It was good for you

It was good for you
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 03, 2016
Paola
Let's have lunch at 1 pm. A "no" will be ignored and flood your inbox.
Paulina
I have a commitment.
Paola
Which part of "ignored" did you not understand?
~S2~
When the taxi turned the corner and entered a practically deserted street, Paola feared for her sister's sanity. And horror increased when the car stopped in front of a dilapidated house.
She paid the driver and got out, twisting her lips at the place she had agreed to meet her sister. Paulina had hidden herself in a shack. And that was exactly the phrase she used when she went to meet the older one and Tabata, standing in front of the rusty gate.
"It's good to see you too," Paulina murmured reluctantly.
She had only agreed to meet Paola out of love for the younger one, but regret had come quickly.
"Give me a hug already," the younger one demanded, surrounding Paulina's body with her arms. "Now let's go straight to our house," she asked, pulling the older one.
"Paola...!"
"You can't prefer this place," Paola complained, shuddering at the peeling gray walls covered in graffiti. "I can't believe you left Simon's apartment to live here."
"I'm not living here," Paulina explained. "This is my commitment: to evaluate the property."
The youngest's surprise was expected by Paulina. She had done it on purpose. Paola had asked to meet her at the house she was in, but she knew the intention was to tell Mirela later. Her naivety had decreased by living with Simon.
"Can we start the visit?" the broker, a seventy-year-old man with light skin, short gray hair, and medium height, asked. "In an hour, we have another location to evaluate, not far from here," he warned, throwing a quick glance from the sisters to the documents with data on the properties in their hands.
"Let's go!" Paulina called, escorting the reluctant sister through the parking lot for two cars that needed repairs like the facade.
Pushing the stroller right behind the sisters, Tabata watched them with amusement.
They were totally different, both visually and in personality.
Paola flaunted a modern and cool look that accentuated her body, always with accessories that made her creative and playful personality evident, while Paulina liked romantic and light pieces. Although Paola's hair was dark brown and her sister's was bluish-black, until the older one cut hers, they both wore it below the waist, but while Paulina kept a fringe and hairstyle that almost hid her face, the younger one wore it in a ponytail below her shoulders, divided in the middle and a long charming strand loose and thrown to the side.
And even though they were so different, they loved and supported each other, Paola observed as she touched a lock of the older sister's hair:
"By the way, I love the asymmetrical bob, it suits your face."
"Thank you!"
"In the last few months, you have changed a lot, and for the better," Paola emphasized, eliciting a smile from Paulina. "But if you're thinking of buying this place to live in, as your favorite sister..."
"You're my only sister," Paulina commented with disdain, anticipating the criticism that would follow.
"...I should warn you that it's madness," Paola added.
"Paulina is going to start a company," Tábata defended her friend.
"Wow! Simon did well for you in that too," the youngest commented, earning a grumble from Paulina. "Seriously. Instead of getting depressed about the breakup, you gave yourself a makeover, want to buy a house, and be a businesswoman. I like this new Paulina," she said.
The sister wouldn't think so if she had seen her right after she cut her hair, Paulina thought annoyed.
"Even dad came around after the fight with Simon," Paola said. "Yesterday, he even showed an interest in my sketches and praised my talent. If Salvatore wasn't in love with you, I'd steal him for myself."
Fortunately, the realtor drew Paulina's attention to the property information, and Paola fell silent, listening to the conversation in hopes of finding more reasons for the older sister to get back with Simon, or at least come back to the Salvatore mansion. But she soon realized she wouldn't succeed.
Although the entrance was deteriorated, inside the commercial townhouse made Paulina's eyes sparkle, and her mind created each room as they walked through the spacious ground-floor halls, two bathrooms, and the backyard. On the second floor, Perez's excitement was visible as she talked about what she would do to transform that part into a functional home and office.
"I can have the meeting room here and use the ground floor space for reception, training rooms, and common areas for employees," she said to Tábata, walking enchanted towards the window overlooking a tree-lined square. "The view is beautiful from here."
There were some problems, such as leaks in one of the rooms and the need for repainting, but nothing Paulina wasn't prepared to deal with.
"The property has two parking spaces and a prime location," Vasques informed them, reading the description of the surroundings. "We're just a few minutes away from a hospital and two subway stations."
"The appearance from the outside gives me chills," commented Paola, standing next to her sister at the window. "But inside, it's promising, especially after hearing everything you want to do and seeing this square."
"And you, Tábata, what do you think?"
Adjusting the restless Lean in her lap, Tabata approached to check out the view that had filled the Perez sisters' eyes.
She could see what pleased Paulina: the outdoor space, with benches and wooden tables; and what had caught Paola's eye: the space was perfect for practicing physical exercises with outdoor gym equipment.
"I could take Lean for a walk when I come to visit you," she said, enjoying the square as much as her friends.
"Just visit?" Paulina stared at her friend. "If you want, I would love for you to work with me." Seeing Tabata's shock and silence, she continued making more plans, this time including the brunette: "You helped me so much in listing everything I need for the company that it would be wonderful to work together. I wouldn't be able to pay much in the beginning, but you could bring Lean."
"Really?" Tabata questioned in a whisper. She really wanted to work, but had expressed to Paulina before that she was concerned about being far from Lean, as she was still so young.
"We could even create an area for her to play while we work," Paulina suggested to convince her.
"I would love to be part of your project," the baby babbled, letting out a bubble of saliva that made her mother laugh. "Lean agrees too."
"It's going to be amazing!" Paulina celebrated, hugging mother and daughter.
"If my artistic side didn't scream, I would help too," Paola commented with some envy at the camaraderie between her sister and her cousin's girlfriend.
Noticing the younger sister's discomfort in being left out, Paulina pulled her close to them.
"You can design the uniforms," she proposed, making Paola fill with plans.
At the end of the visit, Paulina was satisfied with agreeing to meet her sister and had already chosen the location for her company. She still had one more place to visit, but the Perez felt in her heart that this was the ideal place.