Chapter 209 - It's the most complicated of all - mdtres
Guadalupe
"For my part, I only pack what I'm going to use, but I make sure the clothes are appropriate for the occasion. I'm here to take care of kids, so there's no point in packing dresses and heels. I need jeans and sneakers."
He looked at me again with a side smile. He wasn't exceptionally handsome, but he was damn rugged, which I loved. He was attractive, quite pale, with a body like a cowboy from a magazine. I felt like touching him; he looked solid, showing the hours of exercise in his life. I could have called his butt milk caps, but the truth was, he had a great butt. He was tall, and I have a thing for tall men. We arrived at the parking lot.
"I'll take you to Cereza's house." I had found out about their nicknames a while ago, and his was awful. "Everyone's there." He paid for the parking. "Cover your nose well, Tadpole, the cold can harm you, you're not used to it."
"Thanks."
He raised an eyebrow at my polite response, and I couldn't help but smile at him. I followed him to his truck; I could see that was his style of vehicle. A stunning woman, though she looked mature, got out of the passenger seat.
The fool kissed him, and once again, everything inside me tightened. Don't show anything, like you've always done every time you see him. Keep your mind blank. The kiss was pretty blatant. After a while of watching them, because I didn't look away, the vacuum cleaner looked at me.
"Hi, nice to meet you, Arnold's woman."
I raised an eyebrow, holding back the urge to laugh. She could have been an actress. Even if my skin was bristling, I didn't show any trace of pain.
"Nice to meet you, Guadalupe Sánchez, a pleasure."
She turned around to get back in the car. I looked at the man without showing anything, though inside, I was boiling with anger. I got into the back seats of the truck. I spent the whole trip looking out the window, eager to arrive. It was obvious how experienced that woman was, while I hadn't even kissed anyone. My skin shivered at times, and I hugged myself tighter.
"Are you cold, Tadpole?" At that moment, I felt like crying.
"A little."
"Let me turn on the heater."
"Oh, no! I hate feeling hot." Arnold looked at her and turned it on, defying her.
"Thanks."
I looked out the window again. This city was huge. Even though it was night, I checked my watch. Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a wall. We entered, and the house was immense and very pretty. I saw Inés at the door.
"Thanks for bringing me, Arnold. Nice to meet you, Arnold's woman." The woman opened her mouth, raised her eyebrows while Arnold laughed heartily.
"Excuse me, ma'am. But that's how you introduced yourself, and let me clarify. This troglodyte is not my type, so don't feel insecure. You are a woman with experience, quite mature, to be acting as foolishly as you did a moment ago. Have a good night. And, big guy, don't worry, I'll get my suitcase."
"I'm going to say goodbye to Inés."
He got out, smiling, while the woman was fuming. I got out, and Inés extended her arms to me. I hugged her; this lady was a sweetheart. Arnold left the suitcase beside.
"Old lady, bless me." Inés did. "Well, see you tomorrow."
At that moment, my heart raced. He would spend the night with her, they would go to bed, and I wasn't going to stop it this time. I looked at him, unable to hide my feelings in time. Damn! He realized it hurt me that he was leaving. Arnold's woman got out and took his hand.
"Marcela, this is Inés."
That idiot looked at her like she was some kind of freak. I stood beside her, hugged her, and kissed her forehead to make it clear she shouldn't dare say anything inappropriate.
"Nice to meet you. Let's go, love, I want to be at your apartment already." One thing I admired about this troglodyte was his sincerity.
"Marcela, Inés is my mother, so be careful. The only woman I listen to is her, everyone else doesn't matter." The woman turned red, and I felt a bit of secondhand embarrassment.
"She's not your mother!"
She exclaimed in a disdainful tone. This wasn't my fight, but I hated discrimination. I was about to speak, but Inés put her hand on my arm. When I looked at her, she had a look that said, "watch who wins."
"You have no idea what you've just done. Pacho!" A man in his forties appeared instantly. "Take this woman wherever she wants to go, and I'm being considerate. If I left you here, the woman you just said isn't my mother would pinch me, and that hurts a lot. She doesn't tolerate mistreatment of a woman."
"Arnold?" The insecure woman was left with her mouth open.
"No one mistreats the woman who raised me, not with words or gestures. Inés is the only sacred woman in my life. Have a good night, Marcela. Let's go, old lady, come on, Tadpole, it's cold, and you're not used to this weather."
I had no idea how to feel. Stay calm, Guadalupe, in the room where you're going to sleep, you can scream. I couldn't help but smile as I turned my back on the woman who proclaimed herself Arnold's woman. Mrs. Vero's words came to me: "Be yourself and get to know him, he is a collection of all the men he sees as older brothers."
I didn't know them all very well, but Mr. Simón was very shrewd, he didn't miss a thing, he seemed to have eyes everywhere. From Mr. Miguel, he undoubtedly acquired the bluntness and sincerity, even if it made him seem rude, as Mrs. Diana said, he was a beast, and this one definitely surpassed him. I had seen the others from afar.
Although Mr. Gustavo was so simple, with a hawk-like gaze that hinted at how ruthless he could be if he set his mind to it, he was the general manager of everything, so I imagine he must be very intelligent. From Mr. Roland… I feel like Arnold was a smaller copy of that man in attitude and personality.
When I entered the room, everyone was waiting for me. Mrs. Diana and Mrs. Luisa hugged me, welcoming me. The blond guy watched my reception, and Mrs. Gladis was also very cordial. They introduced me to a beautiful woman who was Mr. Aníbal's fiancée. What a beautifully mismatched couple; she was fair-skinned, with black hair and brown eyes, and he was dark-skinned like Inés, but his eyes overflowed with pure love.
"Lupe, it calms me to know you're here," said Mr. Simón.
"Thank you for hiring me."
"Not at all, Lupe," commented Mr. Miguel, approaching to hug his wife. It was hard for him to be away from Mrs. Diana. "It's nice to have you, and if you help us with our kids, you'll have won heaven with us."
"They adore you," Mrs. Luisa smiled at me. "You're the only one I can entrust my daughters to without a second thought. We're going to be working for three days, the men on something and us on the wedding that will be in five weeks. With the kids around, we can't get anything done, and you have a gift for managing a battalion." I smiled, my eyes moistening.
"Thank you very much."
Unintentionally, I looked at Arnold. He was sitting, watching what was happening, and I couldn't understand the meaning of his gaze.
"This is additional to what we pay you," Mr. Simón began to say, but I started to shake my head.
"No, no, no. Mr. Roland already paid me to come and take care of his nephews. You don't have to give me anything."
"Lupe, you need it for your university," commented Mrs. Diana. "We found out that Jacinto will pay for your degree, and your savings are for studying early childhood education. That’s on you." I blushed. Were they really like this? I was about to speak.
"Besides, we can't interfere in that, but I don't agree with you staying in a room with so many students where you don't know who you'll run into," said Mrs. Luisa. How do they know everything about my life?
"Get used to it, Lupe."
Mr. Simón intervened. Nothing escaped that man; it was as if he could read minds.
"Thank you, it's not necessary, although I know whatever I say will go in one ear and out the other with you." The men laughed.
"You're smart, Lupe. I like that you're getting to know us," said Mr. Miguel. "You can't win with us."
"Come, Lupe," Inés took my hand. "You must be tired. Tomorrow, very early, you'll be alone with the kids and Astrid, she's the nanny for Daniel's children. You'll be taking care of six kids in total." I smiled.
"Well, see you tomorrow."
Discreetly, I looked at the blond guy, and he was looking too. I followed Inés, not understanding, and the women of these men followed us. They took me to a room on the second floor, very spacious and beautiful. Everyone entered, and Shirly closed the door. They all looked at me.
"I don't want to be rude, but… is something wrong?" Inés smiled.
"Dear, it's just that they're amazed by Arnold."
"I'm still lost."
"I just met you, and you don't know how happy I am that Mojón dumped that idiot Marcela. I hate her! She looks at my husband like he's the plague. Don't scold me the day I leave her bald." A strange joy was growing in my chest.
"He dumped her because she disrespected Inés."
"That was his excuse," said Inés.
"Answer us something. Do you like Arnold?" I looked at Mrs. Diana, and I think I changed color. "Don't answer, your face already did."
"He's the most complicated of all," said Inés. "He has Roland's intelligence, Simón's shrewdness, Miguel's sincerity, Gustavo's simplicity, Aníbal's humor, and Daniel's coldness. Additionally, he has their codes: loyalty, skill, word. They can be angels or demons.
"All of them influenced him because he was the youngest. My Arnold came into our lives lacking everything. They, although not affectionate or given to saying loving words, showed how much they cared, and he grew up that way. He doesn't say he loves you; he shows it." Why are they telling me this?