Into You

Chapter 55

Sinu peered at her over the lip of her cup, her look appraising as she considered her carefully. "You know, you really are nothing like I expected, Lauren; when Alejandro told me about you, that is."

"How so?" she asked sitting back in the chair and looking at her expectantly, sipping at her drink happily. She very nearly spat it out at what Sinu said next.

"Well, I have to say I imagined you to be a lot more... well, butch," the woman said with a smile, "with a lot more muscles and a bad attitude."

"I'm sorry to have disappointed you," she said with a smile, dabbing at her mouth with the sleeve of her hoodie.

"Well, I wouldn't use the word disappointed," the older Cabello said looking her up and down, "I think maybe you could do with a bit more sleep and maybe a trip to touch up those roots of yours; but other than that, you seem pretty sound to me, mija. My daughter seems to love you anyway so you can't be all that bad."

"So what you're saying is that I'm loveable, but looking past my best then," she said, putting a hand to her hair. "Maybe Camila's right about having a holiday then,"

Sinu raised an eyebrow at her and tapped her immaculately manicured finger against the cup.

"She decided she needs some time away from everything," she said defensively as Sinu stared at her. "Plus, she thought that you'd want to take control of the company without her around to split the staff's loyalty,"

"She's right," Sinu said thoughtfully, "my Karla's a clever girl. I think I'll need her around for a week or so just to help me settle back in, but then yes, I think her not being around might be a good thing for me. She can help out with the customers, give me some public support and then step back for a bit, that way you two can have your romantic holiday with my blessing,"

"You know," she said with a raised eyebrow as she repeated her words, "you really are nothing like I expected, Sinu; or at least you're nothing like what the file I read on you said you were like."

"How so?" Sinu replied a twinkle in her tired looking eyes as she repeated Lauren's question in turn.

"Well, to be honest, the file implied that you'd be less than approving of Camila and me getting together,"

"Because I'm very protective of my family?" Sinu asked tilting her head.

"More because it said you were a bigoted old woman."

"Well, I do object to old," Sinu said with a laugh and a shake of the head. "Is that really what you read about me?"

She nodded and drained her cup, trying to avoid eye contact with her as she smiled and shook her head amusedly.

"Oh dear, it looks like your files need updating Lauren. It was Alejandro that decided to rant at poor Camila,"

She'd pretty much decided that the file was incorrect when it came to Sinu Cabello, while everything else had been accurate. She had shown none of the bigotry it had implied about her, anything but, in fact.

Sinu put her cup down on the table and refilled it, grimacing as she took a sip. "Cold," she announced, getting up from the chair; "walk with me, Lauren and I'll explain while I make us a nice fresh batch of hot chocolate. That's one thing I can make without ruining it."

She followed her out of the room, wondering what she was going to tell her, and in part, knowing it as well.

"Alejandro wasn't very supportive of Camila when she told us that she was gay, Lauren," Sinu said as they strode down the dark corridor towards the kitchens, "but then I suspect you already knew that. Actually, he was very hostile towards her. I don't think he could accept that she wasn't his little girl anymore, and he liked it even less that his little girl didn't like boys. For most of her life, she was a daddy's girl, then when she plucked up the courage to tell us, Alejandro went wild."