Out of Reality

Chapter nine

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**Chapter Title: Unspoken Boundaries**

I had informed Mother that it was impossible to take any breaks due to the exams I needed to complete. Truth be told, I didn't care if she believed me or not; I was indifferent to what she or Father thought of me. I was fed up with their absurd expectations. They needed to understand the boundaries.

That night marked the first time I confided in Sam about the arranged marriage. I was certain she wasn't surprised; she was well-acquainted with my strict parents.

"Elsa!" Sam's voice echoed from the living room. "It's Leon Ricardo!"

Her words reverberated around the room. "I'm heading to the bathroom; you can answer."

Of course, I wasn’t, but knowing how much she liked him, I thought it would be better if they talked. From the bathroom, I could sense her excitement, which was difficult to manage, especially when it involved that man. I was happy for her, and perhaps this was the best way to create some distance between Leon and me.

"Okay, Bye! Aaaaaaaa!" "What happened?" I asked, smiling. "Leon said bye sweetie to me, he called me sweetie!" It delighted me to see her smile like that.

"What did he say?" I inquired for more details.

"Well, he asked us to deliver the portrait." I was puzzled.

"So, is he coming here?" My question prompted an "are you serious?" look from her.

"Haha, of course not, Elsa. We will go to him." "Where, when?" I dreaded hearing an odd location and a late meeting hour. "Tomorrow night, at a club, I guess." That was enough! I couldn't go to clubs; they were all traps set by the devil, and I wouldn't fall into his snare.

"Sam, I won't go there, and it would be better if you didn't either." I expected an insistent response, but instead, I got something different. "You are right; we can't go there, and he was the one who asked for a favor, right?" I was thrilled to hear that from her; perhaps it was due to the night prayer we had. "And we need to focus more on our prayers!" She smiled at me.

The next day, we attended our seminar. I wasn't feeling well due to period cramps. Sam was nowhere to be found, which wasn’t unusual. I was accustomed to Sam disappearing for a while and then reappearing out of nowhere. My phone started ringing; as I suspected, it was Leon. He probably wanted to ask about tonight. Taking a deep breath, I answered the phone. "Hello!" I said in a calming voice. "Elsa, how are you?" He sounded excited. "I'm fine, thank you! What about you?" I tried to move to a quieter place. "Me too. Thank you for my brother's portrait; he is an art enthusiast, and I am sure he will love it." I was elated to hear those words; in my earlier years, no one appreciated my work, so I left it as a dream or painted just for myself. "Leon, I can't come to a club." "You mean tonight?" "Tonight or any other night, I can't allow myself to go out late and visit clubs; it's just not me." There was a moment of silence before he responded, "I understand. But I really can't go out; I have a lot of work to do." "Maybe you could send your driver." I thought my idea was quite good. "Okay, but I want you to come along so we can have dinner at my house." Was he inviting me to his house for dinner? "Dinner?" "Yes, you and Sam; consider it a thank you." I wasn't sure how to respond; if I declined, I might hurt his feelings, and the fact that he invited both me and Sam was a good sign. "I'm not sure; you don't have to feel like you owe me anything." He laughed. "I would be really happy to see you."

**Leon's Perspective:**
I had been thinking of this girl since the first day I saw her. Those beautiful big brown eyes were stuck in my mind, her tears sparkling like crystals, her skin softer than cotton, her scent like the most beautiful flowers on earth. What was wrong with me? I didn't know why I was so eager to touch her that she even frequented my dreams. Damn it! In my earlier life, I used to date older women because of their hot appearance, to better fulfill my needs. Their dominant presence felt good. I never got emotional with any of them. I really hoped that wouldn’t change, or else I might end up like Theodore.

I had asked my servants for the best preparation they could manage. Theodore came home early, which wasn’t part of my plan; I knew how much he hated Elsa's friend, which is why I hadn’t told him anything about the dinner. "Smells like a dinner night for a special guest, Leon. Who's the lucky girl?" I was too excited to hesitate in saying her name.

"Elsa..." "Oh, the painter; she’s here for my portrait, right?" Theodore seemed to like her after he saw my portrait. Every woman I introduced to him had failed to make a significant impression.

"Actually, they will be here." He gave me that deadly look I hadn’t seen in a while. Suddenly, one of my servants interrupted.

"Mr. Ricardo, your guests are here."

"Let them in!" Theodore was about to kill me, and honestly, I had no idea what could happen if he joined us tonight. I felt like an excited teenager. What a shame.

"Leon, tell me you didn't invite that bitch over." "Come on, Theo, Elsa obviously wouldn’t come here alone; I had no other choice. Please don’t ruin this."

"Screw you!" I heard footsteps and turned around immediately to see the most beautiful girl standing right in front of me. She was wearing a cute pink outfit that suited her perfectly. Oh damn, how beautiful her long hair looked; my fingers itched to touch it. I walked towards her, looking right into her eyes.

"Hello!" She said in a sweet voice, raising her right hand. I took her hand and kissed it. I could see how red her cheeks were. "Samantha!" I turned to her friend, trying to be welcoming to both of them. Theodore greeted Elsa and took his portrait while I led Samantha inside, avoiding any interaction she might have with Theo.

**Elsa's Perspective:**
Leon walked beside Sam, leading the way, while Theodore and I engaged in a brief conversation. I was surprised by his extensive knowledge of art, but when I asked about his personal experience with painting, he admitted he wasn't very good at it. "I used to draw cartoons a lot as a kid, especially Ben 10; I was obsessed with that character, and that's all I managed to paint." For the first time, I felt comfortable talking to him, and to be honest, I really enjoyed it. "Haha, I totally understand; I was obsessed with Winx Club too."

We sat down at the table, trying to match their perfect posture. The table was laden with various dishes accompanied by cute orchid flowers. Everything smelled incredibly delicious, which surprised me. I expected a small plate of spaghetti with a microscopic dessert, like the kind of meal rich people usually have in fancy restaurants. Leon sat next to Theodore, giving him strange looks; I wondered what was bothering them so much.

"I heard your new song, Leo, it's really beautiful." Sam broke the silence by mentioning his new song.

"Leo?" Theodore asked with an ironic smile. Sam was about to respond, but I held her hand tightly. The tension between the two was palpable, like a volcano ready to erupt.

"Thank you, Sam; I'm glad you like it!" Leon acted all nice and normal, mostly ignoring Theodore. Actually, Sam seemed to be having a great time with Leon. They had over three glasses of wine; Sam was completely out of her mind. They laughed and gossiped about some rappers, I guess. I felt out of place and barely spoke. "OMG! You have it here?" Sam screamed right in my ear. I hated her when she was drunk, and I hated that she broke her promise. Theodore turned to Leon, ready to say something. "Why don't you show her, Leon, or do you not trust crazy fans?" Leon looked pissed. "Sure, Elsa, would you like to come too?" I wasn't sure how to respond, but before I could, Theodore interjected,

"Oh, don't worry about Elsa, I will show her something." He raised his hand towards me.

"Come on, Elsa, let's go." Leon looked mad; maybe he wanted me to go with him instead.

"I'm sure she is as curious as Sam, right, Elsa?" Theodore awaited my answer.

"I'm sure she is not; it is pretty obvious, right?" Theodore was right; I barely understood anything they said, so maybe we would see his portrait. "Okay, Theodore, let's go." He took my hand, leaving Leon with an angry expression.