Rules

"Ru-rules?" Paulina felt extremely nervous.

"Rule number one: What happens here stays here." Simon's lower lip lightly touched Paulina's ear. The accidental touch made her tremble, which justified her reaction of repulsion. "Two: Your problems don't interest me." Simon lifted his face, his black eyes shining and a crooked smile on his lips as he spoke. "Three: Unlike Muller, maids don't occupy my bed. Although I doubt he touched you intimately."

If his intention was to embarrass her, he had already succeeded, so there was no need to continue with his hand touching her and getting so close, his body practically pressing hers against the wall and his coffee-scented breath warming her face. Paulina wanted to scream for Simon to leave her alone, but the words seemed to be stuck in her throat, a weakness dominating her body and gradually, without realizing it, she began to close her eyes. She felt Simon's nose touch hers...

The sound of her cellphone echoed, pulling her out of her daze. She jumped slightly in surprise and hurriedly took the phone out of her pocket. From the screen, she could see that it was Nathaniel. She looked at Simon who was staring intensely at her, causing her face to flush.

"It's Nathaniel... I wonder if..."

"If you want me to leave so you can talk to your stupid boyfriend, the answer is no."

If it weren't for her father, who probably wouldn't take her side, Paulina would quit her job right then and there, but she just answered the call.

"Good evening, Nath!" she greeted him with a slight smile. Her boyfriend always had a calming effect on her.

"Did you get the job, angel?"

"Er... I did, but not the one I told you about," her voice was lower than usual, although she knew that Simon could hear her clearly from where he was. "I'm now Mr. Simon's governess."

"Really? I talked to Simon today and he didn't tell me anything."

"I was hired not long ago." She looked sideways at Simon and noticed that he was paying attention to everything she was saying.

"That's great!" her boyfriend congratulated her and Paulina held back from telling him that she already wanted to quit. "Anjinho, I called to remind you of our meeting at the Rainbow. I have something very important to tell you."

"I just started today and... well, I have to ask Mr. Simon..." She looked at Simon who was still in the same place, not moving an inch and staring at her with hostility.

"Oh, Simon will let you go. Pass the phone to him."

"Nath..."

"Trust me, angel."

"Nathaniel wants to talk to you," she informed, handing the phone to Salvatore.

If Simon was surprised by the request, he didn't show it, simply taking the phone and visibly annoyed, asking, "What do you want, Muller?"

"Do you remember our conversation earlier?" Nathaniel didn't wait for a response and continued excitedly. "I've prepared everything for tonight and I need Lina to meet me. But don't say anything, I want to surprise my little angel."

Simon looked at Paulina intensely, his expression so sour that she feared her boyfriend had offended Salvatore.

"I bet the 'little angel' will love it," he said with a disdainful tone that went unnoticed by Muller, but not by Paulina, who was squeezing her hand extremely tense.

"That's what I hope. Oh, and I still hope you'll be my best man."

"I don't think she'll like that idea."

"What idea?" Paulina asked herself, becoming more and more worried.

"Of course Lina will like it, she knows I consider you a brother."

"I can consider the idea if she agrees."

"Which idea?" replied Paulina, trying to disguise the fact that all her attention was fixed on what Salvatore was saying.

"Well, may I meet her then?"

"Sure. I'll give her the phone back now".

"Thanks, friend!"

Simon didn't say anything else. He handed the phone to Perez, who exchanged a few more words with her boyfriend before ending the call.

"Come on!" he ordered, turning his back and heading down a hallway.

Surprised, Paulina followed him.

They passed through two doors, turned left, passed through three more doors, and Simon continued until the end of the hallway, which ended in two doors. He opened the one on the right, letting Paulina pass.

"This is your room," he said.

Paulina admired the room, which was only slightly larger than the one she occupied in the Salvatore mansion. It was furnished with a built-in wardrobe in the single bed, an armchair, and a bookcase with a television.

She walked over to the bed and put her suitcase on it. With her whole body tense, she took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and turned to Simon with a trembling smile.

"Can you show me the rest of the apartment?" she asked. As soon as Salvatore's lips turned into a sideways smile, Paulina predicted the answer.

"I have a party to attend and can't waste time on trivialities. So when you come back from your date, you can figure out the rest on your own," said Simon, before heading to his own room. He needed to go out and drink something, preferably alcoholic.

~*~

During the entire dinner at the restaurant that Nathaniel loved to go to, Paulina couldn't think of anything else but her new job.

Normally, it was her boyfriend who monopolized the conversation with his enthusiasm. She liked to hear about his day-to-day life, admire the excited sparkle in his blue irises, watch him scratch his neck when he remembered something funny or embarrassing, and appreciate the mess that the gesture caused in his blonde curls. But on that day, Paulina needed to vent.

"I don't understand why Mirela did this to me," she complained, too bothered by everything that had happened to notice her boyfriend's bored sigh. "Everyone knows that Mr. Simon hates me."

"Simon doesn't hate you," Nathaniel assured her, tired of her complaints.

He wanted to add that she didn't need to work, that he would support her if she accepted, but he remembered the drama that the proposal had caused the first time he made it. It was one of the few things - possibly the only thing - that they disagreed on.

"And why does he always treat me badly?" she murmured, pushing the food she had barely touched with her fork.

"He's like that with everyone. Cold with people," he replied with a benevolent smile. "It's nothing personal."

Tired, Paulina deduced that the year was going to be very difficult. Besides putting up with Simon, she would still have to hear from everyone that she was exaggerating when she complained. Not even Nathaniel seemed inclined to stay by her side.

"Anyway, I have a proposal," he announced excitedly, his fingers diving into his jacket pocket. "If you accept, it will help you leave this job earlier."

"Proposal?"

"Will you marry me, Lina?" he asked, exposing the diamond ring.

"Yes!" she replied ecstatically, extending her hand for him to put the ring on her ring finger. "It's beautiful!" she admired, enchanted by the beauty of the jewel and its meaning.

"You're an angel," Muller said, kissing the ring before leaning across the table to gently kiss his fiancée's lips, sealing the important step in their lives.