Andrew held up his hands as if to apologize. He couldn't speak because his throat was too tight to try to relax. He would die of asphyxiation or close to it.
Andrew was dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. His back touched the ground making a noise that echoed in the place, but even with that, the structure of the establishment did not shake.
"From today onwards, you will take care of this pizzeria as if it were your own."
Still scared Andrew couldn't pass up that opportunity.
"From this Pizzeria, in that case."
"What?"
Andrew repeated "Pizzeria" using an Italian accent and moved the tips of the five fingers together as if he was really one.
This time, the one who was now his boss didn't even need to speak. He shot Andrew a withering look and he flinched as if he were about to be hit.
A week later he had already learned how to make the place welcoming, and habitable for customers. His boss was constantly yelling at him or pushing him through walls. For a young adult in his 27s who had never worked, it was hell.
He was sleeping there the first week because he had a lot of work and it was no use going home to sleep. He lived in West Lincoln, a town that was a 3-hour drive from Sterlin Square in Sterlin City. He preferred to come home with some money. He fed himself with the savings he had brought and his boss did not get him very useful ingredients so that he could cook good things.
Andrew didn't mess with the pizza ingredients because they were the most important things in the place. Viviani, his boss, was a large man with red hair. It was customary to walk around with flour all over your body, and as far as Andrew knew, he was the one with all the leftover pizzas.
A few customers had started showing up at the place. Mostly foreigners who had ventured down the alley and found that as being the only place open late at night.
One day a honey-haired girl, with a few small gold nuggets scattered through her hair, entered the pizzeria, exploring the place from one end to the other. She didn't seem like the kind of person who frequented those places. She was dressed like she was going to walk into a very fancy restaurant. Wearing a fur coat, and sunglasses. She looked about his age. Andrew was embarrassed to talk to the girl, but after he collected himself and remembered that if his boss saw him that way it was very likely that he would be punched.
"Fallow Free is pleased to welcome you."
That woman was alone, and she didn't answer Andrew right away. He continued to analyze the place with his eyes and after looking at the ceiling he noticed blue almost gray eyes that looked at her through the spaces in the wooden planks of the floor above.
"HAAA!!!" The woman gave a cry and jumped back.
Viviani had started heavily down the stairs and after stopping halfway down he looked up at Andrew.
"Accomplish the customer's request and send her out of here."
After that Andrew was even tenser. He, too, was startled by the scream.
Viviani went back upstairs and the noise stopped.
The woman was still there, looking at Andrew who remained silent.
"Andrew, right?"
Andrew managed to get back to normal and now he paid attention to that beautiful woman full of curves like a formula 1 track.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Ah, I see." That woman spoke as if Andrew was the person she was looking for there.
"Do you have four cheese pizzas?" Now that woman looked more serious and had a different posture. Her expensive scent spread throughout the establishment and even Andrew had taken her scent, even though he hadn't even laid a finger on that woman.
"Yes, ma'am"
"Then give me 3 with barbecue sauce and put spice on one of them."
"Yes, ma'am" Andrew spoke in that same boring tone as the first time. He went to the kitchen to prepare the orders and after collecting payment, the woman in front of him started talking to him.
"Don't you want to go out one of these days Andrew?"
Andrew couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Out? Me? Where? With who?"
Even though the woman was wearing dark glasses, the face of rejection she had made was visible.
"With me, silly. I wish I could get to know you better." As much as it looked like an act, Andrew wasn't the least bit suspicious. And he didn't know how to react to that news.
"Give me your phone." The woman held out her hand as if expecting to receive Andrew's phone and after he took it out of his pocket and handed it to her. The woman pretended to run with Andrew's phone out of the establishment, and Andrew started to laugh. And it was at that moment that he was caught by her.
The woman after she had staged that robbery went back to Andrew and handed him the phone. She was now taking her own and typing a few words on the screen.
In Andrew's hand, his phone vibrated.
"I'm Alice. Call me when you free." It was the text message on Andrew's screen.
The woman smiled as he looked at the screen and then back at her.
Andrew was tense again.
He heard the alarm of orders in the kitchen, and after delivering the pizzas he lovingly waved goodbye to Alice who didn't even look back when was leaving.
Andrew was in love with everything about her.
***
Days later he managed to have his first date with Alice, and they started to get to know each other better. Alice came from a wealthy and powerful family in that country. They had so much money that Alice could buy the Pizzeria with Andrew in it.
Whilst Andrew was just a nobody from West Lincoln that was working to make a living before he was kicked out of the house.
"Are you a virgin?" Alice asked Andrew with some disgust on the third date.
"No, ma'am. Why?"
Alice with a great expression of sarcasm replied.
"So far you haven't tried to fuck me." Andrew was tense with that answer and didn't know how to respond. He was silent until Alice spoke again.
"But you don't want to?!" Andrew swallowed and looked away from Alice.
"W-Want what?" Andrew seemed to shake slightly. Cold sweat trickled down his temples.
"F*ck me, silly."
Andrew wasn't a virgin, but he hadn't been involved with many women in his life. That's why he was a little inexperienced."Of course, I want to. But where do we do that? In my house, it's not possible, and in the pizzeria even less." Andrew always spoke in an uncertain way.Without vigour in his voice."Don't worry about it, let's go to my house." Alice, as always, was very quick to find solutions when the subjects were the ones that interested her."I think it might be. W-And when is this?""Today, of course. I want it now."Andrew was astonished and looked at his friend inside his pants as if they were both trying to figure out what was going on. His friend was also scared, so much so that Andrew had a boner."But I'm not prepared. How am I supposed to do that?"Alice didn't even wait for his answer and was already dragging him by the hand so they could leave that cinema.They had gone to watch a movie with the movie theatre empty so they could talk.Alice, as Andrew found out late
Andrew was lying in his room looking at the ceiling, projecting the next day.(All I could think about is Alice. I want to know what she is doing at the moment. But I have no courage to text her at night. Tomorrow I have to wake up early to go to work. And I don't want to bother her too. She most likely is at a family dinner, or at a fancy restaurant with friends chatting.)Andrew's mother had kept part of the money he had managed to make that day. It was normal, but at least now he had a little money for himself.At least he was able to eat something nice now and start getting ready to leave his mother's house. His mother even was complaining about the food he was eating at her home."You are not worth the food you eat you brat."His mother never gave Andrew enough freedom to have friends outside the house. And Andrew wasn't used to trusting people. And that's why he hardly talked to people. And when he talked to a person, they usually treated him badly. That's why he liked Alice. So
The guests fell in shock at that answer."I don't want to marry Andrew, priest."The bride came out of that chantry full of roses. She put on the sandals that she had left outside the chantry."My good people. This nonsense ends here. The wedding is over and I'm leaving." Alice pretended to drop an invisible microphone. And while everyone watched, Alice took her best friend's hand and left the hall where she was supposed to marry Andrew."She left the groom at the altar alone.""He looks like a beggar. I still want to understand what he does on that altar.""Alice made the right choice. We're just wasting time here." One of the uncles was speaking in the midst of the people who were beginning to empty the wedding hall."I'm leaving. This marriage has been pretty good so far.""Michael, bring us lots of beers. Today I won't stop drinking until tomorrow." A cousin of Alice's was speaking, as if he had already forgotten why he was there.Andrew watched as the hall emptied as the priest p
"Calm down Boss, I can explain."**SLAP!**This time he got a slap in the face. Was well given that he made the counter shudder with the structure of the pizzeria.Paff!Andrew's body hit the floor like a sack of potatoes and he landed on his stomach so as not to hurt his face. He grabbed the right cheek which was sure to ignite within moments.["YOU THINK I NEED AN EXPLANATION?"]"After the opportunity I gave you, you still try to deceive me."Viviani was smoother after he landed that slap in Andrew's face.Andrew got up little by little and even though that was a sad and difficult scene to watch. Viviani smiled with his giant yellow teeth.Andrew remained silent and as he was hungry and weak, he couldn't even expend the energy to continue talking.Viviani came out from behind the counter and started up the stairs to the top floor.Andrew took the moment to go behind the counter to pack his things."That's it. Pack your things because I don't want to see you here anymore. You're fire
He had been on the street for a week and every time he woke up in the morning the decision was the same.(Eat or look for work? Even if I find work, I'll be hungry, but after ending my hunger, I don't know how I'll get food again. If I had a little money to at least get back on my feet, that would be good.)He was unshaven and his eyes were sunken and gaunt like the rest of him. His hair was greasy and messy because he hadn't showered in 3 days."Atchiuuu!!" Andrew sneezed because the cold was still strong even though it had stopped snowing 5 days ago.Sterling City was always bustling in the morning. The streets were full of dynamic people who moved from one place to another as if they were in danger of life or death. The escalators leaving the train station were full of people taking the steps without waiting for the stairs to do their job.(One day I was one of them. I had work and I was in a hurry to arrive before the entrance time.)He didn't go around Sterling Square because he
"Make a Wish? What is that?" Andrew was confused because the card had a phone number on it and it looked familiar. But he had forgotten how.(What was this fucking card with me doing? I don't remember what it's for, but I know that whoever answers this number will tell me something!)It was already dark. And it was difficult for Andrew to stop a person at night. They might think it was a robbery for sure. There was a stranger doing charity with some beggars near the subway."The soup is hot. Come and get it while you still have it." the boy who distributed the soups saw Andrew approaching him.The guy made a jerky move and Andrew backed away because he didn't want to get a random kick."Sorry mate. I just want a call.""What?! Get your soup and get out!" That boy was yelling at Andrew.Andrew was used to that kind of behaviour. He got out of that boy's eyes as fast as he could.He started looking for another chance to make the call. He didn't have the money to pay for a call and neede
"How is going?" Had to repeat the voice on the other end of the phone.This time it was a male voice a little stiff."Yes. I remember talking about my wish," Andrew wanted to know if that was true. Had he really become master of the world?"I want the world!" "I'll give you the quote that belongs to you. From now on, we'll put you where you belong. What do you want to do?" that man's voice invited him to tell the most intimate secrets he had about himself, but he felt that this man knew everything about himself."You know. I've been hungry since yesterday. I would like some food if possible.""All you have to do is buy it. Take that phone that you have in your hand and after you've bought everything you wanted, pay with this phone.""What? Nonsense. I'm going to buy anything I want with this phone? From what I can see, it's not even the most advanced. How do you expect me to buy anything with this?""Did you buy that phone?" The man's voice didn't sound irritated at all, he seemed to
The server picked Andrew's teeth as he finished the third course. Pasta with pesto sauce. Something he had never eaten before but tasted good just by eating it.The snacks were almost finished. Andrew couldn't eat anymore."Bring the Last Dish.""There's a very good dessert waiting for you, it's a speciality from a foreign chef that we only have in our restaurant, " the attendant who was now half a friend of Andrew asked them to bring him "The Grand Finale.".(But is that how you meet all the people who look like me?)Andrew looked at the last of those waiters who carried a transparent crystal glass, and was better dressed than he was."Here monsieur, your Apple Crumble and Vanilla Ice cream steamed gently and drifted in the local wind."Please, can you have them bring out the best thing they have so I can smoke it?""Of course, here is your wish is my command," the attendant who was there with him to entertain him left where he was and after going down the stairs, disappeared for a f