Mel finally found a diner that served lunch and was two blocks away from work. She sat at one of the tables and placed her order, trying to push away thoughts of Eduardo and the woman. She knew she needed to focus on work and do her best to secure her place at the company. However, the scene she had witnessed continued to bother her, like a piece of a puzzle she couldn't understand.
"It could be his girlfriend, fiancee, maybe wife... Maybe that's why he didn't shake my hand."
While Mel waited for her order to be ready, she concluded that the beautiful woman beside Eduardo was someone important to him, but she didn't know what the connection was between them. The thought left her uneasy, although she couldn't understand the exact reason for her discomfort. She sighed, trying to push away the speculation and focus on what really mattered: her new job and the opportunity to start over.
Eduardo, on the other hand, was enjoying a brief moment of relaxation alongside his sister, with whom he had always had a good relationship.
They sat at the table and started chatting while they waited for their mother to arrive.
"So, Edu, why didn't you go to lunch at our parents' house on Sunday?" Ellen asked, looking at him with a curious expression. "Everyone was there."
Eduardo sighed, trying to find a convincing answer.
"I had a lot of work piled up. I thought it would be best to take advantage of the weekend to get everything up to date."
Ellen frowned, not entirely convinced by her brother's answer.
"That's what Mom said, but I know that's not it, Eduardo. Our parents were disappointed you didn't go." She said with a tone of slight reproach.
"I know, but it was really complicated this time. Eduardo justified himself, looking away without telling the real reason he didn't go to his parents' house."
Ellen decided to change the subject, bringing up some news that she knew would cheer her brother up.
"Well, changing the subject, I have some news, I mean a request to make of you. Edu, will you agree to be my best man?" She asked with a smile.
Eduardo looked at her, surprised and touched by the proposal.
"Really, Ellen? This means a lot to me. Eduardo was happy about the invitation made by his sister."
"Of course! You are my brother and you have always been by my side, just like Rodrigo who will also be one of the best men. I couldn't get married without you by my side." She said holding his hand.
Eduardo smiled, feeling a little lighter.
"I'm going to love being your best man. Thank you for including me. He thanked sincerely."
"You're welcome, Edu. Just don't miss the wedding, okay? Ellen joked."
"Don't worry. I'll be there! Eduardo guaranteed."
"And I'll give you two months to find a girlfriend to accompany you on the day, otherwise you'll walk into the church with one of my friends."
"Girlfriend? No, that's not going to happen. Eduardo laughed nervously."
"Don't say that, Edu. When do you intend to have a serious commitment, get married, have children? I don't remember who your last girlfriend was, you were still in college, weren't you?"
"I was... but Ellen, I'm never getting married."
"Oh, Edu, you're still stuck in the past, you should forget the disappointment you had and move on. People are different, you shouldn't compare…"
"Mom is coming, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Eduardo spoke, ending that conversation."
After lunch, Mel went back to work, still determined to do her best. She sat down at her desk, reviewed some notes Celia had passed her, and prepared for the rest of the day. When Eduardo returned from lunch, their eyes met again, but this time Mel tried to maintain a neutral and professional expression, so she looked away, causing Eduardo to enter his office.
As soon as Eduardo closed the door, Ellen got off the elevator and looked at the brother's secretary's desk with the intention of greeting Celia, whom she already knew, but she found Mel in her place. Ellen stopped for a moment, looking at her.
"Good afternoon. Ellen greeted before entering Eduardo's room."
"Good afternoon..." Mel replied, a little surprised by the unexpected presence.
"I'm going into Edu's room for a minute, you don't need to announce me." She said, entering her brother's room.
"What are you doing here?" Edu asked, surprised to see his sister whom he had just said goodbye to at the restaurant.
"I went to use my cell phone and found out I had yours." She said, handing the cell phone to her brother, who took the cell phone from his pocket and handed it to her.
"I didn't realize that had happened."
"We put our cell phones on the table, they're the same. It happens... Now I need to, I'm going to be late. Before leaving, Ellen couldn't help but ask about Mel."Eduardo, who is the woman at Celia's desk?
"Ah... Celia is training her to be my new secretary."
"Why?"
"Celia is retiring, she wants to have a quieter life working alongside her husband."
"I understand. And what's the name of your new secretary?"
"Mel..."
"Mel... she's beautiful, even without makeup."
Eduardo frowned, intrigued.
"How do you know she's not wearing makeup?"
"Eduardo, I'm a fashion and beauty editor and blogger. I know when a woman is wearing makeup. Mel must only be wearing sunscreen, lipstick, and mascara... At that moment, Ellen had an idea." Wow, I had an idea... Edu, I'm going to do a fashion editorial soon, about brides. I'm going to take advantage of it while I'm looking for my wedding dress to do this work, and I think Mel would be a great model, I want to portray different brides, body types, hair color, skin, and she's unique, she fits the proposal perfectly. Would you mind if I invited her when I do the editorial?"She asked excitedly."
Eduardo was surprised by the suggestion, but after a moment of reflection, he replied:
"If she agrees and it doesn't interfere with her work, it's fine with me."
"Great! I'll talk to her when everything is ready. Ellen smiled, satisfied with her brother's answer." Now I really need to go."She said, saying goodbye to her brother with a kiss."
"Good afternoon." Ellen said goodbye to Mel, thinking she was perfect for her editorial.
The rest of the day was an intense immersion in Mel's duties. Celia showed her how to schedule appointments, handle important phone calls, and use the various management software that the company used.
As she followed Celia's instructions, Mel couldn't help but think about how much her life had changed in such a short time. Despite the hardships and disappointments, she was determined to reinvent herself and build a better future.
At the end of the day, Mel felt exhausted but satisfied. Celia gave her one last piece of advice before saying goodbye.
"Mel, the secret to being a good secretary is to be proactive and always be one step ahead. And remember, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, even after I'm gone."
"Thank you, Celia."
"I know I said a lot today, but you'll get used to it all soon. Tomorrow you'll accompany Eduardo to a meeting..."
"Meeting? Isn't it too early?"
"Calm down! Tomorrow's meeting is simple, routine in the company, don't worry."
"All right." Mel said goodbye to Celia, heading for the elevator.
Eduardo had spent the day thinking about Mel. The fact that she had worked as a bartender at the nightclub he used to frequent and was now his secretary intrigued him.
"Do you need anything, Eduardo? Asked Celia, who before leaving went to Eduardo's office."
"Celia, how did Mel get the secretary position?" Eduardo asked before answering Celia's question, trying to sound casual.
"She was in the company's resume bank and was called for an interview. As you asked me to keep an eye on the choice of the new secretary, I participated in all the interviews. I realized that Mel, although young, has great capacity and willingness to learn."
"I understand."
"But is there something wrong with her? Celia questioned, surprised by Eduardo's question."
"No, nothing's wrong. I was just curious to know what the selection process was like."
The elevator encounter, Mel's perfume, and the memory of seeing her at the nightclub contributed to a mixture of fascination and suspicion. Eduardo couldn't understand why Mel intrigued him so much, but he knew he needed to find out more about her.
"I'm going. See you tomorrow... Good night." Celia said goodbye, realizing that Eduardo wouldn't need her anymore that day. "And you should go home, I know you have a habit of working late."
"I think I'll take your advice. Eduardo hadn't been able to concentrate on work that day and decided to leave."
When Eduardo left the parking lot, and continued towards the main avenue, on his way home, he saw Mel walking down the street thoughtfully, and when a car deliberately drove through a puddle of water to splash water on her.
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