Chapter 47 Italian makeup
By Valeria
Omar and Alejandro approached.
"Lots of toasts over here. What were you toasting to?" Omar asked.
"For us," Susana answered, winking.
We laughed conspiratorially.
I didn't look at Alejandro. I tried to ignore him.
Both of them sat at our table. Susana and Mariana discreetly left us alone.
"Vale, tomorrow night we’re having dinner at my father's house, and on Tuesday, we’re traveling to Italy."
"Great!" Emi said.
The guys looked at her. I smiled.
"I know, I won’t forget."
"You're a genius, but I still don’t know how the quality will be right now."
They looked at us, not knowing what we were talking about.
"I suppose it should still be the same. I buy everything I can find from that brand."
"Yes!"
"Which brand?" Omar asked.
I mentioned an Italian makeup brand. They don’t import it in their line of perfumes.
"It’s not ours," Alejandro said, and I realized he didn’t like that I wanted to buy products from another brand.
"No, they don’t carry it," I said.
"Then use one of the many brands we do have."
"I love that brand."
"No, Valeria, you can’t buy brands we don’t carry. If someone sees you, it would look bad. People know you; don’t forget you’re the president’s secretary."
"I hadn’t thought about that, but we’ve always dreamed of going to Italy and buying that makeup brand."
They both laughed.
"We know it’s a simple dream, but it’s not something to laugh at," Emi said, offended.
"Sorry, Emi, but you could dream of buying a Ferrari, not a lipstick."
"It’s not just a lipstick. We dreamed about it when we were 12 and our parents didn’t let us wear makeup. I want to have the complete collection of all the cosmetics from that brand, so my vanity looks like a display of that brand."
"What’s special about that brand?"
"Nothing in particular, just that we can’t get it in our country, and we really like it."
"Why don’t we carry it?" Alejandro asked me.
"It’s not profitable. It’s not as well-known to us as other top brands, and the products would expire before we could sell them."
"Who said that?"
"I discussed it with Carlos once."
"Damn that idiot. When is he coming back?"
"The directors return tomorrow around noon. I can confirm the time."
"It doesn’t matter. Find him and tell him to come to our table now."
I did as he asked. I didn’t mean to cause a problem for Carlos, but it was too late to regret it.
He came to the table and sat down after I did.
Alejandro angrily demanded to know why we didn’t carry that makeup brand.
"It’s really a brand you can find in some duty-free shops. The prices are high, the profits minimal, and women aren’t interested. It’s not like the French brands."
"I want us to carry it," Omar said.
"You’ve never gotten involved in the products. I don’t know why you’re doing it now."
"It’s my company, and I get involved where I want. Tomorrow we’re going to Italy. I want a meeting in two days with that company’s CEO, and for that meeting, I want to have all the information about their products, wholesale and retail prices. So, during the return trip, you’ll be busy."
"I repeat, even though it’s a classic brand in Italy, it’s not known in Argentina. It was only available in our country years ago when imports were open for any item, and the dollar allowed it."
"I didn’t ask for your opinion."
"You’re making an investment that’s not worth it, and I’m here to tell you that, at least."
"I don’t give a damn what you think."
"Ale... guys..."
"Now you’re supporting him? It’s your favorite brand, and you just said you’d buy everything from that brand."
"I’m not supporting Carlos. I completely disagree with what he says. I think it’s a well-known brand. It’s true that French brands sell more, but many women love that brand, and many buy French brands because they don’t have the option to choose. With a beautiful model to promote those cosmetics, they would sell very well."
"You heard Valeria."
"And Vale isn’t the only one. Emi loves that brand too," Omar added.
"Tomorrow during the trip, I’ll prepare everything. I hope you’re not wrong."
"You sound like a jealous little woman."
"Cut it out, Alejandro. You’re not going to make me quit, and you can’t fire me just like that."
"Don’t be so sure. After this dinner, quite a few people are going to leave."
I wondered if he really didn’t care about firing Daniela after how he kissed her a while ago.
I thought about how he kisses all those women he asks me to get out of his bed.
Does he kiss them as passionately?
I remembered when I saw him in that orgy with Omar...
He takes them with desire and then doesn’t notice them.
Does he kiss them like he kisses me?
I felt terrible jealousy.
On the other hand, just with a comment from Emi and me, he decided to add products he didn’t know if they would sell.
Of course, he trusts me and always wants to know my opinion.
Carlos left our table. He gets along worse with Alejandro every day.
Omar, it seems, doesn’t like him much either, or he’s supporting his friend and partner.
"Ale, it’s not necessary to import that brand."
"If you’re sure it’s as good a brand as you say, I’ll import it. And from what I heard, you already mentioned it to that idiot, and he said no."
"I only talked about it once."
"I don't want you talking to him, you know that."
"Ale, I'm not going to stop talking to people. I'm not doing anything wrong."
"I want you to consider me the way I consider you."
He whispered it in my ear.
It made my skin tingle.
I don't know what power he has over me, but I was dying for him to get closer and for his mouth to move from my ear to my neck.
"Ale, I do consider you. I know all your preferences and can predict how you'll react in any situation."
I don't know when Emi and Omar left.
I had moved closer to him to whisper in his ear so no one could hear.
He jumped when I spoke in his ear.
"I want more from you, I want it all."
"I'm your secretary, you're not getting it all."
"Vale, I'm close to you and my temptation is great. I want you to be mine, I want to kiss you, have you."
"You were just kissing Daniela, don't even think about kissing me."
"I don't care about Daniela."
"It didn't seem that way a while ago."
"You know I kissed her because of you, because you were dancing with someone else."
"I can't believe you. It looked like your life depended on that kiss, so don't come near me. I'm not a toy."
"You're a doll."
"You have too many dolls in your life. Keep kissing them."
"I love making you so jealous. With that passion, we're going to have a great time."
"Don't get confused. I don't have to be jealous, but this event is too important. By now, the media must be saying Daniela is your girlfriend and even announcing your engagement."
"Are you crazy? She's practically a nobody!"
"Who has a room in your father's house that you enter and leave whenever you want."
"Valeria, you have no idea what you're talking about. She means nothing to me, she's just a fling. And if I slept with her, it was your fault too."
"You need to take responsibility for your actions. I didn't put you in her bed."
"Yes, you did, when you burned me with your touch, leaving me red hot, and didn't want to finish."
"I didn't do that."
"You burn me, Vale. You have no idea how I get when you're close."
"Ale, with that kiss from a while ago, it seemed like she was the one burning you."
He smiled with the sexiest smile ever, and he's the one who burns me.
I looked at him seriously because it really hurt to see him kiss her like that.
God, I'm jealous.
No matter how many things he makes me feel, it's a mix of love and hate, desire and anger.
I can dream about him every night and want to sleep in his arms, but even though I want to lose myself in his kiss, I know I'll regret it like never before.
Even though Mariana told me Alejandro loves me, I don't think love is like this.
Otherwise, it would be the same as with Diego, who said he loved me, but his feelings had nothing to do with love.
He showed so much passion with another woman, and I, like an idiot, waited for a crumb from him.
When I saw Diego kiss another woman, that was my limit. And today, seeing Alejandro devour another woman's mouth should be my limit too.
Yet, when he whispered in my ear, it made me feel a volcano inside.
And from Alejandro, I'm just the secretary.
Not much more.
Seeing him say goodbye to Daniela, because I'm sure he knows it's the end of her in his company, but while he's kissing her in front of everyone as if she were the woman of his life, I know I can't expect much and that at some point, he'll fire me too, without caring about the moments we shared or how excellent I am as a secretary or personal assistant.
I looked at him seriously, and he seemed happy. I don't know why he was suddenly in such a good mood.
"Sweetie, I love seeing you jealous."
He said, winking at me.
I can't be that obvious.
Anyway, he must kiss all of them like he kisses me, he must feel more or less the same with all of them.
I want to run until exhaustion takes over me.
I've heard it a thousand times, but I saw him having sex once, when Emi and I walked into his room. It was an orgy. It bothered me, but I knew those girls meant nothing.
I'm sure he had sex with Daniela several times, and that kiss! How it hurt!
A Chinese businessman approached, interrupting our conversation.
They talked about some pending matters, and then the Chinese man told Alejandro that I was very beautiful and that since he had a partner, referring to Daniela, if he didn't mind, he wanted to invite me to visit him in his country.
He added that he always thought I was Alejandro's partner and that tonight he was glad to find out I wasn't.
Alejandro's face changed.
That sexy, triumphant smile he had a moment ago disappeared.
"The lady is not interested in visiting your country and declines your invitation."
He replied, not letting me answer.
"I insist, my intentions are serious."
"Thank you very much for your invitation. It's flattering, but I have a partner."
I jumped in to say before Alejandro ruined a business relationship just because he thinks he owns my life.
I don't understand his attitude, maybe that's why Mariana and Susana think he loves me.
I know I'm just a whim for him.
With my best smile and manners, I dismissed the Chinese businessman.
The night was almost over.
Until the end, we kept greeting and attending to our own and other CEOs.
On the way back, in the limousine, there were those of us who went, plus Paula, who I think is going to spend the night with Gonzalo, if Alejandro doesn't join in.
I would rather not find out.