Illusory Love

6

Chapter 6

The next morning, Nelio drank his coffee hastily. He was sitting at the dinner table, his parents and his sister looking at him not knowing why the boy was in such a hurry.

"Why are you in a hurry, my son?" Mrs. Rosa asked him after she had seen her son swallowing down a huge piece of cake.

"I talked to Antony yesterday about my car. It's not working well and I told him I would take my car to his garage early in the morning," he explained.

"Nelio, can you give me a ride to Helena's home?" Lany asked, her mood better this morning. She was radiant.

"I think this isn't an appropriate time for anyone to go to visiting the house of others," her brother protested with disapproval.

"She is not 'others'...she is my friend," Lany said irritated and pressed her lips.

"I don't want you hanging around me!" he ordered and glanced away.

"What's the big deal for you to give me a ride?"

"It takes up my time," he confessed and exhaled deeply. Lany got on his nerves.

"Nelio, you will give your sister a ride" his father ordered, gazing to him.

"Lany can walk there. Helena does not live so far away," Nelio contended, gazing back to his father.

"You don't disobey my order!" Mr. Heitor said angrily and faced gravely his son.

Soon Nelio changed his mind. "Okay, I'll take her with me to the garage and from there she can walk to Helena's house," he said, feeling irritated another time.

"Excellent!" Lany said as she got up and went to her bedroom to wear appropriate clothes.

***

Moments later...

Nelio parked his car in front of his friend's garage. He and his sister got out of the car.

Antony heard the noise of an automobile engine and he knew that it must be his friend Nelio.

He stopped making the repairs on a vehicle and walked to his friend. He stopped short, however, as he had seen Lany and began to feel a little awkward.

"You are punctual!" Antony looked down at himself and noticed that he was all dirty with grease. Immediately he blushed.

"And I had to bring this 'Twat' with me," Nelio made a nodding motion towards his sister. She was standing right next to him.

Antony stared at Lany's face and he thought that his friend was being unfair to her.

"Hi!" she greeted him and her cheeks were red. She glanced to one side and remained soundless.

"Hi! You must excuse me. I'm all dirty," Antony commented and Lany gazed back at him.

"I've never seen a clean mechanic!" She said as a joke and smiled to him, forgetting her brother was between them.

"You are right!" Antony nodded and smiled at her, reinforcing her spirit of humor.

Lany loved his smile.

She gazed at the mechanic's chest, taking advantage of the opportunity now that he wasn't looking her way. He was shirtless and she could see the hard muscle beneath the fabric. On his lower half he was only wearing threadbare jeans and sneakers.

A thousand things moved through her mind and some sensations through her body, making her shudder from head to foot.

She tried to fight against her own feelings, but it was impossible, Antony had already dominated her insane thoughts.

"Lany... What are you waiting for?" Nelio asked her after seeing that she was not moving. "Go. Walk to your friend's house!"

"I'm going. ..." She said and walked to the street, without saying goodbye to either of the boys.

Antony looked at her as she was walking with her back to him. Lany was wearing on her body a flower - printed dress that moved in rhythm to her movements.

It was a fascinating image before Antony's eyes.

The mechanic looked away and stopped gazing her movements, and then he went to see his friend's car. Antony was at his side reporting the failure of his friend's automobile.