Someone’s Someone

by Curious Girl

I've always been someone's someone. I will always be known as the sister of. The sister of the wonder child; the sister of the Nobel prize laureate; the sister of Princess Anastasia of Romanov; the sister of the next Queen of England; the sister of the Olympian... and the daughter of Troy and Gabriella Bolton. But I am so much more. I am Josephine Bolton.

7. Chapter 7

Oliver

I wake up first the next morning to what feels like paradise. I've never slept better. Not just because of the amazing sex we had but also because of the amazing bed we slept in. I open my eyes and stare through the floor-to-ceiling windows that make up the back wall of Josephine's bedroom. The sun is just starting to rise but the play of colours is breathtaking. Pastel lilacs, pinks, oranges and reds fill the whole room. It almost looks like the room is an extension of the sunrise.

No wonder Josephine didn't want to paint the walls in her bedroom in bright colours. The London Eye sparkles on the other side of the Thames. The Elizabeth Tower with Big Ben and the parliament is to my right. The lightning is just gorgeous!

This can't be real. It's too beautiful to be real.

I look to my left and stare at a sight that's even more beautiful. Especially in the lightning, Josephine Bolton looks like an angel sent from heaven. Her chestnut waves are spread all over the white pillow she's sleeping on. She stayed on the other side of the bed the whole night like there's some invisibly wall between us. The white bedding has to be expensive because it's so soft that I don't want to leave the bed.

I don't want to leave her.

Josephine looks so peaceful and breathtaking as she's still asleep next to me. She's sleeping on her stomach and her head is turned to me but her eyelids are still closed. She washed off all the makeup she wore last night and even gave me the right sink to use and a toothbrush to brush my teeth. She pushed me away last night only to hold on to me even closer afterwards. The sex in the shower was amazing but the sex that followed in this very same bed was breathtaking. We fucked, we fucked hard and then... then we made love. It was sensual and slow but not less passionate and definitely not bad. It was even better than the rough fucking in that shower. The way she touched me, the way she ran her hands down my abs and the way she kissed me... my whole body was on fire. I've never felt like this before.

She's the only woman I've ever felt so connected to.

Which is strange because I don't know her but at the same time I feel like I've known her all my life. We danced to our heartbeats twice. We kiss with a kind of hunger I've never felt before. And we made love until we exploded and it felt like we lit up in white hot flames. This connection... this connection that goes beyond my comprehension... there's no way in 14 weeks we will end this. I already want more and I know she does as well.

I know Josephine felt the same way as me. I saw it in her eyes, I heard it in her voice and I felt it from her touch.

She's just hesitant.

Suddenly, Josephine stirs in the bed. She yawns with her closed eyes before stretching her limbs. It's fascinating to watch how she slowly wakes up. Then she opens her eyes and reveals her sky blue orbs, which glow in a navy colour whenever we're kissing or fucking. A grin washes over her face as she sees me. "Good morning." She greets me.

It's a bloody good morning. "Good morning." I whisper back. I can't believe this woman is real. She's too beautiful to be alive.

Suddenly, Josephine lifts herself in the bed and kisses me softly. "I'm glad you stayed."

I don't know who fucked her up so badly. I fondle her left cheek and feel her soft skin underneath my fingers. This woman deserves to be cherished all her life. "I told you I'm not like all these other men you've bedded here."

"You're the first man I've allowed into my home." She whispers back. "All the other men... I used the Ritz for those kind of occasions but you didn't accept my offer. You were the first man to turn me down."

"I didn't turn you down. I turned the offer down." I clarify. "Because I want more and I feel like we deserve more."

"There's no us."

"For 14 weeks there will be an us."

She sighs before straddling me. "Well, that then better mean morning sex."

I chuckle and cup her face. I stare at her smile, at this flawless face and her sky blue eyes. Her long chestnut waves glow with golden undertones. She has a perfectly symmetrical face with dimples. She's too beautiful to be true. Especially in this morning light. With all these pink tones filling the room, she looks breathtaking. My heart skips a few beats at her sight.

This feels like a dream.

"Why are you staring at me like this?" She whispers after five minutes of staring back at me.

"You're beautiful." I whisper the first thought that comes to my mind.

She chuckles as if I made a joke, "I have knots in my hair and dragon morning breath. I'm far from beautiful. But let's talk about that in an hour again when I've showered, got dressed and put on makeup - that's when I agree with you."

I brush through her hair that's totally free of knots. Instead it feels like my fingers glide through chestnut coloured silk. "No, you're beautiful right now."

She shakes her head with a giggle and rubs her nose against mine, "Shut up and fuck me."

Josephine

Freshly showered and wrapped into my favourite light grey cotton morning gown, I walk down the hardwood floored hallway that leads to my open living area. I must admit, morning sex - and the shower together afterwards - does have some advantages. I feel balanced, peaceful and ready to take on the whole world before six am! It's bloody amazing!

The sound of grinding coffee fills my ears and I stop as I see Oliver standing in my open polished walnut kitchen with white marbled countertops. The Thames is in front of him. It's a cloudless sunny day. He's dressed in the same clothes as yesterday. A dark denim and a navy lumberjack shirt.

And he's making coffee in my Faema E61 Legend stainless steel espresso machine.

The sight makes me weirdly happy and excited.

"You're a God!" I breathe out without thinking.

He stirs and turns around, "I'm sorry?" He asks confused. In his hand he's holding a stainless steel frothing pitcher. He made two cups. One black and the other one is a cappuccino with latte art made with the frothed milk.

"I'm a coffee addict so I very much appreciate your work." I explain as I walk over to him.

He shows me a smile that makes my heart almost jump in my rip cage before turning around again. I stop next to him and stare at the wide cappuccino mug that's filled with a swan. He made a freaking swan from frothed milk!

"Wow, that's really good." I breathe out as I stare at the swan.

"Thank you. I would have made you one as well but I know you drink your coffee black."

"Not anymore." I decide and pick up his cappuccino. "It's almost too beautiful to destroy. Where did you learn that?"

"Luigi."

"He taught you that?" I ask surprised before taking a sip. Coffee has never tasted better!

"Yes. And I find it easier with almond milk than full fat milk." He explains before getting another wide cappuccino cup from one of my glass hanging cupboards and before pouring the espresso into it. "Do you have a favourite animal?" He asks me before hammering the frothing pitcher against the white marble countertops lightly to get air out of the frothed almond milk.

"Cats. My sister has two white Persian cats. They're to die for! I love them as much as Zeus, our English Springer Spaniel that's living with my parents."

He nods and starts pouring the milk into the cup very slowly, "Why don't you get cats for yourself? I mean you have the space for at least four of them."

"I don't know. I thought about getting a pair of siblings like my sister did but then I remind myself that I'm constantly working or travelling. It wouldn't be good to leave them alone most of the day. If I get an animal or more, I want to really take care of it. And Persian cats are a lot of work! They need grooming daily, cuddling time, play time... love. I can't give what I don't have."

He stops pouring in the milk and picks up a toothpick. But to my surprise he looks at me instead of continuing with his work. "You don't think you can love?"

And just like that, he throws a bomb into a room I didn't saw coming. "I..." I lick my lips. How does he do that? He looks straight through the mask and into my fragile core that not even my family knows about. "I don't think having cats is a good idea right now." I answer instead.

He looks down at the cappuccino cup as he starts dragging the toothpick through the foam, "Well maybe you should open yourself up to the idea of having cats around here. They can make you feel safe and sound. They can change your perspective on life and what's important." He says casually as he continues working on the latte art.

"I like my life without cats." I say and place the cappuccino mug with the destroyed swan back on the white marbled countertop.

"You can't really say that unless you've had them." He disagrees with me before looking up again. "I'm done. Enjoy your cappuccino."

I look down at the cup and see the perfect face of a Persian cat! The cat has a flat face with real eyes and long fur... and a tiny flat nose... and whiskers! The ears have that typical pointy shape which Persian cats have. It looks stunning! Like a photo rather than milk foam on a cappuccino. "Wow... that's so detailed." I breathe out amazed by his skills.

"It's not my best work."

"Are you kidding me?! This is amazing!" I say before looking up. "Thank you very much."

"Anytime." He says mirroring my genuine smile. "Wait, you have a milk moustache from my cappuccino." He smirks before wiping away my the milk foam from my upper lip.

The touch goes straight to my bones. A tingling sensation runs through my body. The sensation increases in strength until there's a raging inferno inside of me again. It's the same inferno that kept us up all night.

I grab his hand and intertwine our fingers. "Maybe I'll think about getting a cat."

"Good."

"Good." I echo before taking a sip out of my cappuccino. "But only if you make me a cappuccino like this every morning."

He frowns at my words, "Are you asking me to move in with you?"

I guess I am. I didn't really think of it that way. "See it as a temporary change of scenery. Luigi's is closer to this place and the same goes for the pub in Covent Garden and the souvenir shop which I guess is somewhere around Buckingham Palace. Your walks to work decrease in length and therefore time significantly. That means more time for sex with me."

"You mean more times for dates." He corrects me.

"Yes that as well - if you have to insist."

"I do." He says with a grin on his lips.

I return his grin and feel how my heart rate increases. "So? What do you say?"

"I need to go home today and grab some stuff then."

"No. Leave that to me."

He narrows his pine green eyes at me, "You won't buy me any clothes or toiletries, Josephine."

"I already gave you a toothbrush. You didn't argue with that!"

"Because it's a necessity."

"Clothes are as well!"

"Josephine, I can't take that."

"You're getting a week more if you let me buy clothes for you."

"A week?" He asks me with raised eyebrows. "Is that how we're negotiating now? What do I have to do to get a month longer?"

I lick my lips, "A flat maybe?" I ask back. He could keep that as an investment after we finish our agreement. I know that the flats in London increase in value almost daily.

"A flat?!" He asks back shocked. "No, a flat is worth a year at least and nothing less!"

"A bloody year?" He can't be serious! There is no way I will share my home with him for a year!

"Yes. But we can start with a week for a full new wardrobe if you really want to." He compromises. "Okay?"

I sigh, "Okay." I give in. He really needs some clothes without holes, shoes that don't fall apart and a suit that fits his body shape. 15 weeks instead of 14 but at least I get to buy him some new clothes. Clothes that actually fit his body shape, don't have any holes in it and highlight him instead of hide him. It's a fair compromise. "When does your shift end at the pub?"

"One in the night."

"I'll pick you up."

"You don't have to-"

"I know. But I want to get my Aston Martin out. Told Greg to bring him out more often."

"Him? Your Aston Martin has a gender?"

"Of course. All of my cars do. Martin is a male name so it's a him."

"And you call me sexist. Aston could be unisex name."

I giggle, "Whatever."

"How many cars do you own?"

"Four. The silver Aston Martin, a white Tesla, a navy Range Rover and a black Jaguar."

Oliver's eyes widen, "Four?! Why would you need four cars?"

"The Aston is for racing with my brother, the Tesla and the Jaguar are for in the city trips and the Range Rover is for longer trips like to Dover where I go horseback riding or Swansea where we own a beach house. Oh and for shopping trips with my sisters." Not that we've been shopping lately. Rory's busy breeding triplets, Char's busy planning her wedding and Ana is busy with the Academy.

"You go horseback riding?"

I nod, "I used to participate in tournaments. The shelves of my room at my childhood home is filled with a few trophies. I was quite good. I even won the second place of the world championship in dressage riding and first place in show jumping when I was seventeen. A very long time ago."

"You're a world champion?!"

I shrug, "I only go horseback riding for myself now. After my two horses Chestnut and Spotty died, I stoped participating in the tournaments. While I am a good rider, the horses were what really made us such a good team. It wasn't going to be the same without them so I stopped doing it professionally."

"Just like that? You just moved on?"

"Yeah. I enjoyed it and I still go horseback riding every once in a while but I didn't live it as much as Rory loved tennis or Nate swimming."

"It wasn't your passion but yet you won at the world championships."

"Only in dressage riding." I correct him.

"Second place doesn't mean you lost."

"But it's not the grand prize either."

Oliver

I sit down on the white quilted ottoman that's standing in the middle of her white marbled bathroom. This master bathroom is bigger than the flat that I share with Finn. It's enormous and it feels a bit surreal to sit on here. Her whole penthouse feels like a fantasy.

I still think I'm hallucinating this.

Sleeping at Josephine's place bought me three hours more time than usual because I don't have to walk all the way from Notting Hill to the souvenir place in Victoria. That means I can sleep more and enjoy watching Josephine getting ready. She's sitting at her vanity, putting on mascara as the last step of her makeup routine. She's wearing a winged eyeliner again and nude lips. She looks breathtaking, especially with that blush and highlighter. She doesn't wear foundation or concealer. It took her less than three minutes to look like all the women in the fashion magazines. While women usually doll-up to get noticed, Josephine doesn't need makeup to get noticed. She's even breathtaking with a dollop of makeup on her skin. But once she put in that little effort, she's going to turn heads everywhere she goes. She's too perfect to be real.

Her skin care products filled the room with a wonderful herbal smell before she started putting on the makeup! She blow dried her chestnut straight and because it's so long it nearly reaches her hips now. She put on a pair of wide legged black pants and a violet blouse with a bow. It's a simple combination but she looks elegant. She looks smart, elegant and sexy all at the same time.

She really is beautiful.

I could stare at her the whole day.

"You know, you don't have to sit here and watch me getting ready. You could watch TV or get to work or you know do anything you want."

There's nothing I'd rather see. I watched her sleep this morning and during the night when I woke up from what I thought was a dream. But then I looked at her sleeping next to me and I realised that I wasn't dreaming. I really signed the NDA. She really gave into me. 15 weeks... For 15 weeks I get to have her and I will make sure those weeks are just the start. "I know. And I chose do to this."

She looks over her shoulder, directly at me. "You do look great on that ottoman. I knew buying it, it would serve a purpose and now I know which purpose."

"You look great at that vanity as well." I give the compliment back.

She turns around and closes the mascara before rising from the stool. "I'm ready to head out now. Shall my driver drop you off?"

"You get to work, using a driver?"

She nods, "His name is Ralph. He's actually a security agent at my brother-in-law's firm called Scorpion. My Dad insists on having him drive me around and stuff." She shrugs.

"Why?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

"Is it because of your sister?"

"Partly yes but there are a lot of factors that contributed to this decision and I fully understand. I didn't at first but I do now. It's for my safety."

"It sounds like your parents are helicopter parents."

She sighs and slips on a rose gold ring with three diamonds on her right middle finger. "They are But I don't blame them. They don't need to know who I am meeting or when I'm out having fun. But they do need to know where I am all the time." She lifts her right hand and wiggles with her ring fingers, "And this rings gives them the information. Every Bolton member has one. Except for Della and Ana since they're married to mad men as well."

"And Lorelai?"

"Rory has the crown behind her. That's just as much protection as my father provides us."

"And your brother Nate?"

"He's wearing a Rolex all the time. Same context just a different object. But he will only wear it for so long. Once he's married to Char, that's going to put him in a position very similar to Rory. My three little brothers are at Le Rosey with their nieces Bella and Carol. The school has phenomenal security services so they're safe as well."

It sounds all very serious to me. "You're making me worried."

She chuckles, "No, please don't be. I am fine. All I'm saying that my life is much more complicated than all of this seems. This penthouse is just as save as Rory's home within Windsor Castle's Home Park."

"Okay." I say.

"Okay." She echoes. "So, shall I drop you off at the souvenir shop?"

"No, I'll walk. It's just a twenty minute walk from here."

"Are you sure?"

I brush through her chestnut waves, "Yes." Her sky blue eyes are so mesmerising, especially with this winged eyeliner. Her face is perfectly symmetrical. She's too beautiful to be real.

"Okay. Well, I'll pick up tonight then."

"I can walk from the pub to here."

"Oliver,"

"I'll walk." I insist in a firm voice.

"Fine. I'll see you tonight then." She gives in.

"You really don't have to buy me clothes-"

"A week. You get a week more for that. We've had this discussion. Let me buy those things for you."

"Fine. But don't overdo it."

"I'll only buy the necessities." She says with a firm nod.

I have a feeling she and I define necessities differently.

Josephine

I lean back in my black Jaguar with white leathered interiors with a smile on my lips. As always, Ralph is driving me to work. We're standing in the middle of the London Bridge as the traffic is moving slowly this morning again, but this time I don't mind it at all. For the first time in a long time, I stare out of the window instead of on my iPhone. I actually enjoy my surroundings instead of ignoring them. I love the bright blue sky on this sunny morning.

I feel calm. Even peaceful.

It's weird.

Oliver

I thought sleeping at Josephine's place would make coming to work on time easier, but to my surprise I've come across so many closed roads that I am actually late. My usual road to the souvenir shop had six closed roads so far, which means I had to constantly turn left and right. That made my route longer but I also walked through streets that I've never seen before. There are even a few areas in London that I've never been in. In some areas are secret gardens and private parks that are only accessible for the residents living around it.

Being an hour and a half late, I finally turn the corner of the street where the souvenir shop is located. Walking from Westminster to Victoria has never taken me this long. Usually it's a 20 minute walk if I walk in my normal pace but never an hour and a half. It's ridiculous! I've never been late to work and I never took a day off. But today, somehow, there are sticks and stones in my way.

I stop in my tracks as I notice Scotland Yard officers walking out of the souvenir shop. I look around and see lots of civil cars that are parked around the souvenir shop. That's strange. The cars probably belong to the Scotland Yard officers. Six men walk out of the souvenir shop, carrying out huge blocks of compressed white powder that looks like flour. Six kilos of flours.

But I know that's not flour. It's some kind of drug, probably heroine.

Fuck, this is a raid!

I quickly hide behind a tree as the realisation hits me. I guess, I have just lost my job.

And if I had been there an hour and a half earlier, they had caught me as well - and I would already be back on a plane to Rio.

Those closed roads and construction work have saved my life.

Josephine

I can finally be productive again. This morning, I wrote five articles about the charity work of Bolton's Enterprises, I edited and finalised my photos about Liam's project and I called my private shopper to buy Oliver a whole new wardrobe.

I've done all of that before it's even lunch time!

I finally feel like myself again! I can think clearly and I can work with a focused mind. It's crazy what a night with Oliver does to me!

It's like I'm finally myself again. It feels so good!

"Jo,"

I wince at the sound of my name before looking up from the screen of the iMac. To my surprise my Mum is standing across me. She's dressed in a classic black dress that she paired with Ralph and Russo heels. Her dark brown curls, which only Calloway inherited from her, are pinned into a half-up-do with a clamp. Her earlobes are glittering with diamonds the same way as her left ring finger and right middle finger. Her makeup is light, almost non-existing but she looks stunning. My Mum has always been a natural beauty. "Mum, hi! What are doing down here?" I ask her surprised.

"I'm taking you out for lunch."

"It's already lunch time?!" I ask before looking at my golden Cartier watch. It is.

"You didn't notice?"

"No, I guess I was in the flow." I say with a shrug. "So, where do you want to get lunch?" I ask her as I rise from my chair.

"Luigi's. We haven't been there in ages." She says with a smile on her lips. "I'm in the mood for pizza. We could share it."

We always share our pizzas at Luigi's because they're so large that you could feed half of my family with just one pizza. I'm in the mood for a classic margarita as well - and Luigi makes the best ones in whole Italy. Since I know Oliver won't work there today, I decide to intrude the territory that I avoided the last time my Daddy wanted to have lunch with me.

I guess sharing a bed with him really does have it advantages.

"We're getting margarita. With extra garlic." I say as I hook my arm under my mother's.

She shows me the kind of smile she always shows me when we're within the safe walls of home. It's full of love and genuineness. It's a smile she only has for her eight children. "You know, this is what I always wanted to have."

"Pizza margarita?" I ask her confused as we walk down the white marbled hallway with pale blue walls that are decorated with framed black and white photos of the charity work the Bolton Foundation has done over the years.

"No. Picking you up from your desk - or office - to get lunch together."

"I've been working here for over three months now and you haven't done it once."

"I said I always wanted to do this not to actually do it. You know how busy your father and I are. Most days we have lunch in our office - if we have lunch at all. It it's with a client or we just work through lunch and sip on protein smoothies while answering emails." She explains to me with a sigh. We reach the golden elevator and get inside. The doors only open for Boltons as there's a special sensor that recognises us. The doors glide close and move down to the lobby.

"Sweetie, do you really want to do this?"

"Do what?" I ask her confused.

"This job. You're now experiencing firsthand how tough it is and how grateful we are to have you but maybe, just maybe, this is not for you."

"Mum, if this is about me working at the Foundation again-"

"I just think you're better suited there. I've seen your work, Jo. You write with passion about our social project and your photography work is excellent. You make people feel your words and get lost in your photos - that's exactly what the foundation could need and profit from. Of course, we already have a great team in place but with you in it - with you leading it - it would be outstanding. You could visit all these places you always wanted to visit. I know you still want to cross of the places in your bedroom. There's still a whole wall that's untouched." She reminds me of my childhood bedroom.

As if I could ever forget that.

I remember the day exactly when I decided to plaster my pale blue walls with places and coordinates which I wanted to visit. A few of them, I could already cross of by the time I went to Oxford but as soon as I was a student my focus had shifted - to this. To my career, to taking over my parents' firm... to kick Liam's ass.

And along the way, I forgot about all the places I wanted to see. I stopped taking weekend trips through Europe with Rory and Nate to visit all the places within reach. We would always get into our jet and fly a few hours to all these amazing places together and spend the weekend there. Sometimes Char and George would accompany us but most of the time it was just the three of us because Char and George had their Royal duties.

Just like my sister now. And Nate soon as well.

Which leaves me alone. And travelling by myself to Finland to see the Northern Lights is no fun at all. I like travelling with company.

"Mum, I really don't want to work for the foundation. I mean I do, but not as my main job. I like doing charity as a side, from my heart without getting paid for it. I want to give without receiving anything in return - that's what charity is for me." I explain to her. "And as long as I can't think of a way of combining my belief with your wish, I'm afraid you're stuck with me working a floor below you."

To my surprise my Mum doesn't even smile at my joke. Instead her chocolate brown eyes fill with a kind of emotion I didn't expect. She seems deeply touched by my words. How I managed to do that, I don't know. "Jo..." She whispers and gulps.

The doors of the elevator open again and I step out first. The enormous lobby is held in white marble. People rush by us, eager to get to their lunch spot. It's noisy unlike upstairs where I work.

I love it.

My Mum follows me out of the elevator and we make our way to the glass doors. Most of the people recognise us because we're the mother and sister of the Duchess of Oxford, whose 'baby's' arrival is expected to be any day now. The world has no idea Rory's happily pregnant with her triplet girls, lounging on her sofa at Frogmore House while managing her patronages at the same time.

Plus, with Nate's wedding to Princess Charlotte of Wales approaching as well, we tend to turn more heads than usually. But it's nice when the crowds part for you. Especially when it's as busy as today.

The porter holds the door open for us and I step out. "Which car are we taking?" I ask her as I don't see Ralph in my Jaguar. Usually, he'd already be here by now. He always knows where I am because he has to. Because of Wlad.

Because of my Daddy.

Oliver thinks I feel suffocated because of these tight protection walls around me and my helicopter parents - really, he has no idea how badly we need this protection. Being a Bolton comes with a lot of pressure, social acceptance and... danger. We live in a very dangerous world. I'm glad Oliver doesn't know that.

"... is that okay with you?" My Mum asks me.

Shit I zoned out! "What?" I ask her.

"I thought we'd get a cabbie. I gave Ralph the afternoon off. He's back at the firm to update Wlad and your Dad."

Weekly updates - how could I forget about those. I'm glad Ralph keeps it to a minimum and although I am sure Wlad knows about my... my sexual preferences, he sure as hell didn't tell Daddy or my Mum. It's why I love him so much. He keeps me safe and protected but at the same time he gives me as much privacy as he can. He lets me do charity stuff without Ralph - or anyone else from his firm - following me. It almost makes me feel normal. "Yeah, sure. Lets get a cabbie."

Oliver

After an hour of walking through London, I decide to pay Luigi a visit. Asking him for a full-time job instead of a part-time job is my best shot. I definitely don't want to work to work full-time in the pub in Covent Garden. I don't like working there but I do it because my family really needs the money. I don't know how much Luigi is going to pay me if I really get a full-time job there, so I may have to look for another side job if it's less than what I earned at the souvenir shop. I still can't believe the owner of the souvenir shop was a drug trader. It all happened behind my back! I literally had no idea that I worked in a shop where drugs were being traded!

I stop at Luigi's in Battersea and inhale deeply before opening the door. As always, the classic Italian café and restaurant is bursting with people. Luigi is still a hidden gem in London but thanks to the Royals people seem to get to know their favourite secret Italian spot more and more. I even spot a few Asian tourists. Luigi's is a restaurant with two floors decorated like it is straight out of Tuscany but it has a view over the Thames as it's right at the promenade. The ground floor is more of a café while the second floor is purely for the restaurant part of Luigi's. There's even a balcony on top so you can sit in the sun and outside, the balcony provides a roofed terrace for the ground floor. The Battersea Park is right next to the café which makes it a perfect spot for families to come by after a long day at the playground in the Battersea park.

I walk straight into the kitchen because that's usually where Luigi is. The 60 year old Italian man is still standing at the stove daily. He makes most of his pastries and dishes himself. As far as I know he only has three employees. Giovanni, his son, Mia and me. Mia and Giovanni are working during the week while Giovanni and me share the weekends. I really hope Luigi has more space for me. I could help him out in the kitchen instead of behind the counter or as a waiter... or even as a cleaner. I'd do anything for a job.

I spot Luigi standing behind the cooking pans and pots. The pizza oven is baking pizzas. The kitchen island is full of flour and chopped ingredients for the pizzas and other dishes he serves here. It's chaotic but I know Luigi knows exactly where everything is.

"Oliver!" Luigi cries out my name with his heavy Italian accent. He is quite short as lots of Italian men are and has white hair. He's a bit heavier than me and his heart is one of the biggest I've ever seen. He gave me this job without asking for any social numbers. He doesn't know that I'm here illegally, but I think deep in his heart he feels it. He always pays me cash at the end of the month and calls me one of his best employees, which is not hard when there's only three but it does make me feel special. When my shifts ends and Luigi has food left over, he always packs it up for me. He doesn't know how many days he provided the only meal I had or how many starving days he saved me from. I always share the portions, which sometimes are quite large, with Finn because as know he struggles as much as me.

Really, Luigi has his heart at the right place.

"Luigi, hi!"

"Are you scheduled for today?" He asks me before turning his attention back to the cooking pasta in the pot. "Hand me the strainer pleaser."

I pick up the strainer that's hanging on a wall with various spoons and whisks. "No. Actually, I'm here to ask you for a full-time job. Turns out the place where I worked at is now closed." I tell him after I handed him the strainer.

"From one day to another? Just like this?"

"Yeah... it was a big surprise coming there this morning and standing across... closed doors."

He strains the penne before he throws them into a pan with tomato sauce. "I see. Well, I guess your luck is about to turn around because Mia just told me this morning that she's pregnant. Which means I need a replacement. Plus, I could always need an extra pair of hands here in the kitchen."

"I'll do anything. Cook, clean, serve... anything you want."

"Great." Luigi says to me with a bright smile on his lips. "You can start by helping me out in the kitchen today. You can talk to Giovanni in your break and he'll divide your shifts between his and yours evenly."

Josephine

I follow my Mum up the stairs that lead to the balcony of Luigi's. We always have lunch on the balcony whenever we're here. The view of the Thames is lovely and the food is amazing. I'm really looking forward to sharing a pizza margarita with my Mum and a salad. It's quite full today but our usual spot underneath a sun umbrella is free so we pick the same table we always choose. Just like all the other tables here, it is made out of wooden with matching chairs and a red table cloth. Luigi's is a simple restaurant, nothing as fancy as the restaurants in Chelsea or Mayfair but that's why we love it here so much. We even held Eli's eighth birthday party here because he loves it so much.

Giovanni, Luigi's son, walks over to us immediately. He has black hair and deep brown eyes. Just like his father, Giovanni is short and carries around a bit too much weight but I don't blame him at all. I would probably look the same if I worked at an Italian restaurant with delicious food of all kinds. "The Bolton ladies!" Giovanni says with open arms before embracing us both. We've been regular guests since I can remember. Mum and Dad even visited Luigi's when Della was still young, way before thy adopted Ana. They saw Giovanni growing up and Luigi age. Sometimes, the two men are almost like family. "What can I get you?"

"Pizza Margarita." My Mum says with a smile on her lips that still turns head all over the world. She aged with such grace and elegance. Actually, she still looks quite young because she stayed in such a good shape over the years. That's probably why people don't believe she actually gave birth to seven of her eight children. The internet is full of bullshit stories about surrogate mothers who claim to have given birth to us and even worse stuff! Especially since Nate and Rory are Royals - or almost Royalty for Nate - the public seems to think they have a right to judge us and take photos of us whenever they please.

But not here at Luigi's. At Luigi's we're just people with no titles.

That's why we like it here so much.

"And two salads with extra olives." I add with a smile on my lips.

Giovanni nods, "The usual water for you two?"

"Yes." My Mum says with a smile on her lips.

"I'll be back very shortly." Giovanni turns on his heel before walking downstairs to the kitchen.

"How about we go horseback riding together next weekend?" My Mum asks me. "Just the two of us, though I think your Dad will want to come as well but I can shake him off-"

"I can't." I interrupt her. Usually I'd go horseback riding with her and Daddy without thinking twice but now that I have this thing with Oliver... I'd rather spend my time with him than with my parents. That probably makes me a bad daughter but I'll only be bad for 15 weeks so it's only half bad, right?

"Because of work? If it's really so much then-"

"No. It's because of the charities I support. The deaf school has this spring party on Saturday and I promised to help out plus..." My mind starts racing with white lies suddenly. "The church wanted me to watch the kindergarten kids on Friday noon and on Sunday there's-"

"You're busy, I get it." My Mum interrupts me quickly. "But you don't have to lie to me. You can just say you're meeting someone."

Fuck! How the hell is she doing this?! "I'm not seeing anyone."

"Double negative."

I should really practice lying more! "Mum,"

She leans back in her chair, "No, it's alright if you don't want to tell me about his name or really anything about him but just... don't lie. You're not a liar. You've never been."

My Mum can make me feel so bad so easily. "I..." I inhale, "I don't like to talk about my private life, you know that. If there's something to report, I'm sure Wlad will enlighten you two."

"Don't you dare throw Wlad into this! Your brother-in-law has nothing to with this!"

"His employee is driving me around. I walk around with my own security man following my every steps, Mum. And I am fine with that. Really, I am but don't... don't expect me to talk about my dating life when I don't want to." I say and cross my arms in front of my chest.

"You're harder to crack than Della and your Dad combined." She says with a smirk on her lips.

"I don't kiss and tell. If I were, you guys would have one heart attack after another. If I met someone that's meaningful to me enough to consider a relationship and we actually go that far, I'll let you know whenever I decide it's time to. But I will not introduce my parents, my family, to every guy I have sex with. Okay?"

"Okay."

Oliver

I stir the tomato sauce that I just made using Luigi's recipe. He is rolling out the dough for the pizzas because he doesn't trust me with the dough yet. I don't know what's so hard about rolling a dough but Luigi insists it's all about love.

Maybe that's why he's singing Italian love songs while cooking. It's something I've never noticed before.

Giovanni rushes into the kitchen and picks up two plates filled with cheesy pasta. "The Boltons ordered a large margarita and two salads with extra olives." He informs us. To my surprise he didn't argue when Luigi informed him that I would work full-time here now.

Wait, did he just say Boltons?!

Luigi stops rolling the dough for the pizza, "Oh, Troy and Gabriella are here?"

"No. Ella is here with Jo."

I frown as the names ring a bell. Jo as in Josephine! Josephine is here?!

"Oliver start with the salads. I want to greet them myself! I haven't seen them since Eli's birthday!" Luigi starts beaming as if his wife came suddenly back from the death. Clearly, the Boltons are close to his heart.

I watch Luigi and Giovanni rush out of the kitchen. I can't believe Josephine is here!

I shouldn't wonder about Josephine being here. She's been everywhere I went, so it should only be logical that she is here today. But I don't think she wants me to meet her mother yet. That would be too soon, too rushed... although, she did ask me to move in with her after just one night with me. So maybe... No, I can't walk out there. I'm going to stay in the kitchen. She doesn't have to know I'm here.

Josephine

I sigh as my mother shows me how much I've hurt her for just a split second. I uncross my arms, "Mum, I didn't mean to offend you."

"I said okay." She snaps at me.

"Mum, please-"

"No, you made it pretty clear you don't want to talk about the men whom you share a bed with. You don't want to talk about your dates and feelings, which clearly you have from me because I was just the same when I was younger. So, I shouldn't be surprised about your withdrawnness because you are your father's daughter with his tendency to secrecy and my daughter which means emotions are not your favourite topic. I get it, I really do. I've been through this with Della before-"

"Della and me are not the same person." I interrupt her.

"You don't think I don't know that?!" She hisses at me again. "But one day..." she closes her mouth and shrugs.

"One day what?!" I hiss at her. "You think one day I'll meet 'the one' and get a happily ever after?! Move into a castle with my Prince Charming and have a horde of children like you?" I ask her and fake a laughter. "At least now I know where Rory's got that fairytale shit from. I thought it was Daddy who planted those pipe dreams into her brain, but maybe it was you! I thought you were the rational one in the relationship! But maybe I was wrong. Who knows maybe you're the real secret holder of the family-"

"Gabriella! Josephine!" Luigi's heavy Italian accent fills my ears.

I stop talking and turn my gaze off of my mother's chocolate brown eyes that I've filled with pain and guilt. I gulp and put on my famous Bolton smile, the one I wear to charity galas and fundraising events my parents make me go to. Because I'm single, I have to accompany them to all these ridiculous events.

My Mum and I rise from our chairs and embrace Luigi tightly.

"How are you Luigi?" My Mum asks him with a smile on her lips.

"Great. What about you?" Luigi looks at me. "You've grown so much!"

"Luigi, we just saw each other a month ago."

"I know but the kids just grow up so fast, don't they?!" He asks, looking at my mother.

"They definitely do. We thought we'd have lunch here today."

"I'll make sure to add extra olives to your salads then." Luigi says to us.

"We really shouldn't keep you out of the kitchen for much longer." I tell him. "You must be drowning in work. It's quite busy today."

"Oh, don't worry. As luck has it, I just got help. My part-time employee Oliver just asked for an upgrade so he's in the kitchen right now."

Did he just say Oliver?!

"How lovely!" My Mum smiles at him.

"Anyways, enjoy your lunch." Luigi says before leaving us alone again.

Is Oliver standing in the kitchen right now?! What the hell is he doing here?! I thought he worked in a souvenir shop during the week! He can't be here! I hope he won't walk out of that kitchen.

"Jo,"

"Huh?" I turn around and see that my mother is already seated again. I sit down across her again. "Mum, I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it. I just really like to keep my dating life private. I'll let you know if something drastic happens in my life, I promise but until then please stop with the questions. Instead focus on... Ana! Focus on her."

My Mum frowns before leaning forward. "Why? Did she say something to you?"

"About what?"

"I don't know. You said I should focus on her. So, is something wrong with her?"

"I don't... I don't think so. I don't know. I haven't heard from her for a while. The last time I saw her, we went into a club together-"

"You guys went clubbing?!" My Mum asks me shocked. "That's it, I'm going to call Ana after our lunch. Something is definitely wrong with her. Ana doesn't go clubbing."

"Mum, she's just busy with the Academy and needed to let go a little. It was my idea to go clubbing and she enjoyed it." I enjoyed t as well. It was where I kissed Oliver for the first time and it was one hell of a kiss!

"It doesn't sound like Ana."

She has no idea what a rebel Ana was when she was younger. Della covered for most of her shit when it went wrong, it's why she was labelled as the rebel in our family by Mum and Dad... but really, they had no idea it was Ana. Della just protected her like she always had. It's why they're so close. "Trust me, she's fine."

"Would she tell you if you wasn't?" My Mum asks me back.

No, she'd tell Della. "Mum, you don't have to worry about her. I only said that so your focus shifts away from me."

"Next time please don't give me a heart attack." My Mum begs me. "I worry equally as much about you guys. It doesn't matter if you're married, have kids or still wear your backpack to school - I worry about you guys equally as much. Because you are my flesh and blood. My materialised love." My Mum shrugs with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Mum!" I rise from the chair and embrace her tightly. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"One day you will understand me... when you'll have kids yourself."

I'll never have kids but I choose to not tell her that today.

Oliver

The doors of the elevator glide open and I step into Josephine's penthouse. This was one hell of a day! I've lost two jobs, since the pub I worked at decided that after 15 years it's now going bankrupt from one day to another as well. I have no idea how to pay rent for the flat that I share with Finn, let alone send a cent over to Rio. I have to come up with something. Maybe find another job.

But that has time until tomorrow morning.

I slip off my shoes and walk through the hallway until I reach the wide living space. The city around this penthouse is glittering like fairy lights. It's like Josephine lives in her own castle up here, which is funny since her sister and brother are actually living in a castle in Windsor. But Josephine doesn't need a crown to be a Queen. She's got it in her blood.

I spot the most beautiful woman in the world sitting on a huge grey couch across a lit fireplace. Her eyes are focused on the MacBook that's on her lap. She's dressed in a simple pair of light grey joggers and a white T-shirt with no shoes. I've never seen her dressed so casually - and I love it!

I stare at her shamelessly for a full minute and I feel how the endorphins in my body boost my mood. She doesn't even have to do anything to make me feel better.

Suddenly, she stirs and looks over her right shoulder. Her sky blue eyes start sparkling at my sight and I can feel how my lips stretch into a smile. "Hi. You're here early. I thought you'd be here at one in the morning."

"I've lost two jobs in one day." I announce with a shrug.

Her eyes widen, "What?"

"The souvenir shop traded drugs and got caught... and the pub is bankrupt, so the owner had to fire me."

She rises from the couch and walks over to me. "So that means your job at Luigi's is the only one you have?"

I nod and feel warmth spreading through me as soon as she embraces me. "It's full-time now."

"I know. Luigi told us about you when he visited us at lunch."

"I was in the kitchen when you were there with your Mum... I made your salads and helped Luigi with the pizza."

She lets go of me, "So that's why lunch was so delicious." She jokes.

I actually smile. "I'm not in the mood for sex tonight." I read her mind.

She licks her lips. "Alright, that's fair. You've had a bad day. You need something to cheer you up and lucky you, I know exactly what that is."

"What do you mean?"

She takes my hand, "I'm going to show you my favourite spot in this penthouse." She tells me as we walk over to the glass staircase.

"I thought that was your bedroom."

She chuckles, "Close, but no."

"Shower or bathtub?"

She shakes her head as we walk up the first staircase. "No, it's something even better. And you're very lucky it's such a clear night tonight."

We walk up another glass staircase and stop at a glass door. "We're going to the rooftop?" I ask her confused.

She nods as she opens the door. "You go first."

I step out and am amazed by what I see. Her rooftop is huge and full of greenery! It looks like a jungle, like she has planted her very own park up here! There are bamboos, grasses, growing grapes, shrubs and trees - even palm trees! There are so many different flowers growing here. They're so colourful and smell amazing! There's even a fountain up here a bloody fountain! Grass and wood are on the floors and she even has a greenhouse.

Her rooftop is monstrous! There's a barbecue area with tables and benches, a place for a fire pit, a jacuzzi... even a bed! And everything is illuminated with LED lights and fairy lights. It looks so pretty, so out of this world... so Josephine. This is so her.

She surprised me again.

"Wow." I breathe out as I scan the whole rooftop again. There's a fence of glass around the edges of the building so the wind is not so strong as we're really high up. London looks gorgeous from here!

She places her hands on my shoulders, causing me to wince from the electric shock she created within me. "And it will even get better. I'm going to let you in on a secret. Whenever I have a bad day, I come up here and look at the stars. I used to do that with my sister Della and she'd always explain to me the many different constellations we were looking at. She distracted me from my anger or pain or whatever mood I was in, in her very own way. While I might not have her next to me nowadays, I still come up here and just stare at the stars and moon until my mood has lifted." She explains to me as she leads me to the bed. "That patio daybed looks just like the one that's in my childhood home. It's the same we used to lay in and stare at the stars."

Patio daybed? That's what this thing is called? I get on it and lay on my back with a pillow resting underneath my head. Josephine follows me but doesn't get close to me. Just like last night, she keeps her distance.

I stare at the sky above us. There are so many sparkling stars which remind me of the stars I saw at home in Rio. They're not as bright but bright enough to make me smile.

"See? You're already smiling. I knew this would help you."

I tilt my head to the side and look at Josephine. She's glowing in this lightning. "The moon and the stars remind me of home."

"Oh... I didn't mean to make you homesick."

"No, it's okay. I'm not homesick..." not since I have met her. She's worth being apart from my family.

"How is it at your home?" She asks me carefully.

I shrug, "We have the same stars and moon." But that's really about it. Rio and London couldn't be more different. Especially the area where my family lives. Not even the poorest places of London can compare to Rocinha.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I might if you scoop closer to me." I challenge her.

"I don't want to make you something you don't want to."

I reach out to my right and pull her closer to me until she's resting her head on my chest. A tingling sensation starts forming in my body from our touching points but I decide to ignore it as best as I can for now. Laying underneath the stars and moon with Josephine's head resting on my chest - my day definitely ends as good as it has started. Just the middle part, the time without her, was as a struggle.

But when we're together nothing and no one can rain on my parade.

"So, since we're not having sex tonight... does this count as a date night then?" She asks after five minutes of silence.

I chuckle at her question, "No. You'll definitely notice when we're having a date."

"I never had a date." She admits in a whisper.

I look down at her with wide eyes, "Never?"

She lifts her head off my chest and stares back at me. Her sky blue eyes look breathtaking under the light of the stars and moon. "No, never. I fuck and nothing more. It's what I do. I don't commit. No dates. No relationships."

"No love." I finish her statement in a whisper.

"No love." She echoes my words. "But cats... I think I could love cats."

Josephine

I stare at Oliver over the red Royal Flash that I've collected over the last hour and a half. After spending some time out on the rooftop we decided it's time to do something else. I thought Oliver would want to chill in front of the TV and watch some sports - at least that's what Nate always did when I was still living with him - but to my surprise he asked for cards. So, here we are, playing strip poker.

And I've got him stripped to his black boxer briefs.

Suddenly, Oliver places his cards on the wooden coffee table, revealing his black Royal Flash.

How did he do that? Did he let me win on purpose?! I've got him down to his boxer briefs! And he stripped me down to my black laced underwear as well.

"Dance with me." Oliver says, holding out his hand. I'm just one piece of clothing away from winning this strip poker - or so I thought. But his black Royal Flash tops my red Royal Flash. How did he do that?! No one has ever won against me!

Apart from Ana but that doesn't count because she automatically memorises all the cards so she knows what I have at all times.

I look up at Oliver's sea foam coloured eyes. As always, he took things in his own hands and created his own game. He did it with our arrangement and he did it with the poker. He turns my world upside down.

It makes my head spin, my blood pressure spike and my heart stop beating for a moment. I don't know how to handle him - and I like it. I like the uncertainty for the first time in my life.

"How? There's no music." I protest but place my hand in his anyway. He pulls me closer to him until our bodies are in full contact. The touching points are starting to tingle right away, growing quickly into flames that heat up our bodies. His smell fills my nostrils and I feel a sense of peace I've never felt with anyone else.

"You never needed music before." He breathes the words into my face. I can feel them crawling down my spine, causing goosebumps to cover my bare legs and arms. "But if you insist..." he suddenly lets go of me and walks over to the vintage radio that I have standing on a walnut shelve next to my open fireplace. He turns it on and Adele's love song starts filling the penthouse immediately. The soft guitar tones along with Adele's deep voice create the perfect atmosphere.

I know right away that this won't be a sexy salsa or a passionate tango.

This... this will be a rumba.

Sex on the parquet in my living space.

Oliver walks back to me and as he touches me something inside of me awakes that has been sleeping for the last 24 years of my life. For the first time, we start dancing to a song, a melody, rather than our heartbeats... but somehow, that doesn't make it any worse. He moves his hips, arms, legs and torso in a way he never has before. He leads me without asking me for permission, he just takes it - and I just give it to him. I'm surprised by my openness, by my will to trust him... to let him lead me. I've never done that before.

This is different from the salsa and the tango... this is so much more than just a rumba.

It's magic... pure magic.

"Oliver," I breathe out as a new kind of fire inflames within me. It's so strong... it's so beautiful.

"Sh... don't try to put your emotions into words. Just feel..." he whispers back to me. "Just feel this connection we have."

And it's one hell of a connection. It's so strong that I don't know how to handle it. The flames turn me into an inferno pretty quickly. My whole body craves his touch, his smell... his body heat. I have no idea what this is but I want more of it. More of this fire, this passion... this magic.

"Oliver," I breathe out again.

He seals his lips over mine before I can say another word. Little does he know there are no words that could describe my state right now. This evening was about making him feel better... but he makes me feel better as well. He takes when I give - and I take when he gives. We're in perfect symbiosis.

I wrap my left leg around his hips as I return his kiss. I know tonight is not about sex but I can feel his hard-on pulsing against my clitortis. Our bodies crave one another.

I doubt he can ignore that.

His hands around my waist hold me steady as our tongues continue with the rumba that our bodies stopped dancing. I wrap my arms around his neck as we continue kissing for minutes. It's like we don't even need air to breathe... it's like we're each other's oxygen.

He is the first to break away from my swollen lips. He just stares at me, giving me the exact same look as this morning when I just woke up. He cups my face and slowly fondles my cheeks with his thumbs. The touch creates goosebumps all over my skin and makes his cock twitch against my clirotis.

I can feel how I get lost in his sea foam coloured eyes. I wrap my hands around his wrists and stare back at him, just like this morning. He gave me this same funny feeling this morning as well but now... now it's a million times stronger.

"Thank you." He whispers the words but they cut through Adele's singing voice easily. I can feel how my ears mute out Adele's voice that sings my mother's words which she wrote for my Dad, instead my focus shifts fully on to man across me.

"For what?" I ask him back.

"For everything."

He doesn't know of the clothes I bought for him yet. He surely won't be thanking me for that. I unwrap my leg from his hips, "You won't say that when you've seen what I bought for you today." I breathe out.

He lets go of my face immediately, "What does this mean?"

I lick my lips, "Oliver,"

"We agreed on necessities." His voice turns cold as his eyes transform into the pine green colour. "What the hell did you buy?!"

I gulp, "Come."

Oliver

I follow her down the hallway that leads to her bedroom. Being with Josephine is the best and worst that's ever happened to me. We go from hot and passion to stone cold within a blink of an eye. Only with her, I can dance a sensual rumba - and she pisses me off by admitting she overdid it with the shopping.

She walks into her large bedroom. She ignores the window wall across her as she turns right and stops in front of the closed door of her walk-in wardrobe that's next to the open fireplace. The white wooden door looks exactly like the door to her huge bathroom, which is on the other side of the open fireplace. I've never seen her closet before because she didn't allow me to walk inside when she got ready this morning.

I stop at the beige couch that's in front of white marbled fireplace. A mirror in the shape of a sunflower is hanging above it. My hand grips tightly around the edge of the couch. "Go on. Open the door."

She looks over her shoulder and stares at me for a moment. "Remember, you're getting a whole week for it."

This is bad. If she has to remind me of what she sacrificed for this... then she definitely overdid it. "Josephine, open the door."

She sighs before opening the door. For a moment it's pitch black, so I don't see anything but then Josephine switches on the lights, revealing the gigantic room which she calls her closet. In the middle of this enormous room stands a walnut island with a white marble countertop just like in her kitchen. The shelves are illuminated in gold lightning just like the hanging clothes behind glass doors. This room is bigger than her bathroom, making it almost twice the size of the flat that I share with Finn. How the hell can anyone need so much space?

I let go of the couch and follow Josephine inside. I feel like I've been thrown into every women's fantasy. The clothes are all neatly organised, whether that's folded or hung up on silk cushioned hangers. Silk, cotton, tulle, wool, cashmere, linen and the finest leather are hanging next to each other. In the back of the closet there is a whole wall dedicated to floor length evening gowns. Her closet is organised by fabric and then colour. I quickly notice that Josephine's favourite colours aren't colours at all: it's black and white. While she does have lots of blue, green and red as well, white and black dominate her closet. She has lots of lace, embroidered and see-through clothes which look elegant instead of cheap. Josephine loves blouses, she has nearly a whole wall dedicated to all sorts of blouses, she has more long sleeved blouses than short sleeved ones.

But she doesn't like shorts as she only has a handful of them. She prefers skirts over shorts. With her long legs she can definitely show them off more often.

I turn around and stumble as I stare at a small 'nook' that she gave me. Six meters in length are full of male clothes. From jeans to Oxford shirts to T-shirts, everything is there. There are drawers underneath a few shelves which are probably filled with socks and underwear. A whole shoe rack is filled with sneakers and leather shoes. She even bought six different suits! Suits! What the hell do I need suits for?! "Josephine..." I breathe out shocked. I am totally lost for words. This is not what we agreed on! "These are not necessities." I point out. She bought me clothes for every season for the rest of my life!

"I know, but-"

"Bring them back!" I hiss at her and twirl around to face her. "Bring 99% back. I don't need this! I don't need six different suits! I don't need 25 white Oxford shirts! I don't need 30 T-shirts! I am fine with the one pair of jeans I have. I am fine with the sneakers I wear. I am fine-"

"No." She disagrees with me, crossing her arms in front of her chest. The black laced bra she's wearing pushes her full tits even higher.

I don't know why I find her so sexy right now.

"Yes!" I insist. "If you don't bring it back, I will donate these clothes."

"But they're all your size!" She starts arguing. "You're getting a week for this. That was the deal."

"The deal was you would buy me only the necessities and in exchange I'd get a week more." I clarify. "But this... this could feed millions of tables! There are people on this earth that are starving right now while you find it enjoyable to spend money on this shit when you could help so many-"

"Don't you dare pull out the charity card!" She yells at me while pointing her forefinger at me. "I know I am privileged. I know there are only a handful of women in this country that can afford my kind of lifestyle but I give back as well! I support 2.500 charities all over the world while also working at the Bolton Foundation whenever time allows me to. I give back, okay?! But I like to treat those who are important to me as well." She yells so loudly that the glass inside this room begins to shake. "I know this seems a little excessive to you but in my world it's really nothing. It's like buying you a cappuccino. It's worth no thought." She explains to me but her voice is only a whisper in my ear.

Treat those who are important to me. That's what she said, right? Important. To her. "I'm important to you?" I ask her.

She looks at me with wide sky blue eyes and I watch her gulp. She uncrosses her arms and shrugs. "Am I important to you?" She asks me back instead.

"Yes." I answer without having to think about it.

"Enough to accept this stuff and shut up about it?"

"I really think you could-"

"So, no." She interrupts me and sounds sad out of the sudden.

"No, you are." I ensure her and grab her hands. "You are." I promise her.

"Then let it go and enjoy it."

"I..." I inhale deeply, "Josephine, just please try to see it from my perspective. Up until this morning, I had three jobs. I worked my ass off and sent every cent I earned to my family in Rio. They live in the poorest part of Rio, not because they love it so much but because they simply can't afford living anywhere else. I wear my clothes until they fall apart not because I love them so much but because I'd rather send the money to my family than buy myself new clothes. There were days in the month when I would starve because I didn't have money for food." I confess to her. "I am not used to all of this. I didn't even know this kind of luxury existed. I didn't even dare to dream about this. So, yes, this is a big deal for me. A very big deal. Because I don't see clothes to wear like you do, I see money for tuition, school uniforms, groceries, rent... life. I see money that could finance so many lives, not just my own and of my family."

"So, you think I wasted my money on you." She concludes in a stiff voice.

"Yes. In a way I really do think that. But then I have to remind myself that this is the world you live in. You don't know what it's like to live off of water for the last five days of the month. You don't know what it feels like to be truly hungry, to be starving. You've never experienced how adults fight each other over a simple loaf of bread. You've never seen how people murder other people with guns because they walk around with bags filled with groceries." I tell her. "You don't know what poverty is."

"That's not true. I-"

"You see it." I whisper and brush through her chestnut wave. "You see it and you emphasise with them but you don't know what it's like. You never will. Because you weren't born into this. But I was. I know what it's like when you have sleepless nights because you know your oldest needs a new pair of shoes but you can't afford it because if you'd spend that money on shoes, your family won't have any food until the next month. I know how it feels like to only bath or shower once every two weeks. I know how it feels like to feel dirty in the truest meaning."

Her sky blue eyes soften at my words, "Oliver,"

"I'm not telling you that to get your compassion. This is not about compassion. It's about proofing my point. I don't want you to buy me anything ever again. No cappuccino. No clothes or shoes. Nothing, do you understand me?"

She nods, "I didn't mean to offend you."

"I am not offended. I feel grateful. Immensely grateful for what you did but it's hard for me to accept all of this... Being here with you feels like a pipe dream. It's unreal and at the same time it's real because I can kiss your lips, I can smell your smell, I can feel your body against mine-" she shuts me up by sealing her lips over mine.

"You are important to me as well." She whispers after breaking apart from my lips. "But yes, we are from two very different worlds but for the next 16 weeks I will cut back a little on spending my money mindlessly and really think about what I do with it."

16 weeks? "I thought we agreed on 15."

"You're getting a week extra because I overdid it with the shopping, which actually is my private shopper's fault but I told her to just buy a whole wardrobe so I guess it really is mine. I should have been more precise and limit her."

"How much money did you spend?"

"I don't know. I didn't check the bill." She answers quickly.

"Josephine," I narrow my eyes at her.

"It's the truth." She says with a shrug. "And even if I did know, it would only upset you more. Even if it were just one hundred pounds."

"This doesn't look like one hundred pounds." I tell her.

"See? Money upsets you. It's a hot topic for you and therefore for me."

"I don't want you to change for me. It's the last thing I want."

"I'm not changing when I start questioning my spending habits. I'm not changing when I start being more mindful about how I walk through this life." She whispers before resting her forehead against mine. "You can donate the clothes when the 16 weeks are over. Or sell it and send the money to your family."

I sigh and wrap my arms around her waist, "Josephine, this is really hard for me..."

"It's hard for me as well."

"Because I fight you on this?"

"No," she leans back to look me in the eyes. "Because I will never understand your background. Not truly. Everything you said is true. I didn't grow up in poverty with crime surrounding me. I grew up in luxury. This..." She waves with her hands, "Is normality for me. My problems will always be first world problems but your problems... they will always be different. There will always be this gulf between us. But for 16 weeks... for 112 days, this gulf won't exist. We're just two people who like to spend their time together. We'll cook together, go on... on dates and we'll have breathtaking sex every day." She grins at me in a way that makes my heart skip a few beats, "and when those weeks are over, our problems are still going to be there. You will return to your life and I will return to my life."

"Except it doesn't work this way. The next 16 weeks are not a vacation. My family needs me. They need the money I send them every month. Money, which I don't have anymore because the souvenir shop traded drugs and the pub I worked at is bankrupt! I have no idea how-" I stop talking as she places her hands on my shoulders.

"Let me help you out."

"No."

"Just until you've found another job, a solution. Or until this month is over. I have the money."

"I don't want alms from you."

"It's not alms if you pay me back."

"I can't do that either."

"I accept other currencies than pounds."

I frown at her words, "Josephine, I've said it before. I am not a whore. This stuff here makes me feel shady enough. I will not except any money from you."

"It's not for you but your family."

"Josephine,"

"Oliver please. Please, let me help you. I won't buy your family a flat in Rio, I just want to make sure they have enough food on the table each day of the month. I could send them just as much as you would. Or more. Really, I don't care but please, please, allow me to help you." She begs me.

"No."

"Oliver,"

"I said NO!" I explode, causing her to wince.

"Okay..." She whispers with a nod. "Okay. I won't bring it up again."

I feel bad the second I exploded but she pushed me too far. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to explode. It's just my family is a very sensitive topic for me and I-"

"I said I won't bring it up again." She interrupts me and lifts her hands off of my shoulders.

I feel stone cold the second her hands are no longer touching me.

She brushes through her long chestnut waves. "There's a pyjama and fresh underwear in one of the drawers. I'm going to shower." She explains before rushing away from me.

I stare at the open door for a moment before looking back at all the stuff she bought me. It makes me feel sick and weirdly flattered to see this. I can't believe she did this for me.

I can't believe she said I'm important to her.

I let out a growl before I decide to follow her. I rush out of the walk in closet, walk past the open fireplace in her bedroom and head into the white marbled bathroom. Josephine is already standing under the shower facing me with her back but this time it's hot. The glass is milky and the air is humid. She stands under the rain shower head for minutes, not moving a kilometre. I pissed her off. I know I did but I just-

Suddenly she turns around and reveals the real reason why she didn't move for minutes. She's crying. Her whole face is red and puffy. Her hands are shaking.

I've made her cry.

I feel like the worst asshole on this earth.

I quickly get out of my boxer briefs, rush over to her and climb into the shower. Without a word, I wrap my arms around her shaking body and hold her close to me. "I'm so sorry..." I whisper into her ear. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I'm not crying because you yelled at me." She explains before leaning back in my arms to face me, "I'm crying because I'm frustrated. The solution to your financial problem is literally standing in front of you - in your arms - and you refuse to see it. I could make your problems go away with a snap of my fingers."

"It's not so easy."

"Yes it is. You're just too fucking proud to see it! If helping your family makes you a whore than be a bloody whore! You would do literally anything to help your family. You've worked your ass off the last years with three jobs but now, with me in your life, you don't have to anymore." She hisses at me with puffy red eyes that glitter in an angry blue. "I am your solution. I am your way out of poverty and crime. I am the help you've always wanted but were always too proud to ask for. So, don't ask. Let me offer it. But accept my bloody offer! I can't help you if you don't open yourself up to me!"

She really does want to help me without wanting anything. "Josephine,"

"You're the proudest and most frustrating man I've ever met!" She growls at me. "I'm not asking for a marriage here - I just want to send your family some money! Money I have. Money I can easily live without. They don't have to know it's from me. No one has to know I helped you. It'll be our secret. But please, Oliver, please let me help you out of your misery-"

"Okay." I interrupt her.

Her eyes widen as her brain catches up with what I just said. "Okay?"

"Yes." I give in.

"But you didn't just say yes because I look like a hyaluronic filling gone bad, did you?"

"I have no idea what that means, so no."

"You didn't say yes because I cried?"

"No. I mean, it makes me feel bad but no. I'm saying yes because I don't have any arguments against it anymore while you seem to find one argument after another."

That's when she shows me a smile like I've never seen before. Her triumph smile. But to my surprise her lips are sealed.

"What? You've got nothing to say?"

She turns around and grabs a bottle of shampoo, "No."

"I don't believe you." I say back as she starts massaging her scalp. Quickly she creates a big white lather.

Josephine shrugs before stepping underneath the water jet again. I watch how the foam gets washed out of her hair, how the foam glides down her back, ass and legs... Her sight is too much for me to handle.

"I guess I have one thing to say." She says and steps forward to be closer to me. "Thank you." She whispers the words as she stares deeply into my eyes. Goosebumps start covering my body from the intense gaze she shows me. It's hypnotising. Before I know it, she has sealed her lips over mine. Her fingers run down my back as she intensifies the kiss. Our lips continue with the rumba they danced in the living room earlier. She presses her body against mine, awakening my cock in record time. I don't know how she's doing this, I've never been this attracted to a woman before. She's under my skin, in my heart... a part of my soul.

I never want to make her cry again.

---

Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!

So, Jo asked Oliver to move in with her. Do you think it was too soon? Is their relationship going to end after 16 weeks? Is Oliver going to be able to survive in Jo's world?

Only the future chapters will tell!

I haven't written the next chapter yet, but I'm going to get started as soon as possible. I'm ver excited about Jo's story and I hope you are, too. I have her story roughly lined up in my head. There are lots of twists and turns for Jo and Oliver.

Please review, favourite and follow this story! Please spread the word if you like it.

In gratitude,

Nicole