He slid the key into the lock. A two-story house, as spacious as the rest of those in the area. 'Would you like a drink?' he asked. I took his hand. 'What I'm in the mood for is something else.' When he looked at me, I could see the sternness disappear from his face. You could read the desire in his eyes. He was aroused. 'Let's go to my room, it's upstairs.' We climbed the stairs, him with his arm around my waist. Once inside, I stood watching what he was doing. Without even giving me time to react, he  brought his lips to mine and placed his hands on the curve of my ass. I unzipped his cardigan and threw it on the floor, while he pulled the straps of my dress until I was in my underwear. As I slipped my hand into his fly, I felt the bulge of his penis. He rubbed my hand over the top of my floral lace panties, until I began to lubricate. When he removed my bra with his mouth, he was already in his underwear

                                                                        XXIII   I woke up, still cradled in Harlan's arms. I didn't know what time it was, but I didn't care either, as a pleasurable tingling went up from my back to my neck. "Baby," I whispered. I was still sleeping. I continued to lie on my side, relaxed by the sound of crickets chirping behind the window. So quiet I was that I didn't hear the sound of the key turning. Only the knob made me alert. I wanted to get up, but my body froze. There he stood, long as a day without bread, Harlan's father. I could barely see him, standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed. My eyes had clouded over. 'Will you explain to me what this is?' My lips

                                                                         XXV   My only way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day was to study the first semester subjects I had left half-finished. Kate volunteered to help me and we spent many hours catching up. Language, literature, history. Victorian era, Modernism, Postmodernism...Kate's notes were neat and everything was well summarized. She was the one who lent them to Beth and Erika. I went to bed exhausted, not thinking that the next morning I would have to see them and face them. The aula magna had a staircase in the center, which I climbed, trying to cover my face, to the surprised looks of my classmates. It was ridiculous that I was acting like a child. Kate was a- head of me, even though

                                                                     XXVII   We were sitting across from each other, wine and fish, dim lights. He insisted that I wait be- fore he told me what he had to tell me. 'Well, what's that so important,' I asked before taking a sip from the glass. 'Diya.' It was off to a bad start. My face changed. 'You're going to leave me for her and you're laughing at me?' 'Wait, Anna, wait,' he frowned. 'I'm not with her, okay? But there's a little problem with her father.' 'A problem with his father?' I repeated, laconic. 'Yes, and with Diya...Yesterday, she told me she was really in love with me.' 'But you don't love her, do you,' I tried to get him to confirm. Silence. 'D

                                                                    XXIX   I had caught up on my studies and was ready for any challenge. I had no rehearsal that after- noon, so I met with Harlan. I hoped everything would be cleared up, so we agreed that I would pick him up at the hotel. The front desk was clear, so I went straight to the desk. He gave me a discreet kiss on the lips. 'And your father?", I demanded. 'He's coming.' He didn't seem nervous, so I got straight to the point. 'Diya is not depressed.' He shook his head. 'I already told you, Anna. It was her father who told me.' Just then her father, who had overheard the conversation, came in. 'I've already spoken to my partner. He has lied,