Eduardo remained silent for a moment, thinking about the event and the possible presence of his ex-girlfriend lingering in his mind. He knew he couldn’t miss the event and that Julia's presence could be a challenge.
"Yes, I'm prepared," Eduardo finally responded, trying to remain composed. "It won't be the first time I've seen Julia."
Henry observed Eduardo's expression and realized there was something more at play. However, he chose not to press the matter, perceiving that his friend was clearly distracted and perhaps even distressed.
"Alright. Let's focus on work then," Henry suggested. "Or we can talk about your beautiful secretary," Henry teased, noticing Eduardo's strange expression when he mentioned Mel's looks. "I'm just kidding, let's just talk about work." Henry laughed at his friend's reaction.
Eduardo was relieved to get back to discussing something he could control, as he tried to push thoughts of his ex and the awards ceremony to the back of his mind.
Knowing he would see Julia started to make Eduardo anxious, and the days seemed to go by faster than usual. He tried to focus on his work, but the impending industry awards and Julia's inevitable presence made him restless, and to try to control how he felt, Eduardo would spend the weekend working, the only way he could concentrate on something else.
Mel took advantage of the weekend to wash Eduardo's jacket and scarf. Before washing the garments, she couldn't help but smell Eduardo's perfume impregnated in the fabric, feeling close to him in a way she didn't want to admit.
"I can't fall in love with him..." Mel said, trying to push away the feelings that were beginning to grow in her heart. "But the way he looks at me…"
At times, Mel would catch Eduardo staring at her with an intensity that took her breath away, only to have him quickly avert his gaze, as if trying to hide his own feelings.
"I'm seeing things that aren't there... Don't think about him, Mel..." she told herself.
After washing the items, Mel waited for them to dry completely before carefully folding them to avoid wrinkling. She wanted to return the jacket and scarf in perfect condition, as a gesture of gratitude for the kindness he had shown her.
On Sunday night, Mel put the folded clothes in a bag, mentally preparing herself to return them to Eduardo on Monday.
However, the next morning, Mel left home in a hurry, and ended up completely forgetting to take Eduardo's jacket and scarf, and the bag with the items was mixed up with her things that she still had no place to store.
The week went by quickly, and on Friday, Celia completed Mel's training, who proved to be a quick and dedicated learner, ready to take on her new responsibilities. To mark the occasion, they organized a farewell celebration for Celia, thanking her for her years of dedication to the company.
"Celia, I don't know how to thank you for all these years of dedication to the company, and for these months that we worked together," Eduardo handed a bouquet of flowers to the former secretary. "You have always been an essential part of the team and you will be greatly missed."
Celia smiled, touched.
"Thank you, Eduardo. It's been a pleasure working here. I'm sure Mel will do a great job. She is very competent."
Eduardo looked at Mel, who was standing next to Celia, who smiled shyly, feeling that she was on the right track.
The celebration continued with laughter and stories about Celia's time at the company. Everyone seemed to be having fun and enjoying the moment. Eduardo, despite his anxiety about the upcoming event, felt grateful to be surrounded by such a dedicated and supportive team.
The next morning, Eduardo was in his office looking over the industry awards invitation that was taking place that day.
In the middle of the day, he received a call from Henry who seemed excited for the event.
"Good morning, feeling better?" asked Henry.
"Good morning. I am, don't worry."
Henry knew Eduardo well and knew he was anxious.
"Eduardo, have you thought about taking someone with you today?" he asked casually. "It will be good to have company."
Eduardo frowned, already anticipating where this conversation might lead.
"Henry, I really don't think it's necessary. I'll see plenty of company executives at the event. I'm going alone, as I always do to these events."
"If you had a girlfriend... What if you took Mel? She's your secretary, it would be a good opportunity to introduce her to important contacts."
Eduardo shook his head, resolute.
"No, Henry. Mel's only been working with me a short time. Besides, I don't want to mix things up. I prefer to maintain a professional distance."
"I just thought it might be a good idea. She seems like a very nice person. And besides, you know seeing Julia could be awkward. Having someone by your side can help."
Eduardo sighed, knowing Henry was trying to help, but he didn't want to complicate the situation further.
"I appreciate the concern, but I'd rather deal with this alone. Mel is an excellent professional, but I don't want to create situations that could be misinterpreted."
Henry nodded, respecting his friend's decision.
"Alright, Eduardo. You know what's best for you. But if you change your mind, you know what to do. See you at the event." Henry said before saying goodbye to his friend.
For the rest of the day, Eduardo focused on work, trying to push away any thoughts of Julia and Mel.
"Mel... I'm leaving now, you can leave early if you want," Eduardo warned as he was leaving early because of the event. He had to go home and get ready for the occasion.
"I'm just going to finish what I'm doing before I go."
"See you on Monday. Good afternoon," Eduardo said goodbye, looking at her.
"Good afternoon," Mel watched Eduardo enter the elevator, feeling a certain emptiness in her chest.
She finished what she was doing, and went straight to the buffet. Mel would be working that night at an event, she needed to make some extra cash while she wasn't getting paid yet.
At the buffet, Mel put on the uniform she would be wearing for that night's event. When they arrived at the event location, she soon realized that it was the same event that Eduardo would be attending, representing Sand Imports.
"I don't believe it!" she said in surprise.
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