God, with the salary I’ll earn and a roof over my head guaranteed, I’ll pay off my debts and still have a good amount left to start thinking about the future again.
Thank you, Lord! I don’t know what I did to deserve this chance, but thank you very much.
I really want to make somebrigadeiroto celebrate. Who needs champagne?
I look at the place that will be my home for a while. Yes, for a while, because I plan to have my own apartment and independence at some point. As grateful as I am, he said that employees sleep in this wing of the hotel when they need to, so I don’t want to think that this luxury here will be my life from now on.
I’ve never stayed in a hotel before, but if the employee wing is like this, I’m curious to see what the presidential suite looks like.
I lie down on the huge bed and stare at the ceiling.
Of course, I’ve heard of this hotel. As I said before, the Caldwell-Oviedos are a kind of nobility within the United States, but so far I’ve only paid attention to the brothers who live in the media: golfer Rafe—because I couldn’t not noticehim, as his face appears in several commercials—and actor Gael, with his perfect physique for action movies.
Both Rafe and Gael are very handsome, although they don’t look alike physically. Rafe is more like Guillermo, while Gael has fair skin.
I try to absorb all the details of the room. I usually don’t notice them because my mind is always restless. The furniture is dark wood, and the bed is so high that my feet don’t reach the floor when I sit on it. There’s a kind of beige bedspread and also several pillows. The bed is wide, and I think if I roll across it, it’ll take me about five minutes to reach from one side to the other.
When I entered the bathroom, there were various products like shampoo, conditioner, soap, and body lotion on the counter.
I feel like Cinderella.
The thought makes me laugh as I remember my new boss’s face when he heard me talk about the fairy godmother thing. I know it was inappropriate, but the problem is that when I get nervous, my comments come out disorganized.
The sound of a message arriving on my phone makes my heart race. Somehow, I know it’s him.
Guillermo:Are you settled in, Olívia?
Me:Yes. Do you always check on your employees’ comfort?
I click send at the same time I wonder whether I’ve overstepped. I don’t think so. After all, he started this conversation.
Guillermo:I don’t usually check, but I would like you to have everything you need.
His response makes me lose the desire to joke.
Until now, I hadn’t realized how much I missed someone checking if I’m okay. I was so worried about just surviving that I pushed aside any need that wasn’t material.
Me:I do have everything I need, sir. Thank you very much for asking. And for everything else.
The Next Day
I’ve been awake for some time already and ate a packet of cookies that was on top of the minibar. I usually have breakfast, but I forgot to ask him yesterday where I should go. I didn’t want to send messages and seem like I’m taking advantage.
I made instant coffee and then apologized to God for all the times I complained about the potato water at the café. Nothing could be worse than instant coffee.
Despite my lovely coffee maker being within reach, there’s no coffee grounds available. I should have brought the little bit that was left at home.
A knock on the door brings me back to the present.
I suddenly feel anxious because I know it must be the person assigned to help me go shopping. Wiping my sweaty hands on my jeans, I cover the distance to the door and open it.
There’s a beautiful brunette evaluating me.
I know it’s a bit rude to stare back at her, but I can’t help it.
As Guillermo said hotel staff wear—yeah, I’ve decided I’ll call him that in my head, because we’ve become quite intimatein my fantasies—she’s wearing a straight-cut black dress and a little jacket over it. Her hair is tied in a low bun at the nape of her neck, and she wears very light makeup.
I don’t feel bad about sizing her up, because I realize she’s also taking note of every detail about me.
