The word "quickly" was in no way appropriate to describe the situation I was being forced to endure.
Rose was driving like a maniac. Like she had the devil on her heels.
No, actually, worse than that. It was as if the Russian mafia was after her and she was racing to save her helpless soul.
Throughout the entire ride, the gas pedal was practically glued to the floor, red lights were merely decorative, and the brake... well, it might as well have been nonexistent.
"Rose, I think you should slow down a little. We're going to crash," I said anxiously, gripping my seatbelt cautiously while glancing between Rose and the road.
"Don't worry at all, Sienna. I've done this route a thousand times, at this exact speed, every single time," she said, glancing at me.
"You'll be just fine," she added with a confident smile.
This woman was completely irrational. I thought to myself.
After what felt like an excruciatingly long and terrifying drive, we finally arrived at a rather large house.
Then again, my perception might have been exaggerated, since every house we'd passed in the last fifteen minutes was about the same size as this one.
As we entered the property, Rose parked the car in the yard and finally decided to honor the existence of the brake pedal.
Realizing we had actually come to a stop, I turned to look at her. She simply flashed me an innocent smile.
I, on the other hand, raised a single finger in the air and pointed it at her.
"If you think I'm ever getting into a car with you again, you are sorely mistaken," I said, and she burst into laughter.
"Oh, Sienna, you're making a big deal out of nothing." she said, giving me a playful tap on the shoulder.
But when she noticed my serious expression, she made a face and quickly added, "Alright... I suppose I could drive a little slower..."
"Really? No way! And here I was thinking your car didn't even have brakes!" I shot back sarcastically.
"Come on, Sienna. You're going to ride with me again anyway because we're going out tonight," she said before quickly hopping out of the car.
Before I could even process what she had just said, I got out and went to grab my bag from the trunk.
"Are you serious?" I asked, stunned.
"Well... I figured you'd want to have some fun tonight. Besides, it's your birthday tomorrow," she said, clearly trying to butter me up.
I looked at her and smiled happily.
I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around her in a friendly hug.
"Thank you so much, Rose! You're the best," I said, and she beamed at me.
"Come on, let me show you your room," she said, overly excited.
I grabbed my suitcase and followed her.
When we reached the front door, Rose rang the bell, and we waited for someone to answer.
After a few moments, I heard heavy footsteps approaching, and I assumed it was her uncle.
When the door opened, I was met with a tall, thin man, bald with a few gray hairs, wearing glasses.
As soon as he saw me, he smiled warmly.
"You must be Sienna," he said, his pronunciation of my name revealing that he was not Greek.
"Yes, that's me. Nice to meet you," I replied, shaking his hand firmly.
"Czesc wujku. Ale tęskniłam," Rose said in Polish as she hugged her uncle.
("Hi, Uncle. I missed you so much.")
"Ja też. Chodźcie teraz, ponieważ twoja ciocia piecze jakieś tam ciastka dla was," he replied.
("Me too. Come in now, because your aunt is baking some cookies for you.")
I didn't understand a word.
Realizing this, he turned to me and explained.
"Bożena, my wife, is making some cookies for you. Come in," he said kindly.
As I stepped inside, he closed the door behind us and called out to me.
"My dear, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Waldek. You'll get used to the names, don't worry," he said.
Mr. Val-... and just like that, I forgot his name.
Well done, Sienna!
I thanked him and gently set my suitcase down in the living room, noticing that Rose had done the same.
The dominant color in the room was white. White couches, and behind them, the wall was adorned with beautiful blue frames.
One, in particular, caught my attention—the one with the ocean. It was stunning. I felt a sense of peace and tranquility just looking at it.
I didn't have much time to take in anything else, though, because the smell of cookies hit me, and I practically started salivating.
"Sienna, come meet my aunt," Rose called, and I simply followed the sound of her voice.
The kitchen was beautiful. Light wood tones combined with white elements created a warm atmosphere.
Rose's aunt was a slender woman with short blonde hair and green eyes. She looked about 5'7" (1.70m), while her uncle was around 6'0" (1.83m).
When she saw me, she approached and smiled.
"Hello, Sienna. I'm Bożena," she said kindly.
Her accent also made it clear she was Polish.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, and thank you for having me. I hope I'm not imposing," I said, noticing how she exchanged a glance with Rose, looking slightly uneasy.
That's when I knew Rose had done something.
"Rose... Can I talk to you privately for a moment?" I asked, and before she could respond, I grabbed her by the elbow.
"Look, I can explain," she said, raising her hands in surrender.
"Rose, I wasn't supposed to be working here, right?" I asked in a low but firm voice.
"Well... no. But listen, I found you an amazing job, I swear!" she said, making an animated hand gesture.
"What kind of job? At least tell me it's here," I asked, already feeling resigned.
Her eyes lit up.
"Yes, yes! It's here, and it's at one of the best and most expensive restaurants. You'll be making 700 euros a month for five hours a day," she said with a grin.
I stared at her, my jaw practically on the floor.
700 euros for five hours!!!
Just thinking about it—about being able to pay for my place—nearly made me cry from happiness.
"You're not joking, right?" I asked, afraid to get my hopes up.
"Nope. Dead serious. You start tomorrow at 7 a.m.," she said, smiling hesitantly.
And then, I exploded.
"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOUUUU!!!" I started screaming, hugging her like a madwoman.
"Sienna... you're suffocating me," she gasped, and I let her go.
"Rose, I swear I'll repay you. The moment I get my first paycheck, I'll—"
Before I could finish, she shut me up by placing her hand over my mouth.
"Sienna, I don't want anything. Seriously. Whatever I want, I'll get myself. The money is yours," she said before adding, "Now, let's get to your room before the cookies are ready, because I'm starving."
She pulled me toward the stairs, and I followed, smiling
"Now let's go to your room before the cookies are ready because I'm starving," she said and pulled me up the stairs.
My room was the second-to-last in the row. In total, there were four doors. Most likely, they belonged to Rose, my uncle, and my aunt.
When I walked in, it was beautiful. The walls were gray, and in the corner, there was a painted tree. The bed was a double one (which suited me well since I had a habit of sprawling out), and to the left, there was a small desk.
"The room is amazing," I said.
"I'm glad you like it. It used to belong to their daughter, but she got married and moved to Gdańsk, Poland."
"Wow," I said, and she looked at me with curiosity.
"I mean... look, when you're so young, there are so many other things to do in life," I said, glancing at her picture.
She must have been around 22 or 23 years old, not much older.
"You have a point, but she had her reasons for doing it this way," Rose said.
"Meaning?"
Rose looked at me.
"She believes in God, and I don't blame her. I believe too. I just don't consider this particular thing very 'good.' The idea that you must get married to have a marital relationship," she said.
"I completely understand what you're saying, and I respect it," I replied sincerely.
"Great, so shall we go downstairs now?" she asked.
I nodded.
"So, Sienna, it was nice meeting you. Rose, are you two going out?" Mrs. Bożena asked.
"Yes, that's the plan," Rose replied.
"Alright. I don't need to remind you to always carry protection—"
"Aunt!" Rose interrupted her.
I had turned bright red.
"Oh, come on, it's not like I don't know! Anyway, just have one with you," she said, giving Rose a sideways glance to check her reaction. Then she continued, "And take some keys if you plan on coming back tonight. Be careful—there are a lot of creeps out there these days," she said with a smile.
"Have fun," were her last words.
"Rose, I think I finally found what I'm going to wear," I said at last, after searching through my suitcase for hours.
She looked at me through the mirror as she applied her mascara.
"Very nice... ooooh, the shoes are amazing!" she said.
I was wearing a sleeveless white top, which I paired with some necklaces and jeans.
If I got cold, I had a beige woolen cardigan.
The shoes were black heels with embroidered flowers on the back. Rose had chosen a black blouse with a short silver skirt and black heels.
By the time we finally managed to get ready—after hours, since Rose had made my life difficult with my eye makeup—we left the house.
Rose locked the door, and we walked to the car, which I swore I'd never step foot in again.
"So, we're going to a club. Is that okay with you? Or would you rather go eat somewhere and just sit?" she asked.
"Nah, the club sounds great," I said, reassuring her.
She nodded and started driving.
On the way, we listened to The Neighbourhood. The only band that had never disappointed me and continued to release bangers.
When we arrived, we parked and went inside.
The music was loud, and there was a long line of people waiting to get in.
Before Rose could say anything to me, someone called her name.
She turned around, startled, and when she saw who it was, she smiled.
"Miguel!" she said and hugged him.
"What's up? What brings you here?" he asked.
She turned to me and pointed at Miguel, and he greeted me warmly.
I smiled back, assuming Rose had already introduced me.
After a few minutes, I told Rose I was going to grab a drink, and she promised she would join me in a bit.
Getting to the bar was literally like going through hell.
Everyone was dancing so close to each other, and at some point, I swear I heard a moan.
Tell me now they've evolved to having sex right here in the bar in front of everyone?
After finally making it to the bar, I sat in an empty seat and ordered a drink.
I was so distracted that I didn't realize someone had sat next to me and was watching me.
I turned to look at him and found myself staring into a pair of gorgeous brown eyes.
He smiled at me and finally spoke.
"You must be Sienna," he said, and I looked at him in confusion.
"Yeah, and you are?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at his tone.
"Ero. I'm a friend of Miguel's. I saw you earlier and thought I'd introduce myself," he said.
I just smiled.
"I assume you're a friend of Rose?"
"Yeah, do you know her?" I asked, turning towards him.
"Yeah, I met her along with Miguel at Mrs. Bożena's daughter's wedding," he said, scanning me from head to toe before letting out a small chuckle.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked, taking a sip of my drink.
"You're a bit overdressed," he noted.
I locked eyes with him, smiling.
I got up from my seat and leaned closer. Placing one hand on his shoulder, I whispered in his ear:
"Just because I'm not wearing a short skirt and a crop top like the girls who fit your 'type' doesn't mean I'm overdressed, Ero," I said, feeling him take a deep breath.
His hand instinctively wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer.
I saw his eyes flicker to my lips before meeting my gaze.
"Why are you so sure that's my type?" he asked, tightening his grip on my waist.
"Easy. They're easy. Ready for any occasion. It doesn't surprise me," I said, stepping back. I downed my drink, grabbed another one, and started to leave.
"Where are you going, Sienna?" he asked, grabbing my shoulder.
I looked at him and gestured toward the dance floor.
He tilted his head back and laughed.
I bit my lip, taking in every angle of his face. He was breathtaking.
I walked away, letting the music take over.
"Hey" Rose said when she saw me.
"Rose!!!" I said, and I started dancing.
"Sorry I'm late," she said.
I just smiled at her.
She laughed and started dancing too.
There were a lot of people around me, but the best part was that no one seemed interested in dancing. Everyone had their phones and drinks in their hands, trying to look serious so they could find someone to have sex with.
So, I closed my eyes and raised my hands in the air, moving my hips and body in time with the rhythm of the music.
When I finished my drink, I set it on a table and continued.
You need to relax today.
You have work, Siena. Everything will be fine.
I began thinking, and immediately my mood improved.
Suddenly, I felt two hands wrap around my waist and pull me closer.
I turned, confused, and saw Ero looking at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a small smile playing on his beautiful, full lips.
I laughed and calmed down.
Today is your day, Siena.
Everything's fine. Nothing will happen.
He rested his head on my shoulder, and I felt him kiss me softly on the neck.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have let him, but it was just a kiss. Right?
Hours passed, and the alcohol started to affect me. I must have drunk a lot, and so did Eros.
"Princess, should we go somewhere else?" I heard him say, and I felt myself nodding in agreement.
He took my hand, and we went outside.
He unlocked his car and came toward me with a small smile on his lips. Once he got close, he leaned in to kiss me. I instinctively wrapped my arms around him and allowed him to put me in the car.
Once we were inside, without stopping to kiss me, he lifted me by my waist, and I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist.
His hands were gentle as they touched every part of my body.
Suddenly, I felt his strong hands unbuttoning my bra. He looked at me for a moment and lifted my shirt.
Before he could remove the already unbuttoned bra, I stopped him.
"Your turn to take off your shirt," I whispered in his ear.
"As you wish," he said, and took it off.
I wasn't surprised that his body was well-muscled, but I was surprised by the tattoo.
For some reason, I hadn't expected him to have one.
"Do you like what you see?" he asked.
I looked at him and kissed him passionately again.
Then, he removed my bra and threw it somewhere in the car, laughing.
When he started unzipping his pants, I stopped him.
"Condom," I said, as it was the alcohol talking, not me.
He pulled one from his pocket and showed it to me.