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  Maria was a virgin and the brutal assault caused her to bleed severely from her vagina, as well as bleeding from her split lip where they had punched her. She could feel hot tears on her cheeks as one of them yelled, "hijo de puta" to the others, "son of a bitch." The leader of the gang yelled for them to leave, that someone was coming, and in seconds they were gone. As she lay on the ground, battered and bruised, she could hear the rats coming near her, scuttling around with their bright little piercing eyes. She could feel their tails as they brushed against her, licking the blood from her legs. She could feel one crawling up the inside of her leg seeking the source of the vaginal blood as another one inched along her cheek, licking the blood from her face. She was too weak to cry out for help. Mercifully, she passed out from pain and terror.

  When her father, Fabian, arrived home from work, Maria's sister told him that Maria had taken the trash out and hadn't come back. Fabian rushed to the alley and with one look at her he instantly knew what had happened. It happened a lot in the “hood”. He ran to her, tearing the kerchief off his head and wiping the blood away as he scattered the rats with his boot toe. He gently helped her stand, pulling her jeans on and zipping them. He took off his shirt and put it on her, wiping her cheeks gently as tears fell from his eyes.

  "Maria," he said, "Elena must never know. This would break her heart. I will help you into the house. We'll tell the others that you fell when you were dumping the trash and tore your blouse. They don't need to know. No one needs to know. After your mother leaves for work tomorrow, I will go with you to the free clinic to have you examined and treated by a doctor."

  He helped her into the house and into the bathroom. She washed herself, getting rid of the rapists' semen. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt dirty, ashamed, and violated. For the first time, she vowed to get out of the barrio. It was her mother’s mantra, but one that was now shared by her.

  In her senior year of high school, she listened enviously to a few of her classmates talk about the colleges they hoped to attend. Very few students graduated from Maria's high school and even fewer had the money or the grades to go to college. When Maria graduated from high school, she knew there was barely enough money to feed her brothers and sisters, much less money for her to go to college. Even if she could qualify for a scholarship, she couldn't go. She was expected to get a job and help the family. College was not an option. Her mother and father had never graduated from high school. Between gangs, drugs, and teenage pregnancies, there was no guarantee her younger brothers and sisters would even make it into high school, much less graduate

  After graduation Maria took a job as a receptionist at the "free" neighborhood health clinic just to help the family. She knew it wasn't a career. She decided she would look for a job in a few years that could possibly lead to a career, but for now she needed to make money. Five years quickly went by and she knew her mother was right; time was running out. She needed to find a place to work that was more than a receptionist at a neighborhood health clinic. That would never get her out of the barrio.

  She began to have bouts of mild depression. The never-ending work and chores she did for the family coupled with her job as a receptionist at the clinic, made her wonder if there really would be a good life for her, or if her present life was going to be as good as it got. She told one of the doctors at the clinic about the feelings, which she described as "wet wool." The doctor prescribed an anti-anxiety drug for Maria's symptoms and thus began her intermittent reliance on drugs to control the "wet wool."

  Being beautiful had its pluses and if the job interviewer was male, she knew she'd probably be offered the job. She decided she would be very careful about choosing what company she would work for. Even if she were to get married and have children, she probably would have to continue working, so she had better choose a company where she could stay a long time. Elena told her that no one hired older women. Elena's words regarding aging were always with her.

  Elena constantly told Maria to look for a rich man and that rich men liked beautiful women. Again and again she told her to never have anything to do with the men in the barrio, that with her good looks she could do much better. She told Maria not to waste her looks on someone poor, that men would be willing to pay for her beauty. The words had been repeated so often by Elena that Maria had them committed to memory. Those three thoughts had been her mantra since she could remember. Get a good job. Find a rich man. Get out of the barrio.

  She'd worked since she'd been twelve, babysitting, cashiering at the local convenience store, and as a receptionist at the clinic. Now she was interviewing for real, grown-up jobs. This was different. She wanted to be sure that she was making the right decision.

  She rode the bus ten miles to Irvine where the large high-rise businesses were located, but she wasn't prepared for the company campus of Moore Scientific Laboratories, which was made up of several buildings. Her purse was inspected by the security guard and a wand was passed over her body. Maria had never been through a security line at an airport and all this was quite new to her. After the security guard allowed her to enter the building, she simply stood in awe at what was before her. The lobby was an atrium filled with exotic plants. There was beautiful artwork on the walls and custom tiles on the floor. It was beyond anything she had ever seen.

  When she got off the elevator on the floor where the Human Resources Department was located, once again she simply stood in awe. The furniture, the carpeting, the art on the walls, all of it was like something out of the magazines she read at the library. So this is what it's like to have money, she thought. She wondered if the homes of the business executives at Moore Labs were this beautiful. Maria hoped and prayed that she would be offered the job of receptionist. To work here would be a dream come true. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to Father Ryan.

  Scott Adams, Human Relations Director, instantly put her at ease. Mr. Adams told her what the duties of the job would be, the benefits, and the salary. At the end of the interview, he told her he was interviewing several other applicants and he would call her within a few days. She thanked him and told him she wanted the position; that she knew she could do a good job for the company.

  He went through the motions of interviewing the other applicants, but as soon as he had seen Maria, he was determined to have her come to work for Moore Labs. Scott couldn't keep his mind off of her. Those full breasts in the white silk blouse, the long legs he could see beneath the tight skirt, the small waist, and that incredible smile and those lips. He fantasized about her for two days before calling her and offering her the job. He told her he would pay her more than the ad had indicated; that she had a bright future at Moore Labs, and that he would be happy to help her.

  Even though she was very aware that he would like to offer her more than a job, she eagerly accepted and they agreed she would start the following Monday. She couldn't believe her luck. The company was involved in scientific research. Not only would she work in beautiful surroundings, but the work would be interesting. She had gone to the library to research the company and learned that Moore Scientific Laboratories’ biggest research project involved developing new drugs and hormones that they referred to as "anti-aging" research. It was hoped that these discoveries would slow down the aging process in the human body. This was a subject in which Maria was vitally interested. Scott had told her that there would be chances for advancement and that many of the scientists who worked at Moore Labs needed personal assistants. The future looked bright.

  That evening, after she had received the job offer from Scott, Maria waited at the bus stop for her mother to return home from her long day at work. She couldn't wait to tell Elena the news that she had a real job, a career-type job in a beautiful office, which was going to pay her well, and best of all, perhaps she could pick up some information on how to keep her beautiful looks. Elena was as excited as Maria was. It was just as Elena had prayed for every day at the early Mass she attended before starting her day's work�
�that Maria could get out of the barrio. "Praise be to God," Elena said, crossing herself.

  Maria knew she needed some clothes for her new job. She had no money and no credit cards, but the local Catholic Church had helped her family in many ways over the years and maybe they could help her now. Maria and her family had often gotten clothes, which parishioners had donated, from the church and in fact, the blouse and skirt Maria had worn to the interview at Moore Labs had come from there. The next morning she decided to see if they had anything that she could wear to work at her new job.

  Judy Greer, the woman in charge of overseeing donations to the church, greeted her warmly. Judy had been a fixture at the church ever since Maria could remember. She was a mother earth type who still wore Birkenstocks, had probably been at Woodstock in the '60s and hugged everyone she met. Judy only saw the good in people. She was a bit of a saint herself and a perfect person to work at the church.

  "Maria, how wonderful to see you! What can I do for you?" asked Judy.

  "I was just hired by a fancy business in Irvine to be their receptionist and I start Monday. The problem is, I don't have anything to wear to work. I have one good outfit, the one I got from the church, and what other few clothes I have are too casual or they're worn out. I know that people sometimes donate clothing to the church. Can you help me?" Maria was clearly distraught and Judy was happy to help her.

  "I think you're in luck. We have a very wealthy member who brings in sacks of clothes twice a year. Her photo is always on the society page of the local newspapers and she doesn't want to be photographed wearing the same thing twice. She was just here and insisted on showing me every feature on the new Bentley her husband gave her. I haven't even taken the clothes out of the bags. Come, you can help me sort through them. She's just about your size."

  An hour later, Maria left the church weighed down by bags of clothes. She had taken almost everything the "rich lady" had donated with the exception of a few fancy evening dresses. The wealthy church member had very good taste and Maria recognized the designer labels from reading fashion magazines at the library. She never thought she would own clothes that had labels like Tory Burch, Celine, St. John, Donna Karan, and Trina Turk. Even the woman's shoes were her size. She looked at the red soles on the Christian Louboutin shoes and wondered how she could have ever been so lucky! There wasn't a single sign of wear or scuff marks on them. Had the rich lady even worn the clothes and shoes she had donated, or had she just bought them because they momentarily had caught her eye? Well, it didn't make any difference. Maria was just grateful the woman had donated them. She said a silent prayer of thanks for the God who must be looking out for her.

  She started work on Monday and by Tuesday afternoon word had quickly spread from floor to floor about the beautiful new receptionist. Many a young male employee found an excuse to visit the reception area during Maria's first week on the job. She had a hard time remembering all their names, but they all knew hers. The words "Maria Rodriguez" were very visible on the nameplate on her desk. The one person she did remember was Jeffrey Brooks, because he found some excuse to go in and out of the reception area several times a day. Of average height and build with sandy-colored hair, he wasn't someone who would stand out in a crowd, but what set him apart from the others were his vivid blue eyes, which shone with intensity and curiosity. They were eyes that, once seen, could never be forgotten.

  From the office rumor mill she heard that Jeffrey was a brilliant scientist who specialized in research involving anti-aging hormones. The other scientists who worked at Moore Labs felt it was only a matter of time until one of his discoveries would lead to a Nobel Prize. Several weeks went by and then one afternoon, when she was taking her afternoon break in the company cafeteria, reading a library book she had brought with her to work, she heard Jeffrey's voice. She looked up as he sat down across from her.

  "Good afternoon, Maria. I'm Jeffrey Brooks. I hope

  you don't mind if I join you. I need a cup of coffee to keep my afternoon energy up. So how do you like working at Moore Labs?" he asked.

  She put her book down and was a little taken aback at the intensity of his stare. His eyes moved from her face to her bright red sweater, which clearly showed off her full breasts. His eyes lingered there a moment too long for her to feel comfortable, then his gaze shifted to her legs. He had a hungry expression on his face that made her feel slightly nervous.

  Maria drew her legs under her chair and answered him. "I like it. It's interesting work and I love meeting people. I would like to know more about the research that's being done here. From what I've heard, the company is world renowned and on the cutting edge of a number of scientific discoveries. I'm particularly interested in the research being done on anti-aging."

  "What a coincidence. I'm the lead member on a team that's working in that area and I guess you could say that it's my specialty. I'd be happy to fill you in if you'll have dinner with me tomorrow night," Jeffrey said.

  Maria was very good at reading people and there was something about Jeffrey that made her very uncomfortable. He was strange and quite different from the men she’d known before, although he was clearly lusting after her and that was pretty normal for the men who came in contact with her. At times, it was as if he was somewhere else, not fully present. She guessed that was just part of his brilliant mind. If he was as dedicated to his research as everyone said, it probably would be hard to deal with routine day-to-day matters.

  Because she was so interested in his research on anti-aging, she thought this would be a good opportunity to find out more. If she could learn anything from him that would help keep her from aging, she was more than willing to go to dinner with him. Once again she was reminded of Elena's words, which had become Maria's mantra. Get a good job. Find a rich man. Get out of the barrio. Well, she was one down. Maybe Jeffrey would be the answer to the other two. She promised herself that she would keep her questions light and airy. She didn't want anyone to know how terrified she was of losing her looks.

  "Yes, I would like that very much. I get off work at 5:30. Shall I meet you in the reception area? There are lots of restaurants around here; we could just go to one of those," Maria said

  Jeffrey smiled. It was a warm and beautiful smile and it caught Maria somewhat off-guard, given her first impression of Jeffrey. Next to lusting for her, it was the first normal thing she had seen him do. "Perfect. I'll make reservations for us. I know a great little Italian place nearby. No notebooks or recording devices, though. A lot of the stuff we do around here is pretty top secret," he laughed.

  Maria wasn't sure whether he was kidding or not. He was so different from any man she had ever known. His eyes held an intensity she had never seen before. When he looked at her, he couldn't disguise how much he wanted her and Maria sensed this feeling. She felt threatened by him and yet strangely attracted and drawn to him. He was sexy in a very intellectual way, far different from the macho men she had known. Although she wasn't particularly an egotistical person, she had to admit that the idea of a brilliant scientist being interested in her was very seductive. Certainly, she was no stranger to male relationships, but she'd never met a man like Jeffrey. The men she had known before seemed like children compared to him. She was looking forward to the dinner and learning more about his research.

  She glanced at her watch and realized she had gone way over the fifteen minutes allotted for her coffee break. She grabbed her book, told Jeffrey she'd see him tomorrow, and hurried out of the cafeteria. Fortunately, no one was in the reception area when she returned to her desk. She sat down, put her book in her desk drawer, and acted as if she'd been sitting there for quite some time.

  The next morning before she went to work, she took everything out of her closet. Nothing seemed right. What do you wear when you're going to have dinner with someone who was probably going to win a Nobel Prize? She didn't have a clue and she also didn't have any money to buy anything new. She relied on the "rich lady's" clothes and decided on a s
imple, lavender sweater and matching skirt. It was unseasonably cool for Southern California and she knew the outfit was flattering to her, showing off her hour-glass figure.

  As the day went on, she found that she was really looking forward to the dinner. At 11:30 that morning, Jeffrey called her, confirming the time. They talked for a while and she could tell that he, too, was looking forward to the dinner. She wondered if she had misjudged him since he seemed a lot more normal on the phone than he had been in person. Promptly at 5:30, Jeffrey walked into the reception area. "Ready?" he asked.

  "Just one minute. I need to shut down my computer," she said. Maria got her purse from the bottom drawer of the desk, secretly pleased that the rich church lady had donated the Kate Spade bag. It looked a lot better than the Wal-Mart special she'd gotten for Christmas several years ago.

  The trip to the Italian restaurant was short and when they entered, she could tell Jeffrey had been right. The restaurant looked and smelled wonderful. Maria had spent a lot of time reading cookbooks she had checked out of the library. Her family had never been able to afford to eat out at restaurants and even if they had, they never would have gone to a restaurant as fancy as this one.