Page 74

Laia nods. She wants Claudia to have friends, people she can talk to when she needs it and doesn't want or can't turn to her, but she knows it's going to take her more time to stop seeing Nadia as a threat.

"Just promise me that if someday you and she…"

"Laia, I told you that won't happen."

"Let me finish," she says, very serious. "All I want is that if someday you stop wanting to be with me, or you start feeling tempted to look for someone else, you tell me first—don't lie to me, please."

Claudia sits up too.

"I promise I will, and I hope you'd do the same." She raises an eyebrow and Laia lets out a nervous laugh, as if the idea were impossible, because in her mind there simply is no room for that thought—she's too in love with Claudia for any other woman to catch her eye.

"Okay," she says, and shrugs.

They spend the morning cooking, following one of the many recipes Claudia has saved on her phone, hoping to try them someday. By the time they're done, their dish looks nothing like the one in the video, but it's decent enough. The dessert, on the other hand, turns out delicious, and after eating and cleaning up the kitchen, they spend the rest of the afternoon on the couch working through a four-episode miniseries they find.

And now they're here, at the factory in Mataró, waiting for Elvira to finish her meeting with Andrea from HR and call Claudia in to tell her whether giving her a position is feasible and under what terms.

"Please stop bouncing your leg," Laia says after five minutes, unable to concentrate on her work because the woman sitting across from her takes up her entire attention.

"Sorry, I just don't know what to do with myself—sitting here quietly waiting is driving me crazy."

"You could go downstairs and grab me a coffee from the machine," Laia says, dressing the order up as a suggestion.

Claudia raises an eyebrow, amused.

"You want me to be your assistant?"

"That would be great," Laia laughs.

"Fine, one coffee, coming right up."

Claudia stands, and just as she's crossing the hallway, the door to Elvira's office opens and Andrea steps out, followed by her aunt, who was coming to find her.

"Oh, perfect timing—go get Laia and come join us, both of you, please."

Her niece turns around and heads back to her girlfriend's office.

"I think the coffee's going to have to wait," she says from the doorway. "My aunt wants to see us."

"Me too?" Laia asks, looking startled, and Claudia laughs.

"Why are you so scared of her?"

"I'm not scared," Laia protests as she gets up. "Well—maybe a little."

"Sit down," Elvira says when they walk in. "We'll start with you, Laia."

Elvira reaches across the desk and sets a contract in front of her.

"This is the position I promised you—head of administration," her boss says, as Laia stares at her wide-eyed.

"I thought you weren't going to give it to me," she admits, nervous. "After finding out what I did…"

Elvira's eyebrows go up.

"I believe we already cleared that up. Do you want the position or not?"

Laia's smile spreads wide.