RECYCLING, BABY!"Mind stopping by my house first so I can grab my Nikon?" she asked when she returned to the living room."Oh, I have a Niko!" Lipe teased her, placing one hand on his hips and the other propped on his hip, raising it up and twirling around, rolling his eyes and pretending to be snobby and conceited, making Lara burst into laughter."You goofball, it's not an expensive camera, you know? Not compared to others and its performance...""So you're a Nikon saleswoman and you didn't tell me?" he continued to playfully show off as he pulled her close by the waist, and they left the house."Go screw yourself, I'm not snobby, you know that."They got into the car, and she gave him the address to her house. Lipe had never imagined where she lived. He had thought about it a lot over the years they had known each other. He wondered where she went when she wasn't in the condominium since she was almost always with them, even on Saturdays and Sundays. He knew the neighbourhood from
ARE WE GOING TO EAT OUT?Clara was going to stop thinking about Otávio for now. Besides, it wouldn't really help to think about him. He made it clear that he wasn't interested in having a relationship with her.She entered the living room and planned to read a bit, but there he was. Otávio was adjusting the painting on the wall that didn't seem crooked at all.Irritation rose within her as she walked up to where he was, with his back turned to her, and messed up the painting, making it intentionally crooked.Otávio looked at her, confused."What was that for?""Me leaving the painting crooked on 'my' wall, in 'my' house, why?" She challenged him. She sat on the couch and almost laughed when he readjusted the painting. The only one she had left on the wall was the one Dalia had given her, and she had already removed all the decorations from her new home, precisely because of her crazy friend who was staying there, the same one who would wander around the house in the middle of the nigh
IMPROVABLE.She ordered garlic-rubbed picanha, and Otávio didn't order anything. She would thank him and say that he wouldn't eat anything, that he was just accompanying her, smiling at all the waiters. The picanha arrived and it was wonderful. She moaned at the succulent taste of the meat and the citrusy vinaigrette that accompanied it. At eight o'clock, the restaurant seemed to become busier, many people arrived, laughing and talking loudly. The music played by the duo also grew louder, and this was one more reason for her to get up and leave. Otávio's discomfort was visible, to the point that a waiter serving the table next to him put his hand on his shoulder and asked if he was feeling well. Otávio quickly stood up at the unexpected touch, and the waiter's tray flipped over, soaking the floor with a thick, red sauce.By the grace of heavens, Otávio wasn't hit by the hot and vivid red sauce, or he would have had a heart attack from the germs.Clara jumped to her feet and apologised
LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS"Good morning, my dear," Dália greeted her. "I brought some coffee for both of you."Dália placed the tray on the bedside table and sat down on the chair next to the bed. Clara instantly felt uncomfortable with the situation. Of course, it was the first time she had been caught by the guy's mother lying next to him. She had never been surprised by a guy's mother bringing breakfast for her and the guy. It wasn't that which made her uncomfortable, but perhaps because she hadn't slept with the guy, because she would never sleep with the guy. After all, the guy was Otávio!She didn't want Dália to have any expectations about the two of them, she didn't want her to imagine that they could be having something or would have something in the future.As she looked at the smiling woman, she realised that the guy was clinging to her back, and she still had a hand draped over her body. Good Lord!She then sat on the bed, embarrassed, and he woke up with her sudden movem
GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST" What?! " Megan jumped off the couch as if she had a spring, spilling the hot coffee on herself and not even noticing. " Clara, are you kidding me? Are you talking about our Otávio? Tavinho, from Paradise? "" Please speak softly! " Clara pleaded and glanced out the window to see if anyone was listening, and judging by Megan's expression, things were worse than she had imagined. " Yes, that Otávio. "" No, you must be mistaken. You might be confused because he's special and different. "Clara sat down, now the friend who remained standing and shocked." I thought the same at first, but no, I'm really in love with him. What should I do? "Megan stared at her as if a horn had suddenly sprouted from the middle of her forehead. She stood there for minutes, facing her friend, looking at her and lost in her own thoughts." Help me, say something, Megan, you're making me feel worse than I already was. I thought you could help me. "" What do you want me to say, what sh
ANOTHER SINGLE-PEAK CRISISLara, Megan, and Clara were ready for the night. The address Jânio had given them was in an upscale neighbourhood. They took a taxi, and Megan had asked Lara to drive, but she didn't want to drive, making it clear that she would also be drinking. It meant that she was still not taking a break from drinking. Clara and Megan exchanged glances but didn't say anything about it.Lipe didn't actually intend to work at Dália's house that night as he had said, but he didn't want to stay home ruminating over Lara's departure. And he would definitely be thinking about it. He arrived at Dália's house with a beer in hand. Since Lara wasn't in the condominium, he decided he could enjoy a cold beer.The house was empty. Dália had told him she was staying at Clara's house for now. So he sat in her backyard, in the dark, opened the beer can, placed the other three he had brought on the ground, sighed, and leaned against the wall where the bags of cement and lime were piled
A HORRIBLE NEW FEELINGLipe only then paid attention, even though he was facing the guy, he wouldn't have noticed, as his expression hadn't changed, except for the pallor of his face, the whiteness and lack of color."Jesus, what's wrong?" he asked, not knowing what he could do. Standing up, he looked on in disbelief."Sit down again, son, put your head between your legs," Dalia instructed him. "That's it, you'll feel better soon."She held his head between his bent knees.It was the first time Otávio felt enraged and helpless, and it frightened him. The whole situation made him nervous: the lack of control, his mother's care, her concern in her voice, her touch. When Lipe placed his hand on his arm, he shook it off, stood up with the blood pumping rapidly through his veins, his heart pounding irregularly, and moved away from both of them.The colour returned to his face, erasing the worried furrow on his mother's brow. He crumpled the rest of the can but didn't throw it on the ground
SOLIDATION "How have your days been?" Patricia asked Lara."They have been better than in a long time, actually," Lara replied. And it was true. Sitting on the couch during another therapy session, Lara was much more relaxed, looking at the ceiling, wearing one of her floral jumpsuits, and chatting with her psychologist. "You know I'm still drinking, right?""Yes, I know. And how has it been?""I've been drinking much less, Patricia, and to tell you the truth, I haven't even been trying that hard.""That's wonderful!""Yes, I'm surprised too.""That's great, but what do you think about making more of an effort?"Lara adjusted herself on the couch, knowing she would have to talk about it. That she was sabotaging herself, procrastinating, and her psychologist was there to help her."I will do that.""I can't help you if you don't want help, you know, Lara? Nobody can help you if you don't want it.""I know that.""Have you been going to AA meetings?""I confess I also didn't go this we