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 think I expressed my thoughts about Nancy, evidence of not agreeing with what she did."I think the same as you," he opined. "Nancy meddles too much in other people's business, but think about this: the times she's done it, it's because some of what's going on concerns or surrounds her. If not, she wouldn't even peek.""Oh, please, Carl, we are talking about the same woman who has always watched us inside her restaurant.""Yes, but it's her restaurant. We're not going to ask her to cover her eyes."Now, it was me who laughed humorlessly."She's a little crazy and that's the truth, you have to admit it.""Of course she is and I didn't say otherwise, but didn't she keep you out of harm's way by getting you out of there?" I bit my cheek to keep from saying what I thought. "Didn't she try to keep something from happening to us that morning?" he asked, tentatively. The subject of the shooting was always going to be a tricky one to discuss.I swallowed thickly and thought about wh
CARL.Olivia's face is gorgeous. She has one of those faces that are not doll-like, but rather, sexy and representative. Yes, those faces represent life and wisdom, no matter what. They represent the ability to love and to claim when they need some love nearby.And there she was, Olivia Quintero completely naked before me, inside the shower of a five-star hotel on a stunning and touristic island of Venezuela, after making love, with that sparkling look and that redness from the past excitement and the movements, my movements and my touches, my fault all her reds on the skin, that shaved, beautiful, and preened, was the wrapper of a precious and desirable body.Olivia has a beautiful face, but her eyes... I just looked into her eyes to understand everything she told me.I wanted to shut her up several times, but I promised myself not to touch her until she said what she had to say."You went out with him." It wasn't a question, it wasn't a question at all."No," she answered at once, w
OLIVIA.We had fallen asleep for a couple of hours after a a shower.When I woke up, I didn't know the time, I felt very disoriented, but when I saw Carl next to me, rolled between the sheets of that hotel and between my legs, was sublime. My skin was pierced by a gigantic emotion and the veins transported that feeling to my heart, which pumped saying how much in love I was with that gentleman.I smiled when he opened his eyes.He closed them again but stretched an arm around me and pulled me close to his body.Face up, I stroked his arm with my fingernails several times, thinking about some important things."I think I should set an alarm.""The event is after lunch," he assured me.I raised my eyebrows in surprise."Did you find out what time the event is?""Of course I did," he answered so calmly. "You'll be able to go fresh and radiant. It's okay."I was silent for a while, sorting out my thoughts and imagining him figuring it all out."When did you arrive?""Early," he answered.
CARL.(A few days later).This time I didn't sit in the table area.In high spirits and with zero fatigue, I stood near the cash register, with a glass of Whiskey on the counter, munching on a personal-size pizza that The Pizza Master made for me.It should be noted that the area in question was the same one where the block and stone oven was located, being the most native area of the restaurant, close to the main entrance of the restaurant, towards the administrative offices, which were behind all of it.I was back at La Napolitana and expected Nancy to show up at any moment. The waiter assured me that she would, so I went to wait for her.It was Friday and already mid-January. I had no plans to dine there. I had an appointment later that I couldn't miss.However, unbelievably, it was my only day off, since going out of town like crazy left a lot of work as a consequence, so I couldn't make that visit until after the 15th of the first month of the year. Since Olivia launched her reas