I'm going on vacation, so here are two chapters for you to enjoy...
THE ORIGINAL NOVEL WAS WRITTEN IN SPANISH, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE TRANSLATION. IF YOU WANT TO READ IT IN SPANISH LOOK FOR IT UNDER THE SAME PSEUDONYM AND BY NAME "GIRO DEL DESTINO"
After leaving the museum we walked to a café nearby, the same one where I had eaten a hamburger the day of the interview. But this time unlike the other time when I was too nervous, I completely admired the place. The interior was decorated with light colors and the tables with red and white checked tablecloths while the delicious smell of food flooded the atmosphere. We sat at a table in a corner facing each other and were attended to immediately. As soon as the waiter left, Christian confronted me.
—How did you like working with us on restorations? —I didn't expect a question like that.
—The truth, a dream come true. —I answered honestly.
—Did you always want to work on the MET? —he asked curiously as he put his index finger on his lips.
—I've always wanted to work there. —I said smiling like an idiot.
What was happening to me, it was just a business dinner, not a date, but internally I felt like it was. And the way he looked at me, and his gestures. Oh, God! This wasn't right. I was starting to feel like I was 16 again. Get a grip on yourself, Ana! He can't turn your world upside down again. At least not now.
—I didn't know you loved restoring works so much, —he said, taking me out of my thoughts and crossing his hands in front of me at the table.
—I like to draw more. —I answered trying to avoid his gaze but it was impossible.
—And why didn't you follow that line? —This was a poll or it was just his curiosity.
—I was undecided for a long time, and in the end I decided on restoration.
—I see. —he said, leaning an elbow on the table and scratching his chin in his hand thoughtful.
— I thought lunch was about work?—I asked him curiously and frustrated at not knowing where the conversation was going.
—It's about work, I'm trying to get to know one of my subordinates. —he replied with a big smile.
—Ah, so it's curiosity. —I said sarcastically.
—Yes, you can say that, I want to get to know you again, Anastasia. —he said as he leaned both elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands.
He stared at me as if with his piercing gaze he could pierce my mind and know what I was thinking. But lucky for me, my thoughts were safe inside my head. I stared him in the eyes for a moment as well until our glances were interrupted by our request. We had a quiet lunch of our double burgers and a soda when a laugh escaped me.
—Something you want to share. —he said, raising an eyebrow as I watched him for a moment.
—When you told me we were having lunch, I thought you were taking me to a restaurant. —I told him still smiling. The burger stopped halfway across his mouth as soon as I said that and he looked at me with a slight smile.
—We can still go to the restaurant. —was he making fun of me?
—No thanks, plus my boss wouldn't want me to be late from my lunch break. —I said smiling and continued with my lunch.
—That can be arranged. —he said as he leaned forward.
—Some other time it will be. —I said as I took another bite out of my burger.
—Don't forget because I'm going to take your word for it. —he said as we continued with our lunch.
After finishing and arguing over the bill that Christian didn't let me pay we went back to the museum. We climb the stairs and head for the elevator. We went upstairs and the moment the doors closed Christian pressed the emergency button and made a siren sound and the elevator stop with a jolt, making a flashing orange light come on. Shit! What was he going to do? He turned to me and looked at me in a way that made my whole body shake, my heart race, and I could hardly breathe.
He approached me, held me by both arms and pressed me against the cold wall of the elevator but without sticking to me. Only her face was a few centimeters from mine, this was not right, I knew it, but my body refused to react and my eyes closed, waiting for him to kiss me...but that did not happen. I opened my eyes again and watched Christian breathing heavily with his eyes closed as well. His arms were squeezing tightly until they almost hurt me, but I didn't complain. Then he opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on mine. He took a deep breath and loosened his grip slightly.
—I swore to myself not to break one of my rules, and I almost came close to doing it with you a second time. You must stay away from me, the next time I have you so close, I don't know if I can control myself and break one of the rules I set three years ago.
He brushed away from me, let go of my arms, pressed the emergency button again, and the elevator continued its descent into the basement as he regained his composure. Apparently passing a hand frustrated by his hair. What the hell had happened?
Had I gone crazy enough to have wished he'd kiss me? And then there was what he'd said. All this was very strange, but I knew that deep down he was right, I had to stay away from him, and not exactly why he had said it, but to protect my heart that was racing just by having him around. The elevator stopped in the basement and we both left, Christian quickly left for his office, closed the door and the curtains. Mia approached me as I was arriving at my table.
—What bug bit him? —she asked intrigued.
—I have no idea, Mia, I have no idea. —I said, shaking my head on both sides.
And the truth was that, what I most wanted at the time was to try to decipher the mystery that Christian had become. But most of all to understand what he had told me in the elevator.
The afternoon went by very quickly and I practically spent it thinking about what happened with Christian, and in the end I decided not to think about it any more and to try to get away from him, although it was going to be a bit complicated having him so close to me all day long.
The rest of the week went by quickly without even realizing it, I arrived early and got right into my work, trying my best to avoid Christian, even though occasionally our eyes met. It was lucky that at least we didn't pass each other in the elevator or on the way out.
Friday's arrived and by the time I got to the apartment I found Kate sitting in front of the TV removing her heels, apparently she had just arrived just like me.
—Are you tired? —she said as she threw her heels on the floor.
—Well, it's actually been a very stressful week. — I told her sitting next to her on the couch.
—Did he say anything else? —she asked curiously.
—No, we haven't come across much at work, I think what I need to do is clear my mind of him. —I said as I took off my slippers.
And it was true, just a few good days and nothing more. I had told Kate everything and she had come to the same conclusion as me, Christian was an asshole bastard. The bastard was changing his personality very quickly, maybe he had some disorder I didn't know about and didn't want to find out about. At least not at the moment.
—And I have the solution to our problems. —she said as she looked for something in her purse.
—I'm not in the mood to go to the movies, Kate. —I told her as I threw my slippers on the floor and massaged my feet.
—They're not for the movies, they're for a club, I got them at work. —she said as she showed me two tickets.
—Why don't you go with Elliot. —I encouraged her.
—Because I need a girls' night out, well we need a night away from the men's and he had a business tonight. —she said as we both laughed.
—All right, but let's take your car.
The atmosphere in the club was the same as in any other place in New York, the loud music, the flashing lights and the smoke in the middle of the floor where people danced to the rhythm of a mix I didn't recognize. We headed towards the bar and after several beers and a few red drinks whose name I don't remember, we headed towards the dance floor. The atmosphere on the track was warm and at that time a theme sounded in the background that I didn't know about but with a sticky rhythm. We would beat to the beat of the music as I let myself be carried away by that feeling of not having to think about anything while the music was deep inside me. At least I didn't have to worry about going back, Kate and I had agreed and she had to drive back. According to her, I did not have good resistance to alcohol in general. Although now that I thought it over I think I drank less than she did today. It must have been because the last time I had had too much to drink I had fainted and Christian had carried me to my cabin. I didn't want that to happen to me again, much less in a place where I didn't know anyone, I couldn't imagine Kate carrying me to the car.
I had dressed in a denim skirt, black heels and a white thread shirt. We were enjoying it a lot until something caught my attention and it was that there was someone dancing with Kate. She danced very sexually with that person, as if she knew him. When my eyes were able to focus well between the flashing lights and the flashes I could tell who it was, Elliot. How strange. She hadn't told him where we were. I came over to say hello.
—Hi, Elliot! —I yelled at him over the loud music.
—What a coincidence to find you here, I didn't know you were coming to this place. — he shouted at me.
—We're relaxing. —I yelled back as I moved to the music.
—I see, we're only here on business, we're thinking of buying this club. — he yelled at me and then my brain reacted.
We are. Had he come with anyone? But that only meant one thing. He could only come with one person. Then I felt that current running through my body as the hair on my neck stood up. I had a bad feeling about this. I turned around slowly and a few feet away from me with a white unbuttoned shirt on the top and tight jeans was Christian. He looked gorgeous, much more than usual, with his hair falling on his face and smiling slightly. I had been speechless at the time, and the worst thing was that with the level of alcohol I had at the time I was most likely to do something stupid, say something stupid or do something wrong. He walked over to where I was smiling.
—Shall we dance? —and the way he said it and the way he looked at me, I couldn't say no.
At that moment a song I knew well from The Wanted, Drunk of Love, was beginning to play. Christian danced close to me, his eyes never left mine. It moved sensuously against my body as I let myself be carried away by the song and its sensual movements. I didn't know if it was the alcohol that uninhibited me or if it was its proximity that wreaked havoc on me. I knew I'd regret this tomorrow, but right now I didn't care. Deep inside of me I felt the lyrics deeply. I couldn't deny any more what my body felt when I was next to him, I was drunk of love as the lyrics of the song said, Christian still liked me and this was only going to complicate things.