I held Patty in the hotel bed, our damp skin pressed together.
Patty's lithe body was beautiful.
I kissed her swaying breasts and stroked her soft hair.
"Your touch is so comforting... I love your hands like that."
"They're big, rough hands - farmer's hands."
"Yes, but your palms are soft and smooth."
"I like your eyes. The way you stare."
"You must be lonely. A lonely person. That's why you accept me. Do these eyes reveal it?"
When I blushed, she stroked the back of my hand and whispered,
"You made me do what you wanted so badly..."
As I held her, I searched my heart, wondering how much of myself I could reveal to her.
If only for a moment, I thought I could die for her.
Patty got out of bed and pulled a necklace out of her bag.
The garnet pendant sparkled red against her chest.
"And this stone?" I asked.
"That's my birthstone, garnet. I was born in January. What about you?"
"December."
"Wow, that's close... Then your stone is lapis lazuli."
She leaned her cheek against my chest and spoke in a playful, feline voice.
"Let's meet at your place next time."
"My place? There's no place to stand," I said, gently rebuffing her.
Patty muttered under her breath,
"I get it. I think you're different."
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"No... You're a good guy, different from the others."
After a few days of our passionate meetings, I found myself wanting to know more about her. But I didn't ask, and she remained somewhat reserved.
Deciding to clear my mind, I went back to the countryside to visit the graves of my mother and grandmother and climbed the mountain where my father was buried.
When I returned and saw Patty waiting at the cafe, she looked at me sadly.
"For days I thought you'd never come back," she said.
"Huh? I just wanted to say goodbye to my parents."
"A picture?"
"I thought I'd never see you again," she said quietly.
I urged her to sit next to me and smiled, trying to reassure her.
We ordered chiffon cake and had a nice chat.
Then Patty gave me a gift.
"What do you think? Try it on," she said.
I hesitated, embarrassed, but was genuinely happy to see that the necklace had no elaborate pattern.
The bead chain held a lapis lazuli stone, a deep blue reminiscent of a jelly bean.
"It suits you! Perfectly," Patty exclaimed.
"You're lying," I said, laughing.
"I'm not lying. So promise me you'll keep it on."
"All right. Thank you."
"Hey, do you like me that much?" she asked, her voice teasing.
"Yes. I love you."
"Why do you love me so much? Do I remind you of your first love?"
The image of Raul's wife came to mind, but I knew it wasn't her.
"No. It's not like that. I love you, Patty."
"Really? I'm so happy!"
She hugged me excitedly, her joy contagious.
＊＊＊＊
One day, as I was leaving my apartment to go to the movies, my phone rang.
{Will. It's work.}
It was a request from Biff Cuse.
I called Patty to tell her that I had urgent business and was on my way to the "City of Change" to Biff's restaurant, Café Ramona.
When I arrived, the first thing I did was hand Biff a piece of paper that said, 'Requests must be in writing.'
He placed photographs of the targets on the table.
I stared at them intently.
The targets were three officers with the Eldland Federal Bureau of Investigation (EBI). They were investigating organized crime linked to the Sanders family.
Even through his sunglasses, Biff could sense that something was wrong with me.
"Will, you sounded all right on the phone, so I was relieved. But now that you're here, you look pale."
"...Biff, I'd like to get an update on Raul's wife and child."
"Yes. She's working hard as the manager of our sewing factory. Having a job has helped her a lot, and we've even raised her salary. Her son is now eight years old and growing up well."
"I see. Thank you very much. Everything will be all right from now on, right?"
"Of course," Biff said, handing me a cup of coffee.
"You're an old friend. I have nothing but gratitude for you. Leave her and the boy to us."
"I'm relieved. Thank you."
I took off my sunglasses and put my hand on the cup. Biff looked at me silently.
"Are you okay?"
After sipping the rich cappuccino, I replied firmly.
"Yeah. I'm License to Kill. A legend in the underworld."
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