He stood up from where he was seated and held me in a tight embrace. I was overwhelmed and scared at the same time. This wonderful man was willing to take this journey with me and was so willing to accept me for who I was.

Agata read the last paragraph of Brandy’s journal entry.

“Stop right there, Agata.”

She eyed me curiously. “Dad, does Mom know anything about this?”

“She does.”

“You mean you had an affair with Ms. Brandy?” Mikael had a scrutinizing look on his face.

I didn’t answer; instead I gave him my journal.

“Mik, I want you to read my journal. Don’t stop until I tell you to do so.”

He looked at the journal for several seconds. He shook his head before he took it from me and began to read.

Journal,

I started writing entries of my own when Brandy began to forget things. Not knowing what to write about, I felt like I was a professional singer who has never sung a day in his life. I did not know what I was doing, but I did it anyway.

Here I was in Brandy’s home, in her bed, lying next to her. She looked so adorable. She was facing me and I could see her sweet slumbering face as she slept so peacefully. She always made me feel intoxicated that I found it impossible to think straight. She is my kind of brandy. My Brandy…

-- Ivo’s Perspective --

“Good morning,” I whispered, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Suddenly, she screamed and jumped away from the bed, running halfway across the room, barely clothed.

“Whoa… what are you doing here?” Brandy had exclaimed, pointing a finger on me.

“Brandy, what’s wrong? I arrived a month ago, remember?”

“Y-you… arrived a month ago?”

“Yeah, I moved in and we’re living together now.” I patted the side of the bed and motioned for her to sit.

After shaking her head, she looked up and rubbed her forehead. “It’s nothing. Playing house is obviously going to take some more getting used to than I thought.” She got back on the bed and crawled to my side, curling up against me. Brandy’s eyes became heavy with sleep again and finally closed.

I covered her up to her neck with a blanket and grabbed my phone from the bedside table. I pulled her closer. I didn’t want to let go of her. Not now, not ever.

“Hmm… what do you want, Ivo?”

Her sexy sleepy voice was such a turn on.

“You.”

“I wanna go back to sleep. Don’t disturb me, please.”

“Okay then, but you have to eventually, babe. Or you’re going to be late for work.”

She scooted close to me and I put an arm over her. “I don’t feel like working today.”

“As much as I want to keep you here and fuck your brains out, I can’t.” She let out a soft chuckle. “I have a meeting with a colleague of mine. I’ll pick you up from your work and we’ll have lunch together after.”

“You want to be with him instead of me?” She stretched her long legs and climbed on top of me. Then, she proceeded to kiss my jaw, cheek, each eyelid, and then the tip of my nose.

“I think you’re just doing that to win the morning sex challenge,”

“I’d already decided to let you win. What you said just made me happy to lose. Fucking my brains out, huh?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

I swiftly flipped her onto her back. I raised her arms over her head and pressed my lips to hers, lacing our fingers together.

“I want this every morning,” she murmured.

The smirk on her face turned into a full-blown smile when I stuck out my tongue playfully. “I’m going to go and take a shower.”

“Want some company?” she offered.

“Of course.”

***

“Primo, come stai?” Marciano greeted as he walked into the coffee shop.

We shook hands and patted each other’s backs.

“Finally, you decided to attend the annual conference.”

“It just so happens that it’ll be held here in Boston, otherwise I won’t bother attending.”

“So, what brings you here to Boston, really?”

“Brandy.”

“So you traveled for almost twelve hours just to taste the Boston brandy? I don’t get it. There’s a lot of sweet and strong tasting brandy in Verona.”

I chuckled. “Marciano, Brandy is a person. Remember when we were in Rome?”

“Oh, when in Rome? Nah, don’t remind me, I’ve got several memorable experiences there. It makes me wanna go back again.”

“That’s not it, tonto! Brandy, she’s the one I told you about who has an early onset of Alzheimer’s.”

Marciano sipped his coffee. “Oh yeah, I remember forgetful Brandy. What about her? She’s here?”

“She lives here in Boston.”

“You followed her, huh?” he teased.

“Luckily, the apartment you asked me to rent is just right across her unit.”

“Don’t tell me you live together now?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Of course.”

“What?” Marciano shrieked. “How am I going to pay the rent in full, then? I encouraged you to rent that apartment so you could share it with me. I’m planning to check out from the hotel tomorrow because, damn, I’ll end up broke if I stay there for the next forty-eight hours.”

“Marciano, if you don’t stop shagging Boston girls, you’ll be bankrupt in no time,” I told him and sipped my cup of coffee.

“Primo, do you remember the news I told you about breakthrough proteins in mice?”

“Si, what about it?”

“The British scientists are now looking for a test subject.”

My head shot up, and I grabbed his shirt. “Brandy is not a lab rat!”

“Rilassarsi, Primo.” Marciano held his hands up.

“Mi dispiace,” I apologized and released him from my grip.

“Just relax and hear me out, okay? You know I want to help you and I think this is the best way we could help her,” Marciano reasoned out.

“What is true for animals does not always hold true for humans, Marciano, you know that. I won’t take a risk with Brandy involved.”

“Everything will be taken care of by the government. It’s a breakthrough in science, Ivo.”

“Do you really want me to punch you right now?” I glared at him.

“Listen, scientists have hailed this as a historic turning point in the search for a medicine that could beat Alzheimer’s disease,” he paused to take a long sip of his coffee. “After a drug-like compound was used to halt brain cell death in mice for the first time.”

“Marciano, this study has been done on mice, not humans,” I sneered.

“It was tested in mice, yes, the best test subject substitute for humans, especially with neurodegenerative disorders. But scientists said they are confident that the same principles would apply to a human brain with a debilitating brain disease such as Alzheimer’s.”

“You’re crazy.”

“It’s crazy, but it’s not impossible.”

“How about the side effects?”

“Well, although the compound produced significant side effects, it would not be impossible to develop a drug that protects the brain without the side effects. Trials toward doing so have been very promising,” Marciano explained.

“I’m still not convinced,” I sighed and shook my head. “I better go now, Brandy is waiting for me.”

As I turned my back on Marciano, he spoke, “This might be the only way you can help her. Think about it or you can just dismiss the idea and imagine yourself visiting her in the nursing home someday.”

I ignored all the lingering thoughts of my conversation with Marciano and focused on my work all day. When the clock showed 5:30 P.M., I immediately left.

I arrived at the apartment, quickly showered, shaved, and pulled on a classic black suit for the conference tonight.

I was at the kitchen table staring into a steaming hot mug of coffee, thinking of the miraculous cure Marciano mentioned when Brandy arrived.

“Well, well, well. Don’t you look ravishing tonight,” she complimented as she circled around me and reached up to put her arms around my neck, planting a sweet kiss on my lips. “I missed you; do you really have to go to that conference?” Her tongue slowly traced the outline of my mouth, inviting me to let her explore it freely.

“I’m not going alone, babe. You’re coming with me.”

Her head jerked up to look at me. “Me? No, I can’t. I’ll just screw up your party.”

“Don’t say that. You’ll be the most beautiful woman at that party.”

As I was tracing the line of her collarbone with a series of soft kisses, she led me to the couch and pushed me down on it. She climbed on top of me and I stared at her in amazement, enjoying her taking the lead.

“I couldn’t wait to be alone with you,” I whispered, lightly brushing her lips on mine.

“Don’t go then,” she whispered.

“I have to,” I breathed out.

She trailed kisses down my chest as she was grinding her body on my erection. Her breasts gently brushed against me and I ran a hand through her soft hair. I couldn’t help but stare at her lovely features as she gave me a mischievous smile. In one quick movement, she pulled down my pants, freeing my length. I let out a deep breath and waited for her to relieve me by taking it in her mouth. Instead, she just teased me, deliberately licking along the underside of it.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, you know,” I said in a low voice and she giggled.

“That’s kind of my goal,” she replied and took me in her mouth.

***

I eventually talked her into going to the conference with me.

She wore a sheer black dress and black stilettos. She had very little makeup on and opted to wear her hair down. I was not mistaken when I said she was the most beautiful girl at the party. I clearly wasn’t the only one who thought so when I observed most of my fellow doctors casting hungry looks at her as we walked past them.

“Do I have a sign on my forehead that says ‘fuck me’?” she asked, irritated.

I laughed out loud. “Relax. They can’t help staring because you’re hot.”

She gave me a wide smile. “Just as hot as you are. You see that little blonde there near the entrance, whose boobs are literally screaming to get free? I saw her staring at your butt.”

I stood closer to her. My heart hammering wildly in my chest as she stared at my lips and soon closed the distance between us. The scent of strawberries and lavender assaulted my senses.

We stared into each other’s eyes, trying to read the hidden emotions trapped underneath.

The smile that spread on my face was uncontrollable, one that she returned genuinely.

“We’re in a goddamn conference and you’re looking at me like you want to eat me,” she whispered in my ears. I immediately got hard.

“Attention everyone!” Someone spoke through the microphone, interrupting our naughty thoughts. It was Dr. Richard Clancey, the Chairman of the Association of Psychologists.

“Greetings everybody, we gather every year to discuss further, collaborate together and recognize people who have made significant contributions in our field. We work hand in hand with our fellow doctors in different fields to make our world a better place to live in. Now, to start this annual gathering, let me present to you a video of the newest breakthroughs in science that will be judged by history as a turning point in the search for medicines to control and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.”

I glanced at Brandy. She was sweating, and she looked alarmingly pale.

“Is this the reason why you brought me here?” she asked, her voice sounded distressed.

The crowd applauded as the video started. I saw the expression on Brandy’s face disappear.

“No, Brandy I didn’t know anything about this. I’m sorry,” I apologized, trying to calm her. “Let’s go, let’s get you out of here. I’m really so—”

“It’s okay,” she said and cupped my face. “It’s about time to face reality, Ivo, now that I’m willing to risk everything… for you.”

I could be everything for her now. She trusted me. Tonight was all about her… me… us.