CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“How come I never see you or the other staff around, Maxwell?”

The chauffeur’s chuckle came out as a low rumble as his gray eyes peered into the rear-view mirror. “That’s because we’re not stationed there, Miss Lola. Due to specific orders from Mr. Morales, we only make ourselves available when necessary. The ladies, for instance, come around three times a week for occasional cleanup. However, Mr. Morales always makes sure you’re not indoors whenever they are.”

“Huh,” Lola said, perplexed. She’d never seen it that way before. “So, you’re available today, taking me to meet Gabriele at the spa, and for the entire duration of my stay there, the maids will come in for their regular cleaning service.”

“Precisely,” Maxwell answered in his impeccable British accent.

“That’s sad. I may never get to see the people who work tirelessly to keep that massive house spotless.”

Maxwell smiled as he navigated a busy intersection. “Perhaps so. But you must understand that Mr. Morales is making these decisions to protect you as best he can. There are a few things he hates more than nosy people.”

Cassidy scoffed. “Santiago needs to understand that I can take care of myself and stop making decisions for me. That’s what got us in this mess in the first place.”

Maxwell tilted his head slightly as he frowned. “I beg your pardon?”

Lola quickly realized her mistake and dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “Don’t mind me, Maxwell. I’m rambling at this point. I'd better call Gabriele to find out if she’s arrived.”

The elderly chauffeur nodded gently as he watched the road. “Very well, madam.”

Thirty minutes later, Lola stepped out of the parked Cadillac SUV and braced herself for impact as Gabriele rushed at her like a child running into its mother.

“It’s been ages! Did Santiago make you forget all about me?”

Lola rolled her eyes. “Seriously? And just how would he be able to do that?”

“With the way you’re glowing,” Gabriele noticed, running her eyes all over her best friend. “I can name a couple of ways he can.”

As Lola glowered at her friend, Gabriele waved politely at Maxwell. “Still going strong, you old fox.”

“Till my dying breath, Miss Gabriele,” he replied with a salute. “I’ll be back at five to pick up Miss Lola.”

Gabriele glanced over her shoulder, then turned back to the chauffeur. “You know what? Why don’t you go ahead and enjoy the rest of your day? I brought my car with me, so I’ll drive Lola back to the villa.”

Maxwell looked uncomfortable for a brief second, which was understandable given he was just told to disobey his boss’s instructions. Then his clouded expression cleared up and he tipped his hat and nodded gently.

“Of course, Miss Gabriele. You two enjoy your day.”

Gabriele waved with a sweet smile as Maxwell drove away. Then she spun around and regarded Lola with a mischievous grin.

“Hop in the car, señora. We’re ditching this joint.”

“Wait, what?” Lola blinked repeatedly in disbelief. “I just got here. We just got here.”

“Tsk,” Gabriele waved her hand dismissively. “This was just a decoy. A location that I wanted Santiago to think you were. We’re going somewhere else.”

“I’m genuinely confused right now. Why… why would you lie?”

“Oh, come on, Lola. It’s not as serious as you’re making out to be. Besides, aren’t you tired of my brother making decisions for you? Do you enjoy being under his wing like an injured little kitten?”

Lola started to retort, but stopped herself. Of course, Gabriele was right—she knew him better than anyone did. And an entire day away from his strict schedules and rigid planning wouldn’t be so bad. With Gabriele, she could get a slight taste of her life before Santiago charged in. The yearning for that level of freedom suddenly flickered to life within her, and her friend didn’t seem so crazy anymore.

“So…” Lola began on a lighter, less-panicked note. “Where are you going, then?”

Gabriele’s lips edged up to smile. “Star-plex Plaza. I have a spa session booked already.”

“Star-plex?! But that’s on the other side of the city!”

“Exactly,” Gabriele said as she sashayed towards her gray convertible in the parking area. “That gives us enough time to catch up over loud music and strawberry sundaes. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Exactly eight minutes later, Cassidy did, in fact, very much agree.

The pair drove through the busy streets of Vicálvaro, eastern Madrid, singing along to Olivia Dean’s new The Art of Loving album. Gabriele got carried away and overhit the speed limit on a freeway, attracting the attention of an officer and the reward of a speeding ticket. Afterwards, for obvious reasons, Lola took control of the wheel.

The two friends made a quick stop at a drive-through, ordering sundaes and a rather abundant amount of boxed doughnuts and hot dogs. Lola assumed it was their “fuel” for the day and said nothing about it as they sped off.

“Mmm…” she began with her eyes momentarily closed. “I didn’t think I’d miss driving this much. It feels so surreal.”

“Yeah, you miss driving,” Gabriele replied in a fearful voice. “But I don’t want to miss my life. So keep your eyes open, please.”

Lola chuckled as she lifted her eyelids. “Little Miss Paranoia.”

“As long as it keeps me alive, so be it. By the way, you have that long, lonely estate road to play with. Why don’t you drive there with one of Santiago’s cars?”

“I don’t know,” Lola answered with a shrug. “I’ve never thought about it. Plus, I’ve become so comfortable with Maxwell taking me wherever I want. Even when it was Santiago himself, I didn’t mind.”

“The perils of being comfortable in riches,” Gabriele commented with a wag of her finger. “For most people, once they find people who can run everyday errands or activities they used to do, they can get complacent.”

“No lies detected there, your honor,” Lola joked. “Speaking of which, have you cracked any big cases yet?”

“Oh, yes. Didn’t you hear of the woman who lost her boobs? We helped her find it.”

“You’re crazy,” Lola remarked with a laugh. “You’re confusing your job with that of a detective.”

“It’s more or less the same evil we face,” Gabriele replied with a small shrug. “Seriously though, after working as an intern for the first couple of years, I got my big break from my brother when he offered me to represent his company in legal affairs. So far, however, all I’ve been doing is reviewing and approving the necessary legal paperwork for a lot of their activities, which is a lot by the way. There are times I wish they could be sued for something, anything, just so I get to stand before a judge and defend my clients to the end. Tsk. Am I crazy, Lolita?”

Lola shook her head. “No, amor. You’re just majorly delusional. And very impulsive.”

“Oh, now I’m impulsive? I’m not the one who ditched her clothes and moral compass within minutes of meeting a man.”

Lola rolled her eyes with a groan. “Ugh, Gabrielle. You win. I’m the slut of the year.”

“I had no idea y’all were winning awards,” Gabriele smacked Lola’s shoulder playfully. “Crazy.”

The pair finally drove into what seemed like the busiest parking lot in the western end of the city. After fifteen groveling minutes, they managed to find a parking space and strolled into the enormous building. Lola initially felt a surge of anxiety rising in her chest as she walked beside Gabriele into the populated lobby, given her last experience in a public area. She quickly calmed down, however, when she realized no one even spared her a glance. With the manner in which people faced their business—either purchasing or selling or moving from one store to another—Lola became convinced a celebrity could walk in here and no one would bat an eyelid. That injected a much-needed level of confidence in her system as she followed Gabriele up the escalators. Sure, she attracted the attention of a few heads, but nothing more than that. Thankfully.

“The spa’s just up ahead,” Gabriele informed with a point of her hand. “But let’s meet up with a few friends first.”

“A few friends?” Lola asked, brows narrowing in confusion. She and Gabriele had less than a handful of mutual pals, none of whom were in the country as long as she was concerned.

“Yeah, yeah,” Gabriele said, her hands filled with the box of doughnuts and hot dogs. “You’ll love them, trust me.”