Wound

It had been three months since Alicia had signed the divorce with Gabriel. She had not seen Gabriel in all that time, even though they had already arranged things with Abril. They had agreed that he would have her on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and she would have the remaining days. On Thursdays and Fridays, her mother-in-law would go to school for her and Alicia would pick her up after work. On Saturdays, Alicia left earlier; on Sundays she had Sundays off, so she could spend the whole morning and afternoon with Abril before dropping her off at Celeste's house.

Gabriel, whenever he picked up the girl, never got out of the car. Alicia only looked at him through the car window. He didn't look at her; it was as if he didn't want to face her. In those three months, she only saw him once, which was for the divorce, and on two occasions she had spoken to him on the phone just to hear the same litany of why he left her. It seemed that he enjoyed seeing her suffer; She really didn't understand Gabriel's attitude, since he was extremely cold and evil on the phone, but she avoided him in person.

It was Tuesday morning, and Alicia dressed in a black skirt and a coral-colored blouse. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail. She left her house and, after a while, arrived at the office. Her boss had not arrived yet. Alicia, on the days she didn't have her daughter, tried to arrive as early as she could.

"Good morning, Miss Torres."

Axel greeted Alicia as soon as she appeared.

"Good morning, sir."

"Can you come into my office?"

"Yes, sir, I'll be right there."

Axel entered his office and Alicia did so immediately. He sat in his chair and she sat in the one in front of him.

"Miss, I want to talk to you about the expansion contract you've been working on for a month. It's time to talk to the investor." Also, go see where the facilities will be and take advantage of the opportunity to see the hotels that will join our company.

—Yes, sir, I have already organized your travel plans, everything is already arranged.

—Perfect, when are we leaving?

Axel asked.

— Are we leaving? You didn't tell me that someone else would go with you, but don't worry, I arranged everything.

— What do you mean, someone else? You are going with me; you have done all the planning, even the calls with the investors. I let you show me that you are not as incompetent as I had thought and you proved it. Now we must go close that deal.

Alicia did not know what to say before that month: she was just a dumb secretary and now, apparently, she was no longer.

Every year a new project was chosen in the company; all employees can participate and, if the contract is closed, they receive compensation. She never believed that her project in Miami would be the winner. The dynamics of this contest was that everyone presented a project without naming who did it; the boss would choose the most feasible.

— Well, if you're right, fine, I'll make some arrangements, sir. If everything goes well, the trip is on Thursday; we'll be there for 5 days. Is that okay with you?

Alicia asked without taking her eyes off a notebook she was carrying to make her notes.

— Yes, that sounds fine to me.

Axel answered, staring at her as she was so focused on writing. He had been working with her for three months now and he never made advances on her. She let him work in peace as he longed for. She barely looked at him, and even though he was getting what he wanted, sometimes he looked for that look. Sometimes he found it, but it was only for seconds. Many times he saw those swollen eyes. He knew it was because she was crying, but he asked himself: "Why was she crying? Was it someone who hurt her? Was it that boy she had lunch with every day? But she laughed with him, she looked happy with him." He was lost in his thoughts, still staring at Alice.

"Is something wrong, sir?"

Alice asked, looking at him.

"No, it's nothing."

"Well, then I'm leaving, I'm going to organize everything."

Alice got up from her seat, walked to the door and closed it.

Alice sat at her desk, put her notebook on it and leaned her head on the desk.

"Why can't I keep looking at him when he sees me? He has a beautiful look, those eyes hypnotize, I don't want to look stupid in front of him."

Alicia thought. She raised her head and at that moment she received a message from Luis.

"Alicia, I won't be able to have lunch today, I have something to do, excuse me, I'll make up for it."

"Ntp. Good luck."

Alicia responded to the message with a smile. Since she started working, she had lunch with him every day. Maybe he wasn't her friend in high school, he was really Gabriel's friend, but she started to get along very well with him at work. He made her laugh, he was very funny, he made her stop thinking about that man who still hurt her because of his absence, but he learned to live with her.

Alicia had finished sending the message to Luis and felt a presence. She looked away from the phone to see that it was her boss standing in front of her. Looking at her, their eyes met.

—Sir?

—I'll go to lunch and come back later.

Alicia was surprised, since he always left after her.

—Yes, sir, have a great time.

Axel went out, went down the stairs because the elevator still wasn't working; it had stopped working again after it was fixed, so they had hired another company to repair it. It would be ready in a few days.

Alicia was about to grab her bag when she got a call and this was Gabriel who wanted to see her. After 3 months, did he want to see her? They agreed to meet in front of Alicia's work, at the cafe. Alicia was standing outside the cafe; she sat at one of the tables outside waiting for Gabriel. After 10 minutes Gabriel arrived, sitting in front of Alicia.

—Alicia, I want to talk to you.

—Yes, tell me.

She changed to a happy face, although she felt silly for feeling happy.

—The girl told me she wants to go to camp, but… You know it's 6 months; I came to talk to you to see what you think.

Abril's school had a different modality than the others. They could attend school like everyone else or they could opt for the “camp.” They had classes, there were physical and social activities, but it was a year. Abril had already mentioned to her mother that she wanted to go, because her friend Catite was also going; she would only go for 6 months because it was the other half of the school year.

—Oh, is that it? Yes, she told me, well she wants to go, she is excited, it hurts me, but I can't stop her. I tried to talk to her, I even told her that I would go with her, but she doesn't want to. You know she is very stubborn.

— I get that from you.

Gabriel responded with a smile; then there was silence.

— Then it's done, she will go, I don't want to either, but she wants to.

Gabriel said.

Alicia saw Gabriel's hand and took it. He looked uncomfortable, but he didn't push it away. He stared at Alicia and they kept that gaze without either of them saying anything. Later, Gabriel took his hand away, turned back. Alicia saw where he had turned. He saw a really beautiful woman. Dark hair reached her shoulders; beautiful, spectacular makeup, she was coming towards them.

—Love, are you done?

The woman asked. Alicia raised her gaze to that woman; she challenged her with her gaze. Alicia was intimidated and lowered her gaze immediately.

— Yes, my love, let's go, I'm done talking to her. See you, Alicia.

Gabriel got up from his seat; Alicia took his hand again, still looking at him. He took her hand away very abruptly; then continued on his way. Alicia got up and took Gabriel's hand again. She wasn't thinking about anything, not even where she was.

— Who is she?

Alicia asked with her eyes full of sadness.

—Who am I? I'm his future wife... Now I see why you traded her for me, love.

Just look at her! It's so simple, you were right when you said she was ordinary.

Gabriel didn't say anything. When he tried to free himself from Alicia's hands, he pulled very hard, so much so that Alicia fell forward, kneeling on the ground. Gabriel immediately turned around and saw Alicia lying there, looking at him with tears in her eyes, but the woman at his side pulled him away. There Alicia lay on the ground. After a few seconds she reacted: she was on the street; a hand was reaching out to her. It was Luis who looked at her so helpless at that moment, like that rainy night.

—Alicia. Are you okay?

He hadn't seen the scene, he only saw Alicia on the ground as he returned to work. Alicia wiped her face and smiled.

—Yes, don't worry.

— Come on, I'll take you to work…

—I'll walk you upstairs.

Luis said.

—No, don't worry, I can do it alone.

—But…

—Don't worry, I can do it alone.

Alicia went up, so Luis went back to his office…

Axel went down the stairs; that day he would go to that café and see how much she liked going there. He always watched her from his window with that boy.

There he was, drinking coffee when he saw her, but this time he didn't come with his usual friend, she was alone and this time he didn't go in. He saw her sit down and, after a few minutes, he saw a man sit next to her. They talked for a few minutes, she took his hand and they kept an eye on each other. Axel felt a little jealous, since she had never kept an eye on him. His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of a woman that he couldn't see very well. The last thing he saw was that Alicia had fallen. Axel immediately got up, but someone else extended their hand to him. It was the boy who had taken her into the building. Axel took out his wallet, left some bills and left. When he was at the entrance, he saw the boy stay downstairs and she go up. Axel slowly went up and heard her footsteps nearby, which stopped at one point. He did too; he began to hear sobs.

Alicia placed the palm of her hand on his face.

—"I'm stupid. Don't I understand? That man left me for another woman and I keep humiliating myself, Alicia, why do you stoop so low?"

She wondered out loud and continued crying with her back leaning against the wall. Axel was leaning against the wall, listening to everything without moving. Alicia calmed down, wiped her tears and continued up until she reached her desk, where she sat down and rested her head on it again. It was something that had become a habit for her.

—Miss, can you come into my office? Please bring your notebook.

Alicia shuddered when she heard that voice; she hoped he hadn't seen that humiliating scene.

—Yes.

She took her notebook, knocked and entered the office.

—Sit down, miss, I'm going to dictate some pending work to you.

—Yes, sir.

Alicia sat down and got ready to write.

Axel paced around his desk, opened a drawer and began to talk while taking things out.

—Well, I need you to leave all the papers in order tomorrow for your substitute while you're traveling with me; The office must not be left empty.

He kept moving while Alicia wrote without looking at what her boss was doing.

—I also need that secretary's contract for the time we'll be away; although it's only a few days, I don't want any problems.

When suddenly Axel bent down towards her, he placed a cotton ball with alcohol on her knee. She didn't see the movement because it was too fast; she only felt the pain of the alcohol on her knee, she looked down and he was healing a wound that she hadn't even noticed she had.

—Sir, what are you doing?!

Alicia asked, embarrassed.

—Did I say to stop writing? Keep writing. I also need you to show me that itinerary early tomorrow morning so I know what we're supposed to do on the trip.

While he was saying all this, he was concentrating on cleaning the wound.

Alicia finished writing as quickly as she could.

—Sir, don't bother, it's nothing.

He kept cleaning that wound, and he saw how that knee was turning purple. He touched the wound and Alicia felt a chill. Axel was touching her; she had avoided him for a month. She hadn't even looked him in the eye for more than two minutes because, even though she missed her husband, she knew how attractive he was and there they were looking into each other's eyes. He put her down again to put a band-aid on her.

—There, I'm done! I hope you've also done your job of writing everything down.

—Yes, sir, thank you very much, then I'm leaving.

—Good.

He turned his back on Alicia as he left. Her heart felt a vibration when he touched her, but she quickly said that she was his secretary. Besides, he has worked quietly for three months, without anyone on top of him.

“I was just being charitable with her.”

He thought.

—I can't allow one of my secretaries to be like that, giving that bad image.

Although he said this, he had never done anything like that with his father's former secretary, much less with the others who had barely lasted and whose names he didn't know.

Alicia left the office, sat at her desk, didn't know what to think of what had just happened, saw the priest on her knee and blushed.

"What was that chill?"

Alicia thought.

The afternoon went by normally, and Axel didn't ask her again. Alicia did all the errands she needed, but remembered.

"I'm planning a trip and I haven't told him."

She took her phone and, although she hesitated because of what had happened before, she finally called Gabriel. He didn't answer, so she called her mother-in-law.

"Hello."

"Mommy, it's me, Alicia."

"Precious daughter, what happened? Is there a problem?"

"I don't know if it's a problem, but I need to travel for work." The one I told you about, my boss says that I have to travel with him. I tried to contact Gabriel, but he didn't answer me. I wanted to inform him about Abril.

— If she told me that she would be in a meeting that would be in Abril in two hours, it's not a problem, daughter, on the contrary, it's a good opportunity, go with peace of mind.

— But Abril, mom? The days that I have to go with her?

— Don't worry, daughter, I'll support you with that.

— Really?

—Yes, daughter, don't worry.

—Thank you, mom, I have to hang up, I'm at work.

—Yes, daughter, rest and don't worry.

They said goodbye, and Alicia felt calmer.

— Sir, I'm leaving, are you okay or do you need anything else?

— Don't worry, go carefully.

Alicia went down to reception and asked for Luis, but he had left. She said goodbye and went home.