6

I stand in front of the elevator, undecided whether to go up or not. Before, I was determined to face Ricardo with courage and confidence, but as I get closer, I feel a growing anxiety overwhelm me.

Despite feeling a little embarrassed, I can't help those teenage feelings that seem to take over me when it comes to this stranger. It's hard to understand why I feel this way and how I got carried away by this situation.

I find myself in front of the elevator, uncertain about the possibility of going up. Initially, I was determined to confront Ricardo with resolution and self-confidence, however, as I get closer, I begin to notice a growing sense of anxiety taking hold of me.

Even though I feel a little embarrassed, I can't help those youthful feelings that seem to overwhelm me when it comes to this unknown. Understanding why I feel this way and how I allowed this situation to affect me is challenging.

I get to the floor of the presidency and come across him: Ricardo himself leaning over my father's desk. Just seeing it, I feel a shiver run through my entire body. When he hears the sound of the elevator opening, he turns slowly, flashing a dazzling smile that quickens my heartbeat.

"Melissa, are you alright? Are you feeling better?" He asks in that hoarse voice that makes me feel an instant heat rising from my body to my head.

"yes, thanks for asking," I reply as I head to my living room, not even greeting the secretaries watching the scene without knowing what's really going on.

As soon as I entered my room, I closed the door quickly and began to shake myself to try and control the heat that took over my body. However, I barely had time to calm down when I was interrupted by strong arms wrapping around me from behind, causing the flames to intensify and setting me completely on fire.

"Melzinha, my beautiful, I couldn't help but come here to wish you a good day," he whispers in my ear as he kisses my neck, making every hair on my body stand on end. It sounds crazy, but it's a delicious sensation that I'm loving to feel. Without waiting any longer, I turn around and attack Richard's lips, not giving him a chance to run away or put me at ease.

With a shred of sanity that I still have left, I pull away from him, still out of breath and struggling to catch the air in my lungs. Finally, I look directly into his eyes.

Now yes, my dear, have a good day. He looks at me in disbelief at what I just did, but soon composes himself and a beautiful smile, unique to him, appears on his lips.

"Good morning, Miss," he says without taking his eyes off me, causing me to catch fire inside. However, I need to be strong and keep taking the reins of the situation.

"Yes, my dear. Now you can leave my room. I need to work," I say firmly, though he approaches again, making me take a deep breath so I don't lose control I still have left. It's hard to get rid of this person, and with a kiss on my cheek and a beautiful smile, he pulls away, but not before saying we still have matters pending. I can't imagine what pending issue it could be, since if it's not about work, we have nothing to talk about. He's very mistaken if he thinks we have something to talk about, with him the last thing I want is to talk.

I sink into my chair, still not believing what I just did. I can't believe I had the courage to act this way, but at the same time I feel a certain pride in myself for having maintained an adult posture in the face of the situation.

I get to work and, to my relief, I don't see Ricardo all day anymore. He just disappeared, probably busy with someone else out there. That's not jealousy, just my conscience reminding me of how much of a conqueror he is.

I feel like I'm getting a little insane, maybe it's time to find a real relationship and end all this mess once and for all.

It's finally time to go home, where at least I can feel safe not meeting Richard. It's the only place where I feel like I can relax and forget about this whole mess.

....

As the hot water runs down my body, the morning scene with Richard comes back to my mind.

Here is my refuge, where I feel completely safe from everything and everyone. Sometimes I think I'm a little crazy. What could this guy do if I didn't want to? It's hard to admit, but I'm freaking out about him. However, I can't get carried away by someone I barely know.

I finish the shower, dry myself and put on only a bathrobe. I go to the kitchen to prepare something to eat. I didn't mention it before, but I'm not a little patrician who has everything in her hands. I know how to cook and I like to take care of my things. Despite having a comfortable life, my parents always made sure that I learned to do everything, including taking care of a house.

I begin to separate the ingredients for my dinner and begin to prepare it carefully, enjoying the tranquility of my home. As I cook, I put on soft music to play in the background and open a bottle of wine, pouring myself a glass to accompany the meal.

While chopping the spices for my dinner, I suddenly started listening to a song I love, and without realizing it, I started moving to the rhythm of the melody and humming the lyrics. It was a pleasurable and relaxed experience that made my time in the kitchen even more enjoyable.

For me, cooking is an activity that provides a huge relaxation and works almost like a therapy. When I'm in the kitchen, I feel completely at ease and I can let go of all the worries and problems of everyday life. Although I enjoy it very much, unfortunately I have not had time to devote to this practice as often as I would like.

Some time passed and finally my dinner was ready. With satisfaction, I set the table and, even though I was alone, I decided to sit down to eat calmly and enjoy the meal. Before I started, I poured myself another glass of wine and then added rice, salad, steak and chips to my plate. I remembered my childhood, when my mother used to prepare for me a delicious steak with fries, a meal I always loved. That memory made me feel even happier as I savored my dinner.

It's not for nothing, but this food is really tasty.

After I finished my dinner, I removed the table and washed the dishes. With everything organized, I headed to my room to grab my laptop. Taking advantage of the fact that it was still early, I decided to review some reports that I had left pending. I returned to the living room with my laptop and placed my glass of wine on the table next to the couch. I opened the report that my father had requested my opinion on and began to read it. I realized I would need to make some notes about it, so I left the laptop on the couch and went to my room to get my notepad, my calendar, and some pens. As I returned to the living room, I heard the doorbell ring.

I felt surprised, as I wasn't expecting anyone at that moment, and I hadn't allowed anyone in either. I wondered who might be ringing the doorbell at that time of night.

I left my things on the coffee table and headed for the door. I thought it could only be Ane, a person who usually disturbs me a lot, and who certainly came to cause problems at that moment. I needed to review the report to give my opinion to my father and the directors of the company later that week, so I was worried about wasting time with unexpected visits.

As I opened the door, I was startled to see who was there. I was incredulous and asked, "What are you doing here?"