Episode 13

Augusto Bastos Filho.

Well, according to the information I have from my beautiful manager, there will be a meeting between headquarters and the central-west company, and I will be attending as a representative of Augusto Bastos, without identifying myself. Then, I'll invite her to dinner.

My father hasn't arrived from his trip yet, according to his assistant, but I think he must be hiding from me because he must already know I'm in the country. He's a great businessman; I find it hard to believe he wouldn't know.

If by any chance he is here, no problem, I'll wait for him to show up. Knowing my old man, he must be up to something.

The meeting is the day after tomorrow, at the Group's headquarters, and it will be with the manager and the directors from the central-west branch.

I'm eager to see my favorite manager.

Ariane Miller.

The afternoon was spent in boring meetings, three of them, but I couldn't pay much attention; the image of that man entering with that woman...

It was already driving me crazy. Luckily for me, they were internal meetings, and everything was resolved, even with my lack of attention.

I need to get him out of my head; I can't let it interfere with my work. Today, I already felt bad for having my thoughts elsewhere; it's unforgivable.

I went home. Tomorrow, I'll pick up my mother at the airport, and everything will be forgotten.

I could barely sleep last night; that man seemed like a ghost and wouldn't let me rest. I was almost calling someone to exorcise him from my thoughts.

And the worst part was me, being jealous, it was absurd! I don't even know him, don't even know the name of that male specimen, as Ana Luisa would say.

With those thoughts, I ended up falling asleep, but it didn't last long because when my cell phone alarm went off, it was already seven o'clock, one hour before my mother arrived. That's if she hadn't already arrived; sometimes the flight is ahead of schedule.

I got up feeling extremely sleepy, took off my clothes, and stepped into the shower to chase the sleep away. I think I slept three, maybe four hours at most.

I had already informed them that I wouldn't be going to the office today; however, I was informed yesterday as soon as I got home, through the secretary, that there would be a meeting at headquarters the day after tomorrow, and my presence was essential.

I thought, 'Great, another one of those long, boring meetings.' Tomorrow will be a very difficult day, putting up with those pampered folks from headquarters.

Just because they work at the headquarters, they think they can pay less attention to the other companies in the Group.

"Enough of those thoughts," I told myself, and went to take a quick shower, more to wake up from my sleep, which still insisted on lingering.

After the shower, I felt refreshed. I put on comfortable clothes since I wasn't going to the office.

I put on light makeup; my hair was already brushed. Everything was okay, time to pick up my dear mother.

I didn't have coffee; I'd have it with my mother.

I arrived at the airport; the flight had been delayed, luckily for me.

There were ten minutes until the plane landed, so I went to a coffee shop and bought an espresso. I drank it while waiting for my mother.

About twenty minutes passed, and soon I heard the announcement that her flight had landed.

It wasn't long before a beautiful lady appeared, pushing a cart with her luggage.

I went to meet her, hugged her, kissed her, and said, "Mom, I've missed you so much!"

Telma: "I know, honey, it's been a while since we've seen each other. How's my beautiful daughter doing? I was dying to see you too! Tell your mother everything."

"Were you able to meet your husband, or should I say, ex-husband?"

Ariane: "Mom, you know he didn't even show up at the registry office! I think I married a lawyer instead of a husband, haha."

Telma: "He'll regret not having met my beautiful daughter. But at least the lawyer is handsome, right?"

Ariane: We headed for the car. I accommodated all the luggage; my mother continued with the subject. We got in the car and went to a coffee shop near the apartment.

We entered the coffee shop; I ordered a coffee and a slice of cake, and my mother ordered the same.

And the subject continued.

Telma: "But if he's a charming older man, leave him to me, haha!"

"Just kidding, honey. But now this crazy agreement is over."

"What if he wants to meet his ex? Would you agree to meet your ex?"

Ariane: "I would even agree, but if he wants to, he'll have to suffer for a while until I let go of the disrespect he showed his beautiful bride, haha."

"And also for not even wanting to come to the wedding, haha! I hope he falls in love with me as soon as he sees me. I'm going to make him suffer a little."

Telma: "And what if he's a handsome man, like one of those Greek gods we see on TV? Wouldn't you fall in love too?"

Ariane: "Mom, of course not. I already met a handsome man who ended up stealing my thoughts, and I think even my heart."

"But I think he's married, so I'll have to forget about him to avoid suffering."

Telma: "But how do you know this guy is married?"

Ariane: "I saw him entering the restaurant very intimately with a woman, and he pretended he didn't see me. That's typical of men in a relationship."

Telma: "That doesn't mean anything, Ari. It could have been one of those women who throw themselves at handsome, rich, or famous men, and he was just being polite."

"And he wasn't paying attention to the people around him."

Ariane: "Yes, so he wasn't interested in me, just like I was in him."

Telma: "Well, honey, I can't tell you for sure. But you need to at least talk to him to find out. You can't jump to conclusions."

"After talking and getting to know him a little, you can decide whether or not to pursue it."

"But first, you need to find out who he is, okay, my dear? Who knows, maybe he's your Prince Charming, haha."

Ariane: "Okay! If by any chance I run into him again, and he talks to me and extends an invitation, I'll accept, just to get to know him. But if he's married, I'm out of there."

"I don't want to be anyone's mistress. It's enough being divorced without even knowing who my husband is."

"He might as well be dead. In other words, I was married, and now I'm divorced from a ghost. Yikes, haha."

Telma: "Really? I doubt it. He may be bedridden, but dead, I don't believe it."

Ariane: "What do you mean, 'bedridden,' Mom?"

Telma: "It can happen, honey. I've read many novels about girls who marry men in a vegetative state."

Ariane: "I don't think that's his case. I think he really didn't want to meet me, or didn't want to meet Andressa. After all, she was supposed to be the bride, not me."

Telma: "That's possible because he must have inquired about who he was going to marry and saw that she was frivolous, opportunistic, and, to put it mildly, a party girl."

Ariane: "Let's go home; I want to show you our apartment. And after you've rested, we'll buy you a car, okay?"

"I need to (review) some papers too because tomorrow there's a meeting at the company's headquarters."

"I think Mr. Augusto will be at this meeting; then I can say goodbye to him because the day the lawyer went to the mansion for me to sign the divorce papers, Mr. Augusto was traveling. I think he must be back by now."

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