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"
I sat before him still dizzy from his recent passionate outburst. At the moment, what I needed most was Mia's coffee every morning to get me going.
—You say Christian. — I told him as I crossed my legs and stared at him.
Today I was wearing a denim skirt and a light-colored shirt. I didn't know why I had worn a skirt when I didn't wear them very often. But this only made Christian look at my legs and cough a little before he spoke.
—Do you have any idea how much I want you, Anastasia? —he said, staring me in the eyes.
Was he asking me that? Well, as serious as I was, I could imagine that if I'd asked myself that.
—I think I can get an idea from what just happened. —I said smiling and biting my lower lip.
—No, I don't think the kiss we just gave each other gives you an exact idea. —he said as I watched him tilting my head slightly to his side and shifting my legs.
—Ah no! And what would give me an exact idea? —did I ask that? Shit! I have to learn not to think out loud.
— I want us to get to know each other again, come with me this weekend. —he said looking at me tenderly as he rested his arms on the desk.
— To where? —shut up Ana! Why did I ask him that? I haven't even accepted.
—To my apartment. —he said staring at me as if he could extract the answer he desired from within.
And what should I answer that? Things had changed a lot in the last 6 years, I had changed as much as he had. At this point we were both practically strangers.
—I don't know, Christian... no matter how much you want me and we're attracted to each other... —he interrupted me.
—You want me too, Anastasia. —he said smiling with a smile of self-reliance.
And I wasn't going to deny it, I wanted it too.
— All right, no matter how much we want each other and how much attraction there is between us, we are still two complete strangers.
—I know, I just want the chance to make up for lost time, to get to know each other again. —he said sincerely to me as he looked at me with his grey eyes.
—I don't know. —I answered him honestly.
—How about this, you spend the weekend with me in a room all to yourself and we'll catch up. And if on Sunday at noon you decide that you don't want to continue what's between us, then I'll take you back to your apartment and we'll go back to being what we were before...nothing. —he said as his gaze did not depart from mine, measuring all my reactions to what he was telling me. And what was I supposed to answer him? At least I needed to think about things a little before I decided what I wanted to do.
—Shall I answer you now? —I asked him with an eyebrow.
—You have until Thursday to think about it, Friday morning I need your answer. —he said staring at me.
—All right, I promise you'll have your answer by Friday. —I said to him as I lost myself in his gaze for a moment.
—You can go back to work now. —he said smiling as I got out of the chair and left his office.
Of all the conversations this has been the strangest I've ever had with anyone. I needed to clear my head so I could think coherently about what I was going to do about Christian. I walked to my desk where Mia was with two coffees in her hand. When I got to where she was, Mia stared at me worried or rather intrigued, she had probably seen me leave the supervisor's office. He made me one of the coffees and I accepted it willingly.
—Thank you, I really needed it. —I said as I took a sip of the coffee and it completely warmed my body.
— Is there a problem? —she asked curiously.
—Nothing important, just the usual.
—The usual? I'm lost. —she said without understanding anything.
—He wants to get into my bed like so many others have already tried. —I told her very seriously.
—Come on seriously. What did he tell you? —The truth was, they never took me seriously, not even Kate.
—Nothing just something to do with the restoration of the Rembrandt. —I lied to her.
—Ah, because the look on your face as you left the office looked like you were being harassed. —if she knew she was going to bombard me with questions.
—No, it's not. —I told her as we laughed and I finished my coffee.
If she knew the truth, but it was better not to tell anyone, there was still nothing sure between us, we just shared a feeling of mutual... lust.
This time at the exit Christian was not harassing me, and I thanked him, the truth was that at this moment what I needed most was to think. I arrived at the apartment and the first thing I did was head for the shower, before I could think I needed to clear my head and there was nothing better than a hot shower to do it. I got under the warm water and cleared my mind of all thoughts. Well not every thought, because as much as I wanted to avoid it, the heat of the water reminded me of Christian's hot body and this only made me excited and my body stand up completely. I got out of the shower, it had not been a good idea after all, now I had the image of Christian fresher in my memory than minutes before. I lay down on the bed and while I was playing some music on my iPod I started to organize my ideas.
On the one hand, there was the obvious attraction between us, but what I had to make clear in my mind was this... Did I want to have a relationship with Christian? Well, it was obvious that I loved him, but that only led me to another question... Was I willing to risk my heart again? Well, I didn't have the answer to that yet, I just hoped I'd have it by Friday.
—And have you decided what to do? —Kate asked me intrigued.
It was Thursday night and Kate and I were sitting in my bed talking. It was kind of weird that she was with me at night, since lately she'd either go to Elliot's apartment or he'd stay with us so we didn't have a lot of time together. For some time that had been a routine, almost like we couldn't talk. Although I was very happy for her, it seemed like the two of them were serious. The truth was that I didn't have to think about it so much about Christian, I got my answer on Tuesday morning when I got to work and he smiled mischievously at me, and what was the worst thing that could happen? In the end, as was the custom in my intimate relationships, as soon as we were alone something was going to happen. I just had to wait for him to get tired of trying and give up on me. I just hoped I could give him up so easily.
We were both sitting on my bed while we were eating out of a huge pot of ice cream. The truth was that I had not wanted to discuss anything with Kate until a day before so that she wouldn't get excited, I wanted to keep her in suspense for as long as possible. Now I think I had no choice but to tell him what I had decided.
—Yeah, I think so, yeah. —I told her by taking my spoon out of the pot and putting it in my mouth.
—And I imagine with all the time you've thought about it, you've accepted his offer. —she said as he stared at me for a moment, holding his spoon in the air.
The truth was that from the beginning Kate has wanted and I quote... "that we end the relationship that we left unfinished 6 years ago"... I do believe those were her exact words. So because I was going to cheat on her now by telling her that I wasn't going to accept her offer, when the truth was that I myself wondered what would have happened if he hadn't left.
—I think after a lot of thought. —I said as I winked at him. —I've decided to take your advice. —I told her by putting another scoop of ice cream in my mouth.
— at…vice?" —she said with his mouth full of ice cream.
—What did you say? —I asked her smiling, I didn't understand anything.
—What advice? —she said after swallowing the ice cream from his mouth.
—I want to know what our relationship could have been like six years ago. —I told her as she smiled at me.
—Great! —she said as she jumped up and down, sitting on the bed.
—Don't get too excited, Kate. —I told her, completely slowing down his excitement and enthusiasm.
—Why not? It's a simple equation. You've decided to have a relationship with someone you're attracted to, and don't tell Elliot. —she said softly as if he could hear us. — Is so hot, and if you add it up for what you've told me he wants you very much, we'll get 100% pleasure guaranteed. —she said as he took another scoop of ice cream and put it in his mouth smiling.
—There's just one little problem with your equation, Kate. —I said to her as she looked at me with a frown.
—And that's it? —she said, spinning his spoon in the air.
—That there can be no pleasure if fate does not take my side, and you and I know what will happen when we are alone. — I said with a grimace.
—I had forgotten that little detail, but don't worry, maybe this time it's the real deal. —she said with a smile.
—What do you mean? You think that all this time fate has played with me so that in the end I can finish what I started 6 years ago. —I asked her while she was thinking about it.
And for a moment I thought about what I had just said, too, although in the end I decided it was a total idiocy, there was no such thing as predestined couples.
—If you think about it, maybe you're right about what you're saying, Ana. —she said looked at me seriously for a moment.
—Are you crazy? I think you've eaten too much ice cream and your brain has frozen. —I told her to take the ice cream off her front while we both laughed.
—I think I've had a lot of ice cream. —she said as he looked up at the almost empty ice cream pot.
—We've eaten too much ice cream, we don't even know what we're saying anymore. —I told her as we both fell into bed laughing.
—Remember the most important thing, if what has to happen happens... — I interrupted her.
—It's not like I'm going to sleep with him as soon as I get to his house, things are calm, first we have to get to know each other... for the second time. —I told her thinking about what I was going to do.
—Don't you think they've waited long enough?
—I wasn't the one who left six years ago without even calling me or sending me an e-mail or a letter —I told her to sit back and do nothing.
—You're right on that point, now let him wait, but remember the most important thing, use protection. - she said very seriously.
—Yes mom. —I told her as we both laughed and finished what little was left of the ice cream.
As soon as we finished Kate left my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I still hadn't told Christian that I'd agreed to spend the weekend with him. I was tempted to pass on a message telling him I accepted his offer, but I decided to torture him some more. I laughed at my own thought. My cell phone rang at that moment with a message and at that time it could only be from one person, Christian.
—"Can't you give me the answer now?" —that only made him laugh more than a few minutes earlier.
—"No, sorry, you'll have to wait until tomorrow." —I wrote to him quickly.
—"Are you going to keep torturing me until tomorrow?" — I was a few minutes late before I answered him.
—"Yes, you just have to be patient." —I replied as I laughed on the bed.
—"I think you're overestimating my patience, I'm not very patient." — I was late before I answered him again.
—"You shouldn't complain, you only have 12 more hours to go." —I said laughingly.
—"I hope every second is worth it."
That was the last message Christian sent me that night. I lay down on the bed reading all the messages I had sent myself throughout the week and my eyes closed until I fell asleep with my cell phone in my hand and Christian in my mind. The next morning I woke up very early and prepared a backpack with my toiletries and some clothes. Although I decided not to take her to work, I would come back for her later, so I could torture Christian a little more.
I wore tight, worn jeans in a pale blue color, a beige shirt tucked in at my elbows and my favorite converse. I took my glasses off the bedside table and went out to the kitchen to make some breakfast. I was just finishing up some waffles when Kate got to where I was.
—This smells good. Can I help you with something? —lately we didn't see each other much at breakfast and I hardly ever woke up this early for breakfast, I'd rather have a yogurt, a quick juice or eat an apple.
—Yeah, get the juice out of the fridge. — I told her to take out the last waffles and put them on a plate.
I took both plates and took them to the table, then went back for the toast, strawberry jelly and maple syrup. Kate brought the juice box and two jars, sat next to me and we both had breakfast together for the first time in a long time. By the time we finished breakfast and picked up the kitchen I said goodbye to Kate at the door as she still wouldn't leave. I always left much earlier than she did because I was walking through Central Park. It was my daily routine and I enjoyed it both on my way to and from work.
—I guess I'll see you Sunday night then. —I told her while she was smiling and hitting me on the shoulder.
—I hope everything goes well. —she said, crossing his fingers.
—And I hope I'm taking things slow. Before you can run, you have to walk.
—You're right, don't hurry, go slowly, well at least at first. —she said as we both laughed at its occurrence.
—Wish me good luck. —I asked her from the door.
—Do you need good luck? —she asked in amazement.
—Believe me, I've tried Christian's patience a lot and I'm going to need it so that he won't get angry for not answering him.
—Well, good luck then. —she told me as we were saying goodbye and I was leaving the apartment.
Unlike the other times when I was going to work today I had taken my iPod. I put on my headphones and as the first notes of Maroon Five's Doint Dirt sounded I began to walk towards the museum.