Chapter 2 The Pig

The Mexican smuggler and loan shark, Pedro Alejandro looked very much like a literal pig, except a pig was more presentable. He stank too, and as he shook his fat fist at my face, all I could think of was, please. Be over soon.

"Remember Darcy. Pay up soon, or your old man is gonna get it. I'll so make sure he never walks again. Ten thousand bucks, Darcy."

He stalked from me, heading to the restaurant's front door. I was finally able to breathe fine.

"Ten thousand, Darcy!" He slammed the door shut behind him. Luckily for me , there was no customer. Only Corin the barman stood behind the counter, and he did not look from his phone's screen.

Oh God. Oh, good gracious God. What was I going to do? What would I do now? Pretty much the whole money from the night before had gone. I had cleared my rent with it. Settled the many loans with my mechanic. Others.

Now, another thing had come. I could not believe my father wouldn't still leave gambling and loan sharks alone. After all it had caused. After everything.

I signed, and plopped down on a chair nearby to think. The night had not gone on as long as I thought it would. We had driven to his family mansion, as he had said. There'd been a really long expense of beautifully groomed palm trees leading to the mansion that I had thought would never end. And then, the mansion had appeared. It had been dark, but even then, I could make out it's majestic beauty.

He had driven into a parking lot where a seemingly infinite number of cars were sprawled. Then he had led me into the brilliant interiors which were I was simply too stunned to put a thing to memory. His father, a smug portly man with a mustache was polite, and pecked my cheeks. Then I had drunk a number of exotic wines. I had only seen his father, and a twin of his, who sat at a corner and stared drunkenly at me.

Then he told his father we had other appointments somewhere and pushed my person to the doors where he had written me a cheque and dropped me off at the hospital where my car already was waiting. It had all been a blur to me after all the wine.

Then, the doctor had told me it was a kind of liver disease. What my father suffered from. A large amount, more than I could afford, would have to be paid for a surgery. I didn't love my dad, no. He had been more than a bad father. He had been a bully. Coming home everyday drunk, he would hit mom till she could no longer take it and ran. Leaving only me.

A tap on the shoulders startled me. I jumped. Torsney Bernhardt, the guy from the night before smiled down at me. God, he was tall. Taut muscles rippled underneath the white T-shirt he wore. What did he come here for? Had he come to take back his money? Or had he just happened to show up? Was it just coincidence?

My mouth was agape, and he noticed before I could compose myself. A silly grin crept up his handsome face.

"How's it going, Sally? Good business day?" He drew a chair close and sat, his eyes penetrating my very being. I had been right. He had astoundingly blue eyes. Bluer than the skies on a clear cloudless day. And his lips, my God. I could barely stop myself from reaching down and feeling their pink softness.

I swallowed. He still watched me, still with the silly smile. "What is the best wine you have here? Get me a bottle. And two glasses."

I nervously stood, with my legs trembling. Threatening to give away from beneath me.

After I brought up the drink, he demanded that I sat. Without questions, I obeyed. The smile still would not leave his face.

"I have a proposal for you, Sally."

"My name is not..." I tried to speak, but he interrupted me with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, yes. It isn't. But as far as I'm concerned, you are Sally. No one else."

Now, who did this guy think he was. Come here, ordering me about. Telling me what was and was not my name. I endured.

"Now, Sally. Seems like you've got yourself a job. A big one. You wanna hear it?" Before I could say jack, he put up his hand again. This guy was shaping up to be the most arrogant jerk I had met in my life. And I had met really a lot of arrogant jerks, being a waiter and all. This guy clearly had a lot of people serving him, obeying to his every whim, and now, he thought he had constricted me too.

"You, Sally, are to be my wife. How's that for a change? You'd leave this shitty job for good and never lack anything good ever again."

"What? To be your what?"

"Come on. Don't be like that. Trying to play hard to get. It's smooth, though. Look, it's a contract marriage. We do not have to do anything, except you want somewhere in between." He showed me his immaculate white teeth.

I tried to stand, to look more imposing than the petite girl shaking in the chair, but my legs would not let me. "Man, look here..."

I half expected him to put a hand up and interrupt me, but he did not. And so, I found further words refusing to come. He watched me stammer my outrage with a satisfied grin, looking smug.

"Now, Sally. Don't be stubborn. It'll only be for a year or two. Then you will be on your way, with more money than you obviously had no hope of ever gaining from this restaurant. Say, a hundred thousand dollars. Two hundred... Just you agree."

"But... but why?"

"Because, my idiot father will soon be giving away his real estate multi-billion dollar company to a son of his that proves eligible. One of the clauses which include, getting married." It was the first time I had ever seen him upset. "So my destiny now lies on your small hands now, Sally. What do you say?"

I did not know when, or why, but I did nod. He jumped, excited, and before I knew it, he had his handsome face on mine, with his soft lips pressed into mine. I felt myself melt like wax for a moment, before I managed to push him off, sputtering with embarrassment.

"Gerroff."

He was already heading to the door, a bounce on his steps. At the door, he turned. "Evening time, mademoiselle. Gotta find us a marital home first." He dashed out the door.

My mind was racing. My limbs trembled. And quite strangely, I felt a wetness between my thighs. Gosh.

Corin the bar guy, stared open-mouthed at me when I turned to the bar.

"Darcy... Darcy, you are getting married! OMG!"

"Corin, shut your mouth."