“Isabel.” I draw her attention back.
“I’m here.”
“Now how far?”
“I see our complex up ahead. Is that good? Do you trust that I’ll manage the last few yards all on my own?”
“Let Antonio walk you to the door and then I’ll stay on the phone with you until you make it upstairs.”
“Because you’re worried something might happen to me in the elevator?”
Truthfully, Isabel?I don’t know. Of course my employees are housed in a safe location—I wouldn’t have chosen it otherwise—but I can’t help but worry, and that scares the shit out of me.
“I’m walking closer. Closer…” she teases. “The doors are sliding open. I’m waving to Antonio. He’s texting someone.”
A second later, my phone buzzes, and I don’t have to look to know it’s a message from Ramón letting me know Isabel has arrived home safely.
“Now he’s walking away and I’m calling the elevator in the lobby. Simone and Annika are looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.”
I lean back in my chair, content to listen to her even if she’s trying to goad me.
“I’m stepping into the elevator and the doors are closing and if the call drops—”
“You’ll call me back.”
She huffs. “You’re so unbelievably bossy. Do you realize that?”
I hear her friends laugh.
“I knew he would be. He has that look about him,” Annika chimes in.
“We’re going up. What are you doing? Am I allowed to ask? I should be allowed to know, I think.”
“I’m working.”
“Of course.” I sense her eye roll. “I could have guessed that. Okay, we’re on our floor. I’m waving goodbye to Annika and she’s telling me to thank you for the yacht day and now I’m going inside. Surely you’ve had enough.”
“Don’t hang up.”
“Cristiano.”I can tell she wants to sound exasperated, but she can’t quite get there. I know I have her dangling on the end of the line. She wants this phone call as badly as I do. “I’m tired and I need to change.”
“So put me on speaker and change.”
She laughs, sounding exasperated. “You realize I share this tiny apartment with Simone.”
“Yes andSimone,” her friend interrupts, talking in third person, “is off to have a quick shower, so you two have five minutes to wrap this up!”
A moment later, a door shuts and Isabel sighs. I wish she hadn’t gone into work today. She has to be exhausted. I should let her go, but I can’t.
“Cristiano… what are you doing? What’s so important that you need to talk to me right now?”
“What’s on the bucket list, Isabel? It’s been killing me all day.”
She laughs with surprise. “Isthatwhat’s bothering you? It’s all silly things!”
“Give me an example.”
“Like I said earlier, it’s little adventures like trying sangría and surfing and going to a crazy dance party. Harmless.”
