The boss's recommendation

Rachel stops in front of the restaurant, the warm midday air enveloping her, but she doesn't care. Her eyes are glued to the screen of her cell phone, swiping one last time to see if there are any messages. Nothing. Nothing that has the power to cancel lunch. Nothing last-minute, as has happened before. She takes a deep breath, puts her phone down, and walks inside.

As she walks through the door, she frowns and looks for Thomas. He's not in his usual place, the corner of two seats where they always discussed work. Her eyes scan the room until she spots him in a more secluded corner. A table with three chairs is occupied. Two glasses of water on the table indicate that it's not just lunch between the two of them, and that the third person is already there.

- What's that? A new actress? Are you going to ask me to convince her to join your show, or do you want me to give her the test costumes? - Rachel's voice sounds unperturbed, but sarcastic, almost defiant.

He's leaning back, his elbow resting on the chair next to him, his hand holding his head as he lets out an outrageous laugh. Rachel feels the tension rising, her eyes narrowing.

- You almost got it right, darling! - Thomas says without wiping the smile off his face. - But this time you don't have to convince anyone. We've already talked it over and closed the deal. In fact, this lunch is a celebration.

Rachel looks around, still incredulous, her arms crossed over her chest, a look of suspicion forming on her face.

- So you called me here just to introduce me to your new actress? - She tries to control the anger that is starting to boil over, her voice lower but heavy.

- Well, that's it... but that's not all. Oh, and it's not an actress, it's actually an actor. Remember when I was looking for a leading man and none of the actors who auditioned for the part fit the bill? - Thomas says enthusiastically, as if he's talking about a great discovery.

Rachel presses her lips together and tries to remain calm.

- Yes, how could I not remember? You made me spend two hours analyzing profiles to see if they fit the style you wanted. - She pulls out a chair and sits down a little stiffly, but without losing her elegance, and looks directly at him.

Thomas laughs, without a hint of remorse, but the excitement in his voice doesn't fade.

- Yes, it's true. But it turns out I've finally found someone perfect for the part. You have to see him act. - He gestures as if he's already visualizing success. - This movie is going to be a cinematic phenomenon.

Rachel lets out a muffled sigh.

- Right... but where is your great talented actor? - She's already losing patience, her voice getting harsher.

Thomas doesn't answer in a hurry, shrugging his shoulders. After all, Rachel's time doesn't seem to matter. And she's with him, her husband, so there's no need to rush.

- He went to the bathroom to wash his hands, he'll be back soon. In the meantime, why don't we order? - He takes the menu with a smile, as if the conversation was already over.

Rachel waves to the waitress, who soon arrives.

- I'd like the chef's recommendation, please. - She says with her usual politeness, but her expression is not one of pleasure. She is controlling a growing uneasiness.

Thomas smiled, not at all surprised by his wife's choice, because every time he came to this restaurant, Rachel made the same request. It was as if he already knew what she would do.

- Predictable as always. But this time I think I'll have the same as you. - He puts the menu back on the table, still smiling and gesturing with his hands for the waitress to leave.

Rachel watches, trying not to let her feelings show, but her irritation is immediate.

- Well, since that's the case, I want the same thing. - A deep voice approaches, interrupting the conversation.

Lohan, who had arrived in silence, pulls up a chair and sits down between her and Thomas as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Rachel watches in silence, looking incredulous and uncomfortable, but something in her chest tightens without explanation. She can't take her eyes off of Lohan, though she forces herself to remain calm.

Lohan seems to understand that the situation at the table is not at all friendly, as he has been following Rachel with his eyes since she entered the restaurant and has seen and heard all the hostile conversations the couple has had so far. He even thinks about leaving without warning, but noticing Rachel's growing restlessness and Thomas' roughness disguised as kindness towards his wife, he decides to stay and avoids making fun of her, something he would normally do without worrying.

- I guess the situation needs no introduction, right? - Thomas notices Rachel's discomfort and drops the sentence, remembering what happened over coffee that morning.

Rachel stares at Thomas, her gaze penetrating, unable to believe what she's hearing.

- You said you were an actor. - She interrupts him firmly.

Thomas lets out a deep laugh and coldly lets go of his smile, replacing it with a more serious expression.

- Come on, Rachel, please! - He speaks in a more serious tone. - You know better than anyone that no one is born to be something, you become something over time...

Rachel stares at him, her expression serious, her heart racing with the discomfort of the situation. Her insides are begging for a way out.

- But technically, I am an actor. - Lohan interrupts, his eyes fixed on Rachel. He speaks with the calm of someone in complete control of the situation, but deep down he just wants to make the atmosphere less tense. - During my time abroad, I did a little bit of everything...including taking a few drama classes at school, acting in a few plays, and even working on a commercial for a fast food chain.

Rachel sits still for a moment, absorbing the information. Lohan speaks so fluently that she can't help but be impressed. The ease with which he handles the unpleasantness of the situation is something she is still trying to comprehend. But her eyes never leave Thomas, noticing how he watches everything with a disturbing intensity.

- Exactly. He's your new protagonist, so what? What does that have to do with me? - The impatience finally shows in Rachel's voice.

She's sorry for showing her discomfort in front of Lohan, because this image of a fragile woman doesn't fit her, but she needs to get out of there as soon as possible. She hates her husband's narcissistic games and feels she has just fallen for another one. She frantically rummages through her bag and finds her cell phone. Desperate for a way out, she discreetly types: "Call me now!" and sends it to Laura.

- Wow, honey! Talking like that will give our guest the wrong impression... - Thomas tries to smooth things over, but his expression betrays sarcasm.

Rachel just thinks:

"Not ours! Yours! As far as I remember, I didn't invite anyone here. She mentally rolls her eyes.

- ...I just wanted to formally introduce you as the new actor of our production company.

Rachel looks at him suspiciously, not believing what she's hearing. He never appreciated her like that. He's always done what he wanted without consulting you or taking your opinion into account. Now you say it's just a formality?

Just then, the waitress interrupts the conversation by placing the plates on the table.

- The chef hopes you enjoy his recommendation and have a good appetite. - says the waitress before leaving, while Rachel hides a smile of gratitude for the girl.

The next few minutes are filled with silence, the meal of the three at the table is perceived only by the sound of cutlery on plates, until the sound of Rachel's cell phone vibrating breaks the tension. Laura has probably read the message and is calling. For Rachel, it was her only chance to get out of the situation.

She answers the phone with a sigh of relief.

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