Chapter 41. Palabras
Jackson Johnson
I had been staring at my bedroom ceiling for over an hour, trying to pinpoint the moment Lilly had crossed that line in my life, feeling that jealousy just imagining them together, that knot in the pit of my stomach when I saw the man at the restaurant. I wanted to imagine he wasn’t the “man” Lilly had talked about. I wanted to imagine he wasn’t her fiancé and that she had no intention of getting back with him... but I didn’t really know what was going on. What if she had left him?
I shifted and turned on my side again, looking out at the terrace window from my spot. The moon was barely visible from my high vantage point in the dark sky. I needed to release this frustration somehow, so I decided to go to the private gym.
Six in the morning and I was just getting into the shower after hours of pounding the punching bag. The water cascaded over me as my open palms rested against the marble wall. I wasn’t the least bit sleepy, not a bit. The image of Lilly in her office, us kissing, was still there, torturing me. What if he was her Oliver? What if they had gotten back together and he had come for her to take her back to London? I unexpectedly punched the wall in front of me.
Exactly at seven in the morning, I was entering my office. I tossed my briefcase onto the couch in the lounge area, then carefully removed my blazer. I had hurt my arm from overdoing it at the gym, which was a damn joke since it was the first time it had ever happened to me, and all because of what was occupying my mind.
“Is something wrong?” I looked up at Máxima’s voice, quite surprised, and I jumped a bit in my seat.
“No, no, no,” I frowned. I hadn’t even noticed Máxima had entered the office. Her hands were resting on the back of the chair in front of my desk. “You startled me.”
“You’ve been quite distracted lately.”
“I know, I’m just thinking about some things and…” I stopped myself. Why did I need to explain? “What are you doing in the office so early?”
“Well, it’s my start time,” she frowned, then crossed her arms. “Do you want to talk?” I quickly shook my head. “Then, we need to discuss the company,” she sat down in the chair, “there’s a potential client, but you know I don’t like leaving these millionaire clients to the agents.”
“So? You can handle it,” I said, leaning back in my chair, but she looked concerned.
“I can’t, I have an important meeting with another client that’s impossible to cancel. I wanted to know if you could help me.” I frowned.
“Of course, you know that before founding this company, I was a real estate agent. And the best…” she smiled and looked relieved. “Where do I need to go to meet them?”
“Do you remember the road almost reaching the Hamptons? It’s a kilometer before you get there.” I frowned, not remembering if we had a property there. “The Hanson’s house?” Then I remembered, there was a path on the other side of the highway, it was a large plot, I remembered that three years ago the house had been fixed up - a lot - for a future purchase, but in the end, they opted for another in the Hamptons.
“Oh, that house. I thought it had been sold by now.”
“No, it’s the house that hasn’t been sold for many years.”
“Yeah, don’t remind me that it was the first mistake I made since I’ve been in real estate. Well,” I let out a long sigh, “it’s that house.”
“Yes,” she replied, now somewhat uneasy. “The meeting is on Friday at four in the afternoon.”
“Alright, that works perfectly for me.”
"Oh, right, your weekend at your... Sanctuary," said Máxima. "Here are the details of the potential client."
"Why does he want to see that house? Did you suggest it to him?"
"He asked for something in the Hamptons, but all the houses are sold out. We'll have to wait a few more months to have any available. This one is the closest, and he agreed to see it." She stood up. "I have to go, I have a lot of things to take care of. By the way, the plots are perfect, I'll send the information to your email." She started walking towards the exit.
"Thanks," I said, clearing my throat. "How about the steakhouse we usually go to near those... plots?" She tensed up when she heard me and turned back slowly.
"Excuse me?" Máxima asked. I shook my head with a half-smile.
"I'll let it slide this time, but not again, Máxima." She raised an eyebrow.
"I honestly don't know what you're talking about."
"I know you do, but anyway, I've said my piece." I then looked down at what was on my desk and heard the door close. I let myself fall back into my chair, really grateful for that. If it weren't for the silly meeting I made up, I would have found a way to have lunch with Lilly anyway... Well, that's what I want to think.
In the morning, I finally managed to focus and finished all my tasks until Richard called. My anxiety grew as I remembered the request I had made to him yesterday at the restaurant.
The door opened, and he appeared.
"I have what you asked for, sir," I quickly got up from my chair to take the envelope he was holding out. I began to look through the contents, and there it was, Oliver Alexander Chester Ferguson, from a very wealthy English family in London and its surroundings, pictures of his family, and then I recognized the woman who was with him last night, it was indeed his sister. Then I continued going through information that was completely trivial to me, family businesses, charity events, and there it was: a photo of Lilly... I twisted my lips... and Oliver, hugging, both smiling happily it seemed, it was an announcement of their engagement. Then I turned to the next page, the open ticket for him and his sister Michelle, which meant they didn't have a return date yet. "At the bottom is the room number where they're staying."
"Thanks, Richard. Excellent work, as always," I turned back to my desk and placed the information on it. "Does it say anywhere in what you gave me if... they're still engaged?" He pressed his lips together.
"The newspaper," he cleared his throat, "announced that the wedding date has been postponed, nothing is concrete yet."
"So they're still engaged..." I whispered, which made me furious inside. I went over their conversation in my mind, and it fit. "... And he's here to win her back."
"Can I be honest for once?" I looked up at Richard and then nodded. "I've noticed a change in you since she showed up. If you really feel something, no matter how small, don't let it go until you find out if she... is the woman who could make you happy." His words moved me in a way that took me by surprise. I swallowed with difficulty, unable to find the words to respond to my head of security. He had witnessed the long line of women and dates that had passed through my life and had never said anything like that before. "So if those words made any noise inside you," the bastard smiled, "that means you're not as lost as I thought, and you know what you have to do, don't you... Jackson?"