Page 25

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Juri

Though I hadn’t spent the entire day in bed as anticipated, after canceling my appointments and informing Noé and Clé of my whereabouts and condition, I had dozed off on the couch.

I was roused from my slumber by some noise, and to my surprise, I found Luca in the kitchen with wet hair, preparing the rice cooker.

The flat-screen TV quietly played the final minutes of Shutter Island, which I vaguely recalled putting on.

Luca joined me on the couch with a protein shake and propped his feet up. “How are you feeling?”

“Looks like I’ve slept through the afternoon,” I replied, rubbing my face. It was already dark, and Luca had turned on a few lamps. “How was training?”

“Great! My trainer finally signed me up for a competition again.”

“Oh really? Sounds like you’ve been banned or something.”

Luca grimaced and sipped his shake.

“I don’t really know what you do exactly.”

“Kickboxing,” he replied shortly.

“That explains a lot,” I muttered, sitting up straight.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, your grip was solid when you …”

“That was a move from Krav Maga.”

“That’s self-defense, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How did you get into that? I mean, you don’t strike me as someone interested in martial arts.”

“What does someone interested in martial arts look like?” he chuckled, placing the empty cup on the coffee table.

“Well, I don’t know. You look more like … a model to me.”

“What?” Luca burst out laughing loudly, warming my heart. “I’m not a model!”

“At least not a thug either. Especially after the stunt you pulled off yesterday.”

“Yeah, I just got into that somehow,” Luca hesitated.

“Through friends?”

“Ha! No, more like … the opposite.”

“What’s the opposite?”

“You’re pretty curious.” He rose from the couch with his empty glass and retreated to the kitchen.

“We’re just having a conversation. But if you don’t want to talk …”

I reached for my phone and unlocked it as he emerged from behind the kitchen island and paused halfway. “I was bullied a lot,” he said hesitantly. “Very often. Daily. Even as a teenager.”

“Okay.” I placed my phone on my lap and waited. As if feeling obligated to explain, he stood there but struggled to find the words to say. “And then you started with self-defense?” I asked, hoping to prompt him.

He seemed visibly relieved and nodded. “Yeah, something like that,” he said and disappeared inside the kitchen.

I sensed there was more to it, but if he didn’t want to talk, then I wouldn’t pry. I redirected my focus to my phone, replying to a few messages while he prepared dinner. Eventually, I got up from my chair and made my way to the patio door.

“Wait, I’ll help you.”

“I need the chair anyway,” I said.

Finally, I sat down beside the open window and lit a cigarette. Luca joined me, lighting one for himself. As he leaned against the window frame with his shoulder, exhaling smoke, I involuntarily grimaced.

“Doesn’t that contradict each other? Sports and smoking?”

“Yeah,” he admitted. “I know, it’s totally stupid. But now that I have a competition coming up, I’ll try to cut back again.” He tapped the ash off and smiled. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“It’ll take a moment, but tonight we’re having fried rice. I hope you’ll like it. It’s strange cooking for a chef.”

I swallowed, because that was probably the moment when my vague response turned into a lie.

“Do you think you’ll manage on your own?” he asked, pointing to my sprained hand.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, otherwise I could have prepared something for you for tomorrow or the day after. Or do you think you can handle it?”

“We’ll see.”

Luca hadn’t promised too much, as dinner was indeed first class. He had even cut the fish into bite-sized pieces so I could eat everything with a spoon.

“It’s only a few days, luckily,” he said, tidying up the kitchen while I was back on the couch.

Yes, just a few days , yet the thought of it didn’t exactly fill me with joy.

Almost everything happening around me reminded me of how helpless I was, which infuriated me.

I had to make an effort not to take it out on Luca.

I ended up reading this photography blog that I had left open in the browser for a while.

It almost seemed like reading and photography were the only things I could do.

I had found a few websites for sex chats, but I could only tackle that when Luca wasn’t home.

“Do you want coffee?” he asked as the metallic sound of a key at the front door rattled. “That’ll be my landlord,” he said nonchalantly as I looked up, confused.

The landlord? Who lives with the landlord? I thought he was …

Shortly after, a man in a suit and tie entered the apartment. “Smells good in here,” he said, entering without looking up and carefully sifting through the mail.

It felt like the blood in my veins turned to ice. No, this can’t be.

“Hello, Hector,” Luca greeted, turning on the coffee machine.

Hector?

No!

I froze. And as the man lifted his head, he seemed to have a similar reaction. Without a doubt. It was him. Hector Lando. One of my regular clients. My heart skipped a beat and then raced away.

“Holy …” was all Hector managed to say. A few pieces of mail fell from the stack, but he didn’t seem to notice anymore. He stood like a statue, motionless and without breathing.

“This is the guy I told you about,” Luca said from the kitchen. “The one with the twisted ankle. Juri. This is Hector.”

If I could, I would have run away on the spot. This was so … fuck! And Hector was still standing there, now with his mouth open, staring straight through me.

“Uh, do you both know each other?” I heard Luca’s voice from afar.

Get it together! I screamed at myself.

I swallowed and lightly shook my head. “No,” I replied, knowing it was the right answer. Hector closed his mouth again, mustering a smile. “I don’t think so,” I added. The events of those frozen seconds were too obvious to ignore.

“I thought so,” Hector replied, coaxing a smile out of me. Obviously, he was a lousy actor. “But I must have been mistaken,” he continued dryly. “Hello, nice to meet you.”

He took two big steps toward the sofa and reached out his hand to me.

I was just glad I was sitting with my back to Luca and he couldn’t see my face.

My emotions and feelings were overwhelming, and I had no idea what impression that would have made on him.

Hector knew me well enough and gave me a gentle smile to let me know it was okay.

I shook his hand and acted like we hadn’t known each other for four years already.

His body warmth was comforting to me. And as he nodded at me, it had a calming effect.

“You really took a hit,” he said with his deep voice, letting go of me.

I pressed my lips together and nodded. The moment we looked at each other lasted a bit too long, but I had no idea how to break it. Gradually, my pulse slowed down again. Understanding what this man was involved in, the secrets he held, and knowing he was a decent guy, brought me a sense of calm.

“I hope Luca’s taking good care of you.” Hector picked up the dropped mail from the ground and nodded toward the kitchen.

“Yeah,” I finally managed to say. “He’s making an effort.”

My voice was quiet, barely audible enough for Luca to hear me. I noticed how Hector scanned my body, specifically as his eyes lingered on my foot and sprained hand. Then he shook his head in disbelief.

“If you need anything, call me.”

I actually had his number, but he was quick-thinking. He pulled a business card from the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to me.

“He’s not lacking anything,” Luca said, sitting down with a coffee on the couch. “Are you staying here tonight?”

Hector glanced around the living room, appearing distracted, which was unusual for him. “I won’t stay long. We’re going to the mountains for a few days tomorrow, so I wanted to grab a few files.” And with that, he rushed off toward the dim hallway.

“He’s quite nice,” Luca said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“He has two kids and a wife. He lives outside of Zurich in the countryside but still has his own bedroom and office here. In my opinion, he works a bit too much, but as far as I know, he’s also very successful at what he does. He’s a lawyer.”

“Hm …” I just made a sound, trying not to let on how much this encounter had unsettled me.

Shit, man! Hector is Luca’s landlord! Fuck!

I was also puzzled by Luca. Was he really so oblivious? Or did he just not want to see it? The situation just now had been so damn obvious. Has he seriously not figured out yet how I make my money?

Luca finished his coffee, and after placing the cup in the kitchen, he disappeared into the bathroom. Just as Hector returned with a leather bag, Luca closed the door behind him. Hector approached the couch, set the bag on the armrest, and looked at me seriously.

“Does he know anything?” he asked, almost panicked.

“Not from me, at least,” I replied quietly.

“What does he think you do for a living?”

I shrugged. “Work as a chef.”

Hector nodded thoughtfully. “That’s good.” Again, his gaze drifted to my foot brace. “How are you feeling?”

“I got some painkillers. It’s bearable. But being stuck here is not cool.”

“Make yourself at home. And I meant it. Call me if anything happens. Anytime.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

Luca stepped out of the bathroom and turned to Hector. “Leaving again?”

“Yeah,” Hector replied, donning the leather bag on his shoulder. “I wish you both a Merry Christmas.”

“You too. Enjoy your time in the mountains.”

Hector raised his hand in farewell and left the apartment. I needed a moment to compose myself. Luca sat down beside me and picked up the remote control.

“Shall we watch a movie?”

“Yeah,” I casually replied, glancing at Hector’s business card in my hand.

“It might not be a bad thing that you have his number,” Luca said, already browsing through the movie list. “You never know when you might need to call him in an emergency.”

I grunted in response and placed the card on the coffee table.

Shit! Why is the world so damn small?