Chapter 50 - I Give You an Apartment - mduno
She continued talking with her friend about the favor they were asking.
"Lorena, you know how to get around very well, but I don't know how your friends dance." She got out of the car when she saw me— "I have no problem helping with the choreography. I'll go with Roland to do something and ask him to take me. For now, see what songs you want to dance to."
She said something very quietly, I couldn't hear well, but she blushed. It seemed like she was mentioning something about this morning.
"We'll talk later. See you in a couple of hours."
"What's up?"
She looked at me and shrugged, then glanced around. Her eyes slowly widened.
"Wow." I smiled; at least she thought it was nice. "It's incredible." It was beautiful to see her smile like that. "Did you do this?"
"My signature," I replied.
"No, Roland, the place has your signature."
"Oh! Do I have a signature?" She took my hand, which was cold; I didn't want to upset her.
"What are we doing here?"
"The owner of one of the apartments is coming today to see if she likes what we did. Marlon said it was ready, so I just want to check it out."
"Always such a perfectionist."
I smiled; I was, until she, with the utmost calm, started leaving women's items in unimaginable places.
"Roland, I know... Well, I'm not that tidy, I don't align my clothes so meticulously. I hope you don't get mad about that. If I leave something out of place, tell me, and I'll keep it in mind for next time, okay?"
"Why are you bringing this up now?"
"I just want to clarify, I flooded your bathroom with things in just a few days..." I laughed.
"Things I never thought I could have. The consequence of a woman arriving out of nowhere and starting to leave pink, fuchsia, purple, and green touches in a gray-toned bathroom."
Now it was her turn to laugh heartily. We entered the elevator, and I pulled her close to kiss her forehead.
"What floor is it?"
"Veronica, I want to know what you think of the apartment."
"I'll try." I looked at her.
"Love, are you going somewhere now?"
"Yes," she confessed. "Apparently, Lorena has a performance for one of her client's birthdays."
"Really?"
I bit my lips; I shouldn't laugh. The elevator opened, and I felt a bit nervous. She's going to kill me, she'll end me for sure.
"What's wrong?" I shook my head, took the keys, and opened the apartment. Veronica walked inside, smiling. "God... My heart raced when I heard that word. "Roland, it's incredible!"
It was big, a duplex with three bedrooms, a patio, and a large terrace. The first thing you saw was the living room, with the same white, large, and comfortable furniture I had chosen, which invited you to sleep on them, with blue-toned cushions.
The dining room was in another area, with wooden furniture upholstered in ivory, and decorations in earthy tones, from orange to brown. She walked to the kitchen. White with green and wooden accents.
"Roland, I don't know what your client is like, but this place is beautiful." Her eyes sparkled; I loved seeing her smile like that. "At least the kitchen isn't too fancy." I smiled, I had noticed that; she didn't do well with sophisticated things, she liked the traditional. "How much did you charge?"
"She paid in an invaluable way." She raised an eyebrow.
"I can imagine." She gestured to go upstairs.
"Of course."
She ran up. On the second floor were the bedrooms, each with a bathroom, a living room, an office or library, and the balcony. She skipped the laundry area, the patio, the terrace, and the service room. I waited on the terrace, which acted as a balcony on the first floor. From here, you could see the city. When I heard her coming down the stairs, I sighed. She's going to curse me out.
"What do you think?"
"It's beautiful, Roland! It has your signature, the dominant white, your elegance, and exquisite taste for each object. Each space is different and special at the same time." She was smiling, looking at the place with longing. "It might sound silly... it feels very... Is this how the owner wanted it?"
"Why? Tell me what you see."
"Each style is different, it has a sophisticated air because it's very fine. The modern colors make it look... very playful, cheerful, radiant, fresh. Well, I don't know if you understand, honey. Is this how the owner wants it?"
"No," I replied, lowering my gaze. "I know you won't approve of this, Veronica."
"Roland, look at me."
She was very intelligent, and her tone confirmed that she already knew where I was going. Her eyes were expressionless and at the same time so explicit. They demanded an answer. I'm a master at wrapping people around my finger, but I couldn't lie to those eyes.
"That's how I see the owner."
I confessed. She tried to speak but didn't utter a single word. She blushed, then turned pale, looked around in all directions, and walked to the terrace. Only then did I realize it would have been better to tell her before giving it to her. Rat was right, she's going to leave me.
"Veronica..."
"Give me a minute." She raised her hand, turned her back to me, and those were the longest minutes of my life. "Do you know what it means to give me an apartment?" I scrunched my face, and she turned around. "To me, it means a step that's too significant, Roland." I furrowed my brows even more. "It's beautiful, I love knowing how you see me, but I won't accept it until you understand the meaning of this gift. For now, I want to leave, I need to train Lorena and I'll stay at my place."
"What does that mean?"
Now what situation does this leave me in? What the hell was I supposed to do? I just wanted to give her an apartment.
"And you don't even know?!"
She asked hysterically and headed to the door. I don't understand this woman.
"Veronica..."
"Roland."
People talk about my commanding voice, but she had an unshakable conviction. She didn't give you an option, she didn't kill, she didn't instill fear in people, she demanded respect. It was said to be a virtue, one I lacked.
I didn't say anything. We went down the stairs in absolute silence. She walked beside me without holding my hand. What did such a reaction mean? She hadn't yelled at me, insulted me, but she hadn't looked at me either. She got into the car, and in another deathly silence, I drove her to her house. She's going to break up with me. A knot formed in my stomach.
"Say something," I whispered.
"Like what?" I shrugged, if I knew, I wouldn't ask.
"Anyway, it's yours," I commented.
"I know that, Roland! I imagine it just needs a signature, or you left it under some legal figure that didn't require signing. You donated it to me, and by some strange law, it belongs to me."
I wanted to laugh, she knew me well. I told the lawyer it was a gift.
"Are you going to break up with me?"
She opened the car door. Her car was at my place.
"I won't live in it until you say and are willing to live under that meaning." What the hell is wrong with her?
"Are you breaking up with me?"
"No, Roland!" She looked frustrated, her sharp gaze wreaked havoc in me. "I'm going to practice a dance with some friends, I'll be busy for two days, and when we see each other again, I just want to know the reasons why you gave me an apartment!"
"I want you to have a place where you live comfortably."
Was it so hard to understand? She wasn't ignorant.
"Wrong answer, get lost!"
She got out of the car, slamming the door. I stayed there like a complete idiot, gripping the steering wheel, wanting to scream at her. How dare she throw me out? I floored the Audi and didn't stop until I got home.
She threw me out! I was in a damn rage. Who did she think she was? I arrived home, furious, slamming the car door. Rat was handing Veronica's car keys to Onion. He didn't say anything, sighed when he saw me come in, throwing everything I could.
I came across the damn Santa Claus doll in the living room and kicked it aside. Ines reprimanded me with her eyes, which also drilled into me. She looked down. She was afraid of me too, the only ones who weren't were Rat and Veronica.
"As soon as you stop the thirteen-year-old tantrum, we'll talk." I felt like my face would explode. "You shouldn't react like this, you knew her reaction, she would send you to hell. Now think if you really care, send her some flowers and apologize."
"She didn't send me to hell! She didn't break up with me! She didn't reject the apartment! She just said," I mimicked her gestures. "Get lost for two days, I'll be busy dancing with some slutty friends, and when I know why you gave me an apartment, we'll talk. Depending on the answer, we continue or break up." I let it out, Simon burst out laughing. "Now what the hell did I say?!"
I shouted. He raised his hands and walked away, leaving me alone in the living room. The damn Christmas was irritating me more than usual. I sat on the couch. I didn't have to keep crawling to her, let her go to hell! I was tired of... I won't look for her, she can do it. I just gave her an apartment. Any other woman would be jumping for joy, and she rejects it.
She'll have to adapt to my lifestyle if she likes it... Something exploded inside. Why did it burn every time I thought it was better to keep her away from me? I sighed and laughed at myself. She always looks for you, Roland, let her cool off.