Walking in the mall

Monday, the usual rest day of Mon’tblank. Sara decided to go out and buy some things, so she went to the mall. Yes, a mall. One of those places with which she had dreamed so much … of course, those of her town was not, even remotely, so large, luxurious and flashy, but in the same way, she dreamed every time she observed all those beautiful things displayed in the showcases of each store.

Those wonderful places she saw so forbidden for her, and it wasn't that she was allowed to go for a walk in the orphanage, but at least once every quarter, when Mama Rosa was responsible for shopping for food, she always managed to include Sara on the list and take her too, was the only way she could see the world beyond those four walls she called home. The ones that, at the same time, made her feel imprisoned, excluded, segregated.

And to think that she was there, and not as a little orphan who saw other children enjoying a delicious ice cream with her parents, nor as a homeless person asking for alms to eat. This time, it was a different story, she had decided to change her life and, thanks to her enthusiasm plus the valuable opportunity Carlos had given her, she was succeeding! Smiled, full of illusion.

Perhaps for other people, those who were lucky in life, those who had the support and protection of a family or those who were born ‘with a silver spoon in your mouth’, all these joys that Sara called successes would be nothing more than nonsense, but for her … it was her awakening.

She started to live!

She enjoyed every moment while she was in that place, entered each store, trying on beautiful clothes, although she couldn't buy anything. Delighted in the delicious taste of one ice cream … Well, two ice creams!

‘Welcome miss, how can I help you?’

Those were wonderful words every time someone said them. In the past, she could only hear people insulting her, removing her from the place or saying rudely, that she could not stay, and also the typical ‘¡no alms are given!’.

For a moment … She was immensely happy! Although remembered her painful and distressing past, the reason for her current loneliness, and the loved ones she had left behind in her village, the same one she could never return to, her heart was filled with sadness and she only wanted to return home, so she walked to the public transport stop.  

**«»**

Suddenly, she heard the sound of the horn of a car. At first, she didn’t pay much attention. Come on, she was on the sidewalk of a full highway! But soon realized that 'the horn' was indeed for her.

To her left, from a luxury vehicle, someone called her, although she could not recognize him, she could hear when her name was mentioned. She soon realized that her admirer was, nothing more and nothing less than, Brian Smith, he had seen her since she left the mall and realizing that she was going to the bus stop, he decided to offer to take her.

“Hi Sara! Come up, I’ll take you.”

“Mr. Smith.” She said with some denial. “Don’t worry about me, the stop is very close.”

“Come on Sara, don’t be shy. Goes up.”

Although in principle she wanted to refuse, she ended up giving in. On the one hand, for the insistence of the handsome gentleman and on the other, she again feeling a victim of that overwhelming look, that charming smile, that elegant and manly attitude.

Did she mention that he was damn handsome?

If she was sure of anything, it was that you had to have an iron will to reject the invitation of a man as perfect as that.

“Sara, we had a deal. No more ‘Mr. Smith’ Remember?”

“Yes, I remember, excuse me, sir—” She quickly raised a hand to cover her mouth when she realized that, unconsciously, she almost repeated it, looking with some embarrassment at her companion, but unable to control her subsequent burst of laughter. She feeling so silly at the time.

“Well yes, you are of strong customs!” Brian was also laughing at such spontaneity.

“Enjoying your day off?”

“Yes, I was spending the day at the mall.”

“Why so lonely?” For a moment, she was speechless, so she only made a face with a slight inclination of her shoulders. “I thought that a girl like you would have many friends.”

“Well, maybe not so many.” To tell the truth and to be more exact I don't have any. “Today I just wanted to take some time for myself.” She said finally, trying to justify her loneliness.

“Yes, sometimes we feel the need to get away from everything and do something just for us. And speaking of that, I invite you to a coffee.” Before she could say anything, Brian continued. “I was reckless at the bar and I want to correct my mistake. I don't want you to have a wrong idea of me.” And with this last sentence he made it clear how little Carlos's reaction mattered to him.

“Don’t worry, it really, isn't necessary.”

“Come on! It's just coffee.”

She thought for a moment, while he watched her waiting patiently for an answer. In the end, and although Sara had mixed feelings about giving herself permission to enjoy the invitation, after all, it was just a coffee.

What bad could happen?

And again, she gave up.

Behaving like all a gentleman, Brian made sure to open the door and help her get out of the vehicle, the same case with the door of the nice and modern place where he took her, where they were received by the staff and located at their respective table. Sara felt so strange, above all, because in real life … her real-life, she was who received and located the customers of the Mon'tblank. When living the experience from another point of view, she smiled discreetly, while she reviewing and even trying to pronounce the name of one of the coffees on the menu.

“You chose for me, now I have to choose for you. Do you agree?”

Brian made sure he was in control this time. Of course, that comment was perfect for her, who immediately nodded her head.

“Tell me about you.”

“Brian, there really isn’t much to tell—”

“Oh, until you finally call me by my name!” He replied wryly. “Could you start by saying to me, how did you end up being employed by the embittered Carlos Mon'tblank?”

“Well, there isn't much to say, I just asked for a job and well … I got it.”

There was no way, no holy power, for her to tell him ‘the details of her job interview’ and how she got hired.

“Like this? Nothing else?” He shook his head in a clear gesture of denial. “I know Carlos well enough to know that each of the Mon'tblank employees was chosen after approving an interview ‘with a lie detector included’, run ‘and win’ a 20 km marathon and remain under the water ‘without breathing’, for more than 1 hour.” He joked without stopping to laugh, influencing to Sara, who despite struggling to maintain her composure, in the end, she could not contain her laughter either.

“Yes, is very demanding, but you do not exaggerate.”

“I Exaggerated? Not, princess, is the harsh and cruel reality of your boss's tyrant.”

They continued talking and laughing together, creating a very pleasant atmosphere between them, until … again, Brian decided to look at her intensely. “I like you, since the day of the incident I have wanted to know about you, to know you and that you know me. I am not that annoying or at least not all the time.”

He smiled, which subtracted a little intensity the moment. Sara, who had remained silent, when listening to him, could only concentrate on the cup of coffee that had already been served to her, she did not feel comfortable talking about her private life.

Brian, clearly, belonged to a very different world from hers, he would understand neither her history nor her past, so, she ignored the comment and only dedicated herself to talking about her dreams and goals, how to start preparing and studying.

“I think it's perfect that you want to study, it is the best decision. That is … Don't you want to be Carlos's employee all your life? God, that's too much suffering for too long!”

“Come on, poor Carlos.”

“Poor? Sara, I told you, we know each other, he and I study at the same university, of course, he at the Law School and I at the Architecture School. We have many friends and other things in common, everything that I say, I say it for sure, but I understand why you defend him.”

“Why do I defend him?” Sara answered curiously at the sudden comment, but more by his gestures and his gaze when mentioning that last sentence.

“I suppose he behaves differently with you, compared to the rest of the staff. This is what I can deduce from the way he defended you the last time I was at the bar … With claws and teeth!”

“Well, I don't understand why you think that Carlos was defending me. Actually, he was defending his business and his clients. I don't know why you think that—”

Although she remained calm, taking deep breaths to avoid exasperation, he didn't have to be very detailed to notice the tension in her gaze, she felt insulted. Realizing his mistake, Brian set out to correct it immediately.

“Come on Sara, don't be mad. Excuse me, I really didn't mean to offend you, I thought that you and he … well … they were friends. I mean, it's very strange that he hires new employees, even more, when he doesn't make any request to the staff and yourself confirmed, that you applied for the job and got it, like this … no more. Knowing how distrustful and demanding Carlos is, those random situations will never happen at the Mon'tblank. Again, excuse me for being so direct.”

“Curiously, I applied for the job and got it, that's the truth! I'm sorry you don't like it, Mr. Smith.” The bitterness with which she spoke his name did not go unnoticed. Sara, meanwhile, thought that just when they were having such a good time and he is talking such nonsense. “I'm not mad, I'm just trying to calm your curiosity, but I see that you don't like my truth, Mr. Smith.”

Seeing her upset, despite his mistake, only made Brian feel more attracted to her, although Sara was upset, to him it seemed irresistibly adorable every time she pronounced his last name that way. He avoided smiling; he didn't want to complicate his situation anymore.

**«»**

After a small and awkward pause in which both took refuge in their cafes.

“I have to go home,” Sara said, getting up.

“Calm, let me cancel and I’ll take you.”

“Thank you very much, but it’s really not necessary.”

“Please, I won’t let you go alone, besides, the transport stop is quite far away.”

Once out of the cafe, Brian didn’t allow Sara to leave alone and insisted on taking her home. She just wanted him to leave her at the nearest transport stop, which he initially agreed to, but then, once they were in the vehicle, he resumed his original plan to take her.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, much less that you were mad at me. I just wanted to be sure of being able to approach you, without causing you problems, I really would like us to be friends and get to know each other better.”

At this point, Sara could expect anything from the blond … less this, she was shocked at that comment. Since when a handsome and distinguished man was so interested to meet someone as insignificant as her?

Brian was much, much more than she could ever have aspired for. It was not normal for these things to happen in her life.

“Sara, I really didn't mean to bother you,” he said in a very soft and relaxed tone. “Sometimes I sin to be very direct in saying things, but I promise you that I will avoid doing it with you.” He began to get worried when he saw that she didn’t say a half word. “Why so quiet?”

“Being honest, I don't know whether to feel flattered or to panic and run.” The words shot out of her mouth, making her blush a little. “I mean, I'm not an interesting person. On the contrary, my life is total and absurd boredom … believe me, you don't miss out on anything important.”

“Well, at least I already know some interesting things about you: You are beautiful with dreamy eyes, very friendly, terribly spontaneous, you need to cultivate your self-esteem … urgently, and you are really bad trying to divert a conversation!” He laughed out loud.

“Good thing you wouldn’t be so direct anymore!” She said in a funny way when she was discovered by him.

“Where do you live?”

She was hesitant to answer, for obvious reasons, she didn’t want Brian to know her address. She thought that if he made those comments because of her working at the bar … she couldn't imagine what he would say if he knew where she lived. So, she decided to trick him, telling him that she was staying in a residential complex near the Mon'tblank so that when he left her there, it would be easy for her to walk home.

“If you don't tell me, how will I know where to take you?”

He replied when he saw her so distant and thoughtful. Sara realized that, as she had thought before, there would be no way, she would have to lie as long as there was not enough trust between them.

“I live rented in a residence near Mon'tblank, at least until I can have something of my own.”

“Well, that's where I'll take you, and I confess that I'd love to continue our conversation. Sara, can I invite you lunch? I don't know, maybe tomorrow.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I have to work. And I don't think that—”

“And besides, you're very bad at lying,” he said mockingly, adding a new attribute to the list he had already started on Sara's personality. “I know that tomorrow is also a day of rest.”

“I am not lying to you, nor did I say that I would work at the Mon'tblank, and since you know everything, you will know that I have a life of my own to attend to.” Ironically, she thought her whole life it was a damned lie, as she listened to Brian telling her that she didn't know how to lie. She didn't have to be very smart to realize that this ‘friendship’ was destined to be a total failure and resounding.

“Okay, okay … you're right. So, tell me, when can you and do you want to join me for lunch?”

“Brian, I'm so sorry, but it's complicated. Can we leave it for another time?”

What the hell are you doing Sara? What the hell are you doing?

She could not believe that she would rejected that invitation, deep down if she wanted to go out with him, but she thought that doing so would bring her conflicts in her work and with her boss, although he said they were friends, it was evident the great amount of problems between them.

Brian took her to the residences she indicated.

Then, she had to maneuver with the security of the place, since obviously, she would not be allowed to enter and Brian, after saying goodbye, kept looking from the car to make sure everything was fine. Sara was very friendly with the doorman, speaking to him as if she had known him for years, while asking about a friend who lived there, of course, everything was a lie and she was only doing time. As soon as Brian left and the doorman told her about ten times that ‘Vicky’ did not live there, she decided to stop insisting and leave the place, but not before praising the good treatment and the attention received, she knew that this would be very useful in the future.

Once at home … in the real one. She couldn’t stop smiling, thinking about everything that had happened that day, unable to believe that someone like Brian Smith used his time to share with her.

Was her luck really changing?

“What madness!” She thought aloud as her face drew a gigantic smile, believed she was alone.

“80% of the people I know hate Mondays, but apparently, you love them. No wonder, you always oppose everything!”

Carlos's voice startled her so much that the big smile that adorned her face gradually disappeared until there was only a grimace that indicated shame. Her boss had just found her laughing, sighing, and talking alone.

Got damn! What will he think of me now?

“Hi! I hadn’t seen you,” she said, trying to regain her composure.

“You did not see me?” Initially, he feigned amazement, but Carlos wasted no time drawing one of his most sarcastic smiles, remembering that she never saw him arrive, apparently, she was determined to ‘live on a cloud’. “What a novelty!”

Sara was very upset by the way he responded, but … What could she do? He was the bitterest being on the entire planet, but he was her boss and one of the very few people who had helped her, so she would have ‘all the patience of this world and all the galaxy’.

“How was your day?” Sara asked, trying to ‘turn the page’ and soften the moment.

As if it were easy to sweeten the king of the bitter!

“From what I see, not as good as yours.”

“Oh … no, I was just visiting the mall—”

“You don't have to give explanations, when I need them, I'll ask you.” He said to finish the matter and left.

Sara did not understand how someone who had youth, health, and money could be so bitter. Brian was perhaps right, she had to dedicate herself to raising as much money as possible to study, prepare better, and be able to become independent.

She could not help imagining herself as an old woman with a tray in her hands and Carlos in front of her looking at her with a frown and his sharp comments. She remembered Brian's phrase … "That's too much suffering for too long". She just shook her head in denial and went to the annex.