When I reach his floor, he’s already waiting for me.
Although I’ve gotten used to him needing to control everything, I don’t think that’s why he waited for me at the elevator door.
Guillermo is far from being a friendly man, but with me, he always has a mischievous smile, as if he can barely keep his hands to himself. Now, however, his expression is serious.
I know there are other people in the reception room, but ignoring everyone, I lift my face, offering myself for a kiss.
He wraps an arm around my waist and kisses me briefly. “Let’s go inside.”
“Hi, Melissa,” I greet my friend, who’s smiling like an idiot. I know it’s probably because of the little romantic scene we just played out. If I wasn’t so upset about the situation, I might smile back. “Good afternoon,” I greet without looking atthe rest of the people present, even though one of them is that jealous woman.
As soon as he closes the door, he explains. “We’re just waiting for Levi,” he says, referring to the lawyer who represented me on the day of my arrest. “Seems he’s stuck in traffic and will be a few minutes late. Are you sure you want to be here?”
“Yes.”
“Levi said he found out a few more things about Kathleen but prefers to wait for the meeting to reveal them.”
“She makes me sick. Knowing she plotted against me, besides . . .”
“Besides?”
I sigh, tired. “I don’t want to make any false accusations, but I think she’s the one who removed the wet floor sign.”
“Joaquín thinks so too, but why are you so sure?”
“First of all, because I remember the sign was there when we arrived that day, and I’m sure it wasn’t there anymore when I left.”
“And what else?”
“We had a sort of . . . uh . . . confrontation in the elevator, and she asked me how my head was doing.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” He seems quite upset.
“Because I’m not a baby. Even though I’m short, I never got bullied in school. I knew how to step on someone’s foot quite well.”
To my relief, his face relaxes. “I would pay good money to have seen you fight as a kid.”
“Hey, I’m not violent. It was just once. The boy tried to swap his lunch with mine because he wanted the banana cake that Aunt Heloísa made for me.”
He laughs. “Come here.” He’s sitting on the edge of the table and pulls me into his lap. “Did she threaten you?”
“Not physically, but you know that gut feeling that someone would harm you if they could?”
“You should’ve told me.”
I don’t answer because I don’t want to fight.
“Anyway, from now on, you’ll have bodyguards looking after you.”
“Why?”
“Several reasons: the press, mainly, and also because my family is very well-known. Being my girlfriend, you become a target. I’m sorry about that.”
Even though we’ve acknowledged being together, he’s never explicitly said he’s my boyfriend, and even if that makes me foolish, I loved hearing it.
“Aren’t you going to protest?”
“Against having bodyguards? No.”
