Chapter 1

I love summer, I love it, especially when I take a vacation. I can take full advantage of the beautiful weather and I don't have to look at my watch with the fear of being late for work.

Vacations are best when I relax away from home, and preferably in another country. And I still can't believe that I just find myself in New York, having a fantastic week here in the company of my best friend and her daughter.

Mike was supposed to go with us, but the situation at work forced him to cancel his vacation, and so we are spending time with the ladies.

Sitting on a park bench, I close my eyelids, listening to the birds singing. Eve is walking with Lilly not far from me, and I reflect on my life again. I wonder, is there still a chance for me to fall in love again? Isn't it the case that in life we only get a chance for true love once, which we can't forget after a breakup? Is that why each of us remembers that person, regardless of whether we were hurt by him or her?

I have this way with Felix. Despite the passage of time, I can't forget him. I would like to know how he is doing, how is he doing?

I thought that breaking contact with him while he was in a safe place would bring me peace of mind, and it is quite the opposite. I often wonder if I should visit him in the hospital, make sure he is okay, what is his health condition?

Will he know who I am?

- Auntie! - I hear Lily's joyful shout. I open my eyes and look at the laughing face of the pretty girl, who is a copy of her dad.

It is beautiful.

She runs up to me and shows me a white flower, which she holds in her small hand.

- Isn't it lovely? - she asks me.

- It's as beautiful as you are," I reply, grabbing her cheek.

Lily runs back to her mother, repeating the words she heard from me. Eve strokes her hair, smiling radiantly at her.

This child and Mike are her greatest happiness in life, and I am happy to have such great friends by my side. I can always count on them.

*

In the afternoon we stop at a sushi restaurant to have lunch. People are aplenty, all the tables are occupied, so I guess the food here must be delicious. We struggle to find free seats.

We order food from the waiter and chat for a long time, answering questions from a curious Lily who wants to know everything at the age of four.

When we are eating sushi, I seem to feel someone's eyes on me. This is the kind of intuition when you get the impression that something or someone is burning a hole in your back.

Wrinkling my eyebrows, I look over my shoulder, but see no one. Occasionally, I get the impression that I'm starting to go crazy. It's not the first time I think someone is looking at me or following me.

Paranoia.

- The mob is here. They are sitting in the VIP room. This is their favorite restaurant. Apparently, the boss has connections with them.

It's not polite to eavesdrop on someone's conversations, but these two women made me incredibly curious.

- What's the matter? - Eve asks, looking at me with puzzled eyes.

- The Mafia is here," I whisper. - They are sitting in the VIP room.

My friend's eyes widen in excitement.

- Are they in the same place as us? - I put my finger to my lips, telling her to keep her voice down. - I wonder if they are handsome....

- Blondie, I remind you that you have someone with whom you have a wonderful daughter.

- Don't be like your mother. Put your mind at ease. I can look at handsome men, even though I already have one exclusively," she replies, smiling broadly. - Just don't repeat it to your father," she adds, addressing her daughter directly.

Lily crosses her arms over her chest and looks at her mother with an aggrieved expression.

- Dad is the coolest under the sun," she says.

- You're right, honey, your dad is the best," I confirm, looking at my friend with amusement in my eyes.

- Take care of my baby, I'm going to the toilet.

I nod, and Eve walks away from the table. Lily grabs the sushi in her fingers and puts it in her mouth, big eyes looking in one direction. I'm curious as to what she's so curious about, so I turn around and spot a man heading for the exit.

- What are you looking at? - I ask as she swallows her food.

Once again I turn toward that man and see that he is standing in front of the glass door of the restaurant. He lights a cigarette, inhales it and lets the smoke out of his mouth. He stands sideways, looking amused.

The blonde girl returns to the table, and I continue to look in the direction of the stranger. I furrow my eyebrows as he tosses the cigarette butt away, crushes it with his shoe, and directs his gaze directly at me.

At one point something paralyzes me. There is something strange about him, something amazing. Aside from the fact that he is deadly handsome, he exudes incredible charisma and confidence.

His black, longer hair is tied up in a small ponytail, and he looks wonderful in dark clothes, considering that he has a breakfast complexion.

He walks away, and only then do I react to my friend's questions, who leans over the table and pokes me in the shoulder.

- What's wrong with you?

I look at her confused, not understanding what she is saying to me.

- What?

- Come back to earth, babe. I'm telling you that when I was in the bathroom, I came across some babes who said that tomorrow there will be races. Shall we go?

- And how do you know where they will be held?

- Nothing is impossible for me," she replies, showing me the phone with the address.

- They are, remember your child.

Eve looks at her daughter for a moment, deep in thought about something.

- My child is provided for, so what's the problem? Lily will sleep soundly while her mother rules the streets.

I scratch my eyebrow, wondering if Aunt Eve, with whom we're staying, will be acting as a nanny for the week?

- Cool. I'm not going to interfere with your decisions.

*

I don't understand why I do it. Why do I let myself be persuaded by my friend's crazy ideas every time?

I love the races that take place in Los Angeles, especially with familiar people. Here in New York, I feel like a stranger. I don't know anyone, I'm like an intruder trespassing on someone's private property because Eve overheard a conversation of random people in the bathroom.

Women are dressed very daringly. Without shame, they expose their buttocks in short shorts, giving themselves a pat on the guys. I understand that this is an added attraction. For me, it's something new, because in Los Angeles the races look entirely different.

I, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, stand out from all those girls, including my friend, who is wearing black latex pants and a crop top.

- I feel like I'm in a fairy tale," she claims. I can't admit she's right, because for me, it's not as pleasant a place as in Los Angeles.

I'm a little afraid. I have a strange feeling.

The sports cars start in the first race, and I look at all those enthusiastic people shouting the name of the person they are cheering for.

- Let's go more forward! - shouts Eve.

- I don't want to, I prefer to stay here.

- So don't go anywhere from here! I'll go look from there and come back to you right away! - she shouts, with her hand pointing to my place.

I nod, though I'm not satisfied. I don't smile, staying here alone.

I looked around, looking for something to drink. My attention is caught by a booth that people are walking away from with beer. I head in that direction intending to buy a juice, but someone crosses my path. I lift my face and look with frightened eyes at a deadly handsome guy — the same one who was nodding to Lily in the restaurant.

Is this a coincidence?

- What is this lost sheep? - he asks.

I try to evade him, but he doesn't let me. All the while, he overlaps my path, keeping his hands in the pockets of his black fabric pants.

- I want to buy something to drink," I say in a trembling voice.

There is something about it that bothers me. I felt it already in the restaurant.

- I was counting on you to show up at races organized by me," he says, without taking his eyes off me.

Was it a set-up? Did Eve fall into his trap?

- I would rather not be here. A friend persuaded me," I reply.

- You shouldn't appear in the lives of some people either, and yet you did," he says, and this causes shivers on my body.

Who is he?

- I don't understand what you are talking about. I don't know you, also, please let me pass because I want a drink. I am thirsty.

- I am also thirsty.... - he claims, smiling sultrily, then leans over and whispers in my ear. - Thirsty for revenge," he adds, and I finally evade him when he lets me. With a quick step, I approach the booth and ask for a bottle of water.

I look over my shoulder and see that he is still standing there, watching me. He runs his thumb over his lower lip, then walks away.

My hand trembles as I pick up the water and pay the vendor for it. I unscrew the cap and take a big sip to soothe my nerves.

What is wrong with this man? What does he want from me?

A piece further on, I squat down on a vacant chair, feeling my heart beating hard. I'm sure it's due to the stress I've just experienced, but I get the impression that something is wrong nonetheless as my head begins to spin. The world spins strangely, and my image blurs more and more with each passing second....

The last thing I remember is someone grabbing my shoulders before I fall.

- It's okay, you're safe. I will take care of you.

I'm sure I know that voice. One hundred percent sure...