It was all too much for Lila.
***
In the morning, John called his private investigator and asked him to find Lila. Within hours he knew about the money being withdrawn, but this didn’t help them find her now. The big house was empty and it felt strange being there. John couldn’t bear the silence. He went to work and pretended nothing was going on.
But over the next few days, everything was far from fine.
Every night, he came home to the same dark house.
There was no word from Lila; her phone had been switched off. He kept calling and leaving messages but she didn’t return them. The private investigator had come to a dead end. He had found out that Lila had checked into a local hotel for two nights, but then she had checked out. There was no sign of her now. John called everyone he could think of but nobody knew where Lila was.
The thought that he might not be able to find her was terrifying. Now that he knew how happy he could be, he was not prepared to let it slip away. His feelings for Lila were real, he knew that too.
The marriage had long ago stopped being convenient. He loved her now, as a man loved a woman. He wanted her by his side. He didn’t care about Bjorn. If he had to pay off the man, then so be it. He wished he could explain all this to Lila, but she had completely disappeared.
One evening, he went to see Barb. He had called her every day for the past week and she had been nice enough to him over the phone. But she didn’t know anything.
He didn’t feel like going home and wanted to talk to someone about Lila. He parked outside the old apartment building where Lila had lived for so long and felt a pang of heartbreak. How he longed for those days in the beginning, when he had just met Lila and everything was still so tender between them.
He walked up the stairs to Barb’s flat with a heavy heart. Only as he got to the door, did he see that it had been kicked in.
“Barb? Are you okay?” John pushed the door in. The apartment was a mess; chairs had been turned over, pictures hung skew on the walls. He spotted Barb lying on the floor and rushed over to her. There was blood on her face and she was unconscious. He helped carry her to the sofa and covered her with a blanket. Then he called the police.
Her eyelids fluttered open. “John?”
“Who did this to you, Barb?” he asked, gently.
“Bjorn,” she whispered. “He came over, wanted to know where Lila was. He went crazy.”
She told John that Bjorn couldn’t accept that Lila had gone away without telling him.
Then she said, “That bastard has ruined her life.”
John nodded. “This will finish him. The police will be able to put him away for a long time now. Battering an old lady… no judge will like that.”
She said, “Listen John, Lila did call me this morning. I didn’t tell Bjorn, but she is planning on leaving the city.”
“She wants to leave me?” John asked.
“She isn’t thinking straight. She is so scared, she just wants to get away. She talked about flying back home to Albany, to the farm where she grew up.”
John said, “I thought she didn’t have contact with her mother anymore?”
Barb nodded, “She doesn’t. But she wants to go somewhere far away and she figured Bjorn wouldn’t find her there.” She added, “I think she believes that you won’t want her back after all this and that it would be better for her to go away quietly.”
John said, “That is the last thing I want!”
Barb said, “Then you have to stop her from getting on that plane.”
As soon as the police arrived to take Barb’s statement, John rushed off to the airport. He didn’t know exactly what time Lila’s plane left but he had to try to prevent her from leaving. Barb only knew that Lila had said her plane left in the evening. It was late afternoon now and he hoped he wasn’t too late.
There was so much traffic on the road on the way to the airport. He couldn’t bear the thought that she might have left already. As soon as he got to the airport, he parked in the first available space and ran all the way to the departure lounges. He looked up at the information boards and saw that there was a flight to Albany in one hour’s time. He looked for the number of the gate and ran all the way to the nearest security gate.
By the time he got to the gate, his chest was burning and his shirt was soaked in sweat. There was an announcement that the plane to Albany was open for boarding.
John couldn’t go through security without a ticket. Airport security was very strict and he knew he couldn’t risk running through the line of guards. But he stood in the queue and when he got to the front of the line, he prayed that the guard was in a good mood.
“The love of my life is about to leave on that plane,” he said, pointing at the row of passengers getting ready to board the plane. “I just need to stop her from going.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” said the guard. “I can’t let you pass without a ticket.”
Behind him, there was a commotion with a passenger setting off the metal detector. The guard’s attention was distracted and he quickly slipped away, ducking into the crowd and running for the gate.
Behind him he heard the security calling out to him to stop but he ran towards the boarding gate, shouting “Lila! Lila!”
Before he could get there, the security guards had jumped him, pushing him to the ground and disabling him. They had his arms pinned behind his back, and he couldn’t move.
“John?”
He twisted his head, painfully, to see Lila standing in front of him. Rosie stood behind her. She dropped her luggage and leaned down towards him. The security guards let go of him and stood back.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“Don’t go, please don’t go,” John said, basically begging her. “I am so sorry about everything that happened at the house, but please, don’t leave me.”
“What about Bjorn?” she asked.
John told her that Bjorn was about to be arrested for attacking Barb.
“Is she okay?” she asked.
He assured her that she was.
“But if all of this gets out into the media?” she looked around. “It will you know, it won’t look good for you?”
“I don’t care about any of that nonsense,” John said, looking deep into her eyes. “I care only about you and Rosie now. I need you by my side, Lila. I can’t be without you anymore. I love you.” He kissed her then and didn’t let go until he felt her kissing him back.
He motioned at Rosie to come over, hugging her too. “You guys are my family now.”
Lila couldn’t believe her ears. She was so sure that John would have been disgusted by what had happened with Bjorn. She thought he would want a divorce and get as far from her as possible. She had brought Bjorn into John’s life after all, letting him get his greedy paws on John and the money he had worked so hard for.
The security guards escorted them back to the main airport lobby and left them there, once they were assured of the fact that John wouldn’t cause any more trouble.
“I don’t know,” Lila said slowly. “What about Bjorn?”
“He will never hurt you again,” John said. “And I will not let him come near you guys. Even if I have to get three guards to protect the property.”
Lila was still unsure.
John stopped walking and took her hand. “These past few month, were you not happy?”
Lila nodded. “Yes, but…”
John said, “What happened the other night was life—messy, dirty life. And I tried to protect you guys the only way I know how. But I see that I scared you.”
Tears ran down Lila’s face. He touched her face, gently wiping away her tears.
“I promise I will never scare you again.”
She tried to smile.
“I am not perfect, Lila, I know that. But I’ll try. For you, if you will come back home.”
Then Lila knew that he really loved her, the way that she loved him, witho
ut caring what it looked like to anyone. It was a love that would not be denied. She put her arms around his neck buried her face in his shirt.
“Oh, John, I have missed you.” John smiled tenderly at him, “My darling Lila, I missed you more.”
Behind them, Rosie rolled her eyes. “You guys are SO embarrassing.” The three of them burst out laughing. John put his arms around Lila and Rosie and said, “Let’s go home, guys.”
*****
THE END
Soccer Billionaire’s Showbiz Bride
Neil Robbins stood on the sidelines, watching as his teammates passed the ball around, trying to win this year’s MLS Cup in the final game of the season. He had been playing soccer all his life, but now, at the age of thirty-five, it was finally time for him to retire. When he was younger, he was one of the best strikers in the league, but now it was a miracle if he ever got a hat-trick. His younger teammates were quickly surpassing him and his coach rarely even put him on the field anymore. His biggest fear now was being forgotten, outshone by someone younger, someone better.
He was carefully observing the game, now near its end. His team was up by one. All they had to do was stall for another five minutes and the cup would be theirs. He bit the corner of his thin lips while running his fingers through his light blonde hair, his anxiety growing as his teammates lined up to block a free kick.
“Come on…” Neil mumbled under his breath, praying that the Chicago Fire captain would miss the shot. “Block it…” he urged, getting closer to the field, his heart racing.
Then everything happened in a blur. The rival player stepped back and kicked the ball with all his might. It curled viciously, heading straight for the goal. Time seemed to slow down as players on both sides jumped up, trying to deflect it. Suddenly, there was a loud groan and when Neil finally realized what had happened, a large smile spread across his face. Their goalkeeper had saved it!
The rest of the time ebbed away quickly and, soon enough, LA Galaxy were the new champs. His team rushed into the middle of the field, celebrating their victory—a victory they had attained without Neil’s help.
By the end of the day, he was feeling a little glum, knowing his career was coming to an end. His team no longer seemed to need him. Coming out of the locker room, now changed into casual attire, he ran into his agent.
“Congrats,” he said, patting Neil on the shoulder.
“What for?” replied Neil. “I don’t deserve any praise; I had nothing to do with the win tonight.” He let out a loud sigh and sat down with his hands on his knees, looking exasperated. “Do you think I’m getting old?”
“You want the truth, I guess? Why, are you thinking about retiring or something?” the agent asked, knowing it was a rhetorical question. The man was at the end of his soccer career and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.
“No,” he said, then paused and ran his fingers through his hair. “Not entirely. I just don’t want to be another soccer player who gets forgotten. I want to be remembered.”
“Don’t you think it’d be best if you just took it easy? Maybe find yourself a wife, settle down, enjoy life while you still can?” said his agent as he sat down beside him, trying to make him realize that he couldn’t be a superstar forever.
“No,” said Neil vehemently, shaking his head. “I won’t stand for it.” Ironically, he stood up. “There has to be a way for me to get back on TV! I want to be on television screens everywhere, watched by millions of people worldwide.”
“The only way to do that would be through reality TV,” the agent explained. “That seems to be the only thing that captures people’s attention nowadays. MTV and TLC are growing a huge fan base because people want to see what it’s like to live in someone else’s shoes, be it someone from Jersey Shore or The Little Couple.”
“You want me to be on reality TV?” Neil asked, thinking the idea was crazy. What did his life have to offer to the general public?
“It might be your only option.”
Neil thought it over.
“And you think it’ll get me back in the spotlight?”
“As long as the ratings are good, yes,” said his agent, trying to reassure him. The washed-up soccer player still wasn’t convinced. But what choice did he have? It was either that or nothing at all.
“Alright then, make it happen,” he said. He left the stadium, knowing it would probably be the last time he entered one as a professional sportsman.
***
“Guadalupe, you have to listen to me. He’s no good for you.” With blazing lights flashing down on her beautiful caramel-colored skin, Amber Riveria dramatically whipped her long, black hair over her shoulder. “He’s just going to use you. Why can’t you see that?” she continued, her large, pink lips pursed into a well-measured pout. “No good, no good at all.” She huffed and walked away from the brunette who sobbed into a tissue, tears streaming down her face.
“But I love him!” the girl exclaimed, finally getting up and walking after her. “He’s the man of my dreams! He makes my heart beat like no one else. I don’t care if it’s wrong—I need to be with him.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake! Are you kidding me? The guy’s a total ass.”
“Cut!” The director barked, shaking his head angrily and waving his arms back and forth to stop the take. “What the hell was that?”
“What? You didn’t like my acting?” Amber asked. She placed a hand on her hip, before raising a well-groomed eyebrow in the man’s direction. “I’m sorry, but I’m just keeping things real here. No one wants to hear about how much she loves this guy. What they really want is for her to catch him cheating on her so they can get into a catfight. That’s what people are looking for in a show nowadays.”
“Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?” The director asked, his face turning red.
Amber just smirked, her pink lips curling ever so slightly. “As a matter of fact, I am,” she said. Now both of her hands were on her hips. She maintained her stance as she challenged the balding man before her.
“I don’t want to hear it. Now go on that stage and say your lines,” he said. The corner of his mouth was frothing with saliva as he worked himself into frenzy. “I don’t want to hear another errant word out of you, Miss Riveria, got that?”
“Got it,” Amber said, her charcoal-colored eyes burning with an acute stubbornness. She walked back on stage, letting her high-heeled pumps click against the ground. She approached the brunette who almost instantly began crying once more, trying to do everything by the book.
“Guadeloupe, you have to listen to me. This guy isn’t worth your time. He’s running around, fucking every Maria in town. It’s just a matter of time before he screws you over. You’d be smart to mark my words, because when he finally does break your heart, I won’t be here to comfort you.” She grinned, turning on her heels and staring at the director, whose face was now a bright shade of red.
“Cut!” he screamed again, his dark beady eyes nearly popping out of his head. “What the hell was that? I told you to say your lines, not to improvise. This is a telenovela-based movie, not some radical feminist project. I’m going to give you one more shot, but if you continue to mess this up, you’ll need to leave.”
“No, I can’t. No one wants to watch some stupid telenovela. They’re predictable and boring. Let’s get some real talk in there, make things interesting,” she said, challenging him, unafraid of losing her role in the movie.
“Get out.” His voice had a deadly chill as he pointed to the exit.
“Fine,” Amber said, holding her head high and jutting out her chest as if it didn’t affect her at all. It was only when she stepped out into the hot, LA atmosphere that it finally hit her. She had once again blown her shot at a perfectly acceptable job because of her big mouth. She clenched her fists by her side, about to go back in there and demand to be reconsidered when her phone chirped with a text message.
It was her landlord. Knowing she hadn’t paid her rent for
the last three months, she dreaded reading the message, her throat going dry with the thought of what it might say. She leaned against a wall and took a deep breath before finally looking at her phone.
Amber,
It has come to my attention that you have fallen quite a bit behind on your rent. I have tried to stay lenient with you these last three months, but enough is enough. I’m afraid I have to ask you to move. Consider this your thirty-day eviction notice. I’m sorry it had to come to this.
Jake.
Amber ground her teeth. She knew it had been coming but she still didn’t want to face it now that it had arrived. Distressed, she turned to the only person that could help her in such a situation. She quickly dialed a number and stepped into a nearby alleyway pacing back and forth, while she waited for someone to pick up.
“Pam!” she exclaimed, the moment her agent answered the phone. “Pam, I need your help.” Amber could hear the humility in her own voice.
“What happened this time?” her agent asked, exasperated.
“Well, I just blew the audition for the telenovela movie. These people have no idea about quality entertainment!” said Amber, gritting her teeth. “And I just got evicted from my home so I’m kind of in a financial crisis, if you didn’t already pick up on that.” Amber’s cheeks turned red when she admitted her failure.
“Again?” Pam’s voice was drawn-out and low as if she were getting irritated. “You cannot keep doing this, Amber. You really need to change your ways if you want to make it in this business.”
“Look, I just need another chance. That’s it. I promise I won’t blow it this time,” Amber replied. With the thought of losing her home, she felt herself growing desperate.
“Amber, you have too many hang-ups. This town will never take so much attitude from a nobody,” said Pam, trying to reason with Amber.
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