NANCY.(Early January).I parked my car in front of the building.Some years ago, not many, I ran away from there.I have always run away from bad meetings, from mafiosi and corrupt people, but without realizing it, Dad's business was surrounded by everything I didn't like since its beginnings. The worst part was that you couldn't tell. Our facade (I should say so because now this business is mine) was happiness and enjoyment, it was always like that, but behind those masks, there was a world so deep and of such diverse colors, between matte and opaque, that when I realized it, when I saw it with my own eyes and understood what always surrounded me, I understood so many things? The first thing: there was no point in running away or hiding from anything. I learned to draw borders and stripes, to place dividing panels and strict barriers that would keep me away from the undesirable, taking away from all that, my happiness and enjoyment, taking them with me.However, as I grew up and bec
NANCY.As soon as we got inside, Tony took over, as he always did. However, this time he couldn't beat me. Even though it wasn't such a smart move to be there, seeing Olivia among those people changed everything. If I messed things up before, if my intimate or love life wasn't any good and hadn't been for a long time, I had no reason to let others fare badly.Carl and Olivia had me dazzled for a while now, since the first time they —even— met. Watching them, witnessing their ways, the way they look at each other, the desire was forming between them, those clandestine, nocturnal and city encounters they planned, all of them, from my restaurant as a starting point... and now witnessing their separation as well (something I saw coming after I found out what happened), made me feel I had the power to touch some deep sides of both of them. Olivia didn't have to be there and I was betting anything that Tony Urdaneta had everything to do with it. He is a master, a malevolent master of seduct
OLIVIA.I pretended the whole time that Nancy hadn't walked through that door, because I was truly shocked to see her there.«Tony and she know each other...», I thought, «If Carl is right in not trusting her very much, should I be suspicious of Tony Urdaneta?»It was true that I agreed to go to his apartment only because I wanted to trust his word that we would not be alone. I wouldn't give wings to anyone I didn't want to have anything with.After several hours, several drinks, and a long repertoire of music of all kinds, indeed we were always accompanied, the man kept his word. Tony seemed to be willing to court me and I wasn't willing to accept anything from him yet, however, I wondered what was wrong with enjoying the courtship. Also, I didn't dislike him. He seemed mysterious, a worldly man who could have a thousand secrets, but strangely, I liked him. I understood that everyone has the right to maintain a line between the social and the private. I was not the one who would judg
NANCY.Now it was my turn.I had to leave as soon as I saw an opportunity, but I wasn't quite sure when that would be.I managed to get Olivia out of there. I gave myself a star for the merit of convincing her.Her face seemed to be connecting the dots and understanding the signs, perhaps remembering things I didn't even know, but they worked perfectly to get her out of the building as soon as possible. I did well.I joined the group as much as I could.I sang, I danced, I chatted, I took pictures with Romeo's cell phone... I needed to know if Tony had noticed that Olivia left because of me. The blond didn't seem to have caught my intentions, however, he is a smart guy, and and to underestimate him would be a sovereign stupidity.It was 01:00 AM on January 06 and the city was still emanating light and noise.Despite how high up we were, from there, the breeze brought noise and divine weather that I wanted to catch and keep with me.My contacts at La Napolitana had told me that the par
CARL.I arrived at the airport at 06:00 AM to take one of the few flights leaving at that time to Maracaibo City.My son was staying in Caracas with his mother es and aunts, but with the promise that they would return before January 15, since Mark was supposed to be back to school by that date.Sitting in one of the waiting rooms near the boarding gate, my phone vibrated. It was Nancy.The woman had already shown me that she was a little crazy, calling in insistent ways and at odd hours.I didn't answer her right away, just to test how urgent what she had to tell me was.When another call came in, I decided it was best to take it."Hello," she greeted me and asked if I had woken up."No, don't worry. Tell me, did something happen...?""Carl, I must tell you something very important about Olivia," she cut my greeting short and I became alert.That she said something like that, it wasn't good."Again? Olivia is well at your mother's house. Or apartment. Everything is ok. Don't fuck up m
OLIVIA.My boss had been writing and calling me since December 3rd, exposing the idea of accompanying him and other employees to a corporate meeting to be held on January 6th in Margarita Island.It was not a problem for me to attend, however (something that seemed as unbelievable as it was stupid), I was experiencing some inconveniences in my apartment with the gas connection.Several floors of that building were suffering the same thing, and it seemed crazy for me to leave under the circumstances.The money from the spill for the repairs, the monitoring of the work that perhaps had to be done from inside each floor... After shooting, I had become very popular in the hallway whispers and the paranoia of being mentioned by neighbors made me feel far beyond stressed. It was as if the gas inconvenience was my fault.But work is important too, something I didn't forget or put aside. My boss, when he found out what I was going through (about the gas, I didn't tell anyone the reason for my
OLIVIA.The island welcomed us with rain.The hotel was beautiful and gave us a chance to rest a little and leave, after lunch, towards the hall where the event would be held.I volunteered for all kinds of tasks. From locating some people and organizing their stay to organizing a lunch with the other colleagues from the accounting and extension areas of our insurance company in Nueva Esparta, the Venezuelan state to which the island belongs.A group of Americans arrived almost at nightfall. We did not have any of those roles, other than to chat a little with the people who would be present the next day, but for me it was very important to get fully involved in everything, to be extra efficient and I took advantage of my knowledge of English to be the hostess for the Americans.Exhausted, and after dinner, which my partner attended almost reluctantly (I had to apologize for getting him in the middle of my work anxieties), we're the last ones at the table, sharing a little drink that w
OLIVIA.Still standing, he sighed deeply, putting his arms up and looking down at me from above, his breathing quickened, and his face was one of consternation.We stared at each other like that for a couple of seconds, until he dropped to his knees in front of me, startling me, and exhaled all the pent-up air, resting his hands on my knees.I tensed as I felt his touch, but I didn't pull away. Seeing him like that, with his head down, looking at no specific point and denying, as if in disbelief, made me so curious, that I wanted to listen to him more eagerly.Then, he looked at me."I didn't plan this trip. I didn't think things through, I just took a plane and..." He looked at his hands above me. "Olivia, I couldn't bear the thought of having to wait to come back from your trip to see you."I didn't make a move for a few seconds."How did you know where I was traveling to and where I would be staying?"His expression changed to one of slight obviousness and embarrassment.«Leonidas»
OLIVIA.I didn't bleed anymore. Of course, we didn't have sex that month. But the next month, in April, after the first official consultation and starting the usual check-up, we started to break the news.I told Mom, he to his parents and cousin. Everyone screamed in their way, too surprised, tearful, beautiful, very beautiful to say something like that and have everyone's support, the best thing that could happen.I wasn't nauseous, I just disliked some foods, while others I like very much now. I was very sleepy, that's for sure. And I used to sleep as much as I could after coming home from work.Then came the news in the Insurance. I thought a lot about whether to announce it at once or not. It was getting busy and pregnancy always meant sick leave, pre, and post-natal leave, and bonuses, among other things depending on the company policy, I did not know if the news would go down well at all.But the opposite happened; at least that's what they made me feel. Especially my boss, his
CARL."Excuse me?""Help me to my feet."Of course, I helped her.I carefully lifted her, and helped her clean herself.I got her clothes immediately, sat her on the be,d and dressed quickly.I grabbed the keys from the pick-up,and the wallet and we walked out of the apartment straight to the elevator, to my car, where I helped her into it, although I realized she could do it on her own, and we got out of there.I tried to drive like a civilized man, but my nerves were attacking me."Did you know you were pregnant? Since when?""I'm not. Drive carefully, Carl, please."I nodded and slowed down."Okay, let's see. If you're not pregnant, why did you tell me that in the bathroom?""My period is not due yet and I was bleeding heavily. I was in a lot of pain, Carl. I didn't want to wake you up, but I almost didn't make it to the bathroom.""Shit, Olivia, damn it! You should have said something to me, we've been at the clinic for a while now... We're getting there. Good thing I thought of m
CARL.I carried dinner in bags, my rolling suitcase in another, and maneuvered with the keys. I waved to the concierge and went upstairs.I opened the door expecting to see Olivia, but I didn't expect her to be like this.Yes, I asked her to undress, but being obeyed to the letter and beyond is too much of an impression.She stood with her back to me wearing wicked black heels. Nothing else.Her hair was down and as she turned towards me, her fully waxed mons pubis and wild face almost made my pants explode.Quietly (pretending to feel that), I arranged everything on the floor of the entryway and walked over to her.She had her hands behind her lower back and with them, held herself against the glass.The terrace had been reopened and rearranged, and that construction served perfectly to generate light around the female who was waiting for me.I sighed deeply. She smelled exquisite, all of her."Stay like this." I knew my command would be fulfilled to perfection.I took the food to th
OLIVIA.Hot, it was very, very hot that morning in early March.The months fly by, you don't realize it. And things are happening and passing as if everything was a long corridor that we had to walk down.The end of the year was a good celebration. For obvious reasons, we preferred to stay at home. Our adrenaline level was already sky high and Carl was not ready to "jump-jump for his life", as he put it. So, we invited his cousin to the apartment, who came with her husband, and a little black box that I didn't see until after the gunshot.The ring... I still can't believe it.Carl has told me how he got it, without any shame, managing very well that philosophy of no secrets, although I know we'll always keep for each other some little thing we don't want to say or tell.But there he was, hugging me from behind as we watched some beautiful fireworks that some neighbors launched outside the entire building.We watched them from the largest window in the living room, Carl and I, his cous
CARL.Olivia saved my life. That's how it is. That's how it was.I only think of the possibility that if I had been there alone, or with another woman, maybe I wouldn't be telling this episode of my life.I'm still dazed and in my body runs a painful relief, the one that manages to channel and make me think of things that I would not have done before, but I needed to get up soon, or I would go crazy.Walk a little, go to the bathroom, drink water, or something stronger. Olivia was doing all that for me, but she was asleep, I wasn't going to wake her up.Nobody shot me, they shot Nancy. And thanks to Olivia, who saw when the guy came towards the blonde to shoot her almost at point blank range, my girlfriend managed to get to the ground just before being hit by the bullet.The problem was when we fell, we stumbled hard against the table, the tablecloth rolled off crazily and we got tangled up in sharp things, like a damn glass pitcher full of water that someone left on the edge of the c
NANCY.Juan Finol's push prevented my body from lying, catastrophically, on the pavement in front of my restaurant.Both of us, escort and I, fell to the ground. And in a matter of seconds, a couple of men belonging to the restaurant's security and part of Finol Sr.'s crew, fell on top of the guy like hungry gazelles making his escape impossible."Nancy, are you okay? Nancy, hey, are you okay?!"I was trembling, my heart was beating fast, and I felt dazed.I looked at the person who wanted to kill me, I wanted to see his face, something that the hood of the sweater made impossible for me.But face down, hands tied behind his back, I could not see him.Then, I focused my gaze on Juan. He looked dismayed, waiting for an answer from me.I held his forearms tightly, he kept caressing my face trying to revive me."Am I hurt?" was what my lips said, but it was not what I wanted to say. I wanted to say a thousand things and that's all that came out.He quickly checked my body. He shook his h
NANCY."Can't I stay out of my restaurant either?" I asked Juan Finol's inveterate pursuer. "What a nuisance with that guy! I came to hire your bodyguard services at the right time".He wouldn't let me in the sun, or the shade, neither to other people's cigarettes nor to city fumes or alcoholic beverages. He wouldn't leave me either on roads or sidewalks, cars or trucks, nothing, he wouldn't leave me in peace, he wouldn't leave me in peace! And I thought he didn't like my resistance and every act of stubbornness I showed him.Finol Junior Second approached me while I was on the phone.Mom wouldn't answer. I'm the worst daughter in the world. I started to organize everything and I missed the time she told me to call her. She must have left her cell phone somewhere in the apartment or whatever.My family is big, but few of us are close. My father and mother were still alive, still married and traveling, spending Christmas far away from home. They were in Miami.I wanted to talk to them,
OLIVIA.I felt like the luckiest woman in the world.We arrived at the restaurant, we were treated excellently. What a spectacular atmosphere there was inside La Napolitana, it reminded me so much of their anniversary party, the one Carl and I were at; (well, I was, actually). That time, waiting for him was uncomfortable, I thought he wouldn't go, but it was fun to see the level of organization of Nancy and her people, they always pull out all the stops.That 24th were not as many people as that night, the paraphernalia was not as high.Outside I did not find girls dressed in the promotion of a brand of alcoholic beverage, the celebration that December was a little quieter, although all the tables around ours were occupied.I saw families with underage children, that partly I liked, partly I did not. It always generated a bit of stress for me to see 14, 12-year-olds there. I never understood why they let children in the place, but sure, I understand, it is a family restaurant, however
OLIVIA."Baby, are you all right? It hurt pretty bad yesterday. When are you going to see a doctor? Every time that happens, my life gets a little short." I had to laugh. "I keep thinking about it all day long. I'd like to think about sex all day long, not what exactly hurt you from sex."That was Carl. That was the memory of Malaver in my head, as I was grooming myself in the bathroom, one that was about to be over, just a few minutes away.In just one week, being that night December 24, we were already loaded with all the ready clothes and the desire to enjoy ourselves.We wanted to go now. Especially to that specific place. Carl and I were very excited because last December we didn't celebrate together because of our breakup. I remember it with a bit of annoyance, since he celebrated in Caracas with the mother of his son and they even kissed and I celebrated at my mother's company in a tower in the city, the same company that at that time was having problems, even though mom had no