the accident has affected your mind.”
“I am very conscious of the decisions that I have taken. I am conscious of the pros and cons. Come, sit with me again.”
I neared him and, under protest, I sat down. I felt like a little girl to whom her father was explaining why he gave her favorite toy to one of her brothers.
He took my chin in his right hand, and with care, he lifted my face, tilting it toward him. I could feel my heart beating stronger and an alarm fired up in me. Something in this scene wasn’t right. Although Norman was no more than a father to me, the twenty year age difference, at that moment, didn’t seem noticeable or significant. He was an elegant man with fair skin. The expressive lines on his face accented his firm and decisive gaze. The silvery shimmers in his hair were like a painted on armor that made him look invincible. In short order, a sense of guilt overwhelmed me when my hormones gave indications of being affected by him. My wiser self would excuse me, telling me that it was alright, because, ultimately, we were not united by any blood ties.
“I need you, Miranda.”
It wasn’t right. He knew that I could not, that I wouldn’t have the guts to give a negative response to an “I need you” from him.
“You know that I will always be here for you.”
He withdrew his hand from my face and put it in my hand.
“Go and rest because tomorrow a new day awaits you.”
Suddenly, I stopped believing that he didn’t know what his son was like. He knew very well what he was tossing me into, and, in time, I succeeded in deciphering the fight against remorse that he carried on his face.
I got up off the bed.
“Count on me,” I repeated, just in case I managed to convince myself that we were both doing the right thing. “As always, count on me. We’ll talk tomorrow. You should rest.”
His lips drew out a smile. I reciprocated, but only halfway.
“It’s about time you answered,” scolded Alex.
“What is wrong with you? I’m not your wife. I don’t need to answer after the first ring.”
“Did you just get up? I’ve been calling you since ten o’clock last night and it’s eight in the morning.” I struggled to understand his muttering.
“Is something going on? Why are you speaking that way?”
“If you read your blessed messages, you would have noticed that the new boss has called for a meeting of the board today at eight o’clock in the morning.”
I moved the phone away from my ear to check the time on the screen.
“Eight o’clock? Damn it, Alex! I’ll be there in half an hour. Tell them that I’m on my way, and there’s traffic. Make up whatever you want!”
I checked the cell phone and it had, indeed, several missed calls from him, and some text messages letting me know about the scheduled board meeting. This was going to cost me. Surely Alex would make me repay him by making me take him to happy hour. Since he’s been a married man, Elisa, his wife, wouldn’t let him go out with anyone else but me and he had to come back early–so he never wasted an opportunity to do something extra for me so that I would have to pay him back. If it weren’t for my eternal savior, Alex, I probably would have slept for several consecutive days.
Stay positive
, that would be my mantra for the day. I got in the shower and I think that I broke the Guinness world record for getting dressed and getting out.
When I got to Medika, Alex was waiting for me in the parking lot, opposite the main entrance. I figured he was alone because the others were in the conference room.
“Hello, Al…”
“You’ve finally arrived!” Alex told me in an interrupted whisper.
I couldn’t contain my laughter. His eyes opened wide.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Your voice.” I imitated his mutterings, as if the others could hear me from my car.
“If you could see the man’s face, you would swallow that mockery.”
“Is everyone there?” I was hoping that I wasn’t the only
“I am very conscious of the decisions that I have taken. I am conscious of the pros and cons. Come, sit with me again.”
I neared him and, under protest, I sat down. I felt like a little girl to whom her father was explaining why he gave her favorite toy to one of her brothers.
He took my chin in his right hand, and with care, he lifted my face, tilting it toward him. I could feel my heart beating stronger and an alarm fired up in me. Something in this scene wasn’t right. Although Norman was no more than a father to me, the twenty year age difference, at that moment, didn’t seem noticeable or significant. He was an elegant man with fair skin. The expressive lines on his face accented his firm and decisive gaze. The silvery shimmers in his hair were like a painted on armor that made him look invincible. In short order, a sense of guilt overwhelmed me when my hormones gave indications of being affected by him. My wiser self would excuse me, telling me that it was alright, because, ultimately, we were not united by any blood ties.
“I need you, Miranda.”
It wasn’t right. He knew that I could not, that I wouldn’t have the guts to give a negative response to an “I need you” from him.
“You know that I will always be here for you.”
He withdrew his hand from my face and put it in my hand.
“Go and rest because tomorrow a new day awaits you.”
Suddenly, I stopped believing that he didn’t know what his son was like. He knew very well what he was tossing me into, and, in time, I succeeded in deciphering the fight against remorse that he carried on his face.
I got up off the bed.
“Count on me,” I repeated, just in case I managed to convince myself that we were both doing the right thing. “As always, count on me. We’ll talk tomorrow. You should rest.”
His lips drew out a smile. I reciprocated, but only halfway.
“It’s about time you answered,” scolded Alex.
“What is wrong with you? I’m not your wife. I don’t need to answer after the first ring.”
“Did you just get up? I’ve been calling you since ten o’clock last night and it’s eight in the morning.” I struggled to understand his muttering.
“Is something going on? Why are you speaking that way?”
“If you read your blessed messages, you would have noticed that the new boss has called for a meeting of the board today at eight o’clock in the morning.”
I moved the phone away from my ear to check the time on the screen.
“Eight o’clock? Damn it, Alex! I’ll be there in half an hour. Tell them that I’m on my way, and there’s traffic. Make up whatever you want!”
I checked the cell phone and it had, indeed, several missed calls from him, and some text messages letting me know about the scheduled board meeting. This was going to cost me. Surely Alex would make me repay him by making me take him to happy hour. Since he’s been a married man, Elisa, his wife, wouldn’t let him go out with anyone else but me and he had to come back early–so he never wasted an opportunity to do something extra for me so that I would have to pay him back. If it weren’t for my eternal savior, Alex, I probably would have slept for several consecutive days.
Stay positive
, that would be my mantra for the day. I got in the shower and I think that I broke the Guinness world record for getting dressed and getting out.
When I got to Medika, Alex was waiting for me in the parking lot, opposite the main entrance. I figured he was alone because the others were in the conference room.
“Hello, Al…”
“You’ve finally arrived!” Alex told me in an interrupted whisper.
I couldn’t contain my laughter. His eyes opened wide.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Your voice.” I imitated his mutterings, as if the others could hear me from my car.
“If you could see the man’s face, you would swallow that mockery.”
“Is everyone there?” I was hoping that I wasn’t the only
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