27

Carla

The week seems to be passing quickly, I tried very hard, gave my best and managed to finish the logo. I put a wonderful font and some feminine details on both sides of the font, I put a soft colour on the company name and made it as delicate as possible; I hope it pleases the owner...

It's already six o'clock on Friday afternoon, I call him and tell him I'm done.

I take his card, which is near my notebook, I start to type his number in my mobile phone and put it to call, on the third ring I hear Juan's deep and thick voice.

" Juan, from Emporio Glamour, what do you want?"

How direct he is, isn't he?

I make a face and answer.

" It's Carla, Mr Juan, I've finished the project."

He takes a deep breath on the other end of the line and says

" Ah yes, Miss Carla. What wonderful news! My cook is making my dinner, will you join me? Then you can show me your project and have dinner with me."

Dinner at his house? I'd feel better in a restaurant, but... All right, it's a business dinner.

" All right, Mr. Juan, I'm just gonna drop my daughter off at my mother's house and I'll be right there."

" Okay, I'll save that number of yours, do you have WhatsApp? "

" Yes I do."

" I will send you my address via WhatsApp, see you soon."

I say goodbye and sigh deeply.

I start to get ready and soon after I get my daughter ready.

I put on a dress and my daughter too, I put warm clothes in her backpack in case it is cold later, I put a jacket in my bag and my documents and I tell my daughter.

" Mum is going to have dinner, OK? And you will stay with grandma."

She gives me a pout that makes me melt all over.

" I want to go with mommy."

" You're going to watch cartoons with Grandma, okay? Mum will be right back, I promise."

I kiss that pretty little face and we go to the front desk to wait for the uber.

As soon as he arrives we get in the car and my daughter hugs me tight, this beautiful little girl is a real treat to me; she hates when I leave without her, but I have to.

As soon as we arrive at my mother's house, she is already waiting at the door, thankfully I texted her to let her know.

I give my daughter and her backpack to my mother and say to my baby, who is already on Grandma's lap.

" Mommy will be right back, I love you. "

I kiss her and my mother.

My daughter makes a crying face and I get in the car again. I tell the driver my new destination, he calculates the value and distance and goes ahead.

I wonder, what will become of me now? I can get this job, but what about Daniel? Will I ever forget him? I don't think of him as before, but I still love him; he was the first love of my life and I don't know when he will leave my heart.

Stopping to think about it I keep sighting the street where the car is, it is a very fancy street, there are only big houses here. The driver stops in front of a three or four-storey house? I don't know, it's very big.

I pay him the amount and get out of the car, looking at a huge grey barred gate in front of me, with two security guards standing by.

" Is that so?"

One of them asks me, looking at me with a certain fear.

" I'm Carla, I have an appointment with Mr. Juan"

" Just a moment."

Says the security guard, who doesn't seem to like me, appearing to be rather rude.

He says something on his mobile phone, and then returns his gaze to me.

" You may enter."

He opens the gate for me and another security guard guides me into Juan's huge garden. My goodness! There are lots of trees, flowers, it's very green and beautiful here, a dream for every woman to live in a house like this. I hurry to follow the security guard and he leads me to the dining room, and what a huge and neat room it is! I see Juan sitting down, waiting for his dinner. The security guard moves away and Juan says.

" Good evening, Carla. Sit down, please."

He says very politely and I sit down beside him. Juan is wearing a suit, but without a tie, I don't know why I am noticing him like that, how strange.

I stare at the huge table in front of me and his voice catches my attention.

"Please serve Miss Carla."

A lady appears in front of me and asks me what I want, I look at the chicken and ask for some, I see a beautiful white rice and it seems to be very juicy, beans, a salad well done. Just that, I'm not that hungry.

She serves me and I eat a piece of chicken, and it's really delicious.

After eating a little more, I look forward and Juan is eating slowly, looking at me; he takes a few more bites and says, after taking a sip of his drink.

" So, Carla, are you enjoying the food?"

I answer, smiling wryly.

" Yes, it's delicious."

I eat some more and say after wiping my mouth?

" I have already forwarded an attachment of the project to your e-mail."

He is surprised and informs me.

" I did not receive it."

" It was when I was in the Uber on my way here."

He straightens up in his chair, but decides to stand up.

" OK, I can see you're anxious, so let's go to my office."

He waits for me to get up and leads me down the long corridors to his huge office. Man, this man must be absurdly rich.

He stares at me and starts to smile.

" What is it?"

He looks curious, and I'm like a fool looking at his house.

" Nothing, it's just that your house is so beautiful."

He thanks me and goes to his computer, sits down and asks me to sit down in front of him.

He then turns serious, staring at his computer.

Shit, this is it.

I have to relax, if he doesn't like it that's fine, someone else will hire me, I know that.

I turn my gaze to Juan and he's smiling now, a short smile.

" I love it Carla, it's perfect. You're hired. You did a good job here, I don't know much about design, but it's better than our current logo, really."

Her eyes sparkle looking at the computer screen, but soon her attention falls on my face again.

" Tomorrow I will send this design to our stylist and other people in the company, but you are hired. See you on Monday."

" Thank you Mr. Juan, I can't thank you enough, this job will help me a lot."

I'm really happy. This is going to change everything.

" I hope you grow more and more Carla, you have potential. Your working hours are from nine in the morning to six in the afternoon. Is that OK?"

It sounds like a good schedule, but I will miss doing nothing all day; I let out a chuckle, then focus again and answer him.

" Sure, that's fine."

He gets a bit confused, but soon forgets that I gave a very strange laugh and says.

" Okay, one of my employees will send you a contract tomorrow for you to read and sign. That's all. Before you go, would you like to see my house?"

I say yes to be polite and he shows me every floor, every corner of the house. It is a wonderful mansion and he even seems to brag about it, but I know he is being kind. I didn't let him show me more of his house, I said I had to pick up my daughter and he understood.

At the parting he gave me a warm kiss on the cheek, and that was strange. What does he want? To win me over? If so, poor guy, I'll just be the company designer, that's all.

He says my name before leaving his presence, and the worst of it was that the fucking sensation of his kiss wouldn't leave my face, and even more, his incredibly delicious smell wouldn't leave my clothes, what a shit. I'm not going to let him get anywhere near me, not this. Fall in love again, be loved and be forgotten? I'm not going through that again.