Authors note: This chapter is a little longer than the previous one, and it took a little bit more effort to develop, 'cause just like that saying, "Now, the plot thickens."
Hope you enjoy it.
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Part One
(Against the wall)
She was fuming, and just wanted to get home as fast as possible. He didn't even dare to say a word during the trip to drop her off. She was boiling and any little thing could make her lid pop.
He dropped her at the gate of the condo, and drove off. They didn't exchange goodbyes, not even a look, and that would be the last time they would see each other in person for a long time.
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She came into the condo, and found her father siting on the couch with a very serious face.
"Do you know what time it is, young lady?" his eyes were like needles piercing her skin.
"I'm sorry Dad, it won't happen again." she said with embarrassment and fear.
"You got that right. I forbid you to see that boy ever again." he warned her.
Her father was an experienced police investigator, and could read a face like an open book. So she knew there was no point in lying to him, but she was afraid of his reaction when he found out.
"Dad, I´m really sorry, I got myself in a mess, and now I don't know how I can get out." she fell down to her knees and with her hands over her face started sobbing. His heart sunk and he walked over to his little girl, and comforted her.
They sat on the couch and when she settled, he told her, "No matter what happens, you know I'll always love you. We're only human, and we make mistakes, but you have to tell me all the truth, so I can help you." his hand was caressing her rosy cheeks, and he now had a tender look in his eyes.
She felt the love, and that made her fear fade away, so she calmed herself and started to explain to him the chain of events that had brought her to tears.
"...Now he'll have to screw those women for money, yuck. Why did I fall in love with him. Why God, why?" she started to sob again.
While he listened to her, his face twisted from shock to daze and finally to anger, and he was going to act on it. He reassured her, "Don't worry I'm going to make sure he respects you."
"How are you gonna do that?" she was concerned.
"That's my business. Now I want you to stay away from him, until he man's up and asks my permission to marry you." he stood up and went to grab a coat from the closet.
"Now go get some sleep. If your mother asks you, I got called on a case." he said as he closed the door.
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He drove to his place, it was a two story white plywood house, in a quiet neighborhood.
He parked the silver SUV on the driveway, and went to knock on the door. "Police, open up!"
That shout made Zach jump out of bed. "What's going on?" he went downstairs to find out.
He saw the badge from the spyhole, and opened the door. "Good evening, officer..." and before he knew it, he was knocked out on the floor. April's father dragged him to the nearest bathroom, shoved his head into the toilet and flushed. That woke him up, but before he could say anything, he got slapped again and again.
"Stop it!" he managed to say in between slaps.
"Ok, I see I got your full attention." April's father was grabbing his collar.
"Mr. O'Neal?" he was recognizing his assaulter.
"You scumbag." he spat in his face, "What did my daughter ever see in you?"
"Look, now..." he tried to fight back.
"Shut up and listen." he pushed his finger to his lips, "Don't you think you can abuse my little girl and walk away." he was looking him straight in the eyes.
"I'm going to marry her..." he cried.
"Not without my permission, and for that to happen, you need to ask it officially, but since you already knocked her up, you better make it fast, so my family honor isn't tarnished." his face and eyes were bloody red, and veins were pulsating on his neck.
"I was going to set up a date to do that." he said as an excuse.
"You have till the end of the week to set the date. And as for that stupid bet, to payoff your gambling debt, I'll be watching you like a hawk. So you better not screw up." he gave him a hard head butt and left him curled up on the bathroom floor with a bloody nose.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he cursed holding his nose.
He cleaned himself, and managed to stop the bleeding. Then he went to the freezer to get an ice pack, which he took to his bedroom and fell asleep with it over his face.
When his mother came home from work the next morning she found him just like that, sound asleep with a plastic bag over his face. She thought about waking him up, and asking what had happened, but he sounded to be in a deep sleep and she would probably scare him, so she let him sleep it off and inquire later.
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He woke up around noon, with the sun high up in the bright blue sky, beaming like a laser through the melted ice in the pack. He tried to open his eyes, but the water acted like a magnifying glass and the liquid globes were like light bulbs all lit up. The bright light made him hide his head under the pillow and reached for the string to bring the shades down.
"Now, that's better." he mumbled and turned over the pillow.
He had finally had a good night's sleep, despite the beating he had taken. So it was with a fresh mind that he went to see the schedule for that day. He started his laptop and went to the bathroom to wash his face while it booted. Then he sat at the desk and browsed the web to find the escorts agency page. He logged in and saw his appointment.
It was then that he realized it was now April 4th, and he had to get one girl a day which left him no time to spare, there were 26 days left and 26 letters in the alphabet. So he tried to find a girl starting with B, to set up a date for the next day, and then continued with the other letters to try and finish out the month.
He was typing when his mother stopped by his door.
"Hello, good morning, or should I say, good afternoon." she smirked.
"Morning Mom." he looked over the lid of the laptop.
"It's lunch time, come down and get something to eat." she gestured.
"I'll be down in a sec. Just let me finish this." he tilted the lid a bit and smiled.
"Ok, but don't take too long." she smiled back and left.
He set up a couple of appointments, then closed the lid, and headed downstairs wearing just a t-shirt and boxers.
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"Hmmm, smells good, what's cookin'?" he said, entering the kitchen.
"Tortilla, it has everything that's healthy. Saw it in Jamie Oliver's show." she said, mixing the contents of the pan.
"Well, I'm starving so if it's healthy even better." he grabbed some oranges and started to make some juice. Then he settled at the table with his juice and waited for his meal. Finally she came over and set down a plate in front of him and another across the table.
