“It’s a contract that I am lending you thirty-thousand dollars, interest-free, for three years. You mentioned you wanted to buy a condominium; this money can go towards the down payment. I was saving this money for many years for a “rainy day” and nobody knows about it, not even my daughter. But before I transfer the money to your account, you have to notarize this document at the notary and give it to my attorneys. I would like to give you more but, I’m sorry, I don’t have any more.”

She crouched beside him, placing her chin on his knees like a kind faithful little doggy.

“Or is this not enough for you? How else can I prove my love for you? You know that our house in Riverdale is under my daughter’s name, and all our money is tied up in various funds and stocks.” She pressed his knees tighter to her chest. “Just imagine, Bob, how we are going to live once it’s just the two of us. We will go on a Caribbean cruise right away. Or, rather, it’s better to go on the Mediterranean. We will visit Italy; you said your mother had relatives there.”

The mention of his distant mafia relatives in Italy caused an unpleasant sensation for Robert, and his fingers nervously drummed on the armrest.

“What do you want in return?” He asked.

“What do I want in return? You sound like we’re haggling in the marketplace. God, how hard it is for me to endure this humiliation!” She rose from her knees and circled around him, settling behind his back. Leaning down she whispered in his ear, “Understand me; James takes so many medications and his body is so battered that the doctors themselves wonder how he is still alive. You’ll see. No one will ever find out. You just need to create the right formula. I already tried everything, to no avail. I consumed tons of specialized literature, visited different online sites; I can already work as a pharmacist myself. But nothing works on him, nothing breaks him! I must have an unlucky hand. I got into some vicious cycle. Help me, Bobby. Help me.”