Chapter 3 Mandy

• Mandy
• I sighed as I stared at the man who had come to my rescue. To think he thought I couldn’t handle myself. I was tired of accepting help from men. They always come with a price.
• I noticed he followed me. He sat down on the chair close to the bar. I took a good look at him. I honestly loved what I saw. He was handsome. Not just a little, but the kind that has every woman stopping to look and dream.
• He had light brown eyes, dark tousled hair, and a sexy smile. He had a perfectly well-sculpted body with a broad chest. I could see the lines of his abs from his snug-fitting white t-shirt.
• I could tell he wasn’t from Italy, some tourist, drop-dead gorgeous hot, but still a tourist. Good-looking as he was, I chose to ignore him. I was done with men for the day.
• “Scotch, neat,” I said to Evelyn.
• She smiled at me, “You know you’re supposed to be behind this counter in a few hours.”
• I shrugged, “I took the day off.”
• “You know each other?” The hottie asked Evelyn.
• Evelyn nodded. I noticed the excited look on her face. Ugh, he’s got her smitten. I wouldn’t blame her, however. He’s every girl’s dream man.
• “Yeah, Mandy works here and is also my best friend,” Evelyn replied.
• I rolled my eyes. “Stop talking to the stranger, Eve,” I said.
• Evelyn laughed. She said to Mr. Hottie apologetically, “Sorry, she’s just cranky.”
• “Oh, I understand. There was a guy that pissed her off earlier,” he said to Evelyn.
• I gritted my teeth angrily, trying to ignore him and focus on my drink. I know he was doing all he could to get my attention.
• “That guy? He’s a nobody. Mandy can completely handle him. He likes to come into the bar and create a scene. He’s hopeful she will accept his relentless invitation and go out with him,” Evelyn replied.
• I glared at Evelyn, “Too much info for a stranger, Eve.”
• “His name is Roger. He’s new to Milan and on vacation, so be extra nice to him,” Evelyn told me.
• “Nope,” I smirked, “He’s still a stranger. I’m not on duty. I don’t have to be nice to him.”
• The guy asked me. “So, what’s your problem with me?”
• “Who says there has to be a problem just because I’m not being nice?” I snapped.
• “Hmm,” he smiled. His smile widened. It was like he’d just discovered something I didn’t know.
• “What?” I asked, irritated.
• “Oh, nothing,” he smirked.
• I didn’t like the sarcastic look on his face. I wanted nothing more than to wipe it off. He shouldn’t act so smug.
• “What’s so funny?” I asked, still irritated.
• “Well, it’s obvious you’ve been hurt before,” he replied.
• “Oh, so you’re a Prophet,” I glared at him. “Do tell me, what gave it away?”
• “You’re lashing out, being mean to any man. It’s a dead giveaway,” he smirked.
• “Whatever,” I said sarcastically.
• “Oh, come on, why not talk to me? As Evelyn said, I am here on vacation for a short time. No strings. I don’t know anyone here. Besides, I’ve had my fair share of women who have hurt me. I’m not directing any anger to you,” he coaxed.
• I replied condescendingly, “Probably because you want something from me. Besides, what could you possibly have suffered at the hands of women? It’s your type that terrorizes women.”
• “What type might I ask are you referring to? And why do you find it hard to believe that I’ve been ‘hurt’ by a woman before?” Roger asked.
• “You’re that extremely hot, gorgeous man who uses your looks and charm to his advantage. It’s the cliche, too good-looking for any girl to pass you up.” Evelyn squealed at my response a little too loudly for my liking.
• I rolled my eyes. “Can’t you be a little bit subtle, Eve?”
• “I’m being subtle, at least my definition of subtle. Mandy, even you can’t deny that he’s hot,” Evelyn said.
• Roger smiles devilishly at Evelyn and says, “Well, Evelyn, I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you!”
• To avoid more gushing by Evelyn, I look at Roger and, on the smug side, say, “All right, Roger, spill it. Who would hurt you?”
• “My ex-girlfriend,” he replied—suddenly, a somber expression appeared.
• I frowned. I realize that he was serious about being hurt and was being truthful.
• That realization didn’t bring me the joy I’d expected. Instead, it made me feel sorry for him. I knew firsthand being hurt by someone you care deeply for.
• “Would you like to talk about it ?” I asked calmly—my way of offering an olive branch.
• He noticed how the tone of my voice changed. He immediately shook his head, replying sternly, “That’s not happening. I won’t be bonding over heartbreak with anyone. Especially a beautiful bartender with an attitude.” He laughed out loud after that comment.
• It made me smile, and Eve was grinning from ear to ear. But that was precisely what we did. The next couple of hours we spent talking about our exes.
• I told him my story and why I had to leave New York and chose Milan. It’s a fun, exciting country where I could escape for a while and be anonymous. That was six months ago.
• “So you’re a yoga instructor by day and a bartender by night?” he asked.
• I nodded as Evelyn poured us more drinks.
• “Normally, I’d be upset seeing you cozy with the guy I’ve been flirting with. Seeing as you’re finally opening up, I’ll let this one slide,” Eve whispered.
• I giggled as she walked away. “Eve is crushing on you, Roger.”
• Roger smiled, “I kind of figured that out.”
• Now, I have a slight buzz, and I’m a little drunk- just enough to talk to a stranger about everything.
• “So what happened between you and your boyfriend?” he asked. Then laughed, “Ex-boyfriend, I mean.”
• I responded in a serious tone, “He’s a total douchebag. I’d found out he cheated, and he elected to abandon me. Eventually, he came crawling back, saying how he’d changed. He begged to get back together and started stalking me. I was afraid he’d try to hurt me when I refused, so I told the police. He stayed away for a while, but it didn’t last. When he came back, he was up to his old tricks. It was easier for me to skip town.”
• “Wow! That’s terrible. I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with all of that. No man should ever hurt a woman, especially in any physical way—He’s a piece of shit. It was a good decision for you to take care of yourself. Good for you putting all of that behind you. Your shitbag ex, it’s his loss, not yours.
• “Wow. You summed it up. But why do you say that- his loss?” I asked.
• “It’s not rocket science, babe. You both had strong feelings and or love for each other. He hurt you. You had enough and left. You’re the strong one who picked up your broken pieces and continued moving forward.”
• His words sounded genuine. I’d never thought about my breakup like that—the fact it was coming from a guy meant something.
• Maybe he wasn’t such an asshole after all, I mused.
• “So, what’s the full story with your ex?” I asked him.
• He stared down at his drink, a somber expression clouding his face. “I proposed in a very public way. She rejected me flat out, then accused me of trying to force her into marriage.”
• Shaking his head, he took a long sip of his drink before continuing. “The tabloids had a field day. And the next day, she was on the arm of my biggest rival.”
• I sucked in a shocked breath. I immediately realized the proposal must have been televised for the tabloids to pick up on it quickly. “What? I can’t imagine...” I trailed off, unable to comprehend why any woman would want to hurt him that way.
• He fixed his gaze on his glass, tracing the rim with his finger. The upbeat music of the bar faded into the background. I studied his slumped shoulders and creased brow, seeing the pain this messy public breakup had caused him.
• “I’m so sorry,” I said as I touched his arm. “That must have been incredibly difficult for you.”
• He nodded, eyes still downcast. I wished that I could help him forget, even for the evening.
• “I came here to take a break from the world for a while, I guess,” he said.
• I nodded, “I understand. That’s how I felt when I left New York.”
• “It’s not been easy, but I try and keep moving forward,” he shrugged. I just arrived. It’d be fun if someone would show me around.”
• I knew he was flirting. Every bit of common sense in my body screamed at me not to give in to that temptation. But I couldn’t help it. He was HOT, and I saw a vulnerable side to him.
• We’ve both been hurt before. What could it hurt to hang out? My conscience was tormenting me. My gut was in on the act as well. This had disaster written all over it. But my heart was telling me it might be fun.
• “Just show me around Milan. I’m only here for three weeks. Besides, what’s the harm? We could be friends, and it’d be fun, especially if you stop being so mean.” He smiled as he laughed.
• My instincts immediately went into hyper-alert. No!No! No! I knew that this man was trouble with a capital T. The spontaneous side of me was excited about the temptation.
• I gave in to my spontaneous side. “Ok, it’s not the worst idea.” I was imitating his flirtatious behavior. “It’s a go for me… It might be fun… By the way, I’m Mandy.
• I was smiling the entire time, but my conscience was already eating at me. Warning signals are already nagging me. I ignored the warning. What’s the worst thing that could happen anyway?
• I spent the rest of the week hanging out at the bar where Mandy worked. We went clubbing after she got off, some of the best clubs in Milan. We’d drink too much and then say our goodbyes. We’d always leave and go our separate ways.
• But today, I had a different agenda. I could feel the sexual tension crackling between us. I wanted to have a taste tonight. I invited Mandy on a private date in the garden of my hotel.