chapter 3

Call Juice narrating:

- what? - He said amazed.

- that's what you heard, one night with Leonor and I pay all the debts that led you to bankruptcy, I take more profits as your partner, and you keep her under the roof of your house.

- I will not accept this...

- you know, that's my proposal. - Hard said getting up from the table as he drank his last drink from the glass. - Feel free, it's on the house. He said, patting me on the shoulder and leaving.

Completely intrigued, I kept thinking about the words he said to me, looking at every corner of that restaurant that had details in pure gold, I drank the glass of whiskey quickly, I felt frustrated with everything, I couldn't even continue there knowing that it would depend on the guy who asked one night with my wife:

- Call, you over here? – an old businessman friend said when he found me.

- It's... business lunch.

- I heard about how it's growing too. I just opened another company in Poland maybe....

- Sorry, I need to go .... - I said moving away from the conversation, he was with his family and I just slid my eyes being tamed by the feeling of inability once again. I couldn't get him to know that I was a broke man now. – hey... Hard.... okay. One night.

The words came out of my mouth without me knowing if I felt better or worse for it, Leonor would be by my side, at least so I hoped. As the sun began to set, I left towards the house, not knowing how I would tell Leonor that I had sold it to save my business, I stopped by a cellar, bought a wine that she liked, I got home embarrassed, and Leonor perfumed me I was waiting sitting on the sofa, wearing an attractive dress, and dinner on the table:

- Hello my love. - She said coming towards me and taking off my jacket. - It's been a while since we took some time for ourselves.

- I thought the same. - She said smiling and showing him the wine.

- I knew you thought the same as me.

Leonor was beautiful and smiling, in a daring and provocative way.

Leonor Juice narrating:

It stung me to know that Call was as determined to save our relationship as I was. I believe that every couple has a saving point in their relationship, a place of balance that leads us to go back there every time we feel we need to find each other again. At our kitchen table, a good dinner and wine has always been the lifeboat of our relationship, that's where we meet again, where we have good memories, where we can talk. And that's exactly what I did that night, in heels and a tight dress, I took him to the table so we could help ourselves, I stained the wine glass with my red lipstick, and I loved to see him smile shyly again:

- what's it? he seems nervous... - she told him holding his hands.

- I received a proposal... from a partner who is willing to save the company, and there will be no other choice....

- and why is it like this then? That's wonderful dear! – She said excitedly. - What is the proposal?

- one night...

- one night? I questioned him waiting to continue.

- one night with you Leonor.

- what kind of joke is this Call? I asked with an incredulous laugh.

- It's not a joke love... it's the only way to save everything... - he said terrified trying to hold my hands while I got up frustrated from the table.

- wait... are you saying that for us to save the company you went bankrupt, you sold me to God knows who? Do you have any idea what you're saying to me? - I screamed angrily.

- Leonor... calm down, it's just one night.

- calm? For money you even accept that I sleep with another man? That I spend a night in his domain? For your honor Call?

- Calm down Leonor... - Call said getting up and coming towards me.

- Fuck Call, this crosses all limits, your ambition crosses all limits.

- I'm just trying to...

- trying what? Secure my purse and shoes? Are you going to blame me again like a fifteen year old? Who is he?

- is a mobster. Hard.

Call's words froze me, making me stop screaming, I knew exactly which mobster it was about, it could only be the one from last night, me dominated my thoughts earlier. Unable to feed that conversation any longer, I went out the living room door towards my car, I got in and slammed the door, pounding the steering wheel, I knew exactly where everything would end after a night with him, all the risks that were even greater after being sold by my own husband. After having gotten over his wrath, having hidden something big from me and deluded myself into imagining that I could fix his ambition. I went in reverse and drove through the city to a bar, I went in and asked for a dose of the strongest drink, it was as if only alcohol could soften the impact of what was brooding over me:

- Leonor! An old friend, the wife of one of Call's rich friends, stopped beside me.

- Hi how long. - She said trying to show that she was fine.

- yeah, we arrived this morning, we saw Call at the restaurant earlier, my husband even tried to talk and talk about our new company but he ran away...

- What the fuck... - I exclaimed, understanding the real reason that led him to make the unexpected decision.

Turning his back, he leaves the bar with a bottle of tequila, which he didn't even have the money to pay for. It was lucid to imagine that my husband had sold me because he couldn't stand the success of his friends, it's the fact that he wanted to be better than others. With the bottle in hand, I passed by the living room door, he was still sitting in the same chair, with dinner already cold on the table, I looked at him, and I started to listen to my own intuition, I was the only one who sought companionship.