GETTING THE HEART OF THE CEO

It was Friday, and Lindsey left without having breakfast. She walked to the transit stop, caught her urban bus, and after a 30-minute ride, she reached her destination.

“Hey, you made it,” Janna commented as she saw her friend getting off the public transport.

“You know how traffic is at this hour,” Lindsey replied, walking towards her friend and giving her a hug with a wide smile.

“Let’s have breakfast; today is going to be a special day,” Janna said excitedly, grabbing her friend’s arm. They walked distractedly towards a street food stall.

“Welcome, young ladies! What can I get you today?” said a cheerful, plump lady.

“I’ll have a large coffee with milk and 2 pastries, one with meat and the other with chicken,” Lindsey quickly said.

“For me, a large coffee, 3 pastries with meat, chicken, and cheese. Don’t forget the guasacaca; last time you denied it to me,” Janna requested with puppy eyes.

“How can you say that when you left the container empty?” Lindsey rolled her eyes.

“Friend, she only gave us one for both, and that’s not fair. Besides, you have to support me in protesting,” Janna exclaimed, pouting and crossing her arms.

The lady and Lindsey looked at each other, burst into loud laughter, catching the attention of those around.

“Alright, dear, a double portion of guasacaca for you,” she whispered to Janna. “Don’t tell anyone, or they’ll run out of guasacaca before noon.”

“And my little hot sauce too, thanks, Gloria, you’re the best,” Janna said gratefully, winking. The two friends sat at an outdoor table.

On the other side of the street, there was a dark blue Mazda with two men keeping watch.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“I see your wife is humble, coming to have breakfast in a place like this, having a cook in your mansion.”

“Ummm,” he didn’t know what to say, just focused on the scene since he saw her get off that bus. That contagious smile that brightens people’s day, and he hadn’t had the privilege of seeing it.

“I don’t know about you, but watching them eat made me hungry. I left my apartment without eating because my grumpy friend got up early.”

“I didn’t force you to come,” he replied sharply without taking his eyes off his wife.

Freed turned his head in all directions and spotted a bakery on the side where his car was parked.

“That’s where I’m going to buy my breakfast,” he said, pointing, but his friend didn’t bother to look, keeping his gaze fixed on his target. “Alright, keep watching. I’ll be right back. Do you want anything?”

“Whatever you want.”

Ten minutes later, Freed appeared with two cups of coffee with lids, one in each hand, two sugar packets, two straws, and two paper bags. He settled into the driver’s seat and handed his friend one of each.

“Why didn’t you bring Splenda? Couldn’t they provide containers for the food?” Kyle grumbled, looking at what his friend handed him.

“Don’t be picky; that’s what you’ll find in this area unless you want to go to a restaurant in your comfort zone.” Freed resisted the urge to laugh at his friend’s expression. He opened the bag and pulled out a mini ham and cheese lunch, took a bite, savoring the fast food. “This is good; try it.”

Kyle did the same, and as he felt the bread in his mouth, he made a satisfied expression.

“It’s good! It tastes great!”

The girls got up, paid, and said goodbye to the lady. They walked a block along the same street, reached a store, and lifted the shutter between them. Janna opened the door, they entered, and closed it at once, ready to work on their designs.

Freed, seeing them walk away, drove a few meters and parked. Four hours passed without any movement. They had only seen a few ladies enter, and one came out with boxes.

“I’m tired of waiting. Should we leave? Those girls haven’t come out of that store since they entered. After several hours, we’ve only seen women knocking on the door, and they let them in,” Freed was bored, not understanding why his friend was doing this. He regretted insisting on accompanying him.

“No!” he argued with his significant aura.

“Alright! But when a lady comes out, I’m going to approach her to find out what your wife is doing there.”

Freed was alert; he watched as the door opened, and a lady emerged with a package in hand. In one swift motion, he leaped out of the car, followed by Kyle, who was curious about what his wife was doing there. They crossed the street, and when they were face to face with the lady, Freed approached her.

“Excuse me, ma’am, would you be so kind as to tell me what this store is? I’ve always passed by it and seen it closed. By chance, I see you coming out of there, and I got curious,” he said, displaying calmness and kindness with his charming smile.

“Hello, young man, it’s a sewing workshop.”

“Why isn’t it open to the public? Could it be that they’re not very good?”

“On the contrary, young man, their designs are unique and delicate. Those two girls are excellent; their work is impeccable.”

“If they’re as good as you say, shouldn’t they let the public see their work?”

“I’ll tell you that several months ago, that place served the public. They couldn’t keep up with the orders people made, so they decided to close and work on a made-to-order basis.”

“Why not hire staff to help them?”

“I asked that question too. They told me they’re just perfecting their styles and want to offer designs crafted by themselves.”

“Do they work tomorrow?” asked Kyle, who had remained silent.

“No, young man, only on weekdays, from Monday to Friday.”

“Thank you for your help; you’re very kind. Have a great afternoon,” Freed said, bidding farewell with his framed smile.

“Thanks,” Kyle managed to say.

“You’re welcome, young ones,” the lady gave them a kind smile and continued on her way. Freed looked around; the heat of the environment was suffocating him. Annoyed, he affirmed, “Now we know what your wife is up to; we can leave. I need to cool off.”

“No!” Kyle retorted sharply and walked towards the car. Freed followed him and stood by the passenger side, surveying the surroundings. He spotted an outdoor food place and knew his friend wouldn’t look away from it. With a resigned look, he said, “There’s a restaurant here. It’s not like the ones you’re used to, but at least we can use the bathroom, eat, and get supplies because the evening, from what I can see, will be long.”

Kyle opened the passenger door, directed his gaze towards his friend, and urged, “Come on! Move! What are you waiting for?” Taking long strides, he headed to the small restaurant, and Freed rolled his eyes but followed along.