All Chapters of JUST LOVERS: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

110 Chapters

CHAPTER 51

CARL.Christmas had arrived and Caracas promised good weather, extreme madness, and no stopping.That's how the big city was, the second big apple of the world, with its groups of people pushing you in the subway, each one doing his own thing, coming and going, crowded with thoughts and troubles, debts and debauchery.I liked the city, I couldn't deny it, but at the same time, I missed Maracaibo too much, the people, and Olivia.Time flew by and I found myself riding on his wings, although it was not my intention. While it tore me to think that I would not return so soon, starting to work online just to say goodbye to the year, at the same time I knew I could not miss the opportunity to do business in the capital, besides, I was with my son, we were seeing each other more often and that was extremely positive.I communicated little with Nancy. She kept me up to date on the situation about that asshole Charlie, whom no one had interviewed and the same person who, perhaps, could be kept

CHAPTER 52

JUST LOVERS/Ranacien

OLIVIA."My name is Tony Urdaneta. It is a pleasure." The guy came closer and extended his hand.I gave him mine, we shook them and he sat down next to me, not very close, but there he was, accompanying me that new year on one of the biggest and highest rooftops in all of Maracaibo."Olivia Quintero, the pleasure is mine. I guess you're a co-worker of Mom's." I wanted to strike up a conversation and all I could think of was to say something obvious.He smiled and I looked at him more closely, I noticed that he was not ugly, but not beautiful either. I was sure that his face was not from here. He had foreign features, but I couldn't identify where he was from. I wanted to ask him because his last name was Latin«Urdaneta...», I repeated mentallyThe Urdaneta were the owners of the real estate company where my mother worked and the hosts of the celebration that had brought us there."I'm part of the company's board of directors."I nodded, I was already afraid of that."That is, she wor

CHAPTER 53

JUST LOVERS/Ranacien

CARL.I'm not a photo lover, but when it comes to my son, things change.I was in bed at 05:00 AM, the party was over. The food, the gifts, the shouting, the laughter, and the drinks, were all consummated. All that was left was tiredness and unnatural sleeplessness.I took my cell phone and started to look at the pictures we took in the living room of my ex's aunt and uncle's house, where we were staying. Since I knew I had to leave Maracaibo, my destination would be wherever my son was, and very kindly Marco's mother's relatives offered me to stay with them, which I gladly accepted.For a moment I thought it would make them uncomfortable since I was not married to Mark's mother and the situation could get strange, but I was very wrong, the uncles were very aware of everything, and they showed it to me. Also, I should point out that I arrived at the big house that would receive me for a few days, at least, until the new year started, and the life they lead is of another level, which a

CHAPTER 54

JUST LOVERS/Ranacien

CARL.A second went by, then another second looking at her and I burst out laughing lightly. I didn't expect that question. Not even coming from her, let alone in such a direct way.But when I went to answer, my smile faded."I don't have one." I sighed and looked down at my plate, picking up the bread to finish it once and for all.She nodded, looking quizzical."What happened to her?" I looked at her. "Mark told me." She shrugged her shoulders.«What?» I mentally asked myself. «How does my ten-year-old son know I had a girlfriend if I never introduced her to him?» We didn't have time for that to happen.What's more, just the last day she and I were together, we precisely talked about it, about finding the time for a meeting between the three of us."Don't be surprised, huh?" she said to me. "Children know everything, they seem like little wizards."“What did he tell you?""His dad has a girlfriend, but he doesn't know her yet."I was overwhelmed. Really, very overwhelmed. How was th

CHAPTER 55

JUST LOVERS/Ranacien

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

CHAPTER 56

JUST LOVERS/Ranacien

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

CHAPTER 57

JUST LOVERS/Ranacien

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

CHAPTER 58

JUST LOVERS/Ranacien

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

CHAPTER 59

JUST LOVERS/Ranacien

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

CHAPTER 60

JUST LOVERS/Ranacien

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

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