“I’m sorry for bringing this up, but I want to know more about you.”
“That’s okay. It’s good to talk. You’re only the second person who knows about my mother’s death.”
“You can talk to me whenever you need.”
I get lost in his gaze for a moment, my hand absorbing all the warmth of his skin.
The sound of his cellphone interrupts the atmosphere, which I’m now sure isn’t just my imagination.
“Excuse me. It’s my mom. I need to answer.”
He gets up, but I remain where I am, unsure if my legs will obey me. But the urgency in his voice brings me back from the dream world.
“Which hospital? Okay. Did you inform the others? I’m coming there, Mom.”
In two strides, he’s back with me.
“Olívia, I need you. My father had a fall. Apparently, he tried to get up by himself and felt dizzy. Would you stay with Nina at my place while I go meet them at the hospital? My security guards will take you and will be at your disposal for anything you need.”
“Of course I can. I just need to inform Melissa.”
“Don’t worry about that.” He’s already gathering Nina’s things, but then he stops and stands in front of me. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without your help.”
Chapter 19
I’ve already bathed Nina, fed her, and changed her diapers. She doesn’t seem anywhere close to sleeping, and between one play session and another, I wonder if I should call Guillermo. It’s five o’clock, and the security guards have already come up a few times, probably at my boss’s request, to check if the child is okay. It doesn’t bother me or anything. I would be very worried too about leaving my daughter with a stranger.
“Da-da-da . . .”
“You’re right. I’m not giving you the attention you deserve. What shall we play now?”
As if understanding what I’m saying, she gives me a drooly smile. I’ve noticed new little teeth coming in on the top, and today, more than once, she grabbed my index finger to bite. The poor thing must be in discomfort.
“Okay, how about the noisy phone? I don’t know about you, but I really liked the sound of the animals.”
Three hours later
She just fell asleep, and I went to her room to put her in the crib. The idea was just to leave her there, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. So I sat in a rocking chair near the window.
I observe the room, a lovely mixture of pastel tones.
You can tell it was designed so that Nina has everything she needs. It’s not just the beauty of the decoration. With the money he has, Guillermo could hire dozens of people to take care of all the necessary arrangements. I’m talking about care, love.
When I first entered, I found the apartment a bit cold. Lots of metal, white furniture. Nothing different from the luxurious homes of the millionaires we see in movies or celebrity magazines.
I only needed to take three steps to notice several toys wherever I walked, which led me to suppose that he or the nanny plays with Nina in every room. I’d bet on him, since the employee would probably put them away before leaving.
Furthermore, there’s total adoration in Guillermo’s eyes for his daughter.
Speaking of looks, I thought Kathleen was going to shoot daggers at me when I left the room with him and Nina. I’m starting to think Melissa wasn’t exaggerating. The nickname “rabid bitch” fits the blonde perfectly. Since the first day I was in the office, I realized she wasn’t friendly.
No, actually, she was horrible to me right from the start. Maybe it was a case of mutual instant dislike.
Anyway, that’s okay. I dealt with Thomas for six months and didn’t die. It would take more than one person with a sour face to scare me. The real problem was when she tried to take Nina away from me. Her face looked a bit crazy, and that set off an alarm in my head. There was something malicious in her eyes.
I observe the sleeping baby.
God, he must be lost raising such a small child alone.
