Episode 13

At home, Eduardo got ready calmly for the awards ceremony, still thinking about what it would be like to see Julia after so long.

Arriving at the event, Eduardo took a deep breath before entering the hall. He knew that night could bring back painful memories, but he was determined to face everything with his head held high as he always had, remembering the day he had to attend Julia's wedding to his brother.

Eduardo remained nervous, not knowing how he would feel when he saw his ex-girlfriend, and soon he stopped a waiter who was circulating among the guests, and drank, in one go, two glasses of champagne, trying to prepare himself for the encounter, even though he knew that drinking too much always gave him a bad headache.

While talking to some company executives, Eduardo tried to remain calm, but the anxiety was still present. The elegance of the hall and the sophisticated atmosphere of the event served as a momentary distraction, but thoughts of Julia persisted.

Eduardo circulated through the hall with a glass of whiskey in his hand, a drink he didn't even like but was drinking. Henry approached him, noticing his nervousness.

"Eduardo, are you okay? You seem a little tense," Henry asked, concerned about his friend.

"I'm fine, Henry. Just a little anxious. You know how it is… seeing Julia and my brother together isn't easy," Eduardo confessed.

"I understand, but try not to worry so much. Let's focus on the event and enjoy the night," Henry suggested, trying to cheer Eduardo up.

"Yes, you're right," Eduardo agreed, trying to follow his friend's advice.

As they talked, Eduardo saw Rodrigo and Julia arrive at the awards ceremony. His brother was elegant as always, and Julia was stunning. Eduardo couldn't deny that Julia was beautiful, but he was surprised to realize that her presence didn't affect him as much as he thought it would. And at that moment, as he looked at Julia, something caught Eduardo's attention: the red hair of one of the catering staff who was working at the bar preparing drinks for the guests. Eduardo glanced at her and immediately recognized Mel.

Eduardo's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a wave of different emotions than he had felt when he saw Julia. It was at that moment that Eduardo realized something important. Seeing Mel, he concluded that he no longer had any feelings for Julia, there was only resentment in his heart, and that feeling was hurting him. As Eduardo watched Mel work, Henry noticed the change in his friend's expression as he stared at her.

"Hey, let's get a drink. I'm sure that will help," Henry said, dragging Eduardo toward the bar.

"Mel…" Eduardo said, standing in front of her.

"Good evening…" Mel looked up when she heard Eduardo's voice, smiling in visible surprise. She knew Eduardo would be at the event, but she didn't expect him to approach where she was working. "Would you like a drink?" she asked, her voice failing her.

Eduardo smiled back, clearly impressed by Mel's presence at the event, even in her uniform, she looked beautiful.

"Good evening, Mel. Yes, please. A gin and tonic."

"Of course, Mr. Bittencourt," Mel said, starting to prepare the drink.

"I didn't know you had two jobs," Henry joked, drawing a smile from Mel.

"I've been working at the catering company for a while now; I was unemployed when I started working with them. And what would you like to drink?" she asked, looking at Henry.

"The same as him. But you work at Sand Imports now, are you going to keep working at night? It must be tiring," Henry asked.

"Yes, it's tiring, but I like it and I need to work, at least until I go back to school."

"Go back to school?" Eduardo questioned, wanting to know more about Mel.

"Yes, I had to drop out of school to work when I finished high school. And I've been thinking about going back to school for a while now. I'm not sure what to do yet, but I'm already researching some options."

As they talked, Eduardo couldn't help but pay attention to Mel. He felt an admiration grow for her, who was adapting so well to different environments and challenges.

"Mel, the company has some education incentive programs, you should look into it."

"Right, thank you for the tip, Mr. Bittencourt."

"Eduardo," he corrected with a smile. "You can call me Eduardo."

"Alright, Eduardo."

"Let's go now, Eduardo, we can't interrupt Mel's work," Henry said, happy to see that Eduardo was interested in her.

Mel, seeing Eduardo walk away with his friend, finally released her breath. Her heart was still racing, and his presence seemed to affect her more than she cared to admit. As she tried to focus on her work, her thoughts kept returning to Eduardo.

"What am I feeling?" she asked herself, watching him walk away. She shook her head, trying to regain her composure. "I can't let myself get carried away by this... he's my boss and, besides, he already has someone in his life," she said, remembering the day she saw him with her sister.

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