Episode 14

It's ten o'clock at night when I finish brushing my teeth. Margaret by Lana del Rey plays from my Bluetooth speaker.

I leave the bathroom. I go to the kitchen and drink a glass of water. I head to my room and on the dining room table, the bouquet of dahlias is still alive. The flowers are beginning to wilt and there are fallen petals.

"Why do these things happen to me?" I ask the flowers.

I pick up the fallen petals and my mind brings back the conversation we had today. Christian is a man with a sensitive heart. How did I get accepted into his company? Why did I end up doing my internship there? Why did we have to meet?

But the most important question hadn't been asked yet.

"What will happen to us in the future?"

Because honestly, I think I'm living a stage I never imagined living. And what will happen to me? Will it be convenient for me to give in to the feelings that we are both creating? Will we be happy if in the end, we decide to be together?

I let out a sigh. I feel happy! And partly, I feel this way because I think I'm in love. Will it be good for me to feel this way?

...🍬🍬🍬...

"Welcome!" It's the first thing I say to Christian when he arrives at his office. "Good morning!"

He has his hands hidden behind his back and after a few seconds, he extends them to me. It's a chocolate bar!

"For you!" he says.

His gesture makes me feel very nice deep down in my soul.

"Thank you!"

He nods and walks to his chair. He takes a seat.

"What's the agenda for today?"

I open his notebook and give it to him to analyze himself. Our hands touch during the exchange!

"You really like sweets, right?"

"Yes. But chocolate is my favorite!"

He nodded. He analyzed his agenda.

"Will you accompany me to my meetings today?"

"Do you want me to go with you?"

He smiled.

"Of course. After all, you're my secretary. You must be behind me."

"Okay. I'll go with you."

"We'll leave at eleven."

I nodded.

"I'll go check on other pending tasks."

"Sure."

I turned to leave.

"Juls," this time, his voice uttered that name that radiated affection for me.

"Yes?"

"I want to see how you eat the chocolate."

"Now?"

"No. When you feel like eating your chocolate, I want to see you. I like to watch you eat!"

I laughed.

"I still don't understand why you say that. What's so special about watching me eat?"

His cell phone started to vibrate.

"By the way, my mother loved the flowers! I told her you chose them!"

"Really?"

He nodded. He answered the call. I left his office. I walked to my desk with the chocolate in my hands and a wide smile caused by Christian.

"Why are you smiling?" Erick asks me.

"For nothing."

"Did the boss tell you a joke?"

"Maybe."

He lowers his gaze to my hand and sees the chocolate.

"Can I have some of your chocolate?"

"No, it's just that..."

But he didn't care and took it from me. He opened it quickly, put it in his mouth, and left me shocked. Why did he eat my chocolate?

"This is so good! Where did you buy it?"

"I..."

Christian came out of his office.

"What's going on here?" the boss asked.

"Good morning, boss!" Erick greeted him. "I was asking Julen about the place where he bought this chocolate, it's very tasty."

Instantly, Christian turned his gaze to me and I was very disappointed.

"He didn't buy that chocolate."

"Oh no?"

"I gave it to him!" the boss's voice was authoritative.

Was he upset about what happened? Erick seemed embarrassed.

"I, I didn't think that..."

"It's time to go," Christian said to me.

The boss started walking, Erick kept looking at me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that he had given it to you..."

"At least you enjoyed it," I simply said to him.

...🍬🍬🍬...

While Gilberto was driving, we were silent. At this hour, the city was quiet and the heat was beginning to warm the atmosphere.

Christian was typing on his cell phone. I was looking out the window and there was no song playing to lighten the mood.

"My mother invited us to eat at her house," he says.

"Really?"

"She wants to see her drinking buddy."

I remained silent. I just nodded, but I didn't feel good about it.

"I..."

"I'll give you another chocolate. No problem!" he said.

"I..."

"Right now I can only give you a lollipop" and from his inside jacket pocket, he pulled out a Tootsie Pop.

He offered it to me.

"Thank you!" I smiled.

I unwrapped the lollipop and popped it in my mouth.

"You can bring dessert. I want you to choose it."

"Choose dessert?"

"Yes. What would you like us to bring to my mother's house?"

The sweet cherry flavor took over my mouth.

"A tub of ice cream? It's hot."

"That sounds good to me. Gilberto, take us to buy ice cream."

We went into Costco.

"Since we're here, I'm going to do some shopping for my house," he says.

His hands grab a shopping cart.

"If you want, I can take it," I offered to take the cart.

"No. You enjoy that lollipop."

He picked up a carton of milk. He bought coffee. Some bottles of wine. He went to the pharmacy. We went for the ice cream. Bread. And...

"Do you like those flowers?"

"Dutch tulips?"

"Is that what they're called?"

"Yes."

"What if I buy you a bouquet?" His voice was flirtatious.

"As you wish."

He approached the counter, grabbed a bouquet of red tulips and suddenly bent down in front of me. It made me nervous!

"What are you doing?" I tried to make him stand up.

The people around us were staring at us.

"Juls."

"Christian."

"Would you accept this bouquet of tulips that I want to give you?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

His gesture made me blush.

"Yes, but get up now. The people..."

He stood up quickly and brought his face close to my right ear. My nose brushed against his shoulder and the scent of his clothes was delicious. It made my heart skip a beat!

"How do you feel about me?" he whispered.

"I..."

"Do I make you nervous?"

"Yes."

"Excellent! That's a good sign."

And he walked away from me with a wide smile. It was the first time I had seen him smile like that!

...🍬🍬🍬...

"It's nice to see you again! I told Christian to bring you as soon as possible. I wanted to see you again."

"Thank you very much for the invitation! Juliana, thank you very much."

He nodded.

"Well. Let's enjoy the food."

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