2: PIZZERIA

Andrew held up his hands as if to apologize. He couldn't speak because his throat was too tight to try to relax. He would die of asphyxiation or close to it.

Andrew was dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. His back touched the ground making a noise that echoed in the place, but even with that, the structure of the establishment did not shake.

"From today onwards, you will take care of this pizzeria as if it were your own."

Still scared Andrew couldn't pass up that opportunity.

"From this Pizzeria, in that case."

"What?"

Andrew repeated "Pizzeria" using an Italian accent and moved the tips of the five fingers together as if he was really one.

This time, the one who was now his boss didn't even need to speak. He shot Andrew a withering look and he flinched as if he were about to be hit.

A week later he had already learned how to make the place welcoming, and habitable for customers. His boss was constantly yelling at him or pushing him through walls. For a young adult in his 27s who had never worked, it was hell.

He was sleeping there the first week because he had a lot of work and it was no use going home to sleep. He lived in West Lincoln, a town that was a 3-hour drive from Sterlin Square in Sterlin City. He preferred to come home with some money. He fed himself with the savings he had brought and his boss did not get him very useful ingredients so that he could cook good things.

Andrew didn't mess with the pizza ingredients because they were the most important things in the place. Viviani, his boss, was a large man with red hair. It was customary to walk around with flour all over your body, and as far as Andrew knew, he was the one with all the leftover pizzas.

A few customers had started showing up at the place. Mostly foreigners who had ventured down the alley and found that as being the only place open late at night.

One day a honey-haired girl, with a few small gold nuggets scattered through her hair, entered the pizzeria, exploring the place from one end to the other. She didn't seem like the kind of person who frequented those places. She was dressed like she was going to walk into a very fancy restaurant. Wearing a fur coat, and sunglasses. She looked about his age. Andrew was embarrassed to talk to the girl, but after he collected himself and remembered that if his boss saw him that way it was very likely that he would be punched.

"Fallow Free is pleased to welcome you."

That woman was alone, and she didn't answer Andrew right away. He continued to analyze the place with his eyes and after looking at the ceiling he noticed blue almost gray eyes that looked at her through the spaces in the wooden planks of the floor above.

"HAAA!!!" The woman gave a cry and jumped back.

Viviani had started heavily down the stairs and after stopping halfway down he looked up at Andrew.

"Accomplish the customer's request and send her out of here."

After that Andrew was even tenser. He, too, was startled by the scream.

Viviani went back upstairs and the noise stopped.

The woman was still there, looking at Andrew who remained silent.

"Andrew, right?"

Andrew managed to get back to normal and now he paid attention to that beautiful woman full of curves like a formula 1 track.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ah, I see." That woman spoke as if Andrew was the person she was looking for there.

"Do you have four cheese pizzas?" Now that woman looked more serious and had a different posture. Her expensive scent spread throughout the establishment and even Andrew had taken her scent, even though he hadn't even laid a finger on that woman.

"Yes, ma'am"

"Then give me 3 with barbecue sauce and put spice on one of them."

"Yes, ma'am" Andrew spoke in that same boring tone as the first time. He went to the kitchen to prepare the orders and after collecting payment, the woman in front of him started talking to him.

"Don't you want to go out one of these days Andrew?"

Andrew couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Out? Me? Where? With who?"

Even though the woman was wearing dark glasses, the face of rejection she had made was visible.

"With me, silly. I wish I could get to know you better." As much as it looked like an act, Andrew wasn't the least bit suspicious. And he didn't know how to react to that news.

"Give me your phone." The woman held out her hand as if expecting to receive Andrew's phone and after he took it out of his pocket and handed it to her. The woman pretended to run with Andrew's phone out of the establishment, and Andrew started to laugh. And it was at that moment that he was caught by her.

The woman after she had staged that robbery went back to Andrew and handed him the phone. She was now taking her own and typing a few words on the screen.

In Andrew's hand, his phone vibrated.

"I'm Alice. Call me when you free." It was the text message on Andrew's screen.

The woman smiled as he looked at the screen and then back at her.

Andrew was tense again.

He heard the alarm of orders in the kitchen, and after delivering the pizzas he lovingly waved goodbye to Alice who didn't even look back when was leaving.

Andrew was in love with everything about her.

***

Days later he managed to have his first date with Alice, and they started to get to know each other better. Alice came from a wealthy and powerful family in that country. They had so much money that Alice could buy the Pizzeria with Andrew in it.

Whilst Andrew was just a nobody from West Lincoln that was working to make a living before he was kicked out of the house.

"Are you a virgin?" Alice asked Andrew with some disgust on the third date.

"No, ma'am. Why?"

Alice with a great expression of sarcasm replied.

"So far you haven't tried to fuck me." Andrew was tense with that answer and didn't know how to respond. He was silent until Alice spoke again.

"But you don't want to?!" Andrew swallowed and looked away from Alice.

"W-Want what?" Andrew seemed to shake slightly. Cold sweat trickled down his temples.

"F*ck me, silly."