Chapter 46 Staging
By Alejandro
The music was slow. Finally, I can hold her, even if it's just subtly.
With each turn, we get closer. We end up very close, and I start to brush her back with my fingers, moving down to her hip.
"Ale, your hands..."
"I'd put them under your dress."
"They're watching us."
"I'm controlling myself only because of that."
"You're not controlling yourself. Everyone thinks I'm your lover because of how you behave."
"I want them to think that, so no one will dare approach you... I want to kiss you, I want to unite our bodies, bury myself in you."
I have her close and lose control. I've always had the most beautiful women and always had control, but with Valeria, I don't understand what's happening to me. I lose my senses when I smell her perfume, and when I touch her skin, I tremble like a teenager on his first date.
She inspires a thousand different and conflicting sensations in me.
With my words, I cling to her. I don't even know if I'm moving on the dance floor.
I know I'm feeling her, and if it were up to me, I'd make love to her right now.
I brush her lips. I can't handle the situation. At this moment, I'm not the cold businessman; I'm a man holding the most beautiful woman of the night in his arms.
Valeria pulls away a little.
"Don't do it, don't pull away. I need to feel the warmth of your body."
I'm more than excited.
"Ale, calm down, everyone will notice how you are."
"How you make me feel, I swear I've never been this turned on, dancing with someone."
"I don't know why you say that, you're always like this when we dance."
"But I'm like this only with you, damn it Valeria, you're burning me, I need to have you, now, right now..."
I don't know what the hell Valeria has, I really feel like I'm losing control. I need to step back and calm down; we're at the most important event of my company.
"Calm down Ale, later..."
"Promise me... that later..."
Four songs passed, and we were still dancing. I should be networking with a bunch of businessmen and living up to the hundreds of companies I own.
But when I'm with Valeria, I just want to be a man and have her as my woman. I don't care about the time or place.
However, it was Valeria who stepped back a bit and, talking to me about some business and stock market shares, managed to calm my desire a little.
Also, as soon as I stop dancing with her, several guys will approach her, and if one of them makes her feel all the excitement she causes, I'll end up putting on a real show. I want her only for myself.
Many won't dare to dance with her, but I'm worried about those who will approach her.
We returned to the table, and my father looked at me disapprovingly.
Kevin came over to greet us and invited her to dance.
I grabbed Vale's arm, and everyone looked at my hand, so I let go, and she went with Kevin.
My father started talking to me, and I, leaving him mid-sentence, looked for Daniela and went to the dance floor. I just wanted to see what Valeria was doing.
She was dancing with Kevin, not so close, but at some point, she ended up dancing with Carlos. I was furious.
I approached, spinning, and when I was close to her, I kissed Daniela, who played along and returned a spectacular kiss.
Daniela is angry with me, but she loves feeling superior, so she returned the kiss just to humiliate Valeria.
I wasn't feeling anything for Daniela, and neither was she for me.
We can't stand each other after the encounter we had, where I called her Valeria.
By Valeria
I'm just his secretary.
I see him kiss Daniela, in a spectacular way, as if his life depended on that kiss.
I'm on the verge of tears.
Then he says that I make him feel an excitement no one else does.
He's kissing her almost right next to me.
Carlos asked if I was okay.
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"
"Because of Alejandro."
"I'm just his secretary."
By now, no one believed it.
With an excuse, I returned to my table.
I was trembling.
Luckily, Emi came and asked me to accompany her to the restroom.
"He's an idiot," she whispered in my ear.
I can't let the tears flow.
I touch up my makeup.
There were some women in the restroom I didn't know, though I greeted two directors I usually communicate with via video calls.
"Valeria, you're beautiful and younger than I thought."
"Thank you, Juliette, it's nice to see you in person."
We left chatting, doing so in French. We approached my table, and Juliette greeted Francisco with much respect, almost timidly.
Then I greeted a German CEO. We were near Pedro and Ana's table when Ana heard me speaking in German. Nonetheless, I had apologized to Ralf because my German wasn't very fluent. He asked if I preferred to speak in English. I told him if he had patience, it wasn't necessary.
Ralf was a man of about 35 years, general director of all the companies Alejandro's family had in Germany.
Alejandro approached immediately, greeting him almost disdainfully.
It seemed Alejandro had had a bit too much to drink.
I said goodbye and returned to my table.
"You don't have to talk to every guy who approaches you."
He said it close to me, but loud enough that Mariana, who was next to me, also heard it.
"It's called public relations, and that's what we came to do."
"I don't want you dancing with anyone else."
"Ale, we've already talked about this. You're not my owner, and you can't own people."
"I've told you what I want. If you dance with someone else, I'll fire them tomorrow."
"Why don't you keep dancing with Daniela?"
I know I shouldn't have said that, but it hurt so much to see him. He'll possibly end up in that woman's arms tonight, or someone else's.
I need to have the willpower to stay away from him. I saw him kiss Daniela desperately, and she might be the woman he marries, especially since she's at his father's house.
He kissed her on the dance floor, showing they are a couple.
The day they announce their engagement will be my last day at his company.
I wouldn't stay a minute by his side knowing he belongs to someone else, even though his father didn't treat her too well the other day.
But they all belong to high society; it's logical he'd marry a woman like that.
I don't know when they served another dish.
I was too lost in my thoughts.
The rest of the dinner passed quietly.
Omar's father asked if I knew Emi. I looked at Alejandro, and he signaled for me to answer openly.
I really didn't know what they had told the man, and I know the subject is delicate.
Mariana smiled conspiratorially at my discretion and then told me she was happy with how I handled each of the company's matters.
"Vale, I wish Ale would drop all the stupidity."
She said this when we were alone at our table.
I looked at her without understanding what she meant. Actually, what I assumed was too beautiful to happen to me.
I didn't respond.
I was searching for an appropriate answer.
"Be patient. Daniela will be fired on Monday."
Mariana continued, in a low voice, close to me.
"I don't understand... and I don't know why she's being fired."
I said in the same tone.
"She's rude. She spoke to Francisco and me disrespectfully and isn't performing her duties properly. Pedro hired her because she's Ana's cousin. She's not even qualified for the position. We warned Pedro, and Francisco has wanted to fire her for a while."
"I thought she was Alejandro's future wife."
I said with so much pain that I don't know if I could hide it.
Susana approached and sat with us.
Both of them looked at me astonished.
"Sweetie, Francisco would never allow that woman into our family."
"But if Alejandro chooses her..."
They both smiled.
"Ale would never choose that woman. He's in love with you."
Now I looked at them astonished.
Not just because of what they said, but because it seemed they didn't mind.
I know they care about me and respect me. Mariana always invites me to her house, and even Susana does. In fact, on two occasions, the four of us, including Emi, ended up having dinner and chatting amicably at her house.
But it's a different thing to give the green light for Alejandro to have a relationship with me.
"I don't believe that. He..."
"He'd die if he didn't have you by his side."
"As a secretary or right-hand, I continuously solve work situations for him."
"Maybe he doesn't realize he's in love with you, but I assure you it's true. Be patient, though it must be painful to see him with other women all the time."
I blushed. Do they know I'm in love with him?
I looked at them, not knowing what to say.
It's my secret, and it's out.
"Don't worry, we won't say anything. The best thing that could happen to Alejandro is to be with you."
"Thank you for thinking so highly of me and for your affection."
"You deserve it."
I wanted to hug them, both of them tightly.
Emi approached our table.
"You would also be the best thing that could happen to Omar," Susana said, continuing the conversation.
Emi looked at me, trying to guess what we had been talking about.
"I can't dream that much," Emi said sincerely.
She felt very attracted to Omar, and I can tell she's falling in love with him.
"Mariana, I know my place is as his secretary, his assistant, or whatever you want to call it. What I don't understand is how you can be so calm and say he's in love with me. I'm a humble girl who works for a salary, and you all... he... is from a different social and economic class. The day he marries, it will be someone like Ana or Daniela."
"God forbid those two. Ana is a banker's daughter, yes, and such a terrible person that she's not worth it. I don't know how she stays with Pedro. Actually, I do. Their marriage is almost a contract, and each does what they want. I care too much for Alejandro to want him to end up with a woman like that. I want him to end up happily married with a woman who is worth it and knows how to make him happy, and that, my sweet girl, is you."
I couldn't take it anymore. I hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheek.
Susana filled four glasses, and we toasted.
Just as we toasted, the cameras captured our table, and that shot was shown on all the screens.