Sold #2 - A Desperate Love

Chapter 17

Paul was surprised to see one of his closest and best friends, Michael with a girl in his arms when he walked into Ben's house. It was true that the last time they had seen each other in person it had been almost six months ago when Keiko was born but they kept in touch with regular phone calls and he couldn't remember hearing about any girl other than Georgina. And even then it hadn't been good news. She had called him in some sort of drunken state, saying that her latest boyfriend had broken up with her and she needed someone to talk to. But instead of asking for a shoulder to cry on, even though Michael had insisted that what they had and even their friendship had been over for years, she had gone on to criticise him for ruining her life and she claimed that she wouldn't have the problems that she had if he hadn't broken up with her and denied her the fame and fortune of his business. It had bothered him so much that he'd called him up in the middle of the night, feeling guilty and wondering if he should go visit her in Milan so she wasn't alone and wouldn't have the chance to do anything stupid. And yet, looking at him then, he was more than a little relieved to find him laughing and smiling with the girl in his arms, looking more in love than he ever had in his life. "So, Mike it's been a while...who's the hot chick?" Paul asked, trying to be as friendly as possible in the unfriendly atmosphere he had detected almost immediately from the look on Ben's face as he'd opened the front door. He'd seemed quietly confused about something, as though not sure what to make of the circumstances he found himself in and now that Paul could see just what those circumstances were, he was better able to understand his confusion. And yet, he was glad to see that, although the room hushed to silence on his words, Michael seemed more than happy with them, beaming as he glanced down at the girl in his arms and introduced them to each other.

"This is Darcy." He smiled, his voice turning softer and much more understanding as he gazed down at his sweet girl, nodding up to their new companion as he followed through on the introductions. "Darling, this is Paul...Paul Vittorio. Remember I told you about him?" Michael wanted to make sure that Darcy made the connection quickly so that he could control her reaction over the news and not leave her to find out from someone else later and put her in an awkward situation.

"Paul...the same Paul who took care of you after the accident?" She wondered with a curious frown that made him smile as he nodded, glancing over at the man in question silently, unsure of what to say to someone who had ultimately saved her fiancé's life, however long ago it had been and regardless of the fact that she had been nowhere near being in his life at the time. That was inconsequential now.

"Now honey, it's not like I fed him soup and changed his bandages." Paul laughed in protest, stirring a soft smile from her though he could sense a sadness behind it as Michael watched her carefully, as if waiting for some kind of reaction to the reminder. "I just saved his ass from getting crushed into a two by two frame. I ain't no hero, I just didn't fancy cleaning up the mess if he managed to get himself smashed in. I was already late for a date with a very hot, very ready brunette...I wasn't planning on hanging around while the ambulance guys cut him outta the taxi." He joked, his gently laughter dying down as the smile fell from the girl's lips and she turned into their friend, snuggling in as he held a hand up, asking him to stop in his words of torment. He felt as though his humour was unappreciated and could only sense that something much more than he had guessed had occurred in the short time he'd missed. "Did I say something wrong?"

"It's just a sensitive subject." Michael sighed, taking a moment to hold his sweet girl while Ben brought a drink to his new guest, the room still silently wondering what was going to happen now that they had one unwelcome guest and a dinner to get through, pretending they felt happy about an engagement none of them approved of, though it was evident that Paul was still oblivious to it all.

"So come on mate...tell us where you found this little flower." Paul coaxed, glad for the smile that his best friend displayed upon hearing his words, glancing up at him with a tremor of uncertainty that gave him time to make continuous pleas for information. "Well? Is it some big secret? Don't tell me...you found the fountain of youth and you're about to become the luckiest bastard on the planet with a hot chick that'll always be hot? Come on, you can tell your old pal. It is, isn't it?" He teased tormentingly, making Darcy stare up at him in wonder, wishing all of Michael's friends had been capable of the same laughable, tormenting questioning that seemed to come to their friend naturally, instead of being argumentative and judgemental over something that was none of their business.