Unexpected Effect

Unexpected Effect
There’s only one kind of love that lasts — the unrequited one.
— Woody Allen

Júlia

I listened to him, trying to understand how that man could sound so sure that he would convince me. Did Ricardo really believe I’d say “yes” to his offer? Well… I would. But not because of him.
The truth was, I’d already been thinking about accepting the job at Alcântara Constructions even before he showed up there, with that air of someone who has the whole world under control.
My situation was getting dangerously tight. Two months without a job, almost out of money, my father refusing any contact, and Cecília having problems in her relationship because of me. I couldn’t afford to stay trapped in my pride anymore.
And when Ricardo mentioned that the position was in the Engineering department, it felt like fate was giving me a second chance. Working with something I actually enjoyed and gaining experience in the field was more than I could ask for.
“I don’t need to think about it,” I said after he told me to “take my time.” “I accept the job. At this point, pride won’t pay my bills.”
The look of surprise on his face made me smile slightly.
“Why that face?”
“I thought you’d refuse,” he admitted.
“And you made the offer anyway?”
“Of course.” He shrugged with that infuriating confidence of his. “I just thought I’d have to insist a little more. I planned to wear you down.”
I laughed. It was almost impossible to imagine Ricardo insisting on anything. He seemed like the kind of man who got everything he wanted right away.
“Since I’ve already answered the first offer, what’s the second one?” I asked, curious.
He looked around, sniffing the air, and frowned.
“Do you have something on the stove?”
My heart froze.
“Oh my God, the eggs!”
I ran to the kitchen. The pan was unrecognizable — the water had evaporated, the eggs had burst, and a terrible burnt smell filled the air.
“Congratulations to me…” I muttered, turning off the stove.
“I think I just witnessed the murder of a pan,” he joked, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, watching with an amused smile.
“I’m a disaster in the kitchen,” I admitted, staring at the ruined pan. “And this was one of Cecília’s favorites.”
“What a shame,” he said, shaking his head. “She’s going to be pretty sad when she wakes up and sees what happened.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Why don’t you just ask about her directly? You’re trying to find out if Cecília’s asleep or not home, aren’t you?”
He held my gaze without even trying to deny it.
“So, where is she?”
“She spent the night at Jaime’s,” I said bluntly.
“So he really is the jealous boyfriend I imagined?”
“I don’t know about the jealous part, but he’s Cecília’s fiancé.”
“Hm.”
I shot him a questioning look, waiting for more than just a “hm.”
“Is this apartment hers or yours?”
I sighed.
“You’re really nosy, you know that?” I grumbled. “And for the record, it’s a rental.”
I tried to walk past him, but Ricardo didn’t move. Before I could ask him to step aside, I felt his firm hand on my arm, pulling me against his body.
“You’ve got quite the temper, Júlia,” he murmured, staring straight into my eyes.
The world seemed to stop. The heat of his skin, his breath so close, his strong touch — it all blurred my thoughts. My gaze dropped to his mouth. His lips were perfectly shaped, and before I realized it, my fingers were tracing their outline.
Ricardo didn’t move away. He just watched me, his eyes darkening. Then he tilted his head and, in a smooth motion, brushed his lips against mine. The kiss started slow, as if asking for permission, but soon deepened — intense, hungry, commanding.
I felt the ground disappear. His tongue moved against mine with restrained hunger, his hands sliding down my back until they found the curve of my hips. When he pulled me closer, pressing me to him, a shiver ran through my whole body.
The kiss gradually softened, turning into a series of slow, lingering pecks. We stayed there, breathless, our eyes locked in silence.
“You look deep in thought,” I murmured, still in his arms.
“Let’s go to the living room,” he said, his voice husky. “I think it’s time for the second offer.”
I stepped back slowly, trying to catch my breath. I walked to the living room and sat on the couch as he said,
“How about we go out for coffee? I’m starving.”
I glanced at the clock. Almost ten. A strange hour — too late for breakfast, too early for lunch. But my stomach growled, and with the kitchen out of commission, there was no point arguing.
“I just need to put on something more decent,” I warned, heading to my room.
“I don’t see anything wrong with what you’re wearing,” he called after me, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
I ignored the comment and put on a long floral dress. When I returned to the living room, he was standing by the window, looking out at the city.
“Shall we?” I asked, trying to hide the whirlwind he’d just caused inside me.
He turned and gave me that half-smile — the dangerous kind, from someone who knows exactly the effect he has. His eyes seemed to undress me, but he said nothing. He simply followed me to the door, waited for me to lock it, and we walked together, slowly and silently, until we reached his car parked near the building entrance.
“How did you manage to get upstairs without being announced?” I asked with a smile once we were driving through the calm Sunday morning traffic.
“Luck was on my side this time,” he replied, smiling too.
“Why do you say that? Isn’t luck always on your side?” I teased.
“Not always — and you’ll understand when I tell you a bit about myself.”
I didn’t buy that for a second. Ricardo came from one of the richest families in the country — owners of the biggest construction company in Brazil, with a branch in the U.S. He was gorgeous and wealthy. Surely, he could have any woman he wanted. Everything about him screamed success and good health. What could possibly be missing?
“So, you plan to tell me your secrets?” I joked.
“You’ll find out soon,” he said — and this time, he didn’t sound like he was joking at all.