Love Games

Thirty - six: A stranger in Hollywood Hills

I slowly wriggle out of his embrace.

I feel the presence of another, as if someone is standing behind me.

I turn and see Mario.

His face is implacable, as if he's playing poker - you can't make out anything, no clue whether he's friendly or unforgiving, maybe even dangerous.

"It's time to go," he says coldly and firmly. I look at Jack, who just nods slightly. Without a word, he motions for me to follow Mario. I feel as if I am being half-coerced.

I walk sleepily around the plane.

My body feels heavy and tired, as if all this time sleeping, taking medication and travelling has completely exhausted me.

I feel like I could sleep for two days in a row - all the tension of the last few days has finally worn me out.

I follow Mario to the black Range Rover waiting for us. Without saying a word, he opens the door and I slide into the leather seat. Jack sits on the other side and quietly closes the door behind him.

"Where are we going?" I ask, knowing the answer.

"To my house in the Hollywood Hills," Jack replies, looking straight ahead.

"How many houses do you have?" I ask, trying to break the awkward silence.

"A few... I'm not sure," he replies coldly, not looking at me, his eyes still fixed on the distance.

"Are you always this thin-skinned? I don't know anything about you and I'm supposed to trust you?" I snapped angrily and looked out of the window, trying to avoid his cold expression.

I see Mario's reflection in the rear-view mirror, he looks tense, as if he's controlling everything, maybe even expecting my outburst.

The anger inside me begins to rise.

Here I am, in America, with someone I barely know.

A stranger who has stunned me, brought me across the ocean and now won't tell me even the most basic things about himself.

Jack, in his thirties - I can't even remember exactly.

How can I trust him when the only thing he has told me about himself is his name?

Apart from the fact that our chemistry is undeniable, I want to know more about him. This attraction between us is not enough to satisfy my curiosity or allay my doubts.

I want answers.

I won't stop until he tells me more about himself.

He may think he can keep me in the dark, but I have other plans.

There is too much mystery, too much ambiguity in him for me to just look away.

I look at him again, this time with determination. "You thought that would be enough?" I think to myself. "You still don't know who you're dealing with."

Although the thought of Jack being Don frightens me, I rarely think of him that way. To me, he is just Jack - the handsome man every woman wants. I'm not as interested in his status and power as I am in the chemistry that binds us.

"I'm not always so thin-skinned, I've just had a long day," he replies with a surprisingly soft voice. It's strange that he adds anything at all, as he usually keeps to himself and avoids explanations.

"Right," I say, more sharply than I intended, "if you're feeling up to it, will you tell me why on earth you had to inject me with that medicine?" I work up the courage to look him straight in the eye, determined not to back down until I have an answer.