Take him!
Page 8
“Tell him I’m his biggest fan.”
Justin looks at her funnily because of how Carla moves and the excitement her eyes radiate.
“Did you like the concert?”
“I loved it… It was a dream.”
And they both continue to talk following Álvaro instructions.
I can’t believe it. Álvaro has just made her the happiest teenager on Earth and I can’t be more thankful to him.
Ten minutes later we say goodbye, after hundreds of photos and autographs, but we must let them continue their dinner. When we leave the hall where Justin and his crew were, Carla jumps on me and says:
―Auntie, thanks a lot.
―I’m sorry honey, but I had nothing to do with all this ―I say looking at Álvaro.
Then she jumps on Álvaro’s arms and covers him with kisses and thanks him. Álvaro tries to move her away and adds:
―It’s been thanks to Juan.
And Carla, as bold as brass, jumps on Juan’s arms and covers him with kisses as she did with Álvaro seconds earlier.
We finally leave the restaurant and Álvaro takes us home.
He double parks, announcing that it’ll be a quick stop. Then, he gets out of the car to say goodbye.
Carla jumps on his arms again. She can’t believe what has happened. She could meet her idol and she will never forget it.
―Thank you a lot Álvaro. Thanks to you, my dream came true. I hope to see you again soon.
―It’s been a pleasure, Miss. I hope to see you again soon too.
Then he comes closer to me, kisses my hand and say:
―I’ll call you.
―Thanks for tonight.
And we go to the entrance hall.
We go to bed together, we’re exhausted today. Carla is still nervous, it’s been a very intense day for her and she says:
“Auntie, Álvaro is spectacular… I like him. Why aren’t you a couple?”
“Because we’re friends.”
“But he’s crazy for you.”
“Oh, is he?” I ask shocked by the statement.
“Haven’t you noticed how he looks at you?” She says, although I can only remember he went to Shanghai with the blonde, he didn’t tell me and that’s because he’s hiding something from me, I’m sure.
“Come on, try to sleep. It’s very late and you won’t want to get up early to see Carlos.” I end the topic.
At the end, she fall asleep and I think on Álvaro, for better or for worse.
The following day, after walking though the Ciutadella Park, we get to Carlos’ café.
“Hey, beauty, you’re all a grown-up.”
“Hi Carlos!”
“I’m so happy to see you here! What’s new?”
Then, Carla tells him about the concert, the dinner with Álvaro and the pictures and autographs of Justin.
Carlos, shocked, tells me:
“I see you’re two people who are in love with the mysterious guy.”
Carla sighs and adds:
“Yes.”
I look at her and laugh.
In the evening, when I get the call from Carla to tell me she’s already at home, I get in my bed. I’m exhausted after having a crazy teenager weekend.
Week 8
On Monday at noon I go out to have lunch with the girls. Lucía is working again. We talk about our weekends and I finally have something interesting to tell. I tell them about the concert and the dinner.
“Girl, you’re lucky, you went from having the most boring weekends in the world to one of the best.” Angélica says straight as an arrow.
“So cool! This guy is very nice.” Emma says.
“And did you already asked him why he didn’t tell you he went on a trip with Silvia?” Lucía says feeding my insecurities and distrust.
“I didn’t, to be honest.” I say victorious.
“Of course you didn’t, very good Martina, don’t make a jealousy scene so soon.” Angélica says.
I don’t know why but we change the subject and I can stop thinking on Álvaro for a while.
At five I see a text on my phone it’s from this morning, but I haven’t remembered to read it until now.
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I answer him a quick:
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And, at that moment, I receive a new text.
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I don’t answer him back. He messes me up so much when he calls me that…
Before getting home I decide to go to the supermarket and buy something to eat for dinner for the two of us, as I suppose he’s staying today too.
At ten to seven Álvaro shows up. He’s wearing a suit and his tie is loose.
“Hi, baby!”
He comes close to my hand and kisses it… I must recognize that I love when he does that.
“Hi!”
“I thought that maybe, my humble company after the visit of your gorgeous niece would come in handy. By the way, she’s a charming girl.”
“She loved… thank you a lot for making both of us so happy.”
“I didn’t know you liked Justin so much.”
“Don’t be silly, you know what I mean.”
I’m biting my tongue to not ask him about the blonde when he asks me:
“What’s going on?”
I suddenly bark:
“Who were you in Shanghai with?”
“Excuse me?” He answers
Whether he doesn’t understand my question, or he’s playing fool.
“Who did you go with?” I repeat the sentence slower so he answers me exactly what I want.
“With some colleagues.” He answers.
“That’s it?”
“Is this a jealousy scene?” He says raising an eyebrow.
I look daggers at him, but I must recognize that yes, it is. Angélica wouldn’t be proud of me and I set a reminder in my mind about not telling her.
“And you? Did you see Carlos any of these days?”
I’m surprised by the question but I tell him:
“Carlos is my best friend.”
“Right.” He says.
“What do you mean with right? Why didn’t you tell me the blonde who is always with you went with you?”
“Who is always with me?”
He’s getting on my nerves using questions as answers.
“Yes, I saw her more than once with you.”
“Silvia is just one person in my team and I didn’t tell you she was coming as I didn’t tell you Pablo and Lorenzo were coming too.”
“It’s not the same. They don’t touch your hair as she does.”
“Ha, ha!” He laughs, mocking me.
But when he realizes that I don’t find it funny, he adds:
“Every time you saw Silvia with me were in events with friends where we leave the professional side at the office.”
So, every time this woman isn’t in her working hours, she’s like a cat in heat with you, I think.
“Ha, ha!” He laughs at me again and tells me. “Tomorrow I’m going on a trip again. I’m going to Berlin and Lorenzo and…” He takes his time. “Pablo are coming with me.”
What a jerk. He’s trying to be interesting, but of course, I gave him reasons to.
“And you, will you tell me anything about Carlos?”
“It a long story, I’ll tell you another day.”
“Fine, but, can I relax for now?”
“Yes, annoying.” I defend myself.
And we change the topic.
“I’ll be back from Berlin on Friday so I’ll be able to be on time for Christmas Eve’s dinner the following day in la Vall d’Aran with my family. Where are you spending Christmas?”
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“With Carlos.”
“Are you kidding me?�
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“No… I already told you Carlos is my best friend and he have spent together those two last Christmas.”
“Okay. On Friday, when I’m back, we can celebrate a preliminary Christmas’s Eve dinner. What do you think?”
“Perfect.”
“Don’t worry about anything, I’ll ask Magda for preparing something for us.”
“Great… I’m sure it’ll be delicious.”
After our small scene, I fix some dinner and when we finish, he says goodbye and leaves with a kiss on my hand.
“Good night, baby!”
The week goes by quickly and quietly. Carlos told me he would be in charge of preparing all the food for these holidays and that would be easier for me. So, I only have to correct the last exams of the trimester.
On Wednesday, before going to bed I receive a text from Álvaro.
<
I answer instantly.
<
I write him this, although I would have written I miss you, I’m dying for Friday to come so I can be with you and kiss you. And then, I fall asleep tell myself off for thinking about these things.
On Thursday I go out with my colleagues to celebrate the Christmas party. We go to a shabby pub and when it was possible, the girls and I sloped off to another pub that it’s trendy to have a drink and where Lucia’s husband is with some colleagues from Álvaro’s company.
When they look at me, some of them get nervous. I come closer to Néstor to ask him the reason.
“Néstor, why are those guys looking at me like that?”
“Rumour has it you’re Álvaro’s girlfriend and well, that instills.”
“But I’m not, you know that.”
“But you’re very good friends, aren’t you?”
“Yes, we are. But…”
“It instills too.”
I give up, and after finishing the last drink, I take a taxi and go home, at least this way, those men will be able to enjoy themselves.
On Friday after saying goodbye to my little students and co-workers, my Christmas holidays begin for two weeks.
At five Álvaro phones.
“Hi, baby!”
“Hi!”
“The flight is delayed, I hope to be at home around nine. Would you mind to take a taxi and go to my place? I’ll wait for you there.”
“Okay.”
“Please, take a taxi.”
He’s so annoying trying to control me to the extreme.
I decide to wear for the first time the clothes I bought the depressive afternoon when I had the reunion with my former neighbor Lucas.
I choose a black dress with open back and a messy bun. Next, I leave home and decide to take a taxi.
At nine I get to the entrance of Álvaro’s place and as I’m opening my purse, the doorman of the building pays the bill and invites me to go out.
When we enter the entrance hall, he gives me the keys of Álvaro’s home.
“Mister Álvaro called to let me know he was going to be a bit late and asks you to wait for him at his apartment.”
And I think what an apartment is for that man, because if he saw my apartment, he would talk about a box room then.
We walks with me to the elevator, I get in and press the attic button.
When I get to the corridor, it makes me feel uncomfortable to open the door, but I decide to do it. I get in and it makes me feel as astonished as the first time. I see that Magda has set the table and left a piece of paper with the instructions with the things left to do. I decide to get to work before Álvaro arrives.
I turn on the oven and wait for it to get temperature, so I walk through the dining room.
I like the pictures he has and it gets my attention one of a girl. She’s gorgeous, very different to me and I’m scared she’s someone special for him.
At the back I find a sliding door that reveals the terrace. I’m stunned when I open it and I see there’s a small swimming-pool in the middle of it and some spectacular views of Barcelona.
Around a quarter to ten in the night, while I watch the chicken roasting, I hear the door and Álvaro shows up.
“Hi, it smells so good! I’m sorry for the delay…”
The moment he sees me, he stops in his tracks and says:
“Wow… you’re gorgeous.”
And he comes closer to me and does that thing I like so much… He kisses my hand.
“It’s okay, I took the opportunity to follow Magda’s instructions.”
“Great! I take a quick shower and I’m back.”
“Alright.”
Five minutes later, with his hair still wet, he’s back next to me in the kitchen.
He’s dresses up, a little bit more casual than usual, and he’s barefoot.
He asks about my week and at that moment my phone goes off.
“Hi, Carlos!”
I see how Álvaro furrows his brow when he hears me.
“Oh, really? That’s great.” Pause. “No… thanks, I know it’s very important you’re the four of you together during those days.” Pause again. “Don’t worry, I promise I won’t be alone. See you the thirty-first. Yeeeees… “Pause. “Merry Christmas to you too.”
I hang up.
“What is it, baby?”
“No, nothing… it was Carlos.”
“Yes, I know that. What did he tell you?”
“You know you shouldn’t hear other people’s conversations, right?” I try to tell him off to try and change the topic.
“He told you there’s a change of plans and you told him it was okay, right?”
I should have gone to the dining-room to speak, I think.
“Yes, but it doesn’t matter, I have some other plans.”
“Do you?” He asks ironically.
“Yes” And I try to stare daggers at him so he leaves me alone.
“Tell me about them.” He challenges me.
“Well, I still don’t have them, but I’ll sort it out.” I tell him.
“Tomorrow you’re coming with me to la Vall d’Aran.” He states although I’m not so sure about it.
“I don’t think so.” I tell him.
“If you don’t come, I’ll stay with you.” He tells me.
“Don’t be so annoying and go to see your family, I’m sure they’re dying for seeing you.”
“They are, but I’ll call them right now to tell them I’m not going. If you don’t come with me, I’m staying with you."
He goes to where his phone is, but I think it’s a bluff. However, he comes closer so I can hear his mother’s voice who is screaming in joy because she’s hearing her son.
“Hi, mom!” Pause. “Fine…” Pause. “Yes, tomorrow… But I call you to tell you…”
I gesture to let him know he won and I’m going with him and his family.
“No, mom, it’s nothing bad… It’s just that a good girl friend will come with me.” Pause. “Yes… just a good friend.” Pause. “Enough, mom… We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” Pause. “Me too. Good night mom.”
He hangs up and looks a me with a big smile. Then he tells me:
“You’re going to love my family. My mom is a bit annoying, but she’ll treat you well.”
“I’ll be able to stand another annoying.”
“Is that for me?” He asks incredulous as he laughs.
“Noooo…· I lie ironically.
“What time are we coming back?” I ask him.
“We haven’t left yet and you want to come back already?”
“It’s not that, it’s just because on New Year’s Eve I have a party with the girls at Angélica’s.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be back here if you want. I start to work on the second, but we can come and go to the party.”
“Are you planning on coming with me?”
“Yes, do you have any problem that?”
Finally,
I roll my eyes and give in.
As we prepare dinner, he tells me things about his family and I’m already hysterical. We eat the delicious delicacy Magda made for us and we sit down on the couch to taste nougat candy. I feel comfortable there.
After finishing with the dinner and the nougat candy, Álvaro wants to show me the rest of the place. He has three bedrooms, all of them en-suite, each of them bigger than the previous one. His bedroom is the coziest and, apart from the bathroom, he has a huge dressing room that shocks me. It’s all well placed, and I imagine my things set there too and I shiver. . Álvaro notices I love this part and tells me ―I could open another door to the other bedroom and turn it into a dressing room just for you.
I swallow my own saliva, smile like a stupid and I hit him so he stops saying nonsenses. I hope he doesn’t notice how my eyes light up.
Afterwards he shows me his office, which has the size of twice my apartment. It has a serious style and everything is very tidy. So, the opposite to my living-room table which I use as a desk.
Everything is spacious and modern, but for my taste, it is too masculine and you can tell there isn’t much life on those walls.
It’s late and I must go home.
“I have to go, I’ll be ready tomorrow at the time you want to leave.”
“You can stay over if you want, just pick a room.”
“No, I’d rather go home. I should pack my things, I imagine it’ll be very cold there.”
“Some more than in here, yes. I’ll take you home.”
“You don’t have to, I’ll take a taxi.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
As usual, it’s absurd to argue with him.
We go to the garage and on our way he tells me:
“I’ll pick you up at nine. I want you to come with me to a place before leaving Barcelona. Then we’ll go to my parents’ home village.”
“Okay.”
We say goodbye as always: he kisses my hand.
When I get home I think about running away so Álvaro won’t find me tomorrow and I can continuously sleep during my two weeks of holidays. I think it’s an enjoyable plan, but I don’t have enough time.
I get up at seven in the morning, take a shower and eat breakfast. Afterwards I pack a bag with clothes, but I don’t know what to take. I have just finished when the doorbell goes off.