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 "EL SECRETO"
In case you're wondering if Christian is in the novel, is there, just won´t expected.
Kate and I had known each other since we were in college together. At that time she had to move a year before she finished the career and we lost contact. We met again when I started my internship at TecFall.
I met José a few months after starting the internship, we were the same age and he towards the internship in the nanotechnology department. We started dating even though Kate had warned me about the comments that he was a womanizer. And I didn't listen to her. The truth was, I'd been blind. José had moved my world in an unimaginable way and when I realized it was too late. His betrayal had broken my heart in a thousand pieces.
It had been about this time too. And then a few days later the Drake Hotel thing happened.
Kate was aware of what had happened at the hotel, she had gone with me that night, but we went our separate ways. She ended up meeting Sean, who she had separated from a few months earlier, and I ended up with a stranger in a suite. And as hard as I try to remember him, I can't.
And I doubted that he would recognize me if we crossed paths, I had changed a lot in two years. My hair used to be shoulder-length and honey-colored and now it was long and my color was light brown, cut in layers. Besides, he was probably just as drunk or more drunk than I was that night, and he doesn't remember me either.
—We have to go back. Aren't you going to finish your burger? — Kate asked me make me out of my thoughts.
I looked at my burger half-eaten, but I had no appetite. I asked for it to be wrapped to go and after paying the bill we returned.
I said goodbye to Kate at the reception and went to my office. And I concentrated on the new emails that had come in, updating the old contracts and archiving the new ones...
A knock on the door got me out of my job.
—Go ahead. —I said as I closed a file and looked at the door.
—How late do you plan to work? —Kate asked me as she looked through it. And when I looked at the clock, it was after 5:30 pm.
—I didn't realize the time. Did you come in your car?
—No, I took a cab.
—Then I'll pack up and we'll go. —I told her as I went to get my purse where I threw my broken shoes. —Come on. —I turned off the office light and we left.
—When will we meet the new boss? —she asked me once in the elevator.
—Tomorrow, I think Grace said something to me in the afternoon when we talked. —I answered sincerely.
—All right. I'm planning something great for the weekend.
—Where will we go this time? I asked curiously as the elevator stopped in one floor and we settled into the background.
—I won't tell you, this time it's a surprise. —she said as she looked away from me.
—You still don't know where we're going, do you? — Kate looked at me again.
—No, but I'll think of something. —she said as we both laughed and the other people looked at us.
The elevator paused again on another floor and more people came up, it was almost full. Two women in front of us began to talk about an issue that caught our attention.
—"What did you think of the new boss?"
—"I don't know, but I don't think he's gonna make it."
—"Why do you say that?"
—"It wasn't obvious, he's too young for the job."
—"You think, they chose him for a reason, no."
—"We have to wait and see, I just hope we don't run out of work it would be very difficult to find another one right now."
The elevator doors opened on the ground floor and everyone left the elevator quickly. It seemed as if they were desperately fleeing home.
—Well, we already know something about the new boss. —Kate told me, distracting me for a moment as we walked to the exit. —He's young.
—It depends on the point of view. —I answered as we walked through the doors.
Outside we were greeted by a fine rain and a completely dark sky. We rushed to my car so we wouldn't get wet. I removed the alarm, opened the doors with the remote control and we quickly entered it by closing the doors.
—What do you mean? —Kate asked me as she put on her seat belt.
—How old do you think those women are? —I asked her as I put on my belt and started the car.
—I don't know, about 50. What did you mean? — she said intrigued as I got into traffic.
—Put yourself in her place, if you were almost fifty, forty-something, someone young to you of what age he would be. —I said looking at her briefly as I stopped at a traffic light.
—Ten or fifteen years younger than me. — she replied thoughtfully.
—Which would give us about thirty-something or forty, right. — I told her as she nodded. —So our boss is young? —I asked her as the light turned green and I accelerated again.
—Well, from that perspective, he's older than us.
—Until we have him in front off us we cannot judge whether he is young or not. So what if he's like Brad Pitt? — I asked her as she turned the iPod.
—Like Brad Pitt? —she asked in amazement as she laughed.
—He looks thirty, he looks great, but he's fifty. —I said as she laughed even more and I accompanied her.
—I got your point. You're right. It's best not to jump to conclusions until we know about it.
—Yes, and it will be tomorrow. —I said to her as I turned up the volume where it heard Everglow from Coldplay.
—Coldplay? We haven't heard it in a while.
—Yeah, I thought it was time for a change. —I replied as Kate started humming the song and I followed her.
I drove with caution because the rain had made it worse. The songs were playing as we sang them together until we arrived in front of our apartment. It was still raining, now a little less. I parked in the underground garage and after setting the alarm on the car we took the elevator to the top floor where our apartment was. I was still humming the last song I had heard as I moved my hands and body.
I hung the bag on the hanger and left the keys on the mail table by the door.
—You're very happy today. —Kate's voice brought me back to reality. —It must have something to do with the guy in the coffe-shop. —she said to me as she raised his eyebrows suggestively.
—Not at all. —I lied. — I'm glad you came back. — I told her as she smiled at me. —Shall we order or prepare something? —I asked her as she turned on the stereo and a song started to play in the background.
—I'm going to make something, I feel like cooking. — she said to me on his way to the kitchen.
Our apartment was great. I didn't think I could afford it myself. Besides, it was so big that when Kate wasn't around, it felt so lonely. We had a splendid 360° view with huge panoramic windows and a large terrace overlooking Lake Michigan. Two rooms each with its own bathroom. A small studio, living room and kitchen-diner. We couldn't ask for anything better.
—What are you going to make?
Kate really liked to cook, just like me. But according to her, I was better at desserts.
— Milanese Rice, I hope you like it. —I think I had tried it on one of Jones' occasions, but it was hard to tell, she didn't repeat the meals unless I asked her for something specific.
—All right, I'm gonna take a shower. —I said on my way to my room.
I put my bag aside and went to the bathroom where I started filling the tub with hot water. I went back to bed, sat down and took off my slippers massaging my feets one by one after doing it.
I went to the bathroom, took off my clothes, my glasses, and turned off the faucet in the tub as I slowly entered the tub. Today had been an exhausting day and not physically. After the fall and meeting him, I had his piercing gaze and voice permanently engraved in my mind, and what I least needed at this point was a distraction at work. I had to concentrate on work as I would be on probation, so I really needed a long, relaxing bath that would make me forget even my name. I lay in the tub as the water reached my neck and closed my eyes, feeling my body relaxing completely...
—Ana, are you there? —the sound of someone knocking on the bathroom door and calling me made me open my eyes.
I didn't know how long I'd been in the tub. Apparently I had fallen asleep.
—Yes, I'll be right out. —I replied as I finished my bath and went outside.
I got dressed quickly and looked at the clock before I came down. I'd been in the bathroom for almost an hour. But it had been worth it, I felt my body completely relaxed as I walked towards the dining room.
—Smells delicious. —I said as I came into the kitchen.
Kate looked at me strangely when I sat next to her at the bar to eat.
—Are you all right? —she asked me as I poured some rice on my plate.
—Yes. Why do you ask? —I said to her after I finished serving myself.
—You didn't answer in the bathroom, I was worried, I thought something had happened to you. —she said to me as she looked at me with concern engraved on his face.
—I fell asleep in the tub. —I said as I took a bite of food.
The truth was, it was delicious, like all the meals Kate prepared. We were just finishing dinner when my cell phone rang. I got up quickly and picked it up. It was Grace.
—Hi Grace, how are you today? —I said as I walked away from the kitchen to my room for more privacy.
—Exhausting indeed, I think I'll finish showing him the company by tomorrow morning, so by noon I'll be delivering the charge and the office. I heard something about you falling in the lobby today. —she said changing the subject.
How quickly the comments ran.
—Yes, a little accident, I broke a heel and fell to the floor.
—Nothing happened to you? Are you all right? —she asked me worried.
—No, I'm fine, someone helped me. —A stranger extremely hot helped me and I was gawking at him more than I should have. —It only hurt my ankle a little, but it doesn't hurt anymore.
—I heard Kate's back. How is his father?
—She didn't tell me much, apparently she doesn't want to talk about it, but she says it's okay.
—Tell her to count on me for whatever it takes.
—Yeah, she knows that.
—I saw the invitation to the Drake's masquerade ball. You're going, you couldn't make it last year, and I know how much you like it. —I sat on the bed.
The truth was, I didn't have the head to think about it right now.
—I don't know yet, it's still a long way off, when the date gets closer I'll see.
—You can take Kate with you, I'm not going.
That was nothing new, the last time I had attended that dance she had not gone either, Kate took her place. I knew if I told Kate she'd go with me again.
—I'll think about it. Have you had dinner yet?
—Yeah, Jones made something delicious.
—There's nothing Jones doesn't make that's not delicious. — I told her while she was laughing.
—You're right. —a pause was made in the call. —Ana, I have to leave you. I have a call in my office.
—All right, I'll talk to you tomorrow.
—Good night, rest.
—Thank you, Mom. Good night. — I told her as she hung up.
I left the room and headed for the kitchen to help Kate pick up and then we sat on the sofa in the living room to watch a romantic drama that I knew would make us both cry.
The truth was that I didn't pay much attention to the television, I watched it trying to get the answers I needed right now. Kate interrupted my thoughts.
—How are your nerves about meeting the new boss tomorrow? —she told me as the final credits of the film ran and she turned off the television. I didn't realize the movie was over.
—I'm really nervous, I don't know what we'll find tomorrow. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.
—Then I recommend you dream about the stranger who helped you today.
Only Kate could tell me something like that. I wasn't sleepy yet, but better if we stopped talking for now.
—I think I'm going to bed. —I told her as I was walking to my room.
—Remember what I told you to dream about. —I heard her yell at me before I closed the door of my room.
Only Kate could make my spirits soar. I put the cell phone on the nightstand. I took off my glasses and headed for the bathroom where I put on my sleeping clothes. I used to wear fine lingerie to sleep, I wore it because I liked it so much. But after my breakup with José all my lingerie sets were kept in the closet...waiting. Waiting for the day when I'd dare put them back on.
Currently, my favorite sleeping outfit was my old college T-shirt and some pale blue silk pants. I sat back in bed while I covered myself with the quilt. What would tomorrow be like? I had to stop worrying about that. One step at a time. Grace always told me that when I was a kid. And I think I was gonna take his advice. I'd face Mr. Chasting when I saw him in front of me. Now the best thing I could do was to sleep so I could be rested for tomorrow...