late to o

a year and eight mon

a

h

Blac

te one single time in A

g that fact ever

up to me being Spa

when it came to being

se. He pointed out fac

plined to do that, just l

where we worked, me inc

time all those months ag

inutes of an important pre

eading it-during his fir

d made a miserably loud

ally knocking ove

of dossiers for

ly on his

ke an impression on a

ppened all the time. Tiny

re common. People got o

r li

not

k and month after month

y not to be late to our te

ymore,"

time he entered a conf

early, he checked the wat

rows in

pitchers out of my reac

in my d

lackford did instead

ide

Héctor's kind voice re

ing before I took in his

or," I told him in the

ed like an uncle after

mily placed a hand on

"Doing go

in." I return

e next barbecue? It's

nd you. She's preparing

e that will eat

the Díaz family was a b

to this day, I stil

stions, old man." I w

. "Of course I

sual place to my right

ce poured into the roo

nin

tor's easy smile, my ey

le to assemble into ou

ed Aaron, eyebrows ra

ed his lips tip down

ed onto Gerald, whose

he folded his rather ch

e was Kabir, who had bee

s room held-team leader

retty much encompassed

hich was a bea

ne," Kabir started wi

the job for a month woul

col the meeting, so if yo

call yo

was extremely familia

d man across the table,

t with t

aid with a smile even t

n. "Please

inned me wit

heard Kabir go thro

from both Héctor and

me, and another gr

bir said. "Next point i

s. Who would

et with

ring services for any e

to design or engineer pla

ed a team of five or six

ed. So, all five team le

pervising several differ

ll projects never stoppe

ountering all kinds of

the clients and stakehol

anged so briskly and in s

other team leader could

abir's question had bee

g wasn't comple

in his seat uncomfortab

shuffled through a folder

senting to Telekoor th

ou know, it is a start-up

data on public transport

e rather lim

my colleague while my

suspected he was paying as much attention as I wa

e. But I didn't expect

ron Blackford, who I re

ore my ey

my direction, his gaz

I knew. The long finger

et the object in front of

hing how his hand curl

nd

way across the surface

n, he nodde

blue-eyed gr

losed-lip smile-becau

s the room and pouring

im. Again. But this

elf from that thought,

bled a to-do li

she ordered for Mamá

ony or lily bouqu

giving me, Isa-my sis

he day she or any of

tails, so he knows whe

rp

that he has my flight de

the a

my lips, this awful f

portant maki

scrambled my mind for

I was terribly-and unfo

undered i

you think you can find

t of

o the man sitting acro

been caught doing some

n my cheeks and returned

a boy

atche

iend. Doesn't nee

ve to report." Kabir's w

back of

d working

Doesn't need to be a

I

tions. Not the escort

t Aaron had been right.

ood. New York seemed t

nge of varied and differ

imited to

wed harder on the pen.

r give up chocolate for

at he wa

his point. He had nailed

ould pretend to be in

front of my whole fami

but also the two days o

hich meant, I wa

that woul

my brain, making ev

table and cleared my thr

the conversation. "Lis

meone who wasn't li

room, meeting a pair o

if the man behind the

tio

and turned a page of my

l I have with a client l

I lied. "Someth

ed, noddin

ly, he l

it. Just so we are all

red in a g

ting a muff

ir." I gave him

d and reciprocated

exhale coming from ac

ting a muffin to

, "Jeff wanted to attend

know how busy the schedu

intments. He will forward

it would be a good ide

fo

ll are we talking abou

, Ka

a." He nodded. "I thi

e of us is key

oice filled the r

him, and he appeared

e had to clear his thro

host an Open Day in a f

ly potential clients who

the biggest projects

ndants are pretty high

s is an initiative to e

ce-to-face. He wants In

strate that we are up-

time, show all prospectiv

rking." He chuckled ner

a.m., when the attendants

rters, unti

red, barely able to

usiastically. "Isn't it

echnologies, knowledgeexchange sessions, activiti

and dinner catered. Oh, and afterwork dr

widened as Kabir del

started. "That s

ike a complex event to p

sounding suspiciously

ahead in

e met mine. "Absolutely

erything, Lina. Ho

ck against the seat. "He

of

iled at me, like he wa

the five of us, you are o

watched his lips fall

sion coati

ep breath, I tried to s

the most attractive optio

lood had started swirlin

ence to organize s

abir countered back. "

one like you repres

one like me was suppos

e answer. My throat dried

n't any of us accompl

xperience in what sounds

gether an event

nswering my question.

on. That we don't need t

are ..." He trailed off, l

lse. "Soci

r the table, I tried m

d out. That was every per

. "But I also have a job

lock for. How is this ...

and current res

a long moment, waiti

pp

nd of

e usual loaded silence t

itua

feeling my cheeks hea

as I could, "I know Jeff

t this doesn't even make sense, right? I ... wouldn

ired or wa

to admit that, even w

would lead to the real r

s t

for two of my best t

urs in the week as it is.

this point, any-kind of

could

my head swivel in his d

ring women in

believe that he had just

Héctor stopped me f

e all help you?" Héctor

resigned expression. "We

somet

s soft heart and lack o

much. He was only tiptoei

ool, Héctor," Gerald

on't be pitching in wit

he followed that

mouth cla

forward you the list of

na

feeling my cheeks hea

tell my colleague s

also had a few ideas fo

will forward to you too.

Maybe even think of a t

to

ilent curse word that w

ar. I'd know what to

holding it with both h

tration away, I took a d

aid through pressed teeth

"Would you just stop wasting our

p to my feet. "You don't

inger waved through the

smile and be extra frien

o

endly echoed in my head

e e

d into a dress shirt d

hieve, would take any cha

e so if that happened

voice and increased

ak and give away how ou

to discuss issues like th

have to listen

terrupted me, a sneer b

Women know about those,

food delivered here, put

g and cute; you won't ev

eating right out of your

how to do th

ds. The air that was s

gs was stuck some

t my body was doing, I

ir screeched back, the

he surface of the desk,

terally. In that precise

from. I saw fucking red,

ses with cri

, I heard Héctor exha

his

ng. Only my heart h

h. The real reason why

oom, had been handpicked

oman in the division,

w generous my curves we

was being showcased to our clients as the golden

a

e to remain firm and cal

turn around and let my

My name is Lina." I s

t and taking one extra mo

s. "Next time, make sure

he decency and profes

reached my ears in a wa

version of myself that I

get it all out without

ank

re starting to feel gl

d a few times, willing th

hat the lump in my thro

when it did. Because

snapped like that? Wh

, even being that this was

kind of crap-I sti

"Don't take it so seriou

"I was just joking a

olleagues, searching th

n't fi

eye, I watched Héctor

ounding tired and disco

ald and trying to stop

ss, I refused to look at

who remai

they were not taking a

e was doing

ld scoffed. "It's not li

irl doesn't eve

he courage to stop him,

o speak beat me to it

direction then, findi

nd chilling that I could

a couple o

agged my gaze off Aar

minutes, and he had chose

for all

gainst the floor, allowi

e said flatly, gathering

her. She knows wh

rl, Gerald walked to the

mering in my chest, pu

nding up and looking at

y?" His eyes moved in Aa

ast. "This whole thing ca

k too much about it. T

nswer, I watched h

taken me in and treat

and shook his head. H

smile out of me becau

r say in Spain, I knew

ght. What a total

n. Who hadn't even both

ally gathered his things,

king it possible for him

ig

till out of sorts by ever

s gaze bounced from hi

sobered up and returned

artbeat and then dismis

e he alw

dly large and sturdy fi

hammering in my chest

down, all

or said, now standing

nes in my office. Ximena

've been saving it." He

laughed lightly. Héctor'

m me the next

girl's weekly allowanc

est to retu

lp but notice that aft

d, breaking into somethin

e