are you buying or renting?' 'Renting.' 'Which part of Madrid?' 'Anywhere in the city is fine really. We have not decided where we are going to set up Glamage so I can't base it on that.' 'Good. How big do you want the house to be? Any specifications?' 'A two bed, nothing huge, maybe an apartment, someplace that is secure. Much as I try to shy away from it...' 'Yes, you are a friend of mine and that comes with public scrutiny.' 'Exactly.' 'I do have a very large house and we...' 'Absolutely not!' 'It is secure.' 'It will only add fuel to the rumours that we are a couple.' 'Who cares? We know what the truth is. So what if people speculate?' 'I am moving here to start a business one that I want taken seriously and not as something my lover has given me to do. You are giving me financial backing to start it, I am buying a media company from you-although when it comes out people will say you gave it to me, if we live together there will be no convincing people that it is really mine and not yours.' 'I don't...' 'I know you don't but the rest of the world does not know that. I will it, my reputation was muddied long before I met you so I won't put that on you but I am asking you to help me lessen the damage.'

'Why do you care so much what people say?' 'I am a woman. How many of those do you see running successful companies that are their own and not hand-me-downs from the men in their lives or that are successful because of the men in their lives? I want to make it on my merit and not because of an association with you.' He nodded, 'Alright. I am sorry. But if you change your mind the offer still stands.' His iration for her grew. He could not count the number of women who would have jumped at the offer. 'I ire that.' he said. 'Thank you.' she smiled. 'I have made dinner reservation for us I hope you don't mind that I did so without consulting you first.' 'I wouldn't know the best places to eat anyway. Thank you for doing that.' 'Great. Would you like iced tea while we discuss Sonrisa Media?' 'Iced tea sounds great.' He picked up the phone and asked his secretary to bring in two iced teas then while they waited he handed her a laptop. She checked her emails while he looked up the company profile as well as financial data over the last three years. There was nothing from the office for her so she checked Facebook. She paused when she saw a message from Luca in her inbox. She opened it with her heart beating so loudly that she feared Rafael would hear it. "Thank you for agreeing to see me." Simple words yet they meant a lot to her. She found that she needed to take deeper breaths to get enough oxygen into her lungs to keep her alive. She formed several replies to the message but none seemed appropriate. Finally she settled on one.

"Sure. Better make my trip worth it." After sending it she realized that it could very well be misinterpreted and so she sent another one. "You better win us that match!!!" That done she checked her other messages and notifications responding to all then logged off. Rafael turned to her then ready to talk business. The company's financial records looked healthy enough. All media outlets served a wide demographic which was a brilliant thing. 'So why are you selling?' she asked him. 'I feel like I have bitten off more than I can chew. It needs someone who will be more hands-on with experience in the industry.' he said. 'And that is me. How much are you asking for it?' 'One and a half million dollars.' 'Are you purposefully lowering the price? I don't need special treatment Rafael.' 'I am not. That's how much it was valued for. We could always negotiate.' 'No. I'll take it.' 'Alright. I will have my lawyers draft up the documents.' 'Perfect.' 'Now let's go to lunch.'

LET US BE FRIENDS As she climbed aboard the plane she found she had mixed feelings about her trip. She felt exhilarated at the prospect of seeing Luca again and also sad about leaving Rafael behind her. She made her way to her seat, next to a woman who looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back and sat down. She had two hours and fifty minutes of flying to look forward to. Two hours and fifty minutes of solitude with her thoughts. Two hours and fifty minutes of anticipating her meeting with Luca. She put on headphones, selected her play list, lay back and lost herself in a novel. She always had something to read when she travelled seeing as she was naturally disinclined towards small talks. Reading was a deterrent to conversation especially when paired with headphones. Lost in her head she was oblivious to the glances people directed her way as well as the gossip about her. Rafael had stayed true to his word and took Monday off to spend with her. They had spent the day doing more sightseeing. She had wanted to see all the places Madrid was famed for and so they started with Gran Via Avenue and ended at the Teatro Real. Rafael had put on a disguise to avoid detection, as had she. They dressed like a pair of tourists in plain t-shirt and jeans topped with sunglasses and sun hats. Rafael had donned a fake beard as well while she wore a black wig. That evening they went out to a night club named Serano 41 and by the time they got back to the house Sam was so tired she ed out. She spent all of Tuesday with him. She watched him in training that morning then they went out to lunch. She was in the stands again later that evening when Los Reyes played their Champions League match. It was late by the time she went to bed. She woke up with a start the following morning and reached for her phone to check the time. She breathed a sigh in relief when she realized it was barely eight in the morning. Her flight was not until one that afternoon she went to take a shower and quickly got dressed. Rafael was in his office working and she was not the least bit surprised to see him in there. 'Good morning.' he said, when he saw her. 'Good morning.' she replied. 'How are you?'

'Good.' 'Great. Breakfast is ready if you would like some.' Her stomach growled in reply. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. He smiled, took her hand and led her to the dining area on the second floor where breakfast was served almost immediately. It did not surprise her in the least that his household was run just as smoothly as his businesses were. 'What time is your flight?' he asked, later, after breakfast had been eaten. 'One.' He nodded and looked at the time. She wanted to laugh at just how similar they were. She could imagine that he was planning the day just as she had done. When she took her eyes away from the novel to check the time she found that two and a half hours had ed and only twenty minutes stood between her and Manchester. The plan was to go to the hotel where she would wait for the match. She had no desire to be about the city. Plus without Saone by her side she was not up to facing the Manchester public. She would be photographed the minute that she stepped into the airport, of that she was certain, just as she knew the world knew she had boarded a plane to Manchester and that Rafael had seen her off. She had never been taken in by the whole celebrity craze. She was all for iring someone for their talent but to go so far as to involve yourself with their private affairs was much too much and beyond her comprehension. She sighed as she closed her book and lay back to her life four weeks ago when she'd had anonymity. It seemed like several lifetimes ago that she could be at an airport and the only people who would care were her family and friends. She could kiss a guy and it would his and her business alone unless they chose to let people know. Now she had no choice in who knew what, when and how. She itched to get her hands on a phone to call Sasa and find out how things were going. The "Fasten your seat belts" sign came on. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. ***

Luca woke up a happy man for two reasons and the first of which was Sam. He would be seeing her that day. The second reason was the match that evening. The pundits had written the team off following the results of the first leg. That meant they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. If they lost people would say "well, they never really stood a chance anyway." and if they won it would be lauded as one of the greatest comebacks ever seen in the game. Infesta were in the unfortunate position of being the team to beat which meant all the pressure was on them. They had the unenviable task of keeping Luca and the others from scoring. Luca was free to play the match how he wanted and take all sorts of risks. His plan, for the match, as he climbed out of bed, to go and take a shower, was all out attack from start to finish. He would give the match his all and then some. Her message to "win the match for us" had given him an extra incentive to win. The mood at Carrington matched his and was infectious. Every one of his teammates wanted to honour his shirt, the history of the football club and the manager, who wanted nothing more than the Champion's League trophy back at Asher Smith. They were hungry for Champions League success and one could tell from the looks on their faces and the way that they played in training. Even in the midst of the intensive workout Sam was never far from his mind. Every now and then his mind would go to her and the message that she had sent him. As Sam made her way to the waiting cab several people turned to look at her wondering if she was some kind of celebrity on of the fact that she was followed by reporters as she walked to the cab. Many were sure they had seen her somewhere but could not exactly place it and only figured it out after she was gone. She ignored the picture snapping and questions as she climbed into the back of the cab. She gave the cab driver the name of the hotel she was staying at. To her chagrin, the cab driver recognized her. He was a football fan and had seen her face on television at the Los Reyes match and ed her association with Luca Bataglia. He asked her why she was not going to Luca's instead. She ignored his comments and questions, and watched the city roll by thinking about why she was meeting with Luca at all. What if it turned out to be the worst idea in the world? Even as she asked herself that question she knew she would never fully move on unless she did this. Routine had her staying at the same hotel she and Sasa had stayed. As soon as she was settled in the hotel room she called Rafael to let him know she had arrived safely then she called her mother to explain that she was in Manchester and would be flying home on Thursday.

'Come home soon. We miss you.' her mom said. 'I miss you too.' Sam said. 'I have to go, say hello to daddy and the others for me.' 'I will.' Next she called Sasa to let her know she was in Manchester and to give her friend one last chance to talk her out of meeting with Luca. That did not happen. After her phone calls she set her watch for half past five then settled in for a nap. She was startled awake from a dream about Luca and Rafael by the sound of her alarm going off. She sighed as she got out of bed and dialled down for room service. She ate at leisure when the food came then went to shower. She was wearing her Manchester Mavericks home shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers when she made her way down to a waiting cab at half past seven. She gave directions for Asher Smith then sat back and got lost in her mind. As she made her way to her seat she felt several pairs of eyes on her and contrasted it with the first time that she walked through that stadium the last time she was there. What a difference being linked with two football players does. She sat down in her seat and said hello to the person sitting next to her oblivious to the fact that he was a popular local rapper. He introduced himself as Josh and they chatted right before kick-off. He was really funny and she found herself enjoying the chat and got her mind off the fact that Luca was out on the pitch and there was a very difficult chat with him awaiting her. She was laughing a lot and in hindsight she realized it would be interpreted as flirting especially when she found out that he was well known in Manchester. It, in the eyes of the world, cemented her status as a celebrity whore. Cheers rang out in the crowd and Sam looked down to see the players filing out onto the ground. A cameraman trained on them as one by one the players walked past him. Her heart did a flip as Luca came on and a smile came, unbidden, to her lips. She was unaware of the fact that at the same time a cameraman had trained his camera on her and was filming her reaction. Her attraction to Luca she could not deny nor fight, nor did she intend to, at least for that day. In spite of the fact that she was notorious now she did not regret ever meeting him. The reality had far exceeded her fantasy despite her hoping that he would not match up to the man that she had idolized for years. Not only did he match up he had done one more and impressed her. The whistle blew to mark the start of the first half and nerves crept in. She

wanted her team to win because she wanted her team to do well in all competitions but also because she wanted it for Luca. It was the one thing standing between him and the Ballon D'or. She knew how much it meant to him and it had, strangely, come to mean almost as much to her. The match started on a high note with Mavericks threatening the Infesta goal in the first two minutes. The crowd went wild and demanded more. The team obliged the crowd five minutes later with Luca scoring a wonderful volley from Warwick and bringing everyone to their feet. 1-3 the score line stood. They needed three more goals and to stop Infesta from scoring and they were home free. Seven minutes later Infesta strung together a few good es and went for goal but Reyes was ready for it. He calmly collected the ball and sent it up the park to meet with Warwick whose clever high met Ramirez. Ramirez muscled his way past two Infesta players, saw Rodney making a run and ed him the ball, Rodney fancied his chances and struck the ball cleanly. Even from so far outside the penalty box there was nothing that the goalkeeper could have done. There was power, speed and too much spin behind the ball and the goalkeeper could do no more than watch it sail into the top right hand corner of the net. The crowd went insane and chants of "Wembley! Wembley!" could be heard. Even Sam and Josh ed in the chants. It was suddenly believable. Many had come in to the match with little to no hope and only a few faithful, like Sam and Josh, had given the team half a chance. Manchester Mavericks were fully in control of the match with Infesta floundering; there were no signs of the team that won by three goals to nothing in Portugal a week ago. Vidic was partnering Ferdinand at centre back, solid as had been, with Rafael and Vera complementing them on the left and right, making their defence virtually impenetrable. Vidic had been missing from the last match and so having him back had injected the much needed confidence into the back four. Warwick was playing his best match in a very long time and Ramirez was not the struggling winger he had been for much of the season and was showing why the manager had so much confidence in him. He was using his pace and strength intelligently, dribbling past players as though they were immobile and sending crosses that would make Cristiano Ronaldo blush and Giggs proud. Rodney was playing a deeper role than usual; in between the two strikers Luca and Van Persie, and it was clear that was where he belonged. Five minutes from the end of the first half the team gave the fans what they had come for when Van Persie's header beat the goalkeeper. As the whistle blew to mark the conclusion of the first half the score was level at three goals each team.

The players left the field brimming with confidence. There was belief to them now; evident in their eyes and body language. They knew this was their match to lose. They had forty-five minutes to put the game to rest. Luca was itching to score a few more goals to put dust between them and Infesta. As he walked off the pitch his mind went to Sam. She was out there in the stands. He fought the urge to look to where he knew she was sitting. Right next to Josh whom he had asked to keep her company. He did not turn around because as much as he wanted to see he had to keep his mind on the game or it might not be a very happy reunion. There would be plenty of time to look at her and catch up after they won this match and were through to the semi-finals. Sam watched him as he made his way out into the tunnel and swallowed hard as her mind wandered to later that night when they would meet. She half realized that Josh was talking to her. 'Huh?' she asked. 'I was saying wha' a match this is.' Josh said. 'Yeh.' He kept talking and she responded automatically only aware that she was making sense from the fact that he kept up the chatter. Those were the longest fifteen minutes she had ever had to wait and as the players half-jogged back on to the pitch her heart did several somersaults. Even though the first half had been firmly in their control the game was made of two halves and in football anything could happen. Momentum can swing away from you in the blink of an eye and before you know it the other team snatch the victory from you. It was never over until the final whistle. The players, though, started where they had left off even though a goal was hard to come by. It took thirty minutes, filled with heart stopping efforts and fierce Infesta tackles, to break the deadlock. What a fantastic goal it was. Luca connected with a from Ramirez that he sent into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. He knew he had hit the net when his teammates surrounded him and Asher Smith roared. They were finally in the lead. He was happy but the job was not done yet. They needed to put daylight between them and Infesta. They did just that in the dying minutes through a brilliant bicycle kick by Van Persie. Everyone was on their feet and Sam clapped so hard that her hands started to ache. As chants of "Glory, glory Mavericks" rang out in the crowd, the fans linked together and swung as one and then

applauded their team as the whistle blew to signal the end of the match and Manchester Mavericks’ remarkable victory. Manchester Mavericks had won the match by five goals to three on aggregate. Very few people, having watched the first leg, would have predicted it. Luca now looked to the stands to see if he would spot her in the crowd. A cameraman assisted him as her face went up on screen. He watched as she clapped, smiled and sung along with the other fans. His heart swelled at the sight. He wanted to blow her a kiss but restrained himself; instead he smiled as he looked up at the screen. He barely ed the congratulatory claps on the back. Sam waited, as usual, for the crowd to thin before she made her way out of the stadium and Josh was sweet enough to wait with her. 'Your man was brilliant tonight. Make sure to reward him.' A man said, as he walked past her. Sam bowed her head as her cheeks inflamed. She took a deep breath and let it slide. It was not going to stop any time soon so she may as well get used to the nasty comments. Worse had been said. 'Wha was tha?' Josh asked. 'I don't want to talk about it.' Sam said. 'Tha's cool.' As they walked out of the stadium the reporters standing out there shouted "JY" and she started looking around to see who they were shouting for. When she saw her companion waving back it clicked where she had seen his face before. 'No wonder you looked familiar.' she said. 'You really did not know who I was?' Josh asked. He was smiling at her as she frowned and bit her lower lip. 'I'm sorry. ‘she said 'Don't be. It was nice.'

He was still smiling and she realized she needed to put a stop to it before the media made a meal out of it. 'It was really nice to meet you. I have to go, I am meeting with someone.' she said. 'It was nice to meet you too.' he said. They parted after he helped her get a taxi. Excitement over winning the match made way to apprehension as the taxi made its way back to her hotel. She poured herself a glass of wine back in her room to steady her nerves. She was sitting on the sofa contemplating getting on the first available flight to Botswana when the telephone rang. She knew even before she picked up the phone who was calling and she let out a deep breath to try and calm down. 'Hello.' she said. 'Cara...' he said. She closed her eyes and said a short prayer for strength. 'Hello Luca.' 'I took a guess and checked this hotel. I had a whole list and this was my first.' 'I was about to call you.' 'I wanted to call you. How have you been?' 'I have been alright. You? How have you been?' 'I have had better days.' 'That was some match.' 'Yes. Yes it was. Can I come and see you?' She paused to think about it even though this was the reason she was in Manchester. It was not too late to turn back. 'Sam? Are you still there?'

'Yeh. I'm here. And yes.' She gave him her room number and they hung up. He did not have a plan beyond going to her hotel room and seeing her. Sure he had invited her to come and meet him even though he had not expected her to actually do so given how they had parted. Now that she had come he was nervous about seeing her. That thought occupied his mind as he drove over to the hotel. Sam returned to where she had been sitting prior to the phone call. She was a bundle of nerves now but at the core of her was excitement at finally seeing him again. Neither could help but the last time that they were alone in the same room together. Neither had been able to move on from it. After a couple of minutes she shot up from her seat to go and freshen up in the bathroom from whence she emerged with a fresh coat of lip gloss and mascara. She nervously paced the room until she heard a knock on the door and her stomach dropped. Slowly she walked to the door, took and deep breath and opened it. She smiled involuntarily when their eyes met and he smiled back. 'Hi. Come in.' she said. 'Thank you.' She stepped aside so that he could go in and then closed the door behind him. 'Would you like something to drink?' 'What do you have?' 'Red wine.' She always made sure that she had red wine wherever she was. 'Red wine is perfect.' he said. As she turned away from him she took a deep breath to calm herself down. He was even more handsome than she ed and those golden eyes! She poured them both a glass each downed hers, refilled it before she walked back to where he was sitting and handed him a glass. 'Thank you.' he said, 'Dio! You look beautiful.'

'Thank you.' 'How was New York and Spain?' 'New York was hectic but Spain was just amazing.' 'Did you get the jobs?' 'We got the jobs!' 'Congratulations.' He reached over and hugged her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the hug. 'So, what's next?' he asked, as they pulled apart. 'Home, then Spain.' His heart stopped for a beat. If she was seeing Ramalho like the rumours say then it made sense to him why she is moving to Spain and not New York. If she was not with him then moving to Spain gave Ramalho the edge. Either way she was lost to him. 'Are you seeing Ramalho?' he asked. The question clearly caught her off guard even though she had been expecting it. It was that she had not expected him to bring it up so soon. 'I did not come here to talk about Rafael.' Rafael. They were on a first name basis. Avoidance. That told him all he needed to know. His heart dropped. For as long as there is no ring on her finger and she wants me I am in with a fighting chance. Luca told himself. 'What did you come to talk about?' he asked. 'I have so many questions for you Luca but I don't know which one to start with.' she said.

He nodded and allowed her to go on. 'Was the potential of sex the only reason you invited me to dinner?' she asked. 'You are a very attractive woman Sam and yes I was sexually attracted to you and yes that was why I invited you out.' She nodded. 'But obviously that changed.' he continued He put his wine glass down as she folded her arms. 'Sam. From the moment I picked you up that changed. I have never talked to a woman I had just met the way I talked with you that night. I loved your wit, your intelligence and your footie knowledge. By the time we arrived at my place I had decided I wanted to spend more time with you and that I would have to end things with Diane but...' he trailed off 'Let's see if I have this right, you invited me to dinner so that you could have sex with me afterward but you liked my wit and decided you wanted to get to know me better?' He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She was not getting him and he was starting to panic. 'So you couldn't take me home, break things off with Diane and then call me to see if I would be interested in seeing you again?' she asked. 'I could sit here and give you a bullshit answer but the truth is I wanted to sleep with you that night.' he said. 'Wow that's honest.' 'But Sam I need you to understand that when Diane walked in I wanted...I wish you'd stayed and we'd talked abou...' 'What's umm...what's the story with you and Diane?' 'We have gone our separate ways.'

She nodded again. 'Why me? Why was I the one chosen to have Diane walk in on? Does it happen regularly? I mean is there a different woman every week?' 'It's not a secret that before Diane I dated a lot of women but that stopped with her...' 'Until there was me.' 'No. I mean yes.' He ran a hand through his hair. 'I am usually so eloquent but...it's hard for me to explain but you mean so much to me. I have never felt this way about anyone. You are just...everything I want and everything I never knew I wanted.' 'I hear your words...I hear what you are saying but none of it makes any sense to me.' 'None of it makes sense to me either but how do you make sense of what you feel?' 'If I had said to you, take me back to the hotel room, what would you have said or done?' 'I would have driven you back to the hotel, called you the next day to ask you out to lunch, dinner and breakfast for every day that you would have been in Manchester and see where this thing goes with you.' 'You barely know me.' 'That's the beauty of dating, so that we see how much more or less we have in common.' 'Luca...' Tears came to her eyes. So she stood up and walked away from him so that he would not see that she was trying not to cry.

'Sam...' he started. 'Giv...just give me a minute.' She took several deep breaths and pulled herself back together. Luca watched in silence as she stood at the window taking several deep breaths. When she turned back to him his heart stopped. What a beautiful woman. 'I probably don't have a right to but can we turn back time? Just for tonight can we forget what happened between us and get to know each other like we just met. Then we part as friends, if you want, or I never bother you again.' he said. She knew it was a bad idea. The better idea was for them to say their goodbyes and go their separate ways. But try as she might she could not shake the fact that she wanted to spend a little more time with him. She wanted to know so much more about Luca. It was clear to her that she could never trust Luca again and that meant there could be nothing more between them. Yet there he was offering something close to it. For one night she could see what it could have been. 'I could...we could do that.' she said. The smile that met her response threatened to buckle her knees. The joy on his face made her want to weep for what could have been. Threatened to break her resolve. Would it be so bad? It would be so easy to give in to this man. Then in that moment, she knew that if she allowed herself, she would be lost to him forever. Could she give another that much power? 'Great.' he said, 'Hi, my name is Luca.' She smiled then which gave in to laughter. She shook her head as she went to sit down next to him. 'Hello Luca. My name is Samorena but my friends call me Sam.' she said. 'I am pleased to meet you Sam. That's a lovely name.' 'Thank you.' 'May I buy you a drink?'

'Oh we are at a bar now?' 'We can be anywhere you want to be.' 'OK. Then we are assuming I find you attractive?' She gave him a cheeky smile. 'Assuming?' he sputtered. 'Yes. Because you know it is not a given.' 'Well aren't you?' Her breath hitched and her nipples hardened under her shirt. Her body responded for her. This was a dangerous game and she needed to put an end to it. 'Cosmo.' she said. 'What?' 'That's what I want to drink.' 'OK. You are drinking your hypothetical Cosmo.' She takes a sip from her wine. 'Mmmh...it's good.' she murmured. He smiles and she finds it difficult to concentrate on anything other than his lips. 'What do you do for a living Sam?' 'I am in PR.' 'Sounds exciting.' 'It is. What do you do Luca?' 'I play football.' 'Oh that's nice. Like Sunday league?'

This time he laughed out loud and she smiled along. 'Yeah, something like that.' he said. 'Are you any good?' 'They tell me I am.' 'Who are they?' 'My teammates and my family.' 'Do you own the ball?' He laughed again. 'Yeah.' 'Ooh!' she shakes her head. 'Not good huh?' 'Not if you are the ball owner.' 'Are you good at this PR business?' 'Me? I'm the best.' 'Modest I see.' 'Modesty is overrated.' 'If this was you the first time we met I would have walked away.' 'I know right?' He smiled, 'Where is Sam in ten years?' She looked at him and chewed on her lip thoughtfully, 'Hmmm...Sam in ten years. I am the co-owner of a multinational PR firm. Someone women look up to and see that you don't need to be a man or take your clothes off to be successful.

I have a wonderful husband who allows me to soar and flies right alongside me. We complement each other and yet have so much more in common. I have children that I adore above all else.' 'Sam has been taking a peak at my storybook. Except I am not a businessman. Sam ten years from now sounds like a great woman and someone I would love to know.' 'And Sam right now?' 'Just as great. If it counts for anything I think you on track.' She rewarded him with a smile. 'I don't know about you but I need food.' she said, 'And we are out of wine.' She emptied the last of the wine into her glass. 'Should we go out, get some food and more wine?' he asked. 'Good idea. But first pee.' she said. She got up to head for the bathroom and found she was a little tipsy. She stared at herself in the mirror noting the smile on her face and the joy written there. She was still in her Manchester Mavericks shirt and jeans. She swapped her shirt for a blouse and her sneakers for pumps then ed him in the living area. He watched her as she walked back into the room and his body responded to her. Her hair was brushed and she had on simple clothes yet she was easily the most beautiful woman in any room. He smiled at the fact that for that night, at least, she was his. He took her hand as he led her to the car. Ordering in would have been ideal but for some idiotic reason he wanted Ramalho to see her with him. 'I keep forgetting that happens when I step out on the streets now.' she said, as she chewed on her lip. She gave him a small smile, 'You are probably used to it by now.' 'Doesn't stop it being invasive.' he said. She gave him a small nod.

'How about we get the meal to go?' he suggested. She nodded. He drove to his favourite restaurant where they ordered their food to go and chatted while they waited. He was used to people gawking at him and Diane but it was because they were both famous in their own right. That night he noticed many men stealing glances at Sam as they walked by their table and found he was consumed by jealousy made worse by the fact that he could lay no claim to her. He'd never taken any girlfriend to this restaurant, not even Diane, because he had been saving it for his wife. When he was younger and with Antonella he had been saving up to take her there but she cheated on him with one of his classmates. It felt right to be with Sam there and the fact that she appreciated it made it all the more worthwhile. 'So tell me about your family.' she said. 'I have three siblings. Maria is the oldest, Antonio is older than me and my only brother, and Anna is the youngest of us. My father ed away seven years ago. I was named after him. Both my parents grew up in Italy but moved here when Maria was two years old.' 'Tell me more about your siblings.' she prompted. 'Maria is and has always been like a second mother to me, and just as bossy. Antonio is also my PR guy, and I have always been close, on of we are the only males and he is two years older than me. Anna has always been the baby of the family, everyone adores her. All of them are married with children. My mother is so proud.' She laughed at the tone in that last sentence. She figured his mother wanted him to settle down and start a family. 'I take it she is not a fan of your lifestyle?' she asked. 'You could say that. She feels I have made football my life and that I can never meet a good woman doing what I do.' 'Is it the football then?' 'It's the fame. She always tries to remind me that I am still her little boy.'

'My mother didn't want me starting Glamage. She felt it would intimidate men and I'd never find a husband.' 'I am not intimidated. I find a woman who is together incredibly sexy.' 'Thank you but you would not be high on her list of potential suitors for me.' 'Why not?' She gave him a look. 'The fame.' he concluded. 'The fame.' She nodded. 'Our mothers have something in common then. Tell me about the rest of your family.' 'My mom and dad run a bistro. I have an older brother Isaac and a younger sister Ashlee. Ash and I are really close and with Isa it's...it's difficult. It hasn't always been. We used to be so close almost inseparable. Then things just changed. Sometimes I think he resents the fact that I have this successful business and he is stuck in the middle of nowhere. Wow. I have never told anyone that. Blame it on the alcohol.' 'What does Isaac do?' 'A little of everything. This month it's this the next it’s that. He dropped out of school without a plan. He won't go and get a regular job and is always chasing get rich quick schemes with mine or dad's money. He is thirty seven years old when is it going to end? Why am I dumping on you?' 'Because I asked.' 'Well. Tonight is . So no more of other people.' He wanted to know more. It was obvious this was weighing on her and he wanted to see if there was any way that he could help her out. It was clear though that she did not want to talk about it so he let it go. The waiter brought their food then.

'Here is your food sir. May I say that I am a huge fan? Would you mind taking a picture with me?' he asked. 'Sure. No problem.' Luca said. The waiter gave Sam his phone and she snapped a few pictures of them. The waiter thanked them and walked away. They got up and headed for the car in silence. 'What was it like playing football and being in secondary school?' she asked, as they drove back to the hotel. 'I was already popular playing for the school team. The difference was I could not hang out with my friends like I used to and I always had to play catch up in tests and exams, sometimes I would take an exam after everyone else coz I had training. It helped that my teacher and the principal were Manchester Mavericks ers. How about you? What was it like?' 'I am not a famous football player.' she smiled, 'I did play for a bit in junior school and I was pretty good.' 'Cheeky.' he said, 'But you know what I want to know.' 'Nobody cared really. I think a lot of people thought it would fail eventually.' 'Ouch.' She shrugged. 'What were you like at school? I'll bet the jock, the one everyone wanted to be with.' 'Pretty much.' 'Complete with the modesty.' 'Honesty. I bet I could say the same for you. I can't picture you as a wallflower.' 'Oh you would be wrong. I was exactly that. I was very awkward as a teenager. Half the people who hit on me now would not have looked at me twice and the first time would most likely have been by mistake.'

'No. I would have noticed you definitely.' 'Trust me you would not have. Why do you think I despise all this attention? But that's alright. It made me the person that I am now.' 'Tell me your most embarrassing story.' 'Oh no. You don't want to hear that and I don't want to tell it.' 'No come one. I do want to hear it. Tell me.' 'I don't want to chase you off just yet.' 'Nothing could chase me off.' She buried her head in her hands and he watched with a smile playing on his lips. 'OK. But if you laugh you are doing three shots of Tequila when we get back to the hotel.' 'Deal. If I don't laugh you are doing the shots.' 'Fine. Which one do I pick? Oh. I had a crush on the popular guy who happened to be in my class from one and in form two I told someone who told another who told another and everyone knew including him. A friend of his decided that it would be fun during a game of spin the bottle to make me give my crush a lap dance. First of all I didn't know how to give a lap dance and secondly while trying and failing miserably I farted.' He tried to keep a straight face but he failed. 'You promised.' she said. 'Cara I am not laughing at your story, I am laughing at your face. That is not a terrible story. OK maybe then it was embarrassing but not now.' 'You are still doing those shots.' 'But so are you because I did not laugh at your story.'

'Yes but you laughed.' 'The deal was if I laughed at your story, which I did not. We are either both doing shots or not at all.' 'Oh but I love Tequila.' 'Settled then. So this boy knew you had a crush on him and did nothing about it?' She shrugged, 'If you saw my pictures from then you would understand.' 'Is he gay?' 'I don't think so.' 'That's the only thing that made sense. Look I know looks get your attention but it's the personality that has you thinking I could see myself spending time with this person. You were in the same class as him. I would definitely have noticed you.' 'Let's get a time machine.' Luca laughed and she ed him. They were at the hotel and he helped her out of the car, past the paps and up to her room. They set up down on the carpeted floor and had their meal. 'It's your turn now to give me an embarrassing story.' she said, as she put a forkful into her mouth. Luca watched the trail of that fork and wished to replace it...he shook his head because she had asked him for something, now if only he could what it was. Embarrassing story. 'My mother loved to embarrass us. Especially after I started playing professionally. She always wanted to remind me that I was still her son. So she had me do chores just like everyone else. It was a Saturday night and my turn to do the dishes but I had a date and so I left intending to do them when I got back. My mother was having none of it and went down to the restaurant to collect me. Imagine it's my last year of school, I've just started playing for the biggest club in the world and my mother drags me away from a date to go and wash dishes. Safe to say I never saw the girl again.'

Sam could barely restrain her laughter and decided to let it out. She laughed so hard tears were coming out of her eyes. She wiped them away, 'I am so...' more laughter, 'I am sorry. I just...' laughter, 'I am just trying to imagine a guy being dragged off to go and do dishes.' 'I am glad you find my mortification amusing.' 'I am sorry.' she put on a straight face, 'If it's any consolation she did not like you very much or she would have offered to help you do the dishes.' 'Would you have?' 'If I liked you yeah.' He nodded, took a sip of his wine and studied her. 'When you are not dominating in the world of business or stomping on hearts of would be lovers what are you doing?' he asked. 'I do not stomp on hearts...' 'You stomped on mine.' 'If I did it was unwittingly done because I never did see your heart.' 'Touché.' he smiled winningly, 'Tell me. How do you spend time away from the office?' 'I love spending time with the people I love. So I try to carve out time for them where we can have lunch or dinner or go somewhere and just be together having fun. I also like my me-time. I have this wicker chair on my deck and that's where you will find me most Sunday nights. I am sitting in it, with a good book in my hand, wine and chips within easy reach.' She rolled on to her back, closed her eyes and imagined herself there. Luca inched closer, propped himself on an elbow and peered intently at her face. He wanted to lean down and kiss her. Then he imagined himself next to her on that deck, hand in hand as they watched the sun set. He would probably then rehash his last match while she read her book.

'Sounds like heaven.' he said. 'It's peaceful. It's the only time that my phone is off for business calls.' she said. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into his eyes. Panic flared up but was replaced almost instantly by peace. 'I like that family is important to you. It's very easy in this day to be selfabsorbed.' he said. 'I know right. I cannot imagine a life without my family in it.' she echoed. 'So now I know what your hopes and dreams I want to know your fears.' he said. 'Are you writing a book?' She asked, with a smile. He really wanted to kiss those lips. He found himself clenching his jaw to restrain himself. That would only scare her off and they were doing so well. 'Compiling a dossier.' She smiled up at him. Then she rolled over to lean a hand on her elbow so they were level and looking into each other's eyes. 'I used to think I was afraid of failing until I realized that I needed to fail at least once to know how to get back up and be better at what I do.' 'I could have told you that.' She poked him gently in the ribs and she laughed then captured her hand in his. 'What about you?' she asked. 'I fear that because of what I do I will never meet a woman who will want to get to know me for who I am and not what I am. I want a family but I meet women who want to advance their careers, or fame or fortune. Sometimes my future, in that aspect, seems bleak.' he said, as he played with her fingers. 'I know what you mean. Minus the fame. My mom's words always echo in my head.' 'What a pair we make.'

'Indeed.' He was tracing circles in the palm of her hand and she was finding it difficult to keep track of her thoughts. Alcohol and being alone with Luca was not a good idea but she could not pull away. 'You know,' she started, 'It was your charitable efforts that made me respect you even more. I mean you are a terrific football player but you give back so much more and it's a wonderful thing really.' she said. He smiled radiantly. He was more pleased than he would let on. He gave to the less privileged because he knew what it was to be without and wanted to try and ease their lives and never for recognition. Still it felt good to know that people recognize his efforts. 'I like giving back. I was fortunate and if I can use my fortune to make someone else's life a little easier then I do.' 'It inspired me. Because even though I want to make a mark in the world the one thing I really want is to make a difference in at least on person's life. Homeless people have nowhere to go back home. The focus, and rightly so, is on children, mostly orphans. So three months ago I started building a shelter for the homeless. There is this woman that I grew up watching beg for money from people. I would give her what I could but it always broke my heart. I swore that I would help people like her so that they never have to beg again.' She paused and looked intently at him trying to gauge if he was bored, when he gave her an encouraging smile she continued, 'I hope to have people teach them some skills so that they are not wholly dependent and for those that are unable, I want to have the basic needs provided for them. As much as I want to I realized that I cannot do it on my own but so far wherever I knock I get the same response "We are already giving to the orphanages.” But I am going to keep trying; there is someone out there who will help.' 'I know people who could help.' he said. 'Oh Luca I hope you don't think...' 'I know. I am offering.'

'That would be...I...Thank you.' She hugged him then and pulled away embarrassed at her action. 'If I had known that would get me a hug I would have started with that.' he said. She rewarded him with a smile. 'You are an onion.' he said. She choked out a laugh, 'What?' 'I mean there are many layers to you. You are beautiful, smart, sexy and kind.' 'Thank you. But onion?' 'Yeah, that was a miss huh?' 'Massive.' He laughed and out of impulse reached out to stroke her cheek. She gasped slightly and bit on her lower lip. Luca knew he would not be able to restrain himself if she went on biting that lower lip. She could not have any idea how seductive it was because it was a self-conscious action for her. He pulled out her lip with his index finger but it went back in. She realized what he had been trying to do and released her lip then sat back up. He followed. 'You owe me Tequila shots.' she reminded him. She got up and retrieved the bottle. She sat back down next to him and they used the bottle cap to take shots since there were no shot glasses around. 'Tell me your happiest childhood memory.' he said, later. Drunken conversation and laughter followed and at some point they danced to music on his phone. The last thing that Sam ed was Luca leaning down to whisper in her ear how beautiful she was and then kissing her while she made no attempt to stop him.

GOODBYE LUCA When she woke up in the morning it was to the light streaming in through the window. She tried to lift her head but it hit the pillow again so she stopped trying. She ed the wine. And the Tequila. And the kiss. Then she became painfully aware of the fact that Luca was sleeping next to her on the bed, seemingly naked. She closed her eyes and hoped that nothing had happened between them although the evidence pointed to it. They had been drinking. They were talking and laughing. Then there was dancing and the chemistry. The ever present chemistry and the kiss. Now he was topless, and heaven knows what else, in her bed. She battled the weight of her head and slowly sat up. Stabilized herself as waves of pain washed over her head. When the waves eased she opened first one eye then the other to assess the situation. She lifted the covers and was partly relieved to find that all of her clothes were still on. Luca was still sleeping soundly when she looked over at him. Slowly, she got out of bed and went to get water in the kitchenette. She sat down and took measured sips from the bottle. Halfway through the second bottle she made her way back to the bedroom to find that Luca was still asleep then went back to the living room. She picked up the phone to order breakfast then called Rafael. Luca woke up with a blinding headache and from a dream that she and Sam had kissed. And they had slept in the same bed. When he looked around to find that he was in her bed he knew it had not been a dream. As he sat up a wave of nausea assaulted him and his head threatened to split in two. He got up to find her. She was in the kitchenette having breakfast. The aroma was tantalizing and a welcome relief. 'Morning.' he said. He sat down and went for a kiss but she moved her face and his kiss landed on her cheek. He was puzzled and gave her a searching look but she kept her eyes firmly on her breakfast. 'Ramalho.' he said, as understanding dawned. She did not want to correct him because if she did there would be no turning back. Luca would put on the charm and her conviction would crumble. Speaking

to Rafael that morning had reminded her of who her choice should be and she was determined to at least give that a try. 'I am sorry.' he said, pulling her back. 'Don't apologize.' she said. She stood up and poured him coffee. 'Thank.' he said. He wanted to remind her that if they'd slept together the previous night then maybe she should reconsider going back to Ramalho but he did not know for sure that they'd slept together. He wanted to ask but did not know where to start. 'When do you leave?' he asked, instead. 'Two. This afternoon.' she said. His heart dropped and he let out a breath. He was certain that he was seeing her for the last time but could not anything that happened from the time they kissed until he woke up. He helped himself to breakfast as he gathered his thoughts. There had never been so much to say and yet so much silence between him and a woman before. 'Let me take you out to lunch.' he said. Sam wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. Go see Luca, she thought. Talk to him. It will make everything better. Instead she had awoken from the same bed as him. Why was she always hopping into bed with him? She was not and had never been one to give into lust. Was this lust? Does lust send one's heart pattering at the sight of the object? Does lust have you feeling happy to see a smile on his face? Does lust have your heart breaking over goodbye? If not then what was this? This was not how she had intended for things to end up. For someone who wanted to keep the world away from her business she was not being discreet about it. The world knew by now that he had spent the night with her and no amount of nay saying would convince anyone that nothing had happened. Rafael had not brought it up but she could tell there was something on his mind. What must he think of her now? In spite of her protesting that there was nothing between her and Luca she flies off to Manchester then spends the night with

him? She got up from her seat and went to the window. His eyes followed her. 'You should not have stayed the night.' she said, after some time. 'I know.' he said. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. 'How is he ever going to trust me now?' she said. 'Cara...' 'Please don't...don't say anything.' He shut his mouth and waited for her. 'What happened last night?' she asked. 'Nothing happened.' She nodded then turned to him, 'Nothing happened.' He nodded. He was lying but he hated to see that look on her face. She looked like her whole world was crumbling around her. Did Ramalho mean that much to her? But how could he they barely knew each other? Even as he asked he realized how stupid his question was. Wasn't he the one trying to convince everyone that he was in love with Sam? 'How do we always get into such situations? I am afraid to turn on the television or talk to anyone. And Rafael...what must he be thinking right now?' Luca was at a loss as to what to say to her. He could not tell her that he wished her and Ramalho well because that would be a lie. Truth was he was selfish when it came to her and he wanted her. 'Just answer yourself this question, did you do anything last night that you have to be ashamed of?' he asked her. She frowned as she mulled over the question and the answer surprised her. She shook her head slowly, 'No.'

'Did he know you were coming here?' 'Yes.' 'Clearly he trusts you and you have no reason to be worried. Just explain to him what happened.' 'Tell him that I kissed and woke up from the same bed as the man who the world thinks I am engaged to? Yeah that will go well.' 'I cannot find it in me to apologize for what happened last night. I have never made it a secret how I feel about you Sam but I am sorry if it hurts you in any way because that was never my intention.' She ran her hands over her hair then said in a small voice, 'I am going to shower.' He sighed and watched her walk away. He had hoped that spending time together would make her change her mind about Ramalho. In spite of himself he wondered if she had slept with Ramalho. It would stand to reason that she had given how she'd slept with him on the first date. The fact that she was worried about Ramalho clearly showed him who the choice was. He swallowed with difficulty and found that he was no longer interested in breakfast. He went to switch on the television. Highlights of last night's match were showing and when he checked the schedule he saw that they were showing the match in about an hour. He decided he would watch the full match and not the highlights so he flipped to Sky News. When she came back into the room about half an hour later he went to take a shower of his own. He ed her later on the couch and found she had switched to Sky Sports and was waiting for the match to start. His heart constricted in his chest. This was a woman after his own heart. She glanced over at him when he sat next to her and smiled. He felt himself relax. 'I was going to watch the match again, I hope you don't mind.' she said. 'Not at all.' he said, as he smiled at her. Their looks lingered on each other and he wondered if she wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her. The match started and she seemed to have gotten over her earlier mood. She was back to her jolly self as they analysed the match and celebrated the goals as though they were watching a live match. It was not lost on either of them that this could possibly be a glimpse of their life together.

He wanted it even more than before. She saw what she had not seen last night when she was watching the match live and that was the cameramen focusing on her when Luca scored or was tackled. Her reactions to all the incidents pointed to one thing; she was clearly smitten with the man. Luca picked up on it as well as how uncomfortable she because when she watched the joy and pride on her face at his performance. They were still discussing the match when it ended. Sam checked the internet because she needed to know what was being said and what Rafael could have heard or read. The internet was teeming with pictures of them and speculation on them being a couple. There were several pictures of them at the restaurant where they looked really cosy. In one picture he had her hand in his and she was staring adoringly into his eyes. In another they were both laughing. One thing was clear to him from the pictures. Whatever it was that he was feeling for her she was feeling too. But why was she fighting it? 'We look really good together.' she said. 'We look great together.' he echoed. She laughed and was about to say something when her phone rang. She jumped as though caught doing something bad. Rafael had the phone in his hand one minute then pocket the next. He wanted to call her back and check to see if Luca was there. When they spoke earlier he had been unaware of the fact that he had spent the night. Then when the morning paper had come he had seen a picture of them going back to the hotel and the story read that they had spent the night together. She swore up and down that nothing was going on between her and Luca and next thing she flies down to spend the night with him. Rafael was not dense not by a long shot but he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. It was very difficult. Unable to stand it any longer he punched in her number and waited as it rang. 'Hey.' she said. He clenched his jaw as joy flowed through him at the sound of her voice. This woman had him and he knew it. 'Hey.' he echoed, as his heart thundered. 'What time did you say your flight is at

again?' He wanted her out of England as quickly as possible. 'At two.' she said. He did not have a right to feel possessive or cheated because they were not together. She was not his woman and what she did with her time was her business. It did not stop it from being painful though. All he could do was be there for her and hope that she chose him because he was the better choice. Sam bit her lip. Their conversation was stilted for the first time since they had met and it made her uncomfortable. She could tell that he was uncomfortable too. She steered conversation to the mundane. Luca watched as Sam spoke to her boyfriend and the cloud that he had been floating on dissipated. He wanted to slam his fist into the nearest wall or snatch the phone out of her hand and throw it out the window. He knew though that he had no reason nor right to feel that way but he could not help it any more than he could have helped falling for her. That it was his fault they were not together and she was talking to another man grated on his nerves. He hated that another man could make her smile like he did. Not so long ago he was the recipient of that smile. He turned his attention back to the television and waited for her to finish her call. After what seemed like an eternity she was on the sofa next to him and off the phone. 'I've been wondering. Should you leave first or should I? I mean they know that you stayed here last night but they don't know for sure that you were in my room. If we leave together there is no denying it.' she said. 'What does it matter what people think? We know what's going on between us.' 'Rafael...' "Rafael can go jump off a cliff" he wanted to say but instead he said, 'Rafael should trust you and he knows as well as I do that everyone you smile at will be linked with you.' She nodded and did not add that there was history between them. That ruled Luca out as a random guy that she smiled at on the street. But she saw where he was coming from.

'Now cheer up.' he said. As much as Rafael trusted her and believed that nothing had happened between her and Bataglia he could not help but be angry that she had allowed things to go that far. If indeed they had drunk too much she should have put him in a cab and sent him on his way. Or called one of his people to come and fetch him. There was no need for Luca to have spent the night. What pissed him off even more was the fact that a part of her wanted for that to happen or she would not have allowed it. He grabbed his phone again, dialled her number but stopped himself before it connected. He felt like an idiot. She was not his wife or girlfriend. 'Get a grip.' he said. Though he tried to convince himself that he was fine with what had happened the fact that it was eleven in the morning and he was still in bed was proof enough that he was. He could concentrate on nothing but what he knew was going on in the hotel room. He knew if he were in Bataglia's shoes he would be doing everything in his power to change her mind about the competition or putting her in a position from which there was no going back. He swore as he got out of bed and to the bathroom to get ready for the day. She was not his woman yet and she was already driving him insane. Convincing herself that the damage had already been done and that anything that came after was moot she decided they would leave together. He had offered her a ride to the airport as well as lunch and she had accepted. This was their last time together and she would milk it for all it was worth. While Luca was in the bathroom she called Sasa for an update. 'Hey bish.' she said. 'Chicken!' Sasa answered. Saone immediately asked about Luca and Sam played it down explaining that she would have the whole story when she got home. 'I'm on the two p.m. flight. Will be there six a.m. tomorrow. Could you arrange for someone to come pick me up?' 'What are you talking about? I am picking you up.'

'That's why I love you.' She got off the phone as Luca walked back in and they left for the airport. 'What's the plan from here on?' he asked. 'Go home, sort work out and then Spain.' 'Spain huh?' 'Yup. Spain.' 'To Ramalho.' She gave him a pointed look. 'Cara...if I hadn't fucked up would you be moving to Spain?' 'Luca can we not...let's not do that.' He inhaled then exhaled hard. 'Alright. I will miss you.' he said. 'I will miss you.' 'Then don't go.' 'Luca...' 'Why are you shutting us down?' 'I don't...' 'Talk to me.' She shook her head and held back her tears. He wanted to push her to her limits and would not let up until she itted her feelings for him. 'Why is it so hard to talk to me?'

'I can't go there.' 'Is it because you are fighting us? Fighting what you feel for me?' 'What do you know about how I feel?' 'I don't. That's why I'm asking you to talk to me.' 'What do you want to know? That I have feelings for you that I wish I didn't have?' 'That's a start. Would it make it easier if I told you that I feel the same way?' She closed her eyes and when she opened them her feelings were mirrored in his eyes. 'Because I do.' 'I can't go there Luca.' 'Why? Because of Ramalho?' She looked away and did not answer. 'Are you sleeping with him?' he asked. She looked back at him sharply, 'That is none of your business.' 'You are right. I am sorry. I just...Will I still be able to talk to you?' 'Not for some time.' 'It will be difficult.' 'Luca...' 'I am only telling you that it will be difficult but I will try.' In awkward silence they finished eating. She glanced down at her time and it was time for her to check in. She went to check in and used those few minutes to pull herself together. She ed him when she was done and they just stood

watching each other. They know it was the last time they would see each other for a very long time; if they ever did see each other again. Pain he had not felt in a very long time lanced his heart as he watched her. He opened his arms and she stepped into them. They hugged for a very long time. He took in her scent; it was a fruity yet spicy perfume, as well as an earthy scent that he guessed was hers. She did the same enjoying the musky-sandalwood scent combined with the expensive aftershave he had on. They memorized every bit of each other. This was goodbye. Watching Sam board the plane and knowing that he was seeing her for the last time until she decided they could see each other again, if ever, broke his heart. He had done all he could, shy of locking her away, to make her change her mind about him but she was determined. It hurt. He would not lie. However, as much as it hurt, he could not bring himself to regret meeting her or any minute that they had spent together. He hoped Ramalho was aware of just how lucky he was to have her. He said goodbye to her, wished her well and decided to move on with his own life just as she was certainly doing. He would never forget her though.

HOMECOMING It was a homecoming the country had been waiting for. For close to a month they had watched as one of their own made headlines all over the world. The women envied her and wanted to trade places with her so they could experience the lifestyle. The men envied the footballing shoulders she had been rubbing hers with. Rafael Ramalho and Luca Bataglia were very well known and idolized football players. The fact that she knew both stars personally and that they had invited her to two of their greatest matches of the season made her a cult figure. As the brains behind one of the top PR firms in the country had established their celebrity status but this had elevated her to greater heights. Sam's stomach churned and nerves gnawed at her as she sat in her seat as other engers started disembarking. She had been brush her mother off from across oceans but now there would be no escape and her mother was going to give it to her. Growing up in her conservative family she had learned from a very young age that any scandal must be buried so deep that not a millennia of digging would uncover it. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and smiled at the man walking past her. The airport was unusually full of people and she wondered what the occasion was. Considering the fact that it was a weekday, meaning not that many people were flying, there should be a lot less traffic. Idly, she wondered if the national football team was flying out or in. As she looked around for Sasa she was blinded by the flashing lights and knew why there were so many people there. Journalists. She panicked as a crowd gathered around her and started taking pictures and asking questions in a myriad of accents. Her Botswana had turned into Manchester. She felt overwhelmed and a dizzy spell coming on. A hand slipped into hers and was relieved to find it was Sasa who'd had the presence of mind to bring two other people. The four of them muscled their way past the crowd and into the vehicle in the parking lot. In the backseat of the car Sam took a deep breath to try and calm down instead the tears started to fall down her cheeks. 'Ah sweetie. It's not as bad as it looks.' Sasa said. Sasa was sitting at the back with her and took a hold of her hand. Sam could not

respond immediately because she was battling with getting her emotions in check. 'I'm sorry I just thought I'd left this madness back in Europe.' she said. 'It was not like this when I landed and it has not been anything like this.' Sasa said. 'What's happened to my life? Who am I? Who is this girl that all these people are interested in? This is not me.' 'I was going to tell you when we go to the house but I have arranged a press conference for Saturday, I think it is time we finally addressed them.' Sam nodded. When she had regained a semblance of normalcy she turned to the two gentlemen at the front and apologized for her display then thanked them for fetching her from the airport. 'You don't have to thank us.' Tebogo, the driver, said. He and Matt were itching to ask Sam about Bataglia and Ramalho but didn't know how to broach it because she was their boss and clearly she did not want to talk about it. They could not understand why being famous could be a bad thing. So what if it came from sleeping with two famous football players? Hell, if they were her they would milk it for all it was worth. Sasa had instructed them to drive to the office and from there the two women took another car to Sam's house. 'So Sam I've been thinking, I know how much you love your job but maybe you might consider taking Friday off from work and moving in with your parents until this blows over. I don't think you should be alone.' Sasa said, as they drove to Sam's house. 'Yeah, that makes sense. I need to get Europe out of my system anyway.' Sam said. Although she agreed it was a good idea to take time from work she had been

hoping for the distraction that work would have offered. 'A lot of good has come out of it though, let's not forget that.' Sam nodded as Sasa drove in to her yard. Sam took in the sight of her house. She had missed the simple act of driving in and seeing the double storey building with the big windows. As they got out of the car and unloaded her luggage she took a deep breath and smiled this time; she was home. This was her turf. It strengthened her. Sasa helped her carry her bags to her bedroom. When they were done they sat out on the patio while they aired the house out and Sam got them iced teas. 'Was it like this for you?' Sam asked, 'The press I mean.' 'Not as bad. I am of secondary interest. They want you.' 'But you are with Kevin.' 'Yeah but you are gorgeous and linked with two of the hottest football players on the planet.' She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. 'I should pack up and drive to my parents.' Sam said. They pretended not to notice the reporters lingering outside and trying to get pictures of them over the wall. They pretended they were the same two women who had left the country a month ago with big dreams. Then Sam went inside to pack and they left for her parents' house. She realized just how much she had missed her family when she saw the windows of what used to be her bedroom come into sight. Then she saw more reporters outside her parents' home and her excitement waned. She called Ash and asked her to open the gate. Inside the yard her mother rushed out to greet her. She was followed closely by Ash, Isa then her father. 'Mommy.'Sam exclaimed then the rest of the way to meet her mother. 'Baby.' her mom said.

They hugged for a while with neither saying a word to the other. Ashlee ed in the hug while the men waited. Sasa engaged them in conversation while the other women talked to and over each other. Ashlee wanted the scoop on all the famous people that Sam had met while her mom peppered her with questions about all the beautiful places that she had been and places she had shopped at. Neither of them brought up Luca or Rafael. Temporary reprieve it was. Finally Sam disentangled herself from the two women and hugged her brother. In spite of the fights and the strained relationship there was a lot of love between the two siblings. Lastly she hugged her father. When the hugs were done they all went inside the house and to the living room while Ash went to fetch them something to drink. Isaac had to know about what it was like being at Asher Smith the night before and witnessing that amazing comeback. 'Oh Isa there are no words to describe it. You could feel the magnitude of the occasion in the air and you could see how important it was to everyone who was there. And when Luca scored the goal that put them in front, I can't describe it, it was like a switch had been flipped and emotion poured out from all angles. You could not hear yourself think for the noise in the place. When Van Persie sealed the victory everyone went bonkers. It was amazing.' Everyone was glad that she was the one who had brought up Luca and they felt they could talk about him now. 'Tell us about Luca.' Ash said. 'He is an amazing football player and the amount of work he puts in is just astounding. You don't realize just how hard they work until you are there.' Sam said. 'Is he as gorgeous in person?' Ash asked. Sam looked around the table then said, 'Even more so.' Her dad coughed while Ashlee sighed and her mother beamed. 'So what's the story with you and him?' Ash asked, 'We saw you and him at that restaurant yesterday then at your hotel.' 'We...it's difficult.' Sam started

'Are you dating?' Ashlee probed 'No.' Sam said 'Then what is it?' her mom wanted to know. 'We are friends.' 'Then what was he doing at your room late at night?' her mom asked. 'How did you meet?' Ashlee asked, at the same time. 'It's a very interesting story. He was taking a free kick when the ball hit me in the face and knocked me out. I guess he felt bad for it because he came to the hospital and asked us to dinner.' 'And that's where Diane found you?' Ashlee continued to probe. Sam looked around the table once more and her eyes stayed on Sasa who gave her an encouraging nod. 'Look, I did not know he had a girlfriend until Diane walked in on us at his house.' Sam said. 'What were you doing at his house?' her mom wanted to know. 'Uh...' Sam stuttered. How do you tell your mother you slept with a man you barely knew just because you'd been idolizing him since you were sixteen? You don't. 'How did you meet Rafael?' Isa asked. Sam wanted to hug her brother. 'Before we move on to Rafael I want to know more about Luca. Sam we saw the interview and we heard what he was saying. He is single now. And you were with him yesterday. Does it mean what I think it means?' Ashlee asked. 'Uh...well...umm. It's complicated Ash.' Sam said. 'I am sure we can keep up.' her mother said. 'I went to see him because I needed answers about the whole Diane incident.

And yes he is single.' Sam said. 'He is single and clearly into you so what is the problem?' Ash asked. 'There is someone else, technically.' Sam said. 'Who?' Her mother asked. 'Rafael.' Sam said. 'Who is Rafael?' her mom asked. 'Rafael Ramalho! He is the best player in the world and plays for the best football team in the world.' Isa said. 'I don't know him.' Ashlee said. Isa ran a hand over his face and shook his head. 'He is more than just a football player. He is really a businessman who plays professional football.' Sam said. 'Are you seeing this Rafael?' her mom asked. 'Not really. I mean maybe.' Sam said, then let out a small laugh, 'I like him and he likes me but I want to get to know him better before we do anything about it.' 'What about Luca?' her mom asked. 'Luca and I are just friends.' Sam said. 'Alright. When do we meet this Rafael?' her mom asked. 'Umm...I am guessing when I know where this is going with him.' 'I will never understand the way you young people do things.' her mom said. 'How did things go on the business front?' her dad asked. Her mother and sister rolled their eyes while Isa smiled. Sam could have hugged her father then. She was glad for the change in topic.

'While you and your father talk business Ashlee will help me get breakfast ready.' her mother said. Ashlee followed her to the kitchen. 'It went very well. In hindsight we were a tad too ambitious in trying to do three cities all at once. Two is just perfect. Sasa will go to New York and I will go to Madrid.' Sam said. 'I am very proud of you. Through all that was going on around you still you persevered and got things done. Both of you.' 'Thank you daddy. It feels good to hear someone say that. Sasa is the backbone of the company and without her I would have crumbled.' 'Oh come on. You are too modest. You are the brains and the beauty I am just the muscle.' Sasa said, eliciting a laugh from the four of them. 'When are we losing you to Spain?' 'Daddy. You will never lose me. We are hoping to get the move done in a month or so.' Sam said. 'Yeah, that's about it. We have to wrap things up here and have a successor in place.' Sasa said. 'Isa Luca and Rafael signed shirts for you, remind me to give them to you after breakfast.' Sam said. Isa rewarded her with the brightest smile that she had seen on her brother. It was moments like that that she lived for. Several minutes later Sam and Sasa were in her old bedroom unpacking Sam's bags. It did not take very long since Sam had not brought a lot with her, other than gifts for her family. They were sorting through the gifts when Sam suddenly exclaimed, 'Shit!' 'What?' Sasa inquired. 'I told Rafael that I would call him as soon as I got here.' 'Then call him.'

She nodded and dug her phone out of her bag to call him. When he did not answer immediately she checked the time on her wrist watch. It was just after eight in the morning. She was about to hang up when he answered. 'Hello.' he said. 'Hey, its Sam...' 'Sam. I've been waiting to call. How was your flight?' 'The best I have had in quite some time.' 'It's good to hear that. Oh and your team didn't put in a bad performance on Wednesday.' 'Yes, it was an alright performance.' 'Meh...it could have been better.' She could hear the smile in his voice and found herself picturing that smile. She missed him a lot more than she had thought she would. 'What are you up to? Oh better yet what are you working on?' She heard him laugh quietly, 'Guilty. My FM just dropped off papers that she thinks I should look at.' 'She..?' He chuckled, 'Do I detect jealousy?' 'Jealousy is so overrated.' 'I like that you are jealous but you have nothing to worry about. She is a lesbian.' 'I wasn't worried.' 'Aren't we cocky?' That made her laugh. Sasa signalled that she was going back downstairs and Sam nodded.

'What are you up to?' he asked. 'I'm at my parents' house. Staying with them for a few days.' 'Great. How is your family?' he asked. 'They are wonderful. I missed them so much. Seems they missed me too because I have barely had time to breathe. They all want a piece of me but I am not complaining. Oh and it turns out my brother is an even bigger fan of yours than I thought.' 'Yeah? Do you want me to say hi to him?' 'Oh would you? It wouldn't be weird or anything for you?' 'Not at all. He is your brother.' 'OK. He is downstairs. While I take the phone down to him. Tell me how you are getting on without me.' 'It's mostly business won't that bore you?' 'Are you kidding me? Shop talk gets me excited.' 'Now that is a line of conversation I want to pursue.' 'Not in my mother's house.' 'When are you going back to your house again?' She chuckled and prodded him to tell her about the rest of his day yesterday as she walked slowly down the stairs and to the living room. 'That is a very large house.' he said. 'What?' 'Your parents' house must be huge you've been walking for a very long time.' Caught. She was enjoying the sound of his voice too much and wanted to keep the conversation going a little longer.

'Yeah it is.' she said. 'Hang on.' She held the phone out to Isa, 'Isa, it's for you.' 'Who is it?' Isa asked. 'Answer it and find out for yourself.' Isa took the phone tentatively and answered it. 'Hello?' Isa said. 'Hello Isaac it's Rafael R...' 'Ramalho...' Isa finished. Sam watched the excitement on her brother's face and heard it in his voice, and was glad she could do that for him. She was feeling a little guilty about bitching about him to Luca because she had made him out to seem worse off than he really was. Sam half listened to her brother's side of the conversation as her mind drifted off into a daydream. It was not hard to picture Rafael fitting in with her family. He kept a fairly low profile and had never had a scandal in the media, well before meeting her. Her mother, and Ash, would like that about him, coupled with his fame, fortune and good looks. Her father would ire his business acumen as well as discipline and dedication to work. Isa was already a fan of his footballing skills and he could learn a thing or two from Rafa about determination, hard work and perseverance. He really would be the better choice. He was stable, dependable and safe. Where Luca was a scorching fire he was a temperate flame. It's better to be perpetually warm than to burn in an inferno. As much as Rafael was enjoying talking to Sam's brother, who seemed to enjoy football as much as he did and was clearly a fan, it was Sam he wanted to be talking to. He wanted to ask her about Luca; if she was finally ready to put his behind her and start something with him. He wanted her to assure him that there was nothing between her and Bataglia. 'I enjoyed talking to you too Isaac.' he said, in response. He really had. Sam was back on the phone with him. He heard her get up and start walking. He

liked that she wanted to talk to him privately. 'How crazy was it when you got to the airport?' he asked. He listened as she explained in detail how it had gone down. He ed just how drastically his life had changed after his third appearance and two goals for Santos. It had taken him some time to get used to but he'd had a lot of from people who knew how to handle them. But he also needed to that Sam's work involved handling the media. Still it must be a lot more different and difficult when that same instrument turns to you. 'Unless they go overboard like try and snap pictures of you in the loo you will hardly notice them.' he said. 'I guess. So there is this press conference this weekend. It will be mostly business but obviously my private life will make an appearance so just to give you a heads up. I will be asked about you.' 'What are you going to tell them?' 'I don't know.' 'Of course you do.' 'I do?' 'Yes. I am attracted to you, as you are to me, but you are afraid.' 'I am.' 'Sam I did not want to have this conversation over the phone.' 'I don't either.' 'Good. Put it on ice then?' 'Sure.' 'There is something I need to know.' 'Okay.'

'What's the situation with Luca?' 'Luca. We are not going to keep in touch he and I.' He breathed out a sigh of relief and did not bother to hide it from her. There was nothing standing in his way anymore and he did not care what happened between her and Bataglia on Wednesday night. 'Really?' he asked. 'Yes.' 'Good.' 'How about you? Any skeletons in the closet?' 'None that I am aware of.' 'OK. I have to go, it's time for breakfast and they are waiting on me.' 'Alright. Have a lovely breakfast with your family and I will be thinking of you.' She smiled into the phone. Could it be that simple really? 'I will be thinking of you too.' and she meant it. Her mother, in true Patricia fashion, did not allow her to at least sit down before she questioned her. 'Why didn't you give me the phone so I talk to him too?' her mother asked. 'I think I too have a right to talk to him, if he is going to be my son in law.' She looked around the table but found that she would not get help from anyone. 'I'm sorry mom you were busy with breakfast and he had to get back to work. And he wanted to talk to his number one...no? Number two? Number two fan. Who is number one Isa?' 'Thabo.' Isa said. 'Oh yeah Thabo. I have not seen him in quite some time.' Sam said.

Sam regretted the words the second that they left her mouth. How could she have forgotten that Thabo stole Isa's last girlfriend? It had taken almost a year to pull Isa from the depths of despair and partly the reason why he could not seem to pull himself together. 'He is delightful. Got married two months ago and started a successful cleaning company.' Isa said. Sam nodded tersely. The night had been going so well until she put her foot in her mouth. 'Saone says you have a press conference this Saturday?' her father cut in. 'Yes. We will be talking about the expansion that the company is doing but of course there will be other things. It is about time we set the record straight.' 'Any idiot would have told you silence does not help.' Isa chipped in. 'Wow Isa. Wow. Suddenly you are an expert?' Sam redered. 'Bataglia and Ramalho are famous and sorry sis but you are nobody of course they will want to know why these two very famous people are doing with you.' 'Isa...' her father started to say. 'You've been itching to say that haven't you? If I am nobody what does that make you?' Sam spit 'I know what I am Sam it's you who goes around pretending to be better than everybody else. If I were you I would milk this for what it's worth because who knows how long Ramalho will be interested in you?' Isa said. Sam nodded and felt sadness. Sadness at the fact that their new found peace had not lasted through breakfast. Isa's barb had hit it's mark too. He had not said anything that Sam had told herself several times. It was true to some extent. She excused herself from the table and went up to her room.

MOVING ON Sam was used to press briefings. It came with the territory. However she had never held one that was personal. She had never had her personal life on display and that made this briefing very different. She was nervous. She and Sasa waited behind the door as of the local and international press filed into the room. She kept checking the time. They had another five minutes to go before it was time to begin. Rafael had called her to wish her luck that morning. As had, surprisingly, Isa, along with a very long apology and his first honest conversation with her. He had opened up to her in a way he never had and that had somewhat bridged the gap between them. With two minutes remaining she and Sasa made their way to the table and sat down. Sasa addressed the room and thanked everyone for coming. then it began. The business magazines and newspapers were first and they asked only about the company and what it was doing to expand. They asked the mundane questions about why they were expanding, why they had chosen the markets that they had, what their strategy was and what their chances of success were. An hour later when all the business questions had been exhausted, along with the of press and the women, the floor was opened for other business. 'Now normally this would not happen as this would be the end of it but we found it fit to address the rumours that have been circling . We will take your questions one at a time and choose whether we respond to them or not.' Sasa said. 'Miss Maduo tell us what your relationship with Luca Bataglia is.' a woman with a British accent said. 'Friendship.' Sam said. 'Are you romantically involved with him?' the same woman asked. 'I am not. No.' Sam said. 'You flew to Manchester to be with him on Wednesday. You were seeing cheering him on at Asher Smith during his team's EUFA Champions League match. He was seeing going to your hotel room later that night, later the both of you went out for food, and seen the following day leaving for the airport.' A man

with an American accent said. 'Is there a question in there?' Sam asked. 'Yes. If you are not romantically involved with him why are you spending so much time with him?' the American man asked. 'How much time do you spend with your friends? Is there a standard amount that I exceeded?' Sam responded. 'Next question.' 'Who are you in a relationship with?' A woman with a Spanish accent asked. 'I am not in a relationship with anyone presently.' 'Not even Rafael Ramalho?' the Spanish woman asked. Sam shook her head 'I haven't even had a first date with him.' 'Well what about this picture of you two looking cosy on the beach?' the Spanish woman asked. It was a picture from the day they had donned disguises and hit the town. Seems they had not fooled anyone. 'Can't I be the first one to tell him how I feel about him?' Sam teased. ‘And please don't show him pictures of me leaving the house in my doek just yet.' The room erupted as people started typing, furiously, into their devices. Those that knew what a doek was where the only ones who laughed. 'Does he feel the same way about you?' a woman with a South African accent asked. 'Give me a minute to look into my crystal ball then let you know.' Sam said. 'What about rumours that you are expecting Luca Bataglia's child?' South African woman asked. 'I would love to hire whoever came up with that one. I am not pregnant and I did not know Luca until five weeks ago.' Sam said.

'What do you say to reports that you planned all of this; meeting both Luca and Ramalho.' Another British woman said. 'Yes. I planned to have Luca kick a ball into my face and knock me out. Next question.' She said, to a few laughs. 'Did you settle for Ramalho when you found you could not have Bataglia?' American woman asked. 'How do you come up with all this? Both men are incredible human beings that any woman would be very fortunate to have.' Sam said. 'Where does all of this leave Diane Armstrong?' American woman asked. 'That is a question that Miss Armstrong can answer better than I.' Sam said. 'Ramalho is investing in your Spain start-up. Is he doing that because you slept with him?' American man asked. 'Glamage is a multi-million Pula company; it makes financial sense for anyone, looking for a good return in investment, to put money in. You insult Mr Ramalho's good sense with that suggestion and you insult my business partner and I.' Sam said. 'Did you pick Ramalho over Bataglia because he has a bigger bank ?' American man asked. 'No, I did not.' Sam said. 'It's rather suspicious. You are a woman looking for financial backing to expand your business. You hook up with one rich football player then dump him, after he all but told the world, on international television, that he is in love with you, to hook up with an even wealthier football player.' American woman said. 'What's your name?' Sam asked. 'Ummm...Tracy Benet.' American woman said. 'Tracy have you ever been cheated on?' Sam asked.

'I don't see what my personal life has to do with you.' Tracy said. 'I could throw it back at you but work with me.' Sam said. 'Yes. I have been cheated on.' Tracy said. 'Did he come crawling back to you and did you take him back?' 'Yes and no.' 'Why not?' 'Because I could not trust him anymore.' 'I am in the wrong because I did not want to start something with a man who neglected to tell me that he had a girlfriend and worse still, said girlfriend, found me in bed with him?' Sam asked. 'I don't know how to answer that.' Tracy said. 'I am not guilty of anything except protecting my heart.' Sam said. 'But you have to have known that he was in a relationship with Diane. The whole world knew.' American man said. 'Well I was the one person in the world who did not know. I never read up on celebrities and their personal lives. So when I met this man and he invited me over to his house I went with the assumption that he was just as single as I was. No more questions.' Sam said. The attention then swung to Sasa and she faced more or less the same questions about Kevin. Unlike Sam, Sasa managed to keep her cool. She gave sassy responses to questions that had the reporters giggling. Sam wished she could be like Sasa in that regard. 'Can I just say there is nothing Saone and I want and need more right now than for our lives to go back to normal. I understand it can never be the way it once was. We appreciate some people's voyeuristic needs but we would appreciate it so much if we could have very little to no people at all following us around and taking pictures. We are not celebrities, not by a long stretch of the imagination,

and I am sure there are much more interesting people out there. It is your livelihood and I appreciate it that but these are our lives and we are heading into a very difficult period and would appreciate some privacy. Thank you for your time and please travel safe.' Sam said. Sam and Sasa left the room while the reporters stayed to collect their equipment. Sam had mixed feelings about the briefing. For one she was glad that they had done it but she was nervous about Rafael reading what she'd said about him. 'I am glad that that is done.' Sasa said. 'As am I. Now we can concentrate on what is important.' 'Lunch?' 'Lunch is a good start.' Sasa called their favourite restaurant and reserved a table. They were regulars and had been for the last five years and always sat at the same table. It was their go to restaurant for pretty much everything, when one of them was sad, when there was something to celebrate and when they felt like eating out. As soon as they were seated and their wine poured Sasa announced that she had something major to tell Sam. 'They want us in London.' Sasa said. 'A former movie star heard of you and Luca looked Glamage up on the net and called our office several times. He wants to go into business with us. He heard about what happened with the Elliots and feels it was a shame that they cut us off like that. So he wants us to set up in London.' Sasa was clearly excited but Sam was not very enthusiastic about the idea. 'I don't know Sasa; I think we have as much as we can handle right now. Gabs, Francistown, Maun, Spain and New York? The Elliots turning us down was a blessing in disguise.' Sam said. 'I thought you would be excited. I thought this would take the sting out of losing the Manchester job.' 'I know but I don't think we realized then how difficult it would be to do three

brand new cities all at once.' 'Where is the difficulty? We have financial backing. We have the best brains working on it. You are doing Madrid, I am doing New York and I think Tsholofelo could just as easily take over here in Gaborone. She has been with us for four years and she understands Glamage almost as well as we do. I mean how many times have we sent her on her own to deal with F/town or Maun?' 'Right and if we take the London offer who would we send? I honestly would feel a lot more comfortable if it was one of us. No disrespect to the amazing people that we work with but this is our baby.' 'Okay. Alright. I see where you are coming from. But look just give it some thought okay? 'Okay. But I thought we said no shop talk on this lunch.' Sasa knew Sam well enough to know when to leave it alone. Sam would think about it and by Monday morning they would be in the office brainstorming possibilities. 'I have been patient long enough. What went down in Manchester?' Sasa asked. Sam told her everything that had happened right down to waking up in the same bed as Luca and not ing how they got there. A waiter came by to take their orders and such was the frequency of their visits that they did not need to look at the menu. 'So the Luca chapter is closed?' Sasa asked. 'Yes.' Sam said. 'And thus begins the Rafael chapter?' 'Well not like bam! it's Rafael in the picture now. I like him and he likes me but we need to take this thing slowly, get to know each other better before we start anything.' 'Good. It's good to take things slow especially after...'

'Yeah. Hey enough about me. How are things with Kev?' 'It’s...good...I mean it's difficult this long distance thing when you are just getting started and I haven't spent that much time with him. I have doubts sometimes that...' 'Don't. You two are good together, well the little that I have seen. He makes you happier than I have ever seen you and he looks happy too when he is with you, although I can't tell for sure because I don't know him that well.' 'I don't know him that well either. I know young Kevin this is someone new.' 'Don't be me and start questioning everything to the point where you lose the pleasure of it. Be careful, yes, but enjoy it,' 'A toast to all the good things that have come to us in the last month.' They toasted and then Sasa's face fell. 'What is that look? I don't like that look.' Sam said. 'It's just...it's just hit me that at the end of this month I am leaving for Spain and you for New York. We are not going to have houses next to each other, our children growing up together and our husbands bonding over football, braais and beer.' Sasa said. Sam put her glass down and said, 'Among a million and one things that life has taught me is that everything pans how it is meant to. We will have the lives that we are destined to live and I do not for one second believe that you and I will be separated forever. We will find our way back to each other.' The pair had another toast as their waiter came to check on them. 'Was the food to your satisfaction?' he asked. 'As always.' Sasa said. 'Compliments to the chef.' Sam said. 'Your dessert is on the house. The chef has chosen a lemon soufflé as well as a

lime and lemon cheesecake.' the waiter said. 'Sounds delicious.' Sam enthused. 'I think I am going to enjoy this being famous thing.' Sasa said, after the waiter had left, making Sam laugh. 'So...I know we said no work but...' Sam started. 'That's why I brought my iPad.' Sasa said. 'I love you.' 'Of course you do.' For the next half hour or so the women stuck their heads in work. Sam was interested in learning what new prospective clients they had as well as what new projects they were working on. She was pleased to learn that there had not been a negative response to the temporary change in management. 'I am impressed and also terrified that we can be replaced so easily.' Sam said. 'I know right! I said the same thing when I got back. But we headhunted this girl and basically brainwashed her to think Glamage and nothing else.' 'You think she is the natural replacement?' 'Yes and no. I've narrowed it down to three candidates.' 'Let's hear it.' 'Tsholofelo, of course. She has done an outstanding job. Patricia is doing great things in F/town-she is fresh, hungry and young, reminds me of us when we first started out. Then there is Alicia from M&G. She is doing great things over there. I like the way she runs things and feel she would be a great fit for us. I know they are our closest competitor but what better way to usurp the competition?' 'Good. Between Tsholo and Pat, I would go with Tsholo because I've worked with her and I know who she is and what she is about. Pat...I don't know but we will see. I love Alicia but the problem with bringing in someone from outside is

a drop in morale.' 'Yes which is why it is option three. If Tsholo and Pat are not cut out for it then Alicia is our woman.' 'Isn't it kind of sexist that we are only considering women for the job?' 'No. They just happen to be the best candidates. Not our problem that the men can't cut it.' 'I still can't believe we are actually having this conversation right now.' 'Me neither. I thought we would be old and grey by the time it comes around.' 'We digress. What's the plan, monitor and groom Tsholo and Pat, and keep tabs on Alicia? For how long? We have about five weeks.' 'Yeah. Two weeks should be enough or three if it comes down to it. Then evaluate on week three or four and make our decision.' 'Right, then announce our decision and handover. Then you leave for New York.' 'And then you for Madrid.' 'Yeah.' 'Cool.' Sasa made nodes in her tablet while Sam mulled over their discussion. 'Toast?' Sasa proposed. 'Definitely.' 'To new beginnings.' 'To new beginnings.' The women knew they were entering a new phase in their lives. One that would be fraught with difficulties and joy. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

*** If Luca and Rafael knew, that one the day that Sasa and Sam were having lunch and planning their futures, they both had the same thing on their minds, it would make for interesting viewing. In spite of his resolution to move on with his life it was difficult for Luca to forget about Sam. Both he and Rafael were wondering where she was, who she was with and what she was doing. Was she smiling? Was she stealing yet another heart? How many more men had fallen for her? Involuntarily their thoughts turned to each other. Luca wondered if she was talking to Rafael and what they were talking about. Rafael couldn't stop himself from wondering if indeed she was through with Luca. If not, was she talking to him? They both wanted to hear from her. The difference was she would welcome the attentions of only one of them. It drove Luca half insane that he'd had her first and if she was not damned afraid of being with him he would be planning a trip to Spain for his June holiday. *** Rafael studied Sam and Luca's pictures from the airport. The way she was holding on to Bataglia in that hug told him more than she was willing to let past her lips. He did not believe that she was lying to him because she was convincing in her conviction that she wanted nothing more to do with Bataglia. What she felt and what she was willing to confront were two different things. Something was blocking her from pursuing anything with Bataglia. That much was clear. The fact that she had chosen to be with him and not Bataglia should have given him a semblance of peace but it did not. There was no point however in dwelling over that which he could not change. He put the pictures away and resolved to enjoy the fact that she was his. *** Luca had been back and forth over his resolution to move on from Sam in part because he played their last conversation over and over in his head. She had not exactly told him that she was with Ramalho and when he pressed her she all but itted to feeling the same way about him. He was glad that he was having Sunday dinner with his family. He would talk to his mother about Sam. He knew his mother's feelings on his relationship with Sam and he wanted to see if there was something he was missing in how he was looking at it. His mother's

perspective could help him see things clearly. He got ready and left earlier than usual meaning to catch her before the others arrived. On the way there he changed his mind and decided to see Anna instead. She was about Sam's age and she was female, perhaps that was the perspective he needed. He called ahead to let her know he would be at her house in five minutes. Anna was already on the driveway when he pulled in. 'Did something happen? Did ma cancel dinner? Why didn't I get a call?' she asked, as Luca got out of the car, while she reached into her pocket for her phone. 'No, dinner is not cancelled. I wanted to talk to you. I need a female perspective on something.' 'Why me and not Maria? Not that I don't want to but it's her you usually talk to.' 'Can we at least sit down?' 'Oh. Sorry. I was just freaked out. You don't come around that often Luca.' 'I'm sorry.' 'No. It's okay. I get it. I don't visit you either.' They walked into the house and Anna got him orange juice. 'Mario's gone to fetch Cesco from his football match. ‘Anna said, in response to his inquiry. 'That was today?' 'You've been out of it lately we thought to give you some space.' 'My nephew's first championship match and you didn't think I would want to be there? Really Anna?' 'Well...yeah and you always draw too much attention and...' This was Cesco's championship match and he would steal the boy's thunder. The last match he went to Cesco scored the winning goal but all everyone could talk

about was the fact that Luca had been seen there cheering him on. 'I'm sorry.' She said. 'I understand.' he said. It hurt though. 'So what did you want to talk about?' 'You know Sam right?' 'Sam..?' 'Diane caught me with her.' 'Oh yeah. What about her?' 'I can't get her out of my mind and I'm more than convinced that I am in love with her.' Anna was stunned. Her brother was not a romantic. It had never taken him such a short amount of time to fall for anyone and Luca never talked about his love life with any of them. This was big. 'So what's the problem?' Anna asked. 'She doesn't want anything to do with me.' Luca told her. 'I see what this is. You've always gotten everything you wanted and now here is someone you didn't think you wanted but because she doesn't want you it feels like you have to have her.' 'It's not that.' 'Is it? Are you in love with her or is it because you can't have her? Last I heard she was getting hot and heavy with Ramalho. Is that the reason you want her so much?' 'The first time Diane and I made love I left to go and get a drink then I waited for her to fall asleep before going to bed. I didn't even hold her. I can't count on one hand the number of times I have held Diane or any woman I have ever been with. Well except Antonella. From the first moment I picked Sam up for dinner I

never wanted to be away from her for one minute.' He paused to take a sip of his drink, 'She has these two dimples on her chin that are the cutest things I have ever seen. And a very faint one on her left cheek that she had no idea she had. She gesticulates a lot with her hands when talks especially when she is heated up. I love the sound of her voice, of her laughter. I could look into those beautiful eyes forever.' He looked up at Anna, 'I held her as she drifted off to sleep and I watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful and I felt a sense of belonging. Like of all the places, in the world I could be, right there with her was where I was meant to be, and I had no trouble falling asleep. I mean there was a woman I had known barely a day and I felt safe with her.' He stopped and held Anna's gaze then dropped it. 'Wow. That is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.' Anna said. 'Now tell me are these the words of someone who wants a woman because he cannot have her?' 'I have never seen you like this.' 'I have never been like this.' 'But are you sure she wants nothing to do with you? Have you talked to her?' 'She wants to be with me too but she doesn't want to want it.' 'I don't understand.' 'She doesn't trust me because of the whole Diane thing and then there is Ramalho promising her all sorts of things.' 'When last did you talk to her?' 'I saw her in Wednesday.' 'So...' There was commotion as Mario and Cesco walked into the house singing. They

stopped when they saw Luca and Cesco ran to give his uncle a hug. Mario smiled at Luca then walked over to give his wife a kiss. 'Uncle Luca you should have seen me today. I was like Cristiano Ronaldo. I scored a brace including the winning goal and got to keep the ball.' 'That's my boy! I would have been there but this day was all about you.' Luca said. 'He was amazing. He ran circles around defenders and made incredibly clever and precise es. He created chances where there were none. Cesco was Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Scholes all in one.' Mario said. Luca ruffled Cesco's hair and gave him a pat on the shoulder then Anna took him away to change him for dinner. Luca and Mario greeted each other properly then watched mother and son walk away. Luca ed when he was eleven years old and how important it was to have his family there cheering him on. His sisters and mother rarely went to matches but his brother and father went to every single one. It seemed Anna had not changed but Luca was glad that Mario made the effort. Cesco had talent and it was important for him to get the that he needs. 'Have you thought about getting him into a footie academy?' Luca asked Mario. 'We talked about it and decided it was better for him to concentrate on school right now.' Mario said. 'He can be in school and still go to the academy. It doesn't have to be one or the other.' 'We agreed we would talk about it when he is thirteen.' 'Alright. Let me know how I can help.' 'When are you having one of your own? I am sure the world cannot wait to put football booties on one of your own.' 'I am nowhere near thinking about children but I might have to go and have one to get Ma off my back.'

'Your mother hounded us about children from the day we got married. I was so sure she was going to force us.' The two shared a laugh as Anna came back in. She asked what the joke was about. 'Oh nothing you would know anything about. It's football.' 'You forget I taught you all you know.' 'Keep telling yourself that.' 'What were you two talking about when I walked in? It looked intense.' Mario asked. Anna and Luca looked at each, 'Should I tell him?' Anna would tell Mario anyway, there were no secrets between them, and he knew it was better he was there to defend himself. 'Sure.' Luca said. Anna filled Mario in. '...And Luca was telling me that Sam is seeing someone else. Rafael Ramalho.' Anna concluded. Mario whistled between his teeth. 'That's exactly what I thought.' Anna said. 'If she is angry like you say she is then maybe she is using Ramalho to get back at you. I don't like that. I wouldn't want someone that childish for you.' 'I know how it looks and if I were you I would be saying the same thing but my gut tells me something different.' Luca argued. 'Have you ever considered maybe she doesn't feel what you think she feels?' Mario asked, 'I am sure she feels the same way.' Luca said.

'I have to finish getting Cesco ready. We can't be late.' Anna said, and left the men. 'I don't trust this woman's intentions but I don't her well enough. Now if you are sure she feels what you feel for her but is afraid the you have two options. Either you let her be with his guy who she feels is safer or you do everything you can to win her back. If she feels what you think she feels it won't be difficult to win her back.' 'She is moving to Spain in a month to set up her company. Our last league match is on the twenty-fifth, and then we have the FA cup final on the fifth and the Champion's League final in Madrid, against Los Reyes on the seventeenth.' 'What are you thinking?' 'She is moving to Madrid. Her boyfriend plays for Los Reyes and the Champions League final is in Madrid, against Los Reyes.' 'Wow.' 'It's almost a little over a month from now. I want you all to meet her so I am flying you to Madrid.' Anna walked in with a fully dressed Mario and asked, 'What about Madrid?' Luca repeated what he had said to Mario and it was met with mixed reactions. 'Are you ready to go?' Anna asked her husband. 'Yes.' 'I want to ride with Uncle Luca.' Cesco said. Luca smiled and nodded to the boy. They were late for lunch and coincidentally were Antonio and Maria. Luca drove in following Anna and Mario who were following Maria, Luigi and their children. The siblings hugged while spouses and children caught up with each other. Cesco chatted happily to Paolo about his football match. Paolo who had been to the match had almost as much to say about it as Cesco did. Roberta rolled her eyes as she went inside the house. Paula greeted them with kisses to the cheeks for everyone and onishment for being

late. It was strange that she did not tear into them as she usually did and seemed to be in an extremely good mood. They all soon learned the source of the good mood. She had invited a friend of hers daughter to lunch and Luca knew the daughter had been invited for his benefit. Paula led them to the lounge where said daughter was sitting on a sofa with a drink in her hand. She stood up with they walked into the room. Unlike the last woman that his mother had tried to set him up with this one was older and more mature. He found her pleasing to look at but she did not hit him like a thousand bullets but more a feather to the chest than anything. 'Everyone say hello to Vanessa. Vanessa this is my daughter Maria and her husband Luigi.' Paula said, Vanessa shook hands with Luigi and Maria. 'And these are their children, Paolo and Roberta.' The twins said hello to Vanessa who smiled and shook hands with them. 'This is my youngest daughter Anna with her husband Mario and their son sco.' Paula continued. Vanessa shook hands with the couple and their son. 'And this is my youngest son Luca. He is not married, currently single and nursing a broken heart.' Paula said, 'Did I miss anything?' 'No mother, that's everything.' Luca said. 'Hello.' Luca took her hand and kissed it for his mother's benefit and watched as she clasped her hands together in delight. 'I am very pleased to meet all of you. I have heard many good things about you.' Vanessa said. 'Where is Antonio?' Paula asked. 'The golden boy is not here yet?' Luca teased. His phone rang just as his mother was about to respond to his quip. 'Speak of the devil.' Luca said, and then answered his phone.

'Please tell me you are not there yet and if you are tell me the others are not there yet and if they are tell me mama is not angry and if she is pacify her for me?' 'What do I get in return?' 'Whatever you want.' 'Anything?' 'Anything.' 'Alright.' He hung the phone then turned to his mother and explained that Antonio was late because he had asked Antonio to handle some business for him. 'You overwork my son.' Paula complained. 'I overpay your son.' Luca said. 'Let's go to the garden while we wait for Antonio shall we? Luca bring the drinks in. Vanessa why don't you help him?' Luca motioned for Vanessa to precede him to the kitchen. There they found that his mother had already laid the drinks out. There were four bottles of wine; two red and two white, Vodka with its "mixers" and a variety of juices for the children. 'Where can I find glasses?' Vanessa asked, breaking the silence. 'Top cabinet to your left bottom shelf.' Luca said. 'Found them.' 'So how do you know my mother?' 'She and my mother are friends.' 'Oh yeah. Right.' 'Saying no to your mother is impossible. Or should I say your mother does not

take no for an answer. Kind of like my own mom. They could be sisters.' 'I shudder to think there is more than one.' Vanessa laughed and Luca looked at her. He decided she looked beautiful when she laughed. 'But she is a wonderful person your mother.' Vanessa said. 'That she is.' They started piling glasses on one tray, two ice buckets filled with ice on one and the drinks on a third. 'She volunteers at this nursery school where my mother works. They took to each other like fish and water.' Vanessa volunteered. 'And she is so great with the children, they adore her.' 'That sounds like my mother.' 'Your mother tells me you play football. She is very proud of that fact.' 'Really?' Luca was stunned. She had liked the idea of him being a football player a lot less than she loved the idea of him being a doctor. 'Yes. She talks about you all the time and how the team would be doing poorly without you in it.' 'Ha!' They got to the table where the others were seated and laid the drinks down. Paula asked them to serve the drinks. They were doing so when Antonio arrived, Isabella and their son in tow. 'Hey! Look who's here.' Anna exclaimed. The noise level rose as family abandoned their seats to embrace the arriving party. Luca introduced Vanessa to the newcomers and he did not miss the pleased look on his mother's face. When everyone had been embraced they

all returned to their seats. As usual Paula had cooked the family lunch and the one concession was hiring two women to serve lunch. Paula had made sure that Luca and Vanessa were seated next to each other. She blushed each time Paula was unsubtle with her matchmaking and Luca realized that Vanessa was just as reluctant as he was. That thought made him relax and resolve to enjoy his time with his family. He studied her as she spoke with Anna then he grabbed her attention by clearing his throat. She looked back at him and smiled. 'Are you okay?' she asked. 'I'm good.' 'Great.' 'So...Vanessa you seem to know a lot about me than I know about you. Let's level the playing field. What do you do for a living?' 'I am a teacher. Primary school. It's not glamorous and I'll probably never win an award for it but I enjoy it.' Luca nodded, 'Did you always want to be a teacher?' he asked. 'No. Not always. I have Bachelors in ing and Economic. I didn't realize until I had the certificate that I didn't want to do that for the rest of my life, so I studied to be a teacher. What about you? Did you always want to be a football player?' 'I was on my way to studying medicine like my mother wanted. My BS Bio acceptance letter came on the same day as the contract from Manchester Mavericks and I made a choice.' 'Any regrets?' 'I do what I love every day and get paid very well for it. Plus I have time to spend with the people that are important to me. What's there to regret?' 'Great. Nothing worse than being stuck in a career you hate.' 'Tell me about it.' he prodded.

'My dad. He's an ant and pushed me into that field until I resisted at the last. He hated his job all twenty five years of it so I figured stuff the money I am going to do what I love. I don't have crazy work hours and the long holidays. I get to travel.' 'Have you travelled much?' 'I have. I've toured Italy, Spain, Portugal and and I've been to Brazil, Argentina and Costa Rica. My last holiday I went to South Korea. I really want to go to India, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, and South Africa and maybe finish off somewhere in Western Europe. I don't know, maybe I won't stop. I love to travel.' 'I can tell.' 'You must travel a lot.' 'I do. It was exciting initially but I've grown weary of it.' Paula watched as Vanessa and Luca seemed to enjoy talking to each other. She was glad that Luca was giving Vanessa a chance. It's difficult for children to understand that a mother's ultimate goal is the happiness of her children and she would not stop until Luca found what his siblings have. She would never it to anyone that Luca was her favourite. Luca reminded her so much of his father, her late husband. Of all of her children Luca was the one who had inherited Daniele's looks. It was difficult for her to look at Luca and not Daniele. That was her consolation. So she hated to think that her son was lonely. Vanessa was a wonderful match for him. They were polar opposites and would balance each other out. That girl though was as stubborn as her son. Paula had been trying to get Vanessa to meet Luca for as long as they had known each other. Even when Luca was with the blonde woman she'd known that all it would take for Luca to leave the woman was one meeting with Vanessa. Paula knew that Vanessa's one objection was Luca's reputation with women especially now after that business with the African woman. She was glad she had finally managed to get Vanessa to come down but she had Vanessa's mother, Gina, to thank for it. Luca looked relaxed and was smiling even laughing sometimes. She looked around the table at all her children then at the table where her grandchildren were sitting and was filled with joy. For a brief moment she wished Daniele was there with them. He would have loved to see this. She

looked back at Luca and Vanessa pleased to see that his attention was with Vanessa. He needs the stability of a good wife to get him to focus on what was important in life. He needs to get away from the bed hopping and dating the wrong kind of women. Every woman he had met since Antonella had been wrong for him although he'd refused to see it, always telling his mother that he was not looking to settle down. Paula was never a fan of Diane but she had to it that Diane had managed what many had failed to do which was keep him for longer than a couple of months. Even then Paula had known that her son was not in love with Diane. Then he met that girl from Africa and believed himself in love. He had looked convincing enough too. Paula knew that in time Luca would see it for what it really was; a woman who had seen her opportunity and seized it. What better way to kick that off than by introducing him to someone who would be good for him? After the plates had been cleared away more wine was brought to accompany the conversation while the children went inside to play. Luca was enjoying Vanessa's company a lot more than he had thought he would. She was clever and she was funny. Those were the two things that he liked in a woman. It was difficult at first to not compare her to Sam like in every department because they were so similar. Perhaps that was fate telling him that he needed to move on. That there were other women out there who were just as awesome as Sam. It was time to move on. On his way home after his football match he called Sam. He was glad that they were on the same time zone so they would not have to keep odd hours just to talk to each other. 'Hey.' she said, 'Great game by the way.' 'Thank you.' He could easily explain that warm glow he felt at those simple words. 'How are you?' she asked. 'I'm ok. I miss you but I will live.' She chuckled, 'I miss you too.' 'Are you back at your house?'

'Not yet. Maybe at the end of the week.' 'How was the conference?' 'It was ok. Annoying, intrusive but at least I got my side of the story out there. So listen, I know we said we would not do this over the phone...' 'Yeah. I know. That was stupid of me.' 'It was not. It was sweet. Impractical. But sweet.' 'Take my manhood away why don't you?' 'I'm sorry.' she giggled, 'Right. So. I might have told them that I like you.' 'I might have read that and I might have told them I like you too when they asked me about it.' She smiled. 'Well what are you going to do about it?' 'Come back here and see.' She giggled, 'Promises, promises Ramalho.' 'Oh I am more than capable of backing it up.' 'I'd like to see you try.' 'Try? What does that mean? I don't have that word in my vocabulary.' 'Cockiness. I love it.' He chuckled

GOODBYE OLD LIFE A week after Sam went home things normalized, as far as it could, for them, they had two or three people following them instead of a crowd. It was a lot easier to conduct business and conduct business they had. Both women had to resist the temptation to take on any projects and instead made selecting a successor their sole project. Sam found that she had a lot more time to work on one of her dreams which was a shelter for the homeless. She got the legal aspects taken care of and ensured that the building would be completed in time. Her project for the following week was to recruit a manager and at least three people who could offer skills training for everyone that they would house. A stroke of genius had her leaving some posts open on the off chance that they could be taken up by the people that they would be housing. She already had someone in mind for the manager position. In an effort to reach out to her brother she spoke to him on Sunday about being the manager and even bumped up his salary above what she was going to offer to another person. Sam hoped this would be thing Isa needed to settle down and hoped he would not see this as a hand-out but a way to earn money. It was a huge relief when Isa agreed to take on the position. Her brother hated hand-me-downs especially from her but he also shied away from hard labour. So this was a very pleasant surprise. Sam also asked her father to keep an inconspicuous eye on Isa to make sure he did his job. To make sure that Isa started strong she roped him in to helping her supervise construction. He would go in her place when she was unable to. Two weeks after Sam came home she had Isa prepared to run the shelter, three people to provide skills training as and when needed, and a boyfriend. The next phase in getting her shelter running was in the provision of toiletries, food and clothing. She ed that Luca had offered to help with that and planned to him sometime that week and also keep it from Rafael. She was not supposed to be talking to Luca and she did not think that Rafael would like that she was going back on her word. Luca came through for her and his s got on board her project no questions asked. She scheduled a video conference with them which was attended by Isa with whom they would be working henceforth. It was really starting to take shape which was very exciting. That week they got a surprise in the form of Kevin flying in, they hung out the day after he arrived. The first night he spent with Saone, of course. Naturally, after that Sam saw less and less of Kevin as well as Sasa. They did not exclude her but she could not in all good conscience be with the couple when they were trying to reconnect so she gave them that space. This was a good thing because it served as a glimpse into their lives going forth, they would be living

on different continents and seeing each other a lot less. Another thing that came with Kevin was the media scrutiny that had been very absent. That was not as bad as what came with the third week. On week three Sam learned that Luca had moved on and was seeing someone else. She was happy for him but also sad and angry. They spoke on the phone every odd day and not once had he told her that he was seeing someone else while he asked her about Rafael on each phone call. The next time he called she asked if he was seeing someone and he told her he was when she asked if it was serious he told her that he hoped so. In spite of the fact that she had asked him to do just that she hated that he had done it. That he had not waited or fought harder for her. His seeing someone and hoping it was serious firmly shut the door to them and she was not sure she was ready to let go. At the same time she was glad because the presence of this woman in Luca's life would give her a reprieve, perhaps now the spotlight would shift from her. Sam was in her office on Friday evening working when Sasa knocked on her partially open door. She looked up, smiled and motioned for her to enter. Sasa sat down while Sam continued to type furiously into her laptop. 'I will be with you in a minute; I need to write this down before I forget it.' Sam said. Sasa nodded even though Sam could not see her and waited for her to finish. 'OK. Done.' Sam said. She leaned back in her chair, arched her back and threw her head back while stretching and yawning. 'Long day?' Sasa asked. 'But totally worth it.' Sam smiled, 'Wasup?' 'I was thinking we could compare notes on our candidates and hopefully make a selection today. I know we are both tired but I think the sooner that we do it the better the candidate can acclimatize and with us to guide her for much longer.' 'I am tired and it has been a long day but we need to do that. Let me grab an iced tea and a sandwich. I can't the last time I ate.' 'Or we could go out to dinner.'

'Great idea.' They went to their favourite restaurant where they were served by the waiter from the last time they were there and several other times that they had dined there. They knew what they wanted to have and did not even look at the menu. They talked about their candidates while they waited for their food. When the food arrived Sam's stomach growled and she giggled. 'I was a lot hungrier than I thought.' She declared. Over dessert the pair swapped their notes and by the time dessert plates had been cleared away and they were sipping on their wine, they had made their decision. Sam went home and as was custom over the last three weeks, she took a shower then turned on her laptop to call Rafael on Skype. 'Are you just getting in?' Rafael asked, checking the time. They talked to each other first thing in the morning, sometime during the afternoon when they could snatch some time and at eight in the evening except on days when Rafael had a football match. 'Yeah, I had a long day at the office but the bulk of the work had been done and in a few days I will be practically a bum with nothing to do but shop and pack up.' she said. 'Ain't that the life?' She chuckled, 'I feel guilty sometimes for being so excited about leaving.' 'Are you excited about leaving or about what lies ahead.' 'About what lies ahead.' 'Then it is only natural for you to feel excited but those guilty feelings are normal as well. I would be surprised if you felt neither.' 'Thanks. So how is my house coming along?' 'I had the interior decorator start this afternoon and they are doing a fantastic job. I went by before I came home and it looks great.'

'I am so excited.' She punctuated that with a little dance in her seat and he smiled at her excitement. 'How was your day?' she asked. She watched him as he told her about his day. Often times she wondered how she had gotten this lucky. He was the perfect boyfriend, giving her space when she needed it, giving her attention when she needed it, almost as though he could read her mind. 'I am going to tie things up from the office then go to bed.' she said, in response to his question. 'One week and three days.' he said. 'What?' 'That's how long before I see you again.' She'd had no idea that he was keeping track. 'Keeping track? I have a marked calendar in my office, every room in the house and my car. No. Just the house and the car and the phone,' he joked, and she laughed. Rafael looked forward more and more to the hours that they spent talking to each other every day. He liked hearing about her day to day activities; it made him feel like he was a part of her life. He liked the excitement he heard in her voice, the smile on her beautiful face and the things she said with her eyes that she did not say with her lips. Things like, I really like you and I cannot wait to see you again. Even though it had taken longer than he had wanted for them to get to this point he was glad they had. He was glad that she had picked him and not Bataglia, that he got to be the first and last person she spoke to everyday and he held the most important place in her heart just as she did in his. He was especially glad that even though the media spread ugly rumours about me she did not let that get to her, probably because he had been talking to her on most of the days he was reported to have been doing something else with someone else. Thirty minutes later they bid each other goodnight as each made their way to bed.

*** The phone rang for a very long time that he had almost given up on it when, 'Hello?' she said. 'Hi, is this Vanessa Mills?' he asked. 'Yes, who is this?'' she asked. 'It's Luca Bataglia.' There was the dreaded pause, 'Hi, Luca.' 'How are you?' 'I'm fine. Listen; can you call me back in about half an hour? I'm tied up at the moment.' 'Alright.' But she had already hung up on him. He had been debating whether or not to call her for a week and finally when he made the decision to she cut him off. He'd made the decision after talking to Sam and realizing that she was truly gone. He would see how things went, if it turned into something then good, if not then so be it. He looked at the phone and shook his head but carried it to the gym with him anyway. He grabbed an energy drink, draped a towel across his shoulders and turned on the sports news. He started up the treill and focused on the news while he ran. It was an hour, six kilometres on the treill, fifty bicycle kicks, and fifty push ups later when his phone rang. 'Hello.' It was Vanessa. 'I am sorry about earlier. I was in the middle of a minicrisis at school and thought you were one of the parents. You see two of the boys got into a fight...let me not bore you with the details. How are you?' 'I am rather winded. Been working out, you?' He balled up his fists at the last word and switched to, 'I called you earlier because I was wondering if you would like to go rollerblading with me this evening? If you are not busy that is.'

'This evening? Oh. I am meeting my girlfriends.' She paused again, 'We have been waiting three months to see this show. If you can give me ten minutes I will re-schedule.' 'Listen, it does not have to be tonight. We can do it some other time.' 'Thank you. I would hate to cancel. Is tomorrow good for you?' 'I have a match and pretty much all day in training tomorrow. How about Sunday?' 'I can do Sunday.' 'Sunday is perfect. I will pick you up at seven?' 'Seven thirty.' 'So you always negotiate first dates?' 'This is a date?' 'Of course.' 'Oh.' Was that surprise and reluctance in her voice? Luca wondered. 'So, Sunday at seven thirty?' he said, to stop her changing her mind. 'Great.' she said. Luca hung up then went to take a shower. Vanessa did not have a date with her girlfriends that night; in fact she was home watching television. The thing was she was unsure whether she wanted to go on a date with Luca or not. She'd met him; he was a nice enough guy and she liked him but his reputation made it difficult for her to want to get involved with him. Plus she hated the fact that he was still nursing a broken heart. Men like him were hard to deal with because neither of you were sure whether he was into you or just on the rebound. She had known a few men like that in her lifetime and had learned to steer clear of them. Yet she could not ignore the compliment he was paying her by calling her to set

up a date. There were many other women that he could have called but it was her that he had chosen. She knew from his mother, and the media, that he had not been on a date with another woman, since that Italian girl he had taken out after the scandal with Diane. Did he think she was easy? She shook her head to dispel the thought. For some insane reason she looked both Diane and Sam up in order to size up the competition. Diane was a very beautiful actress with a long list of credits, magazine covers and a net income that made her own run and hide. It had been widely reported, although both had repeatedly denied it, that he and this Sam woman had been in a long term relationship while he was with Diane. Then there was that interview in which Luca all but declared that he fell in love at first sight with Sam and she wanted to know the type of woman that would make Luca fall in one day. The answer was a truly great woman. Sam was incredibly beautiful, the kind of beauty that stares you in the face and forces you to acknowledge it. Her beauty was more than skin deep it seemed because she donated regularly to several charities and was working on opening a homeless shelter. As if that was not enough this woman co-owned, with her friend, a very successful business that she was expanding to Spain and New York. She too had a net income that beat hers until it was lying in a corner begging for mercy. Vanessa felt dejected. If Luca was still in love with this woman there was just no competing and all Vanessa would ever be is a rebound. Even with Paula's endorsement it was an uphill battle, one she was not sure she wanted to embark on. Yet, it was tempting to give it a try. Plus it was one date not her whole life. If they turned into something then good, if not then so be it. True to his word Luca was at her house on Sunday at seven thirty to pick her up. He was dressed in a light grey t-shirt and blue faded jeans. He was also wearing a fake beard and a blond wig under his cap. She met him at the door in a tight pink shirt, black jeans and white shoes, her yellow hair in loose curls. She blinked at him in confusion. 'Hello.' She said, 'Can I help you?' 'It's me Luca.' 'What?' 'I'm wearing a disguise.' He pulled off his cap and wig and she gasped in surprise when she saw that it

was indeed him. 'Why are you wearing a disguise?' she asked. 'If we are rollerblading in public you probably don't want to be blinded by flashing cameras and distracted by people asking you questions. This disguise will buy us about an hour's worth of privacy.' 'How do you know that?' 'I parked my car at a club, went to the men's to put on my disguise then left in a car that a friend of mine had left there for me.' She looked even more puzzled. Why the need for so much secrecy? 'The media hounds the women I date and up until the last one there were no complaints and so I want to do things differently with you. I want us to have private time to see where this goes before the rest of the world muscles in.' he explained. 'That's sensible.' 'I am sensible on occasion.' He smiled to himself at one of Sam's sayings. 'Are you ready? Shall we go?' 'Yeah. Just let me grab my bag.' She went in to fetch her bag and they made their way to the car. He had not been out with a woman since he took out Clara who had turned out to be a colossal disappointment. One he would never repeat. 'What happens when we get back?' she asked. 'Assuming we are not spotted, I will drive you back and my friend will drive my car to the house.' 'If someone spots you?' 'Then my plan has failed.' She looked a little worried and he understood. He was doing this to try and keep

her safe from the vultures that surrounded him. He wanted them to do something fun together without the world intruding-like a regular couple. His plan worked and nobody recognized him and they had a great time rollerblading side by side. Then racing each other. She was in pretty good shape and kept up with him. 'I put in at least two day in the guy and jog every morning.' she said, when he asked. Two hours later he was driving her home. 'What? You must be the only person in the universe who has not seen Star Wars!' he said. She shrugged, 'I have just never been interested.' 'Not interested?' he gasped theatrically, 'I am going to fix that. We are going to have a Star Wars extravaganza.' 'Another thing I don't know about?' 'A whole day of nothing but Star Wars and food.' She smiled. Was he asking her out on a second date already? She had been forced to it to herself that she enjoyed spending time with him and wanted more of it. And if he asked to go in for coffee she would let him. 'Oh, I don't know.' She said. 'We are doing it. We are tying up the league this weekend and the Champion's League final is three weeks away. Are you free next weekend?' 'Next weekend...? Hmm...' She had nothing planned but she would not make this easy. 'I think I am free.' 'Excellent. We are having a Star Wars Weekend in two weeks. Really you have not seen a single one? Beam me up Scottie? Darth Vader? Nothing?' She shook her head, 'Nothing.' she agreed. 'If you were not so beautiful I might have kicked you out of this car for that.' he

joked. He smiled at the attempt. He was so handsome when he smiled that she had to smile back. He'd noticed her dimples. They reminded him of Sam's dimples, especially the one she'd lived her whole life in ignorance of. That he had discovered it was the best part. He yanked himself back to the present. 'If you weren't so handsome I would not let you get away with that.' she said, and he laughed at her cute comeback. The best part was that she was flirting back, wasn't she? They got to her house and he walked her to the door. 'I had a really great time.' she said. 'I am glad you did. I had a great time too. May I call you tomorrow?' he asked. 'Tomorrow is good.' 'Great. We can talk about why you hate Star Wars so much.' She laughed again. 'Goodnight Vanessa.' he said. 'Goodnight Luca.' she said. She waited but he did not lean in for a kiss so she went inside and closed the door behind her. Luca waited until the door shut before he walked back to his car. He was glad that he had taken a chance on her but he would never tell his mother that. His phone rang while he was in the shower and he let it go unanswered. He slipped into a pair of boxers and pulled a t-shirt on then went to check his phone. He wanted to curse that he had missed her call. Not one but two. His heart leapt and he immediately called her. They had not spoken since she went home so this was a huge surprised especially that it came on the day that he was out with another woman. His heart filled with that familiar warmth when her voice came on on the other side of the line. 'How are you?' he asked. 'I am great. Buried under a tremendous amount of work but I am loving it. Then there are all these logistical nightmares with the move but it’s exciting so no complaints there. I am kinda excited. No, not kinda, very. Speaking of excited that was a great match yesterday. Ten points ahead with a game in hand. Nice!' 'Oh you can bet your sweet ass it's more than nice. You should have been in the

dressing room.' 'Oh I wish. Now it's one match and we conquer Europe.' He liked the we because it kind of implied her with him. 'I mean who could ask for better?' 'Man I wish I could be there for that but I will definitely be in Spain for the final.' His heart sang until he ed Ramalho then he sobered. 'You will be living in Spain by then right?' he asked. 'Yes.' He nodded, 'Good.' 'How are you though?' 'I am as happy as a guy can be.' 'I am glad to hear that. So listen the reason I called is umm...the last time we were...together, I told you about this homeless shelter I am building...' 'Yeah, I that. How is it going?' 'Terrific. Construction is going along great and I just started on the managerial side of things. Which brings me to you...you mentioned s..?' 'When do you want me to set up a meeting?' 'As soon as you can but I can't fly there so maybe video conferencing?' 'That's not a problem. I will help as much as I can. This is a really fantastic thing you are doing.' 'You are just wonderful.' That simple line maybe him want to do more just so he could hear her say it

again and again. 'I will talk to them in the morning and let you know how it goes.' he said. 'You are really...thank you. Oh gosh, I didn't even ask if you were busy and I just hogged so much of your time.' 'It's fine. I was getting ready for bed.' 'Bed. Yeah, that's what I should be doing.' 'What are you doing instead?' 'Other than talking to you? I'm making a checklist.' 'What do you have on it so far?' She hesitated, 'You want to hear about my checklist?' 'Absolutely.' She thought it was odd but was happy to oblige, 'I have appoint new manager, train new manager, talk to Realtor about leasing my house, sell car or give to Ash, open new bank and transfer funds, pack clothes to Spain and give the rest away, talk to Luca about s, take friends to dinner, throw going away party at office.' 'Great. Now you can cross talk to Luca off the list.' 'That I can do. Well let me not keep you from your beauty sleep. I really cannot thank you enough.' 'It's my pleasure really.' 'Well goodnight.' 'Goodnight Sam.' Was he pathetic for clutching the phone to his chest long after she had hung up? He thought so. He also knew getting over Sam would not happen overnight and it would never happen unless he started seeing other people. Starting with

Vanessa.

HOLA SPAIN Before he went to bed Luca went down to the theatre room to make sure that he had all the Star Wars films for his date with Vanessa. He left his house at seven the following morning to pick Vanessa up. The week had flown for him but he had spent a lot of it talking to Vanessa and getting to know her better. He had to it that he was enjoying getting to know her very much. That it made his mother happy was a bonus. He knocked on the door and Vanessa met him dressed in a yellow summer dress and black pumps. She looked terrific and he let her know. 'Thank you.' she said. She was not surprised that she liked Luca as much as she did already. It was difficult not to like him once you got to know him. Their first date had been great and she had been unable to stop thinking about it. This time when he picked her up there was no disguise. She realized just what he had been protecting her from when she looked behind him to see several people snapping pictures of them from a distance. He followed the direction of her gaze. 'They fade into the background the less you focus on them.' he said. 'Shall we?' 'Let's.' she said. She did as he had suggested and did not focus on them but they did not fade into the background. In fact the more she tried to ignore them the more she focused on their presence. Luckily not too much because Luca kept her talking all the way to his house. She tried not to be blown away by the grandeur of the house and even more so the interior. The foyer as well as the living room and another room on that floor were all white walls, furniture, carpets and fittings. The only colour was in the form of decorative pieces and the paintings on some of the walls. It was beautiful. Luca dropped his keys in a bowl by the couch in the living room then led her through a door on the other side of the room and down a hallway to the theatre. She was surprised when she entered the room to find a state of the art home theatre. When he had suggested he would be educating her on everything Star Wars she had assumed it would be in the living room with a huge top of the line flat TV but not that. There were three rows and five columns

of very comfortable looking seats. The seats were as comfortable as they looked she realized when she sunk into one. He sat beside her, turned to her and grinned at her. 'I have popcorn, crisps, a wide variety of nuts, chocolate, sweets, Coke, Fanta, Pepsi and several iced teas and juice. What would you like?' he asked. 'How many people are ing us?' she asked. 'Just us. I didn't know what you like so I got everything. Shit!' 'What?' 'We were going to start with breakfast, unless you've already eaten?' She shook her head. 'Full continental?' he asked. She nodded. 'Make yourself comfortable, I'll be back in a minute.' While he was gone she stood up and took a look around the room. True to his word he was back before she started to miss him. He was not back ten minutes before a couple of women came in with their breakfast. When they were done eating the two ladies cleared the table then Luca played the first of the movies. Vanessa was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed the movie and by the end of the third movie she wondered why she had been so reluctant to watch the movies in the first place. Luca was glad to find that she was enjoying herself. After the third movie he suggested that they go for a walk around the estate. They had been sitting for seven hours only getting up to go to the bathroom or to fetch something to eat. 'Inside these walls is the only place where I can get a little privacy. There is a particular spot just beyond the pool. I stand there sometimes in the summer, where Taurus is directly above me, and all I feel is peace and tranquillity. I need that quiet from time to time to get in touch with who myself and to reflect.' he told her.

'What do you reflect on?' she asked. For the first time he kind of wished that, like Sam, Vanessa was a Manchester Mavericks er-or of any football team. It was not a deal breaker but it would have sweetened the deal. 'Life. Football. Big matches, before and after.' he said. 'Show me this spot.' He took her hand and led her in the direction. It did not escape her attention that this was the first time that he had touched her since they had dinner at his mother's house. She liked being touched by him. "Oh it it Vee, you have been falling for him since you Paula started talking to you about him." She thought to herself. She gripped his hand tighter as they came to a stop. He looked up and she followed his gaze. 'Beautiful.' she said. It really was. That part was not as brilliantly lit as the rest of the yard. The night sky was clearer and a lot more beautiful in that little spot. Luca's house was a little removed from the city which meant it was not as lit as the rest of the city. She had never taken the time to look up at the sky but she could see why it was so special to him. 'Yes. Very beautiful.' he said. He was still holding her hand and he liked the way her little hand felt in his. While Vanessa was looking up at Taurus he was looking at her face. The moonlight had turned her peaches and cream complexion to marble, her eyes an amazing green while her rosebud mouth had parted to reveal small white teeth. With her hair bathed in silver she was a sight to behold. She heard an odd tone in Luca's voice and looked back down from Taurus to see him studying her face. Her heart leapt. On his face was that look that she had been waiting to see. She swallowed and licked her suddenly dry lips. The hand that was not holding hers reached up to cup her face. He let go of her hand and slipped his hand around her waist. Ever so slowly he lowered his head to hers and gently pressed his lips to hers. Her sharp intake of breath and her lips parting

beneath his was all the invitation he needed to capture her lower lip. She moved closer to him and he deepened the kiss. In that moment, kissing him under the moonlight, every romantic movie scene came to life with his hands on her body and his lips causing all manner of havoc to it. It was three very long months since she had last kissed a man and even longer since a man had kissed evoked in her the feelings that Luca was evoking. When he pulled away from her she found herself clinging to him. She was surprised to find her arms around his neck and slowly dropped them. 'I promised you a walk.' he said. She was a little disappointed that he was not pressing his advantage. He'd had her at a point where he could have had his way with her and he had stopped. It was well over nine months since the last time she had been with a man and who better to break her sexual moratorium with than with Luca. She nodded in response to his suggestion and he took her hand once more. Luca wanted to take Vanessa up to his bedroom and relieve the sexual tension between them but he was not going to. He had vowed to do things differently with this once and that meant taking things slowly. He took her around his estate, showing her the pool house, the tennis courts, coming back to the pool and finishing on the patio. He sat her down on the wicker chair and sat her down next to him. Next he draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder. They had a very good view of the stars although out front the view was not as glorious. They talked and laughed late into the night, the other three movies forgotten. 'I should take you home.' Luca said, later around eleven. 'Or I could stay.' Vanessa said. She had decided if he wasn't going to then she would take the horn by the bulls. He was moving too slowly for her liking. 'I don't want to rush this.' he said. 'Any slower and I will be fifty by the time we get around to it.' she protested. She hated the desperation in her voice but she could not help it. In spite of it Luca stuck to his guns. Forty minutes later they were on her front step.

'Well goodnight.' Luca said. 'Goodnight.' she said. She stood a moment longer waiting for him to change his mind but it did not come. With a delicate sigh she went in and shut the door. Luca waited for her to shut the door before jogging back to his car. He had barely left her street when he changed his mind and turned the car around. She almost wept with joy at seeing him at the door. They got as far as the couch before the4y were in each other's arms and making out like two very horny teenagers. She led them to her bedroom. Once there however Luca decided to take his time. The kisses were leisurely and the touches drawn-out. It was worth the wait for both of them. *** Rafael was waiting at the airport when Sam's plane landed. He kept checking the time and his eyes never strayed too far from the arrivals terminal. Five incredibly long weeks she had been away from him; five agonizing weeks of worrying over her relationship with Luca. He had been over the moon when he learned that Luca was seeing someone and it looked pretty serious. When he saw her walk out his heart leapt just as it always did at the sight of her. Was there ever a day where she did not look gorgeous? Her hair had changed. It was longer and the colour had changed from black to mahogany with a golden undertone to it. Her white pants suit and black pumps were simple but on her they looked spectacular and made her stand out from the rest of the people. She stood and looked around, probably for him, oblivious of the people milling about her, talking about her and taking pictures of her. A few brave souls approached her for pictures. She obliged and smiled for the camera while she posed for and with them. He took those few minutes to observe her and watch other people watch her. He saw on many of the men what must be mirrored on his own face. However she did not look at any of them the way that she looked at him. He was walking up to her intending to surprise her when someone yelled his name. 'Rafael! Look over here!' He looked over and the man started snapping pictures of him.

Sam heard Rafael's name and looked around for him. When she saw him she dropped her luggage and ran to him. He met her halfway and she flung herself into his arms. Ever so effortlessly he lifted her off her feet and into the air. He swung her once then let her body slide down his as he put her back down on her feet. She clung to him and inhaled his familiar scent while tears welled in her eyes. It hit her then just how much she had missed him. She pulled away to look into his eyes and judge whether or not he had missed her as much. The air filled with the sound of cameras clicking but to the two of them there, might as well have been no noise at all. Several people stopped what they were doing to watch this beautiful couple embrace. 'Hey you.' she said. He captured her lips in an explosive kiss. She matched his ion as she kissed him back. 'I like the way you say hello.' she giggled, and then hugged him again. 'I have missed you so much. There is so much that I want to tell you. Can we get something to eat first though? Didn't want to risk eating on the plane. 'Anything for you.' he said. 'You look great.' 'Thank you. So do you.' 'I'm glad you think so.' She kissed him again as he unlocked the car. 'How was your flight?' he asked, as they headed for the restaurant. 'Flights. I have to catch two to get here. I am exhausted and if I see the inside of an airplane it will be too soon.' 'Poor baby.' She giggled, 'Congratulations again on winning the league.' 'Merci. Congratulations to you too.'

'It's a great time to be a er of both teams. It should make for a bitter sweet encounter at the final. On one hand is the team I have been watching since I learned to enjoy football while on the other is the team that has two of my favourite players; one of whom is in the car with me.' 'It's an easy choice for me.' She laughed, 'Of course it is. Anyway, tell me how you celebrated. She had already heard this story but she'd wanted to see him tell it. She liked the flush of excitement that suffused his face and the hoarseness that same excitement lent to his voice. Suddenly she was more excited than she was hungry and almost had him driving straight home. She resisted the urge. 'Wish I had been there.' she said. 'Me too.' He looked over at her. He was grinning for no other reason other than the fact that she was in his car; actually there, in the flesh. He could think of a number of synonyms to describe the one thing but his mind snagged on in the flesh. He wanted her with a ferocity that terrified him but he managed to get them to the restaurant instead of his bed. While they waited for their food she regaled him with stories that she had been unable to tell him over Skype. She started first with her family. When the food came she had moved on to what she, Sasa and Kevin, sometimes, had gotten up to; the wild times they had. She was delighted to learn that Rafa was a fan of Kevin so she continued to tell him stories about Kevin. He would need no convincing to attend a concert of his in New York that Sasa had invited her to. By the time they finished dessert she was telling him about the mad rush that she had been doing in the week and a half before she had flown to Spain. 'I had no idea it was going to be that hectic. I mean I knew it would be busy, believe me, but what I got was something that even I could never have planned for. I had a checklist...' 'Oh I .' She chuckled, 'You know and I was so sure that nothing would go wrong. But when your plans depend on other people failure is inevitable. I am here which

means we got everything done so I am happy. You have no idea how much I missed being with you like this.' He reached for her hand, 'Not as much as I have missed you.' 'You want to get out of here?' 'You bet your sweet ass I do. ‘Not as much as I missed you.’ he said. ‘You want to get out of here?’ she asked. ‘You bet your ass I do.’ He signalled the waiter and settled the bill, tipping him a lot more than the waiter had expected judging by his effusive thanks. He had to remind himself several times to stay within the speed limit as the last thing he wanted was to be delayed by a speeding ticket. He had four weeks to make up for. They started making up for it at the door and did not make it to the bedroom, finishing on the stairs. ‘Ah I had missed that.’ Samorena said. Then she got up and sprinted to the bedroom with Radamel hot on her heels. He caught her at the door to the bedroom. He caught her by the waist and pulled him to her, then carried her to the bed where he lay her down gently. ‘That was just a hello.’ He said. ‘Can’t wait.’ The second time around was unhurried as each enjoyed the other’s body and what they were doing to each other. When her orgasm hit Samorena closed her eyes and rode it as she clung to him. His breath hissed as he too came. He rolled onto his back and brought her to lie on his chest. ‘Sam?’ ‘Hmmm?’ ‘I love you.’

Her heart stopped beating for a moment and when it started up again it was with a faster rhythm than before. ‘Was the sex that good?’ she joked. He smiled, ‘I’m serious. I’ve known for some time now and have wanted to tell you.’ She reached for him and brought his head down for a kiss. ‘And I love you.’ she said. He kissed her again this time a slow languorous kiss that had her curling her toes. They stayed in bed for the rest of the day alternating between talking and exploring each other’s bodies. ‘I can’t wait to see the house.’ Samorena said, later as she was applying lotion to her body after a shower and he was getting dressed. Rafael had been invited to a gala dinner and had invited her to come along. She had been reluctant at first but he was relentless. So they were getting ready to go. ‘Is it as beautiful as you say it is?’ ‘Better.’ ‘Oh.’ ‘Make noises like that and we won’t make this dinner.’ ‘Promises, promises Mr. Ramalho.’ ‘You’re going to pay for that when we get back.’ ‘I hope so.’ She made her way to the bedroom that Rafael had gotten ready for her. His housekeeper had unpacked her bags and she selected from the closet a red dress that she put on. It went to a few inches above her knee and moulded to her body, this she paired with a black pair of diamond studded heels. She could not help looking at herself in the mirror several times. She wore diamond earrings and a diamond teardrop necklace. Her hair was up in a complicated do that made her

heart shaped face stand out and made prominent her jaw line. She had never tried her hair up like that but she liked it especially combined with the make-up that gave her cheeks definition, made her lips plump and the brown in her eyes pop out. When Rafael found her she was turning around to see how she looked. He walked to her and enveloped her in his arms. ‘God you smell good. Look good too. You are the definition of beauty.’ ‘Thank you.’ She kissed him then stepped back to look at him. The crisp white shirt again his tanned skin looked great. The suit was tailored to fit his body. ‘So do you.’ she said. ‘Are you ready?’ he asked. ‘I think so. Yeah.’ ‘Thank you for coming with me.’ ‘You will thank me later.’ She walked out in front of him as they went to the car. She was happy.

RAFAEL, I'M SORRY A year in which Samorena accomplished everything she had set out to do ed. The week after she arrived in Spain she spent with Rafael, mostly at his house or out having fun. She allowed herself to have that one week because she knew once that week was over there would be no time for leisure. She found out that Luca was in town that week for the Champion’s league final. Every time she turned on the television that’s all people were talking about. She decided in the last few minutes before the match started, while she sat among the Manchester Mavericks ers, that she wanted Mavericks to win, for Luca to score a goal and most importantly for Radamel to score. Manchester Mavericks were the victors on the night. Rafael and Cristiano Ronaldo had steered Los Reyes in front in the first half of the match however the second half was the Luca Bataglia show. He scored two goals and assisted the third. Luca put on a great performance as much for the team as for Samorena, who he knew was watching from the stands. It was an even sweeter victory to savour knowing he had beaten the team that Rafael was playing in. Luca felt it gave him a bit of an edge almost as though being the better footballer on the night made him the better man. Vanessa was relegated to the recesses of his mind 'and that thought saddened him. Samorena was and would always be the woman in his heart. It was a bitter defeat for Rafael knowing that it was his girlfriend’s former paramour, who he was convinced still, carried a torch for her, who had beaten him and his team on the night. He had thrown everything he had into the match but things were not coming together for his team in the second half. Manchester Mavericks capitalised on their chances and ran out the victors. He decided to be the bigger man and seek out Luca to congratulate him. Though Luca was obviously in love with Samorena, Rafael was the one who got to go home with her and that thought sobered him. ‘That was a great game you played tonight. Congratulations.’ Rafael said, to Luca. Luca had been surprised to see Rafael standing in front of him, a little apprehensive even, but even more surprised when he congratulated him. ‘Thank you.’ Luca said ‘But I have a feeling people will be talking more about

that goal you scored. It was magnificent; the shot placement, the power behind it. I don’t know anyone in the world who could have scored that.’ ‘Thank you.’ They shook hands, exchanged shirts and engaged in small talk as cameras clicked and flashed around them then they went their separate ways. Samorena watched in apprehension as Rafael approached Luca then looked on in shock as they shook hands and exchanged shirts. Instead of walking away they engaged in conversation and both were smiling while Luca gestured with his hands and feet. She wondered what they were talking about and was uncomfortable with it. Rafael still did not know that she and Luca were talking. She had not found the right moment to tell him and she feared Luca might inadvertently tell Rafael. She said a short prayer and moments later they went their separate ways allowing her to breathe easier. With the trophy handed over to Manchester Mavericks and Glory, Glory, Man Mavericks sung to the rooftops, the stadium began to quiet down as fans made their way out of the stadium. As always Samorena waited for the crowd to thin before she made her way out. She was with one of Rafael’s friends, who was English and a Man Mavericks er. He was chatty enough that the wait did not seem long at all. As was customary after a match, Samorena waited for Rafael and together they went home. She met him then hugged and kissed him. There were no words she could use to express how sorry she was without sounding dishonest. She was happy that the team she s had walked away with the silverware but sad that the man she was in love with was walking away without the trophy. ‘Let’s go home.’ She said. ‘Let’s go home.’ He nodded. She comforted him in the best way that she could then they slept. The following day Luca called her to ask if she and Rafael would like to his family for lunch. ‘You want me to bring Rafa? Are you sure that is a good idea considering what happened last night? As well as everything else.’ Samorena asked.

‘I think that the four of us having lunch today might go a long way in showing that we’ve all moved on from...you know…and if we’re going to be friends I would like to get to know him and for you to get to know Vee.’ ‘Tell you what, I will ask him and if he says yes we’ll come.’ ‘Let me know either way.’ ‘Will do.’ After a struggle Rafa got on board with the idea. The only reason Rafael was going was to see whether or not there was still something between Sam and Luca. He was not happy with the fact that they were still talking after she had told him that they would cease all communication. ‘I don’t understand why the hell you still talk to him. But what I really have a problem with is you lying to me about it. If you can’t stay away from him why don’t you just go back to him?’ Rafael had fumed. ‘I spoke to him because I needed his s for my homeless shelter.’ ‘You got his s but what I don’t understand is why he is still in your life.’ ‘You still keep in with your old flames, some of whom you work with need I remind you but you don’t hear me making a fuss about it.’ ‘So what are you saying? That you will continue to see him and if I have a problem with it I should deal with it?’ ‘Not in those words but yes.’ ‘I don’t believe you.’ ‘Come to this lunch with me and see that there is nothing between us.’ ‘Why the hell should I sit at a table with Bataglia?’ ‘We want the world to see that I am happy with you, Luca is happy with Vanessa and that he and I are nothing more than friends.’ ‘I don’t like this one bit. I have nothing to prove to anyone.’

‘Amor, I don’t want to fight with you especially not about Luca. I had a one night stand with him a long time ago, that’s all it was. E voce. Tu es o homem que eu quero. Rafa, amo-te com todo o meu coração.’ ‘Then act like it.’ She sighed deeply then said, ‘OK. I’ll call him back and tell him we can’t make it.’ She was reaching for the phone a sad look on her face when he called her back. ‘Tell him we’ll come.’ He told her. He was not up to having lunch with Luca, not one bit, but it would make her happy and he would do anything to make her happy even if he did not like it. So it was that lunch found Luca, Vanessa, Samorena, Rafael, Paula, Antonio, Isabella, Maria, Luigi , Anna and Mario all sitting at a table in a restaurant having lunch. Paula at the head of the table with Samorena on her left and on whose left was Rafael, sitting next to Rafael were Luigi and Maria. Luca was sitting across from Samorena and on his left was Vanessa who was sitting next to Antonio and Isabella, Mario and Anna were at the other end of the table Anna next to Isabella while Mario was next to Luigi. Samorena and Rafael had been the first of the party to arrive and been shown to a table. They had ordered drinks and sat talking while they waited. They sat close to each other to make conversation easier. Everyone ing by could see how much the two loved each other as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes, took every opportunity to touch each other and shared private, intimate jokes. When Luca walked into the restaurant with Vanessa by his side he had watched Samorena as she laughed then as Rafael took her hand in his and kissed it. He had stood a moment longer than was appropriate watching as Samorena gave Rafael a look he had hoped one day to see bestowed upon himself. He felt Vanessa slip her arm into his and he started moving towards the couple. Rafael stood up when he saw them approaching as did Samorena. Greetings were exchanged as the rest of his family came in after them. Introductions were made and greetings exchanged. Apologies were then made by the rest of the party for being late. ‘Finding parking was a nightmare.’ Antonio said, and then added to Rafael ‘That was a fantastic goal last night.’

‘Thank you.’ Rafael said. He was suddenly very uncomfortable. He felt Samorena slip her hand into his so he squeezed it gently and felt her squeeze back. He wanted to kiss her. She had read him like a book and known what he needed. Samorena watched Luca and Vanessa and she could see just how happy Vanessa was with Luca and that she was what Luca needed. He was not as crazy about Vanessa as she was about him but he had strong feelings for her. Samorena was snapped out of her reverie by Paula addressing her. Paula was telling Samorena that she looked more beautiful in person. ‘Thank you very much.’ Samorena said. ‘I was thinking the same about you earlier.’ She found it no wonder Luca was as gorgeous as he was. His mother was still very beautiful and Samorena could only imagine how much more beautiful she had been twenty or so years ago. She looked at Luca’s siblings who were just as striking. They were a very beautiful family. She wondered how they all looked sitting with each other like that. They must be one of those beautiful and glamorous groups one only sees in movies. Once the first set of nerves left everyone with the first bottle of wine, conversation started to flow more freely as laughs and funny stories were exchanged. Nobody mentioned football, or Luca and Samorena’s one night stand. Paula was strangely taken with Samorena. Having been her biggest critic she now understood why Luca had been smitten. The girl was charming without even trying to be and she seemed very genuine. Paula could spot a player from kilometres away and this girl was not one. Antonio could not resist bringing up business talk and everyone at the table was impressed to learn that not only was Rafael a great football player, he was also a savvy businessman with a few prolific businesses under his belt including the restaurant they were dining in. Paula had chosen the restaurant unwittingly. Naturally, the focus shifted to Samorena who was in the country to start a company. ‘Right now, I am not thinking about business I want to spend as much time with Rafael as I can. I know how hectic it is going to get in the next coming months. This is practically a start-up, I mean we’ve been in business over five years now but nobody in Spain has heard of us so it will be tough but I look forward to the challenge and unlike the first time around now I have experience in starting up a business.’ She was saying.

Everyone gave her their opinion and dispensed some advice, she nodded thoughtfully and listened. Then conversation shifted to the weather and everyone’s plans for the holiday. It turned out the group were in Spain for two weeks and not the one day that Luca had thought they had in Spain. They sought Rafael’s advice on what fun things to do when one is in Spain. Lunch turned into a four hour spectacle where everyone was sad to part ways at the end but part they did. Even Rafael who had been sceptical was reluctant for lunch to end. He had gotten what he had come for. Luca was enamoured with the woman he was with and Samorena was nuts about him and not Luca. He realized just how silly he had been. They exchanged details and promised to keep in touch. Luca was glad Samorena was happy with Rafael. He too had Vanessa who made him happy. He concluded that things really do tend to work out the way they are meant to. When Samorena and Rafael got home he showed her just how sorry he was and she asked him to repeat his apology twice. *** As predicted Samorena became so busy with work that sometimes it was difficult for Rafael to see her unless it was in business capacity. She began by scouting for a location, she used Rafael’s real estate company for that purpose and within a week she had the office space that she wanted. Next was recruiting personnel for the office, starting with two PR officers, a marketing manager, a sales person, a receptionist, an ant, finance manager, HR manager as well as two HR officers and a lawyer. She would start with thirteen staff then expand as the business grew. The recruitment and selection part was difficult to do on her own but not impossible. She stayed up nights, sometimes forgetting to eat, sorting through applications and finding the right people, then calling them for interviews and doing the process all over again until she had staffed her company. When the recruitment and selection had been done she began a two week training course for all her employees. She had a certain way of doing things and wanted to make sure that, with all their qualifications and experience, they know what she expects of them. She explained to them at the end that she would not be expecting them to report to work for at least two weeks. With the training done she called in the marketing manager and the sales officer

to design all the marketing material they would need; the company profile, advertising material, website and signage. Satisfied with the work, she instructed her marketing team; including the two PR officers to actively seek work. Rafael sent a few of his friends her way to help them get started. Orange Botswana recommended her to Orange España too. Even though it started slow, business began to pick up over the months and by the middle of the year the company was breaking even. It was about time too, her resources were getting depleted. At the rate at which they were going they expected to turn a tidy profit by the middle of the following year. Most of their business came in the form of mouth to mouth advertising. The excellent job that Samorena and her team were doing spoke volumes of the quality of every job they take on soon Spain knew there was a new player in town by the name Glamage. Even though Rafael hardly saw Samorena the first five months of her stay in Spain, they made the most of whatever time they had. ‘Think of it this way, we get to miss each other to the point of desperation and the sex is out of this world as a result.’ She had said once. ‘I like explosive sex as much as the next guy but I want my woman back.’ ‘You will have me and you’ll have so much of me you will be sick of me.’ ‘I’ll die before I get sick of you.’ ‘Promises Rafa.’ ‘Your favourite word.’ ‘Shut up and kiss me, then tell me how much you love me.’ Her hard work and sacrifice paid off in a year and she could sit back and enjoy the fruits of her labour and what better way than to take a day off work to spend with her man. They left the city and spent all day indoors, talking, making love and eating. When they went back to the city Samorena promised to make more time for Rafael. ‘Move in with me.’ He said. ‘What?’ she’d said.

‘I won’t miss you so much when you are waking up from the same bed as me. I love you and you love me. We’ve been together a little over a year now. So what are we waiting for really?’ ‘Give me time to think about it.’ He told her to take all the time that she needed to take. In the end she had agreed to move in with him but still kept her house. She had a student living there rent free; the condition was that she keeps it clean. The move caused deterioration in their relationship. Living with him made her realize things that she had not when they were living apart. They were just too similar to live with each other and each was just as stubborn as the other; refusing to give way, even over the little things. Her feelings for him had not grown to the heights that she would have liked. She could not deny that she loved Rafael, but it was not the kind of love that he deserves from the woman he wants to spend his life with. Six months after she agreed to move in with him she was contemplating ending the relationship. ‘It’s better now than ten years later when we’ve wasted our lives on each other.’ She would say, to herself ‘He doesn’t see it now but he will when he is over me and with someone new and he will thank me for making this difficult decision.’ She rehearsed it many times in her head but she could never bring herself to break up with him. Being a Scorpio made him naturally intuitive and he knew that something was up although he was not sure what it was. He tried to ignore it until one day when he could not hold it in anymore and asked her about it. They had a fight which ended with her breaking up with him, then disappearing on him. Radamel knew to whom she had gone when he saw pictures of her on the internet getting off the plane in Manchester. His heart broke into a million little pieces. He drank himself into oblivion that night but he ed calling her several times and ed her not answering her phone. She knew she was with him. Had known the minute she brought up the break-up that it had something to do with Luca. They’d been in constant over the months. She lit up like he had never seen her do every time Luca called. There was contentment about her after her chats with Luca. He had thought that over time her feelings for Luca would disappear or be transferred to him and he had done all he could to make sure she was happy with him all the time. It seemed his best was not enough and no matter what he did and how hard he tried Luca would always win.

Though he had come face to face with that reality he made one last ditch effort to save the relationship but it seemed she had finally made up her mind and there was no changing it. He knew her well enough to know that only she could change her mind and only when she wanted to, once she made a decision there was nothing anyone could say that would make her change her mind. ‘You deserve someone who will be in love with you as much as you are with her. I love you but I am not in love with you.’ she had said to him. ‘What the hell does that even mean?’ he had fumed. ‘I care about you very deeply but I am not in love with you.’ ‘What’s gotten into you?’ ‘Nothing. I’ve been thinking about this for months now and we are all wrong for each other. We will destroy each other in the long run, someday you will see it.’ ‘No, someday you will see that I am the man for you and I may not be there for you.’ ‘I considered that and this is a chance that I am willing to take. You will understand why I am doing this someday. And when that day comes I hope you will forgive me.’ She delivered those words and was gone before he had a chance for a comeback. He watched her walk away, shock, desolation and pain he had never felt before had him rooted to the spot as the love of his life walked out the door and he knew to another man. When he came out of his stupor and ran after her, she was already gone.

I LOVE YOU LUCA ‘Luca, it’s Sam.’ She sniffed. Luca sat up immediately. They had been keeping in constant , calling each other, texting and exchanging emails since Spain so it was not out of the ordinary for her to be calling him. Samorena was still an integral part of his life. Yet boundaries had always been observed, they never spoke after seven in the evening. The fact that she had crossed that boundary and was crying too caught his attention. ‘What’s wrong Tesoro?’ he asked. He looked around the room to make sure Vanessa was nowhere near him. Even though Vanessa made him happy, his heart still beat for the woman on the other end of the line and would always. ‘I...where are you? Can I see you?’ she asked. ‘I’m home, with Vanessa.’ ‘I’m at the Hilton. In Manchester. I just flew in.’ ‘Just flew in? Why are you here?’ ‘Can you come over? It’s room 1105. Please.’ ‘Okay, give me half an hour.’ Vanessa was in the kitchen making dinner. He checked the time and it was past eight in the evening on a Thursday. Why was Samorena in Manchester and not Spain? He went to the bathroom to rinse his mouth, spray on cologne and brush his hair. He shook his head at just how pathetic he was; making himself look good for someone else’s woman when he had a woman of his own in his house. He checked his hair again and found that his hand was shaking. He ed the last time he had been with Samorena; a year ago in Madrid. ‘Vee, I have to step out for some time, a friend of mine needs help.’ Luca said.

‘Boy do you smell nice.’ She said. She walked up to him and enveloped herself in his arms, then looked up. As was custom he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. She noted that his breath was minty. She wondered who this friend was and asked. ‘Wayne. He’s at a bar drunk and asked me to drive him home.’ ‘Why did you brush your teeth?’ ‘What’s this 21 questions?’ he laughed, ‘We had mama’s pasta for lunch ? I will see you when I have seen him safely home.’ He kissed her once more. ‘I love you.’ he said, as much to pacify her as to remind himself that he did indeed love her. He walked out to his car, his heart still pounding. He assumed he and Sam would be alone in that hotel room; which excited and made him apprehensive. Every time they were alone they always ended up in each other’s arms. She had sounded upset and that worried him. He sped over to the hotel and went straight to her room. He knocked on the door and she met him. Her hair was wild, her eyes red and her face tear stained. She ran a hand through her hair when he appeared at her door and almost wept with the relief of seeing him there. ‘I didn’t think you would come.’ She said. ‘Come in.’ They walked in and he asked why she was crying. ‘Would you like something to drink?’ she asked. ‘Thanks.’ She handed him a glass of wine. ‘I broke up with Rafael today and I had to leave Madrid. I didn’t know where else to go. Actually I did. I wanted to come here.’ Luca listened impatiently. ‘What did he do?’ he asked.

She shook her head and set her glass of wine on the table. ‘He didn’t do anything.’ ‘Then why are you crying?’ ‘Because I can’t do this anymore.’ A sob escaped. She grabbed her glass and gulped down her wine then rose on unsteady feet to pour herself another. He got up and took the glass from her and put it back on the table. There would be no more drinking. ‘Talk to me. What can’t you do anymore?’ Luca asked. ‘I can’t pretend I am not in love with you Luca. I have loved you since the moment I first saw you and every day that es I seem to fall deeper in love with you. I really wanted to be with you and I was angry at you but mostly at myself that morning at your house when Diane walked in. Then I worked to convince myself that I wasn’t in love with you and maybe I wanted what I could not have. So I stayed with Rafael but I had to be honest and it that as much as I love him it is you I am in love with. Always has been.’ She brushed past him to sit down. Luca had always wanted to hear those words from her but now that they were here he was confused as to what to do. She was drunk and he was not sure she would be saying the same things were she not drunk. And there was Vanessa in the picture now. He loved her. And as Sam had said about Rafael, he loved Vanessa but it was Sam he was in love with. Although he could finally have Sam, he could not do to Vanessa what he had done to Diane. He put his head in his hands. ‘I know and that’s why I am crying because this is my fault. If I’d given you the chance to explain yourself we wouldn’t be in this situation right now.’ She said. She started to sob again. Luca went to sit next to her and held her in his arms. ‘I don’t have a plan. I ended things with Rafael, and then jumped on the first plane here. I sat here just drinking and then I called you because... I don’t know why I called you. Well I do. This was a lot easier in my head. Luca I am in love with you and I want to be with you. I know you have Vanessa but we are perfect together and you know it. The only reason we are not together is because of me,

but I want to change that, we could start right now.’ Her phone started to ring and she picked it up and stared at the screen. Luca looked at it too and saw that it was Rafael calling. ‘You’re not going to answer him?’ Luca asked. ‘I don’t know.’ ‘What happened? Walk me through it.’ ‘I was at work today and I had been thinking about you all day, all week actually and I thought about the choices I have made and how things would have been if I had made different choices. What I am saying is how my life would have turned out if I had chosen you and not Rafael. He is perfect, as far as human beings go. He is good to me but he’s not for me and then I thought about you and how good we are together and wondered why I had made the choices that I did. So I went home, waited for him to get back and had a talk with him. I told him what I am telling you now that I am in love with you and he and I are wrong for each other. He tried to talk me out of it and he’s calling now to talk me out of it still but I can’t be talked out of it because I am right about this.’ ‘So he knows that you are done?’ ‘I told him.’ ‘And are you sure that’s what you want to do? I mean maybe you should give it another chance.’ ‘Luca I am sitting here pouring my heart out to you and you are pushing me back to Rafael!’ Luca looked at her. Even a mess she was beautiful and his heart sang, which made the words he said next a lot harder to say. ‘Sam, you know how I feel about you and you’ve always known. Nothing in the world would make me happier than to be with you. But Vanessa is waiting for me at home and I’ve pledged my life to her. I chose Vanessa. You will always be the woman in my heart but Vanessa the woman in my life. I am sorry that I can’t give you what I want.’

Her face broke and she started to cry again. ‘Deep down I knew this would happen. I just hoped against reason that I could make you change your mind.’ He held her as she cried, then when she stopped; he carried her to bed and tucked her in. ‘What do we do now?’ she asked. ‘It’s best if we do what you suggested years ago, that we go our separate ways and discontinue .’ Her heart broke as she lay there listening to him. She had taken a gamble that had not paid off. But she was glad that she had because now she knew where she stood with him. She could piece her life back together. ‘I am sorry I called you so late.’ She said. ‘Don’t be sorry.’ ‘You have to leave now don’t you?’ He nodded. She took a deep breath and let it out. Out of impulse he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He needed to do that in order to move on, he convinced herself. As long as nobody knew about this kiss Vanessa can’t get hurt. He lost himself in the kiss, and then when he broke away from her he said his goodbye. After he left Samorena cried herself to sleep. When Luca got back to the house Vanessa was done cooking and waiting for him to get back. She was sitting at the table when he came in. She stood up to greet him. She saw the forlorn look on his face and wondered what had happened. ‘Is Wayne alright?’ she asked. ‘Wayne?’ ‘Yes. Your friend, you went to pick him up.’ she reminded him. ‘Oh yes. He is ok.’ ‘Dinner’s ready.’

‘I am not that hungry. Think I want to go to bed.’ Crestfallen, Vanessa nodded and kissed him on the cheek. He started to walk away then turned back to Vanessa, took her in his arms and kissed her. ‘Thank you.’ he said. ‘For what?’ ‘For being you, for being here and putting up with me.’ ‘I don’t put up with you Luca.’ He smiled at her, ‘You’ll find me in bed. Goodnight.’ *** Samorena woke up in the morning to one of her worst hangovers, made worse by the amount of crying she had done the night before. She ed snippets of her conversation with Luca. Mostly, she ed that he had turned her down. She started crying again as she climbed out of bed, ignoring the headache. She rummaged through her bag for painkillers then took a couple with a glass of water as the tears started to fall again. She found that Rafael had tried to call three more times last night and her heart broke. ‘I must really hate myself! Every time I get close to happiness I ruin it. Why can’t I stay with Rafael?’ she said, to herself. She knew why she could not stay with Rafael. She knew no matter how much she tried she would never be able to move on with him when Luca was the one that she wanted. ‘I came here I did what I had to do, it’s time for me to go back.’ she said. She made herself a cup of coffee and watched TV while she sipped it slowly. When her phone rang she jumped out of her skin and reached for it only to be disappointed when it was Rafael once more and not Luca. She decided to answer it this time. ‘Hi.’ She said.

‘Sam.’ He said. He sounded very worried. ‘Where are you?’ ‘I’m in a hotel room.’ ‘Can you meet me? I really need to talk to you.’ ‘I’m in Manchester.’ ‘Oh.’ Rafael knew why she was in England and it tore him apart. ‘I see.’ He said. ‘So this is it then? For you and me?’ ‘I’m really sorry Rafael. Like I said yesterday I love you but you and I are wrong for each other, one day you will know it too.’ ‘I don’t get it, we were fine. What happened?’ ‘Nothing happened; I just finally came face to face with the truth. It’s got nothing to do with Luca but how I feel about you.’ ‘I don’t know what to do. But I’ll respect your decision.’ ‘Okay.’ ‘When are you coming back?’ ‘I have an eleven o clock flight today.’ ‘Can I see you?’ She didn’t want to but she figured it was the right thing to do and accepted. She finished her coffee after the phone call then went to take a shower and get dressed. When she was done she took a taxi to the airport to wait for her flight. She had been hoping all morning that Luca would either call or come by with a change of heart. When he didn’t she concluded that he had really made his decision. She wanted to cry but with the paparazzi following her as usual she reigned in her emotions and read her novel as she waited. ***

Luca woke up with Vanessa next to him as he had done for a long time yet that morning for a split second he thought she was Samorena and his heart was at peace. He opened his eyes and saw it was Vanessa lying next to him and his heart dropped. He kissed her on the cheek and got up to take a shower. In the shower he went back to the events of last night. Sam had told him that she loves him and he had gone back home to Vanessa. ‘What the hell did I do?’ he said to himself. ‘I need to get her back.’ When he finished his shower, Vanessa was sitting at the breakfast counter a glass of juice in her hand. ‘Morning.’ He said. ‘Morning. I made you breakfast.’ She said. ‘Thank you.’ he leaned down and kissed her. They sat next to each other with the news in the background, having breakfast while they engaged in small talk. ‘I want to talk to you.’ Luca said later when they were done with breakfast. ‘OK.’ ‘Are you happy with me Vee? I mean when you pictured your life with a man, is this what you pictured?’ ‘It’s not what I pictured but I am happy yeah.’ It was going to be a lot harder than he thought it would be but he forged on. ‘I have a lot of issues Vee and I don’t know if I should drag you into them. Here’s the thing. I have been in love with someone for two years and it’s not going away. You deserve a man who is there with you every step of the way and I can’t be that man.’ ‘What are you saying?’ ‘I am saying I think we should go our separate ways, you to the life you truly deserve and me to loneliness.’

‘Where did you go last night?’ His first instinct was to be cagey; the second was to lie to her so he chose option three. ‘Samorena is in town, I went to see her.’ ‘Is that why you are leaving me?’ ‘Partly. The conversation I had with her last night made me realize that I am wasting your time. I will never be the man you want me to be.’ ‘I see.’ ‘I really never intended to hurt you and I thought we would work out.’ ‘Yeah, I did too.’ He got up from his seat and leaned down to give her a kiss. ‘No. It’s not that I’m bitter. If you kiss me now I will unravel.’ ‘I understand. I’m off to training.’ ‘I’ll be gone by the time you get back.’ ‘That’s not what I...’ ‘She is a very lucky woman, I hope she knows that.’ ‘The man that’s going to marry you is the lucky one.’ ‘Why can’t you be that man?’ ‘I...’ ‘Don’t answer.’ She got up from her seat to stand by the window. He knew she was crying and he could not comfort her. He watched her for a few minutes then went to the bedroom to put his clothes on. It was a herculean effort to keep his euphoria in

check as he got dressed. Samorena would be his finally. What could make him happier? Nothing. *** Samorena unlocked the door to her house, walked in and broke down into tears when there was no one there. Rafael would not be coming over and Luca was definitely never going to step foot in her house. She closed the door behind her then collapsed against it and cried until there were no tears coming out of her eyes. When she checked the time over half an hour had ed. She gathered herself up and made her way to bed. She climbed in and closed her eyes to sleep but all she could think about was Luca. How handsome he had looked, how good he had smelled and the feeling of being in his arms; that kiss and she started crying again. After some time she got up to find sleeping pills. She took a couple and fell asleep. When she woke up again it was ten in the evening. Her phone had been off since she boarded the plane the previous day and she had no desire to turn it on. Luca got off the plane in Madrid with no plan in mind except to find Samorena and tell her he’d made a mistake in letting her go. He had no idea where she lived and her phone was off. He checked in to a hotel and called Saone to get Samorena’s home address. ‘Why would I give it to you?’ Saone asked. ‘I know you don’t like me very much but I am in love with your friend and I believe I can make her a very happy woman and she can make me an even happier man.’ ‘Last time I checked she was happy, in love and didn’t want to talk to you. So I ask again, why should I give you her address?’ ‘When is the last time you spoke to her?’ ‘Wednesday.’ ‘She was in Manchester on Friday. She came to see me now I have not been able to get in touch with her since then, I have been trying her phone and it is not going through.’

‘Why would she go to Manchester to see you?’ ‘She will explain it to you, just please give me her address.’ ‘Let me call and check with her.’ Saone hung up the phone and Luca waited hoping for Saone to come to her senses. When his phone rang and it was Saone he was relieved. She gave him Samorena’s address. He took a shower, changed then drove to the address that he had been given. His heart pounded as he approached the driveway. He parked then leapt out of the car and jogged to her front door. He pressed the doorbell then waited. Two minutes later he pressed again. And again until she came to the door. ‘Luca! What are you doing here?’ Samorena asked. She looked like she had just gotten out of bed. ‘Not quite the welcome I was hoping for.’ Luca said. ‘May I come in?’ ‘Yeah. Come in.’ He followed her into the house resisting the urge to take her into his arms and to her bedroom until he said what he needed to say. ‘I got on the first plane after training this afternoon. I’m most likely going to get into trouble for this but what the hell. I love you and I am in love with you. Every single thing about you fascinates and intrigues me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you discovering more things to intrigue me and saving the world one piece at a time by your side until we’re both too old to walk. So before you go off running to another country or heaven forbid another man I have to say this. Samorena Louise Maduo you are and have been the woman in my life since I met you. I know what I said yesterday but I said so because I thought it was for the best. We keep dancing circles around each other and dragging people into this when it’s really each other that we want.’ ‘Luca...’

‘Let me finish this. My family loves you, I love you, my friends are nuts about you. I want to meet your family, friends and every person and animal in your life. I want my life to be your life and your life to be mine. I am tired of running away from you when all I want to do is to run to you. I want to fall asleep up with you in my arms every night, share your dreams with you, I want to wake up next to you until the day I take my last breath. I want to be the reason for your smile. I want to raise a family with you, have a little girl who will grow up to be like you. I want to be there by your side when you achieve world domination. Will you be my wife?’ ‘I don’t know what to say.’ ‘Yes, I will, is kinda what I was aiming for.’ ‘Of course I will.’ Tears started to fall down her cheeks. ‘I don’t have a ring yet but I...’ he started to say. ‘Shut up and kiss me.’ He obliged. Then he dragged her to the bedroom to do what he had wanted to for months. ‘I love you.’ he said. ‘And I love you.’ ‘I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but I have to catch an early flight tomorrow. We have a match in the evening.’ She laughed. ‘I won’t.’