B.Ó?The girl only managed to open her eyes at ten in the morning and jumped out of bed upon hearing Dalia's voice."Hi!" she shouted, greeting the woman. Startled by the events of the previous night, everything came to her mind when she saw the woman beside her bed."Good morning, my love, it's okay, sorry for scaring you," Dalia approached the centre of the bed, running her hands through Clara's dishevelled hair. "I shouldn't have woken you up.""No, it's okay, I need to wake up. Everything is okay, really, Dalia, Gerard didn't...""Everything's calm, he called me and I didn't answer. None of the dozens of times he called," Dalia said.Clara breathed a sigh of relief and only then noticed the tray of coffee and toast on the bedside table."That's good. Did you make coffee?" Clara put her legs out of bed and picked up the tray with a smile."Don't get too excited," Dalia laughed. "I still don't know how to make breakfast, it was the guy, Frank, who made it and asked me to bring it to
SPECIAL, NO, I AM NOT."Clara, do you think I really need to go see my parents this weekend?" Megan asked as the taxi driver searched for an alternative route in the chaotic morning traffic."Only you can decide that, Meg. They're your parents. Do you miss them?""Of course I do! But they keep insisting that I go to church, talking about so-and-so, throwing in comments about my sexuality. You know, it just wears me out.""I know how that feels, friend. But regardless of how they act towards you, they're still your parents, right?""Yeah. I think I'll go see them next weekend.""Do you want me to go with you?""Obviously, what kind of question is that?"Both laughed, because every time Megan visited her parents, Clara went with her."Even though they'll keep comparing me to you, it's still better than going there alone.""I don't know why they compare you to me. I've never talked to them about my sexuality, whether I'm straight or not, and yet they still compare us," Clara said, though
POOR AND UNLOVED.Clara was eager to go to Paradise, she had sent a message to Otávio earlier, before attending Nana, but as always, he saw it and didn't reply. Finishing Nanda's attendance, she said goodbye to her colleagues and called a taxi from inside the elevator."Clara!" Exiting the elevator, Clara came face to face with Lara. Trying to remember if she had arranged to meet her there, nothing came to mind. She remembered telling Lara that she would attend to her outside of the salon and had not scheduled another appointment there.Lara was standing next to the ground floor reception and Lilian, the receptionist, had a worried expression."Hi, Lara," Clara greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and could feel that she had been drinking. "Is everything okay?""This girl wouldn't let me come up," Lara pointed to Lilian and Clara understood that the receptionist had stopped her from going up and was trying to keep her there."I was going to call you, Clara. I asked her to wait until I
BYPASSED CRISIS"Obviously, what Patrícia had told you earlier crossed Clara's mind and the feeling wasn't good. She didn't want to be the person she had talked about, didn't want to help people because she didn't consider herself strong enough. She didn't want to and couldn't bear that responsibility."I need you, Clara, I think that's it. I've never had someone to guide me, Rômulo was like that, he cared for me, you know, now I feel adrift..."Clara felt like crying when she heard that. She had never thought about it, about how Dália must have felt lonely and helpless since her first husband and love of her life died. Especially with only one child and being somewhat closed off like Otávio. Surely that was why she had married Gerard, the loneliness must have been great and when someone had shown interest in her, she had taken the opportunity. It was a shame she hadn't had the same luck in her second marriage."I'm here, okay?" Clara put a hand on the woman and wiped away her tears w
GRATUITOUS ATTACKLater, after the end of the movie, Clara left her mother and son to decide which other movie they would watch, as she had things to take care of. She needed to choose a house in the condominium where she would live and, picking up her phone to call Megan, who would help her with that, Dalia and Otavio found her in the living room of the big house. They gave up on the movie and sat next to her on the couch."Who are you calling?" Dalia asked."Megan, she's going to help me with the house situation. According to her, there should be about three or four vacant houses.""I can help you if you want, Clara," Dalia offered with a peaceful smile."Really?""No one is better than my mother to help you," said Otavio, surprising Clara."That's right, son. Clara, I'll give you a painting to decorate your house.""Oh, that's wonderful! I would love that, Dalia. I'm calling Meg, but she must be working. Her phone is in voicemail."Otavio was sitting next to his mother and scrollin
BLIND SEX."I'll be home in half an hour, get ready because we're going to a cool place tonight!" Lino announced, and Hanna sent some party emojis.Clara got out of the bathtub and immediately started looking for a nice outfit to wear. She deserved a night of adventure to destress. She chose a light green short dress with a zipper at the back; she never went wrong with a dress for a night out or a party. It made things much easier. With a strappy sandal tied up near her knees, perfumed, combed, and with her bag ready, she waited for further instructions from Lino.She was scrolling through her phone, sitting in Megay's living room when her friend Megan came in, out of breath."Oh, I'm glad you're here. Wait for me, I'll be ready in ten minutes!" she announced and rushed to her room to get dressed. Clara let her get ready in peace, and just as she was about to send a message to the group, Lara walked into the room."Oh my god, you look amazing!" Clara exclaimed when she saw Lara dresse
OKAY, BUT WHAT TIME DOES THE SEX START?The three-story house had an endless number of rooms, and it was very easy to get lost in it. Clara, Megan, and Lara left together and went up to the second floor. The wide staircase allowed for the passage of ten people at the same time, and even those who were familiar with the house walked around, perhaps choosing where they would spend pleasant hours with their partner.The three girls were new to the neighbourhood and noticed that they were followed by glances wherever they went. On the mezzanine of the second floor, which overlooked the entrance hall of the house, they noticed the looks following them."Wow, I don't know if I can handle them all," Megan whispered, and they laughed."You greedy thing, just take what you can handle!" Lara also spoke quietly."I'm already wet with desire," Megan announced. "When is the fucking going to start?""Whenever you want, my dear," Angus was nearby, walking down the mezzanine corridor, and they hadn't
CLARA"It was great that they got to see the house a bit beforehand, as it helped them to take who they had chosen and go straight to a room. Megan, the most eager and anxious one, went up the stairs holding hands with the two guys, Silas and Magno, who seemed as anxious as she was and followed her up the stairs two steps at a time.Lara passed through the main room, grabbed a bottle of drink from a small table and took it upstairs. Clara waited for everyone to go up before she also went up with Angus. As they climbed the stairs, she winked at Lino, who smiled back at her."I suggest you choose the room," Clara advised Angus when they reached the first floor. "Or whichever one is left, right?""Ah, there are a few left, for sure," he smiled at Clara, making her more relaxed.Angus then took her to a room she hadn't seen yet, or they might have missed it, as they entered a common room with a double bed, but there was a door next to the bathroom that seemed to be a closet door. Angus op
TWO YEARS LATER"It may seem like many people say that, but I'm being completely sincere when I say you are the most beautiful pregnant woman I have ever seen!" Clara exclaimed as Megan entered her apartment."I hope she believes you, Clara, because I tell her the same thing every day and she doesn't believe me," Gregory said, entering behind his eight-month pregnant wife, who waddled with her pregnant swagger."I believe you, Greg, but when his godmother says it, I'm happy too," Megan said, sitting down with some effort and with Gregory's help. The two had been married for a year and seemed to be in a constant honeymoon phase. "Friend, I also never tire of saying that your apartment is the most beautiful I have ever seen.""I'm obliged to agree, and Dália helped me furnish it.""Dália has incredible taste, doesn't she?""Yes, look at this painting!" Clara pointed to the wall where a beautiful landscape canvas was hanging. It was exactly the painting of Paradise – she says it's for me
SO MUCH OLDER.When they left, Dália and Linda were buzzing with excitement, practically ready to take flight. Linda made calls to catering services, wanting everything to be perfect, and sent messages in the group, warning everyone and threatening anyone who thought about leaving tonight, as she wanted everyone present.Lara sent an audio message, saying she was heading to Márcia's house right now and promised to drag her along by her hair if she had to. Everyone responded with laughing and laughing emojis.Clara was practically dragged to the main house by Linda and Dália. Priscilla was already there with her boyfriend and their daughters, busy cleaning and organizing the house for the party later.Frank tried to help as much as he could, Jânio had left work to assist everyone, and Megan pulled Clara aside to tell her that this party would be good to get them out of the slump they were in. It was Clara's father's call that reminded her that she was supposed to be on her way to his h
RESCUEShe locked the living room door, trembling at the thought of him showing up, knowing she would hit him if he appeared there now. She paced around the room like a caged lioness. Hurt, devastated, and feeling dirty. She felt like the dirtiest woman on the face of the earth.Dália must have seen the lights on in her living room because minutes later she knocked on her door. And she only opened it because she recognized her friend's voice."Why was your door locked?" Dália asked as soon as she entered. "I couldn't sleep thinking about Jaqueline and Márcia, can you believe it? I'm going to make some coffee."Her friend didn't look at her and didn't notice how bad she was feeling. Clara thought it was better that way and shouted from the living room."Okay, I'll get ready and take a shower, and then I'll come to the kitchen."She really needed a shower and took a long one, hoping that the water would wash away some of her pain and anguish down the drain, and that her eyes wouldn't be
THERE ARE OTHER PLEASURES IN LIFE.And that's exactly how it went. Clara had a sleepless night. It was past midnight, and she was still stressed, thinking about how casually he had mentioned talking to her father, solving the problem, just like that. But by one in the morning, her feelings had changed, and she felt like a fool for getting upset and kicking him out of her house simply because he had said he would never have sex with her, ever! What kind of woman was she, getting rid of a man just because he said he would never sleep with her?But at two in the morning, she reconsidered. No, it wasn't about sex! The harsh reality of her situation with Otavio was that it was messy and strange. Perhaps deep down, she knew that it would have to come to an end someday. It wasn't about sex, it wasn't a relationship, it wasn't what they had. She knew that one day it would have to end, and now seemed just as good a time as any. A breaking point could come at any moment, even now.Reality final
I AM AT MY LIMITDália messaged her shortly after, and she thought it was Dália who was turning the doorknob."Hi, my dear. Is something wrong?""Was it you at my bedroom door?" she asked."No, I'm already in bed, but I was there about twenty minutes ago, and Otávio was mopping the living room. Is everything okay?""No. We had an argument, Dália.""I understand.""I don't want him in my house anymore. Please let him know that he needs to go back to his own house.""I will, don't worry."After a sleepless night, she left her room and saw that the living room was sterile clean, but he wasn't there. Thank goodness for that. But his mother was there because the smell of fresh coffee was coming from the kitchen."Good morning," she greeted her friend, who along with Linda, was sitting at the table having breakfast."Good morning. Are you feeling better?" Dália asked, concerned."Yes. I'm feeling better now.""Was it one of his quirks?" Linda asked."No, Linda. I got upset when I joked with
YOU DON'T SLEEP HERE ANYMORE!"I still can't believe it," she said, lying on his chest in the morning. "I don't even feel the urge to drink.""God, that's the best thing I've heard in centuries," Lipe said, his voice husky and smiling."I didn't sleep with Murilo, Lipe. I know I've said it already, but I want to emphasize it.""It's okay, love. I believe you, okay?""Especially because I could only think of you since I left the hospital, and my mind was filled with thoughts of you all the time.""Lara, I'm so happy, and it's so unbelievable to me that I feel like I might be dreaming, you here with me, telling me that you love me." He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her with shining eyes."I don't understand why it's so hard to believe. I'd be crazy not to love you, love. I may be dependent, but I'm not insane. You're the most incredible guy who has come into my life, and it would be me not believing that you could love me. I just have to be grateful to the universe for
I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SURE IN MY LIFE"Are you not going to visit her at the farmhouse?" Clara probed."I'm not that evolved," he replied, smiling to the side."I don't understand," she said."She stayed at my house the day she was discharged from the hospital, Clara, and left in the morning without saying goodbye, just leaving me a note on the fridge saying she would spend a few days at the farmhouse. I could have taken her there, but she called Murilo. They're together at the farmhouse now, and my concern is that he and she, well... they degrade themselves sexually. I'm sorry for telling you this, but you've gone out with her to Jânio's parties and you've seen how she uses sex to vent," he explained."Oh my God, Lipe. I'm so sorry," Clara wanted to cry upon hearing that, imagining how much the young man was suffering."I guess deep down, I worry that she will resort to old habits that will lead her to relapse, you know, and she has struggled so much to get clean," he confided."You a
LIGHTNING STORMMegan was thinking about Gregory even more now. She had stopped stalking him on social media a long time ago. It was too much suffering, why continue to do that, to hurt herself even more?Talking to Clara was always wonderful. It brought her relief and made her feel calm. But when she was alone, the thoughts assaulted her again. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that it might be her ego screaming, that her longing for him was because she couldn't have him, that it was the desire for the forbidden, deep down she knew it wasn't just that. It wasn't a matter of ego; it was love in its most painful and absurd form. It was the love for someone who was already committed, and if he were single, they would be together, end of story. She wouldn't be the mistress for quick encounters, the other woman who patiently or anxiously waits for the married and committed man. She had self-respect and wouldn't lower herself to be the lover who regrets being with the husban
YOU DID THE RIGHT THING!When his plump, warm lips touched hers, the sound of the door being opened concealed her moan. Finally, a woman who valued her bladder!"Let's go to my place," Gregory whispered in her ear, intertwining his finger with hers, and she followed him outside. The woman who entered didn't even notice them there, nor did she notice that there was a man present. Megan walked with him, their fingers still entwined. It was only when they were going down the escalator that it hit her. One: she was walking hand in hand with a married man in the middle of a shopping mall. Two: he said they were going to his house?But she didn't want to ask anything. She feared that if she asked any questions, the enchantment would break, he would change his mind, see reason, and by God, the self-proclaimed moralist feared that. She mentally kicked herself. Rolled her eyes internally at knowing that she was falling for it as well, and this time, fully aware! She was aware that she was acco