Adeline's cheeks flushed at the memory of that unusual afternoon lunch. "Anthony Spencer," she thought while remembering the way he had looked at her, the burning fire in those light blue eyes.
It had been a while since she had felt that fluttering in her stomach. It was nerves mixed with something else: anticipation, desire, the hope of looking attractive in a man's eyes. "Impossible," she told herself while shaking her head. She was no longer a child to be deluding herself with things like that. She had to accept that she was a divorced woman with three children and no hope of rebuilding her love life. After all, who would want her with her looks? Adeline forced herself to keep the memory of the stranger far from her mind. The only thing that interested her about Anthony Spencer was that he would accept her deal and they would begin the imports as soon as possible. However, fate had completely different plans. Adeline knew it that Monday morning when she found Anthony comfortably ensconced in her office after a full week without any news from him. "How did he get in?" she wondered while staring at him with her mouth half-open. She had no idea. "Mr. Spencer," she stammered stupefiedly. "Mrs. Cooper," he nodded in her direction with a sly smile. "Forgive me for dropping in unannounced, but this morning, after a restful sleep, the answer to our business finally came to me." "Oh, that sounds great." Adeline could not help but notice the peculiar way he spoke. He always used a cool, easy tone, as if he owned the world, as if he feared absolutely nothing. It was the kind of confidence very few people possessed. He was also a handsome man, with short blond hair, deep blue eyes, and skin as white as porcelain. His face was completely manly, full of angles and square lines. "Well, you see," Anthony began, adjusting himself more comfortably in his chair. "I feel this is a generous deal you're offering me, and in terms of business, there's no problem. However, I do have one problem, and I'm sorry to say it's personal." "What?" She could not help but be startled by his words. What was this man talking about? "I'm really hurt for you, Mrs. Cooper." He stared at her and that made her tremble. "Hurt?" Her voice trembled. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Spencer, but if I've done something you didn't like, please allow me to apologize. The last thing I want is for you to feel bad about me." "Oh, yes, Mrs. Cooper, I feel so bad about your attitude. You have no idea how much." His tone suddenly became harsher. "I'm sorry," Adeline whispered and apologized for something she had no idea about. "I don't think a simple 'I'm sorry' will fix it,". He cut her off harshly. "You've hurt my pride." "Mr. Spencer..." "Adeline," he called her after setting aside formalities. Her name sounded strange on his lips, just like something forbidden that should not be said, "I think we trust each other enough to use the familiar form. After all, I can't forget that you were my girlfriend in the past." The statement made Adeline's eyes and mouth widen dramatically. Her expression far beyond shock and disbelief. "Did he say 'his girlfriend'?" she wondered and convinced she would have heard him wrong. "I don't understand what..." "Oh, of course you do." Anthony stood up and walked in her direction. With each step he took, Adeline's breath caught. "Or have you forgotten that sad boy you said, 'Thank you for your time, but this was just a bet with my friends,'?". He repeated and did a poor imitation of her voice. “Because if you forgot, I'm sorry to say I didn't”. At that moment, Adeline's mind lit up with a memory: it was a sunny day at her school, a boy with huge glasses was waiting for her with a broad smile in the backyard. "Ade," the young man called her with that nickname. Affection overflew from that simple word. "Antonio," she replied after looking back where her friends were signaling for her to finish this. "It's Anthony," he corrected her calmly. "Yes, well, Anthony, you see..." She twisted her fingers, not knowing how to tell him that the kiss they had shared a week ago was fake and that they were not actually dating. "What's wrong? I've been waiting for you all morning." "It's just..." "What?" "Thanks for your time, Antonio, but this was just a bet with my friends." "I'm sorry," with that, she turned and ran away from the scene. Anthony, who until now had been the institution's renegade, watched as the girl he would have fallen in love with walked away after breaking his heart. He was a year older than her, but he would have never been the popular type, much less had he ever expected someone as sweet as Adeline to stab his heart in the past After that, he transferred to another institution, and exactly seventeen years had passed since then. For him, the wound had healed. He was never again the same fragile boy who had been mocked. His personality had changed. He had become a cold man. But just when he thought his life was going well, that he was one step away from marriage, Adeline burst into his life, and all he wanted now was revenge. "I'm sorry," whispered the present-day Adeline, visibly remorseful. "Believe me, I am too," Anthony replied coldly. You have no idea how much I cried for you back then. I was a fool, really. However, look at you now—the contemptuous look he gave her made Adeline feel uncomfortable in her own skin. “I never imagined you would become this”. He completely made her low self-esteem plummet even further. Adeline realized with horror that every one of his words was true, and although he had explicitly told her he could not stand the sight of her, he accepted the deal with her company. Now, she simply could not imagine what their relationship would be like from that moment on…Adeline entered the house with slow and hesitant steps. She felt like a child who had just been up to mischief and was afraid of being caught.The memory of the previous night suddenly assailed her, making her cheeks turn an intense crimson.“Mum,” her son Camilo's voice surprised her in the middle of the hallway.“Darling,“ she turned to look at him.The children ran from the living room, with the babysitter following in their footsteps.“Where were you, Mom?” her little one frowned. For some reason, she felt that the question was loaded with reproach.Adeline bit her lower lip, and searched for an answer in her mind.“I was with a friend,“ she said, trying to sound convincing. ‘I had lost track of time while we were talking, and as it got very late I stayed at her house to sleep. I'm sorry.”“Oh,” the children were surprised at the unexpected information.“Do we know your friend, Mommy?“ the youngest one asked.“Not yet. But you three will meet her very soon,” she promised them. Tha
Even with all her determination not to become a lover, Adeline could not say no to Anthony when he suggested the idea of going somewhere else. She did not need to be very smart to know what kind of place he was referring to was a hotel.The room they were given was simple but cozy. The double bed was covered with a bedspread in soft tones, and the pillows provoked to rest. The only difference was that they were not exactly going to rest. The curtains were lace and let in the dim moonlight, creating a more intimate and romantic atmosphere.In one corner, a small bouquet of roses adorned a bedside table. The floor was clean and polished, and the cream-colored walls conveyed calm and serenity. Adeline approached the window and opened the curtains, revealing a view of well-kept gardens and a starry sky.“It's beautiful,“ those words escaped from her lips.“Not as beautiful as you,” strong arms wrapped around her in a hug.Adeline felt her nerves invade her. She did not know what she was t
When she got home, Adeline went straight to the shower to let the hot water envelop her body. As the steam filled the bathroom, her mind returned to the kiss. Her lips still retained the sweetness of the moment, the passion transmitted.“Anthony,“ she thought, aware that all this was madness.“Let's meet tomorrow,” he asked her.“It's not right, Anthony. We can't.”“We can, Adeline. Of course, we can.”She did not know how, but she ended up agreeing to that clandestine meeting.Adeline got out of the shower and looked at herself in the mirror. Her reflection did not match the image that Anthony seemed to see in her. The sweet words he had said to her echoed in her head, but doubts also arose. Was he lying? Did he find her beautiful or was he just being kind?She was afraid of discovering that it was all a deception, that it was just pity on his part. She did not think she could bear something like that.With those thoughts, she dried and dressed, trying to ignore her fears. Although h
There was nothing unusual about closing the door. Generally, people who wanted to talk without interruption chose that option. However, Adeline felt that the last thing Anthony wanted to do was talk.“What do you need to tell me?“ she asked him and tried to keep distance from him as much as possible.The man again looked at her with that wild and burning gaze. She had no idea how a simple look could convey so much because his eyes seemed to be shouting out all his desires.“I wanted to talk about the kiss,” He confessed her confidently as if it were the most normal of conversations.The woman circled her desk and walked much further away, it was a vain attempt to protect herself."I thought that had already been made clear. It was a mistake.""Not on my part" Again all his confidence was present."Anthony, please..."“Adeline, I feel that that kiss only awakened feelings that are not dead” his voice became a murmur struggling amid that contradiction. ”I don't know how that's possible
Adeline tried vainly to contain the anger she felt after Humberto's threat.“By what right did he dare to want to control her outings? What did he care about? What time did she get home?” she wondered, feeling her fury grow and grow.She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and resolved not to let her ex-husband dictate her life. Of course, she would go out as often as she wanted and meet new people. She would show Humberto and everyone else that she was still an interesting woman, a woman capable of rebuilding her life in every sense.Every day, Adeline was the first to get up. Before getting ready to make breakfast for her children, she took exactly forty-five minutes to exercise. This was an arduous task that was difficult for her to keep up, but she committed herself that she didn't want to break.“Mommy, are you only going to have that apple for breakfast?“ asked her son Alberto.“Yes, dear.”“But why so little, Mom?” the youngest one intervened, as he put a piece of pancake
“Until you deign to come,“ Adeline said to the man in front of her.“I've been busy,” the man said, defending himself, with a shrug of the shoulders. “I don't have as much free time as you.”“Like me? What are you talking about, Humberto?”“That you've always been lazy.”“Don't be insolent!”“What are you taking offense at?” she said shamelessly. ”You always preferred to stay at home and laze around.”“Well, you're wrong if that's what you think,“ she clarified. ‘I always wanted to work, but your macho beliefs prevented me from doing so. Besides, housework is just as important.’“Now it turns out it's my fault!” he said indignantly.“Of course it is.”“Find my children, woman. I didn't come here to waste my time arguing with you.““Of course not,” she said and went to tell the children that their father was there.As expected, her three little ones ran down the stairs to meet the man, who took them in his arms and gave them a big hug.It was the weekend, so Adeline had other activitie