Antonio turned off the shower, and reached for his towel blindly.

   Last night when they had gotten home, Aubrey had been silent as she excused herself to bed. The ride back had been quiet after having dinner with Lillian. She had continued to talk about Aubrey staying, suggesting that she would take her places, and show her around. Antonio knew that she was trying to convince Aubrey of all that awaited her, just as he had done, and without fail, Aubrey deflected it all.

   When he exited the bathroom in his trousers, he found that Aubrey had left the room. Leaning out the bedroom door, he found her splayed across his couch, with the bed comforter dragged on top of her. Leaving her to sleep, he continued to dress, getting ready for the day.

   "Antonio?" A small voice called from the bedroom door as Aubrey stood by it. Her face was drawn together as she came out of her sleeping stupor. She had heard the quiet sounds he made around the house, but they were enough to wake her.

  "Hey, I was just getting ready for work." Tying his tie, he turned to see her nodding.

   Looking at his watch, he saw that she could have enough time to get ready if she started now.

   "I was wondering if you wanted to come along. I know it's boring, but it's better than sitting in here all day."

   "Like, to your job with you?"

    "Yeah, it's no problem. You won't be in the way or anything."

     "No thanks." Wrapping her arms around her body, Aubrey declined."Maybe I'll just stay in and rest awhile. Sleep the day away or something."

   "Are you sure? Maybe I can call Lillian. She's at home so you could hang out over there."

  "No-I'd rather sleep. If that's okay with you." Antonio was reluctant to leave her alone, but knew that he could do only so much to convince her otherwise.

   "Okay. It's all up to you."

    Patting her shoulder as he walked by, he prepared to leave.

     "I have to go now, but I'll make sure to call you throughout the day? I won't be back late tonight."

    "Okay." Watching him walk out the door, Aubrey locked it behind him. With a sigh, she went back to the couch, picking up the blanket she had dragged out and trudged back to the bedroom. Hoping that maybe she could force herself to sleep for the day like she had told him.

oOo

   By 9 am, Aubrey found that she had tossed and turned enough to know that sleep wasn't going to come easy for her. That's why she now stood in the steamy bathroom, pulling on her clothes and fixing her hair to busy herself.

   She donned another dress, this time a light blue one. If she had to admit to anything, it would be that dresses were a clothing item of choice that she couldn't live without. Tying her chucks, she was satisfied with her look as she went into the living room.

   Flopping down, and flipping through the channels, she found nothing that was interesting enough for her. Vaguely, she remembered that she had promised to make a call to Mrs. Anderson, and was past late doing so.

   "Who is this?" The abrupt sound of a child on the other line met Aubrey as she dialed Mrs. Anderson's home.

   "Let me speak to your grandma."

   "I don't know who you are."

   "It's Aubrey, Dre! Give the phone to your grandma."

   "Now see, you're gonna have to be a little bit nicer to me baby. You can't just call up here demanding things like that if you're gonna be rude to me." Holding the phone away from her ear, Aubrey prepared to scream.

   "Put. Your. Grandma. On. The.Phone." Dre was thirteen and a mack daddy in the making. Too many little girls around the neighborhood had boosted his ego once he hit puberty, and now he tried his damndest  to win over Aubrey, his crush on her out in the open.

   "Damn! Don't be screaming in my ear like that-"

   "Boy, are you cursing in my house? Gimmie that phone before I bust you upside that big ass head of yours. Hello?"

   "Hey, Mrs. Anderson." The familiar voice was a relief to hear.

   "I've been waiting for you to call me back."

   "I know, I'm sorry. I got a little busy."

    "Well, you called now so I'll let it go for now." Aubrey could tell by the rustling on the other end that she had her hands full.

   "Did I call at a bad time?"

   "No, honey. I'm just trying to get these youngins settled down before I leave. I've got a doctor's appointment and I swear they just want me to go in with my blood pressure ran up. Sit down!"

   "I was just calling to let you know I'm okay. I know you're  busy, so I'll let you go."

   "Wait a minute now, hold on." Aubrey could hear a little bit of order put in place as Mrs. Anderson stopped her from going." You sure you're alright?"

   "Yes Ma'am."

   There was a pause of silence as Mrs. Anderson made a noise in her throat.

   "Alright now. If you say so. Look here, you'll tell me if anything wasn't right? I could be up there as soon as you ask for me-"

   "I promise."

   "Okay, Aubrey. I have to get going to my appointment before I'm late. You take care of yourself." Mrs. Anderson spoke caringly to Aubrey as she told her that she would. Ending the call, Aubrey's hands fell to her sides as her head lolled on the couch.

     The phone began ringing in her hand again, drawing her closing eyes back open.

   "Aubrey?" It was Antonio calling.

   "Yeah?"

   "I was calling to make sure you were okay. Are you?' He asked after a heavy pause.

   "Yeah."

   "Did I wake you?"

   "No."

   "So are you up?"

    "Kinda."

     Antonio saw the pattern here. He would ask, and she would give him a short answer to everything he said. He wondered if he had already lost ground with her from yesterday.

   " Do you want me to come back?" He suggested. If she gave any sign that was what she wanted, he would.

  "No, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired still." She was fully awake, but she knew that she had been a little curt with him for no reason.

   "Because I can if you want me to."

   "It's okay. I was actually just going to watch some TV. Maybe find a movie channel or something." She hoped that her plans would reassure him, and his small sigh told her it may have done a fraction of the job.

   "You can use my laptop too. It's in there, I'll give you the password to log on if you want."

   "Okay." Aubrey dangled her feet just above the floor as she waited for him to end the call.

   "Shit, there's no food in the house. I can send someone over with lunch or snacks-"

   "I'll just go out if I get hungry."

   "Are you sure? Maybe I should just call it a day."

   "Relax..." Aubrey finally sighed from his small panicking."I'm a big girl. I don't need to be babysat."

    As her words registered, Antonio realized what he had been doing. He was thinking of how it could be dangerous to leave a child at home alone all day, but then she swiftly reminded him that she wasn't the little girl he must have been imagining.

   "You're right."

   "Of course. Now go back to work. I'll call you if I need to." Leaving his number for her, Antonio sighed as he hung up the phone. Tapping his fingers against his desk, he told himself to play it cool. Aubrey would be okay until he got back.

oOo

   Aubrey looked at her cone of ice cream, ready to devour it as she picked a seat a table outside of the ice cream shop she had found on her way around town. It was late in the afternoon, and she had finally succeeded to fall asleep for a few hours before waking up, craving the dairy treat.

   As she whipped her legs across the red bench seat, she pulled her dress to as she straddled it, Giving her ample view of people coming and going. She rolled her feet around as she basked in the feeling of the sun.

   It was nice to get some of the heat on her skin after being in all day.

   She admired the beauty of the sky until a rough shove from behind sent her flying forward, tossing her cone into the air.

   "I won it! It's mine!"

    "No! I wanted this one, you didn't win it, you stole it from me!"

   "Nuh uh!"

   "Yeah huh!"

   Twirling around in her seat, Aubrey sneered her nose up at the two little girls who argued over a balloon animal. They began pulling at it, the one facing away from her bumping into her back again with rough force.

   "Chill out you two." A male voice called out seeing the sight. He saw Aubrey glaring at the two girls and her fallen ice cream at her feet. At the sound of their brother, the two girls stopped bickering long enough to look up. Their grip on the balloon soon caused a loud pop to resound in Aubrey's ears.

   When they both turned around at her groan, Aubrey could see that they were twins. Both dressed in pink shirts and white bows holding up their curly hair.  They stared at her wide eyed as they saw the look on her face and soiled liquid seeping to their sandals.

   "Sorry!" They both called out at once.

    "They really are. I'll buy you another one if that's okay." The girls dashed back to the safety of their brother's legs, hiding behind them as Aubrey stood up, shaking off her hands.

   "No, I guess I was done with that anyways." Aubrey's eyes travelled up the tanned and toned legs of the boy before her before landing on his eyes.

   That's when she saw it.

   His charm. His beauty. The kind of thing that had girls ready to faun over him at first sight.

   The young man was all too aware that she was becoming aware of what he had been credited for most of his life post-puberty. It was something he hated, but came to love as it was a sign of stability in some aspect of his life.

   Immediately engaging his charm factor, he smiled at her ready to make her swoon.

   "I'll get you that cone. What flavor was it again?" He tilted his head for an added bonus, sending forth his smoldering gaze as his mouth continued to quirk, showing his results from brushing and flossing twice daily as his dentist recommended.

    Aubrey blinked slowly, reaching up to scratch behind her ear unaffected and unimpressed.

   "Nah, you're good." Dismissing him, Aubrey flipped her leg around, remaining in her seat.

    Smile faltering just a tad, the boy cleared his throat, not one to have his face on the ground. He heard his little sister snickering from below, and with a light smack to the back of her head, it ceased.

   "Let's go get her an ice cream." He led them away, and inside to the shop. Aubrey didn't bother to acknowledge the fact that she heard him, and when she heard the ringing of the ‘welcome' bells, she turned towards the large windows, watching as the boy in side ordered.

   "Didn't I just say no?" Aubrey spoke to herself, confused on how that was missed by him. When she saw him take two cones in his hand as he paid, she was up and out of her seat as she lost interest.

   When the boy reemerged, digging up words to speak to the girl to redeem himself, he found the spot she had once occupied empty. A frown came to his face as his twin sisters slurped at their own treats.

  "You know, I can eat that since she didn't want it."

  "You don't get to have it, I do!"

  "Nuh uh. I already called dibbs!"

   "It doesn't count ‘cause I'm the oldest!"

   "You don't even like vanilla!"

  "So!"

   Lowering the cone as it was attacked by both girls; the older boy took a seat at the red bench with a slight slump in his back.

    Looking down the sidewalk, he wondered where Aubrey had gone off to, but more importantly, how he fell short in making her fall for him.

oOo

          With feet meeting the concrete ground one behind the other, Aubrey began to notice that wherever she was walking was getting her nowhere.

   "Oh, shit." Looking at her watch, she saw that it was already close to six in the evening. She didn't realize how fast time had escaped her as she walked around aimlessly. Keeping her cool, she pulled out her cell phone, ready to dial the memorized number Antonio had given her.

   Even as she banged the piece of junk against her hand, she knew that it was dead.

    "Fuck." She said to herself. Calmly pulling out the small map she still carried with her, she found a building to lean against as she began to recall street names that would lead her back to Antonio's apartment.

   She usually had a good memory, but only when she paid attention.

  Slowly but surely, some of the names and lines she traced on the paper began to make sense, and going off on a whim, she began to follow them, hoping that she could hit the nail on the head the first time around.

  She refused to panic. She knew what she was doing, easy.

   She would get back before Antonio even noticed she was gone.

oOo

    Antonio frowned as another dial tone met him as he called his apartment for the sixth time in an hour.

   Aubrey hadn't picked up.

   The first three calls, he hadn't worried by just figuring he was getting worked up over nothing.

   The last three began to worry him as he packed up to leave his office. He would be leaving at the same time many other employees did, and this fact didn't go unaddressed as he boarded the elevator to many jeers.

   When Antonio was in the parking deck, he had only getting home in the forefront of his mind, and the sound of his mother calling him didn't register as he threw his briefcase in the backseat of his car.

   If asked, he would have insisted that he did the speed limit home, hell he would have even suggested he could have gone a few more miles over.

   In actuality, he was racing home, drawing stares and many honks as he weaved in and out of rush hour traffic, forcing his way through.

    Practically running into the lobby of his apartment building for the elevator, Antonio had to slow himself down when he began to garner looks of suspicion. Quickly making it to his front door, he unlocked it, taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

   Surely he was worrying too much.

   He repeated this in his mind as he walked through his home, looking at every nook and cranny to hopefully find Aubrey there.

   She wasn't.

   "Hello?" Finally answering the call from his mother, Antonio couldn't mask the sound in his voice as his heartbeat heavy against his chest.

  "Antonio? Is everything okay?"

   "Yeah mom."

   "Are you sure?" Mary knew her son, and the tight tone is his voice meant something was up.

   "How was work? Was it stressful?"

   "No, can I call you back later?"

   "Wait! What's wrong honey? Is everything okay?"

   "Mom, I just-"

    "You're worrying me Antonio." The sound of her voice didn't lie, and taking a seat on the couch, Antonio tried to explain that he needed to go in a less harsh tone.

   "I'm sorry. I just have to find something right now, and I'm having a hard time."

   "What are you looking for?"

   "Aubrey..."

   Bewildered, it took a second for Mary to connect with what he had said.

   "Now, don't start to worry, you didn't lose her. Maybe she went out for a bit. She'll be back." She tried to reassure him. Sitting down at her dining table, she felt the eyes of Natalia on her as she sat planning for Antonio's party. She had been calm and composed these past couple of days, and not her usually snarky self. Mary recognized the look of self-accomplishment, and took it for Natalia being proud of herself for arranging such an elaborate party for Antonio as she had.

   Natalia quirked one eyebrow as she listened to her mother's side of the conversation.

     "Antonio, calm down honey." Natalia didn't fight the small smirk that rested on her lips as she continued tying up loose ends.

  Mary sat in her seat, mirroring her son's feelings from afar.

   "Where are you going?"

     Mary could hear the sound of a door slamming in the back ground as Antonio exited his apartment.

   "I'm going to find her."

   "Antonio-"

   "I'm sorry, but I have to go mom." He heard his mother call out to him to be careful as he hung of his phone, and stuffed it back into his pockets. It felt as if the rest of the world wasn't fast enough to meet him as fear of Aubrey leaving  once he was out of sight destroyed his nerves.

oOo

  Okay, now was a time to panic.

   Aubrey looked up to the darkened skies as night began to set in,

   It had been hours and she had yet to give up her pride and ask for directions. She had no idea where Antonio lived, but she figured with his name alone she could be pointed in some kind of direction by one of the many people she passed by.

   Her legs were beginning to feel tight and tired as she put them into endless labor for hours. If she wanted to make it back before giving up, she would have to ask someone for help.

   Coming to a stop at a crosswalk, she began picking out someone from the crowd waiting to ask for directions when she heard a car horn beep. Turning to the sound, she found herself staring straight into the eyes of the man she had met just the other night.

   Stefan Russo.

  It had been brief, entirely too brief for him to remember who she was, but as he waved and smiled, she knew that he did recognize her.

    "Need a ride?" He rolled down his window, leaning over as he called to her in her dire need for just that.

  The crowd around her began to move as the walking signal counted down from ten. Aubrey felt indecisive about whether or not this was a blessing in disguise. The way Antonio had reacted when the man had shown up that night at dinner still stuck with her. Looking over, she saw large white numbers moving in descent.

   4

   3

   2

    By one Aubrey took a chance and got into the vehicle. She needed a ride and he was providing one.

    Not bothering to return the grin he gave her as he began to drive, she immediately explained her situation.

   "I got a little turned around. Can you take me to Antonio's?"
    There was such an empty silence lingering in the car that she wondered if he had heard her. When he began to speak she thought that he hadn't as he began to ask her questions.

   "I'm afraid that we weren't properly introduced last time we met. Sometimes my son can be a forgetful little bastard." Reaching out one hand to her, Stefan waited for her to return the shake. With a brief hold and release, Aubrey barely even touched it as she drew it back into her lap and sat forward.

   "I'm Stefan Russo. Might I ask who you are?"

   "Aubrey." Against her better judgment, she took another look at him."I'm sorry to do this, but if you could just take me to-"

   "Aubrey. What a gorgeous name for a beautiful woman like yourself. Tell me, are you in a relationship with my son?"

    Thrown off by his complete disregard of her speaking, Aubrey shook her head no.

   "Friends?"

    "Um, I don't know what you would really call it." Antonio never introduced her to his father the way he did to his mother, and even his wicked sister. Keeping up with what must have been his wishes, she didn't take the time to indulge him with that bit of information either, keeping it as vague as possible.  

     Stefan saw an open opportunity at her words. It had been a while since he had a woman as beautiful or as young as she was. He looked at her soft features, estimating her age as he took them on his own little path to an apartment that was only known to him and whatever guest he brought along.

    "I must say that you seem like too much of a gem to just be friends with him."

    "Where are we going?" Aubrey's stomach began to flip as the words Stefan hadn't said tightened around her throat.

    "A friend of my son's, is a friend of mine. You look like you could use a little moment to sit back and relax, I think I can help you with that."

   "I don't need to relax." She quickly said as he laughed, low and steadily.

    "I promise you, it will be the most relaxation you have done in a long time. I'll see to it." When they came to another red light, Stefan took his hand closest to her off the wheel. Before she could question what he had said, she felt a burning invasive hand hit the seam of her underwear.

   Looking down in horror, she found a veined hand under her dress with no shame, gripping at her thigh, almost breaching her most private area.

     Aubrey's arm flew back with enough force that it could have broken his windpipe as she aimed at his throat.

     "You bitch!" He coughed as she fumbled with the door handle. Aubrey felt her hair being pulled back as she fought with the lock of the door

   "Fuck you, pedophile!" She screamed as she finally got the door open. Stefan reached after her, stopped by his seatbelt as she darted out of the car and down the street. Those who had seen the girl fled looked around interested, trying to look into his car.

    With his hand at his throat, it was hard to catch his breath as the ache surged through him. Stretching far enough to swing the door shut, he began to run the red light he had been sitting at in pursuit of his escaped woman of the night.

   When he was almost side swept by a car that barely dodged him as he pulled out onto the street, he found that the girl was nowhere in sight.

     "Motherfucker!" He screamed, pounding his horn.

oOo

     Antonio came out of yet another small restaurant in search of Aubrey. He had been in almost every building he had passed, and there was no sign of her. He had come close when a store keeper said that he had seen someone of her description walking past, but that was of no help.

     "Where the hell are you." Getting back into his car, Antonio found himself dialing his mother's phone number.

   "Antonio? Did you find her?"

    With a sigh of irritation at the fact that he couldn't he responded.

   "I've looked everywhere for her. I don't know where else to look for her."

   " Have you checked anywhere where she may have left from?"

   "Yes."

   "What about-"

    "Everywhere mom. I mean everywhere and no one can tell me anything." He should have taken her with him today. If he had, he wouldn't have to be in his car on the verge of losing his sanity over his daughter. He should have known better.

   "I'm sure she's going to turn up. Just stay calm." Mary began to soothe her son as she went looking for her shoes and purse. She would hit the ground looking for Aubrey if she had to. At the front door was a scowling Stefan, who threw the door shut, nearly, shaking the walls of the house.

   "Your father is home! I'll ask him if there is anything he can do. He could make some calls; send someone out to look for her."

   "No, I've got this mom. Don't get him involved." That was the last thing Antonio wanted. He wondered if he was being selfish and too proud. His father could lend a hand...

   "Aubrey..."

    "We'll find her Antonio, I promise you. I'm on my way now; I'll search on this side."

    "No, I just found her."

   "You did?"

    Antonio had only known the girl for a few days, but it was hard to mistake her as she ran inside of a corner store.

    "I have to go mom." Jumping out of his car, he crossed the street, dodging drivers as he made his way towards the store. He couldn't decide if he was angry or happy when he saw her at the counter, thrusting crumbled bills at the cashier as she opened a bottle of water, downing it.

    He grabbed her arm as she went to wipe her mouth, jerking her forward.

   "Where the hell have you been?" He screamed at her. Startled, Aubrey stared at him with wide eyes.

   "I've been looking for you all day, Aubrey." The crazed look on his face had the cashier weary as he watched Antonio yell at the obviously frazzled girl.

   "Ma'am is he bothering you?" The pudgy man asked, letting her know that he had one hand on his bat and the other on his phone to call 911 if need be.

    Tearing his eyes away to look at the store owner, Antonio began to drag Aubrey out behind him and to his car.

   He had never come that close to losing his mind over someone like he did Aubrey in a long time.

   He was going to make it clear to her that there was no chance in hell that she was going to go back to Texas now.

   "Do you have any idea what you did to me today? How fucking  worried I was?" His rage didn't end once they got into the car. All he could see was red, and to the best of his abilities he got them home without an accident.

    Aubrey had been shaking like a leaf in the seat next to him, but Antonio thought that it was because of his anger that he refused to reel in.

   "I've been calling you all day; you don't answer. I come home expecting to see you; you're not there. You can't just get up and leave like that, Aubrey. " With her elbow firm in his grip, he escorted her all the way up to the apartment, unaware of the tears that had begun falling down her cheeks.

    Aubrey was more than aware of his ire, but she couldn't block out the ghost hand reaching under her dress. She had ran fast and hard, hoping to shake it off, and when she stumbled into the convenience store to buy a water, she had to wash away the taste of bile that had risen in her throat.

    Now with Antonio mad with her, she couldn't stop the emotions from spilling forth. She hadn't meant to be gone for so long, or to scare him the way that he showed she did. When she went first into the apartment, she kept her back to him as he continued on. It was the slamming of the door that made her almost jump out of her skin, and her vocal sobs escaped.

    Turning around she blindly planted herself against Antonio, crying heavily into his chest. When she had escaped from Stefan's car, she had wanted to cry out to Antonio to swoop in and pick her up. She had been relieved to see that he found her in the store this time, but it had been short lived as he commenced his tirade about her basically scaring the shit out of her.

       "Aubrey?" Antonio's arms immediately went to comfort her at the feel of her weight against him. The residue of his anger was quickly wiped away at his new concern for her tears.

   "What's wrong?" He asked into her hair as she cried harder. She didn't respond, and he didn't ask another question. While he was wrapped up in his own emotions, he failed to ignore hers.

    Aubrey began to stop crying after a few minutes of the embrace.

   She wouldn't tell him what had happened with Stefan.

    No.

    Somehow, she figured keeping the incident to herself wouldn't give Stefan the power of fear he definitely held over her now. She didn't want to give him that.