"Good morning sleeping beauty," Cain whispered to Jane, caressing her cheek. She woke up and smiled back at him as he kissed her on the mouth.
"Good morning, babe," she replied in a sleepy voice.
"You need to get moving, it's almost 8am. Breakfast is ready downstairs for you, though Xander and I have to leave already."
"OK... thank you, babe."
"You're welcome. Are you coming over after your girls' night?" he asked as Jane stretched in bed.
"I don't know yet..."
"OK, let me know. Have a nice day, babe."
"You too."
And with a last kiss, he left the bedroom and off he went to work. Jane took a quick shower, being careful not to get her hair wet as she had washed it the night before. God, the night before... She remembered what she had done to Alek and what he had wanted to do to her. Her body got hot instantly and as she washed herself, everything was coming alive, she heard herself moan... She was late already; she did not have the time to take care of her raging hormones. She finished up quickly in the shower and walked out.
It was girls' night later so she decided to wear something nice but still comfortable and even put on some make-up. She walked to the dressing room, not a walking closet, because it could not be called a closet if it was this big... She decided to wear carmine laced underwear, a black high waisted skirt that stopped just above her ankles, a black silk blouse that she could unbutton a little bit more when she went out with the girls, and carmine ankle boots. She grabbed her black leather coat and carmine bag and satisfied with her reflection in the mirror, she walked downstairs.
"¡Hola Rosa!" Jane said as soon as she walked into the kitchen. Hello Rosa!
"¡Hola Jane, estás preciosa!" Rosa said, smiling. Hello Jane, you look lovely!
Rosa was the housekeeper, she was in her fifties, still full of energy, keeping up with all the staff in the penthouse and all her children and grandchildren at home. She was Mexican, which meant that she was just as fluent in Spanish as in English. That was a requirement for Cain because his Spanish was non-existent. The rest of the staff was required by her to wear white pristine clothes, because if they could keep their clothes clean then they could keep up with her cleaning requirements. Rosa herself, always wore a pantsuit, but instead of being white, it was very colourful and usually full of flowers, which made her look even more lovely.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked Jane.
"Fine, and you? How was your weekend?"
"Oh, good. I took the grandkids to the aquarium on Saturday. They loved it," Rosa said smiling.
"That sounds lovely!"
Rosa put a plate full of eggs and another full of fruit in front of Jane. "Come mientras hablamos," she said. Now you eat while we talk. They always switched between Spanish and English.
"I was so happy to see that Xander is back with us," Rosa said, as Jane started to eat her breakfast.
"Yes..." Jane said, smiling back.
"He's such a good boy! You know that he is the one who took me in?"
"I had no idea..."
"Yes, we met in Mexico City, where I was working in a restaurant. He came in one day and had some quesadilla. He loved it so much that he asked to meet the cook. Half an hour later, I was telling him my whole life story, and how hard it was to keep my big family afloat on those small salaries. He didn't say anything, but two weeks later, his lawyer came to my house, he had the paperwork for me and my whole family to move to Madrid and he had a job lined up for all of us, me here as a housekeeper, my boys in his company and all was settled. We only had to sign the papers and he would even pay for the flight tickets and the movers. He has such a big heart!" Her eyes were shining as she told the story.
"Yes, he does..." Jane said smiling fondly, knowing full well how kind her Alek could be.
"So, you see? I owe him everything. And all I have to do to repay him is make a quesadilla for him tonight!" How she laughed.
"In his defence, your quesadilla is delicious," Jane finished up her breakfast and took the plate to the sink. It had taken Rosa a few weeks to accept the fact that Jane liked to pick up her own dirty dishes, but now they were on the same page.
"Thank you, Jane! I've made you some empanada de atún for lunch." She gave her a tub full of empanada. "There is enough for you and Luna."
"Thank you, Rosa! What would we do without you?"
"It's my pleasure," Rosa replied.
Jane gave her a kiss and then she walked out of the kitchen. She was going to grab a taxi to work, as it was too late to go by Metro, when she saw Antonio, Rosa's eldest son and one of the drivers, waiting for her by the elevator.
"¡Buenos días, Jane!" he said, smiling at her. Good morning Jane! "Cain asked me to drive you to work as you are running late."
"Thank you, Antonio, that is very nice of you! I am running very late this morning."
"It's my pleasure!"
They took the elevator down to the parking space and she hopped in the back seat and took her phone out. She had to call her mom, but she really did not want to. Her phone rang in her hands. It was a text from Alek!
"Morning L.J., hope you slept well! I barely slept as I had you in my mind all night long, thinking about what you did to me and what I so desperately want to do to you! -A"
Jane greened so much her cheeks hurt, as she read the message for the second time. "It took me a while to fall asleep too, thinking of what you were about to do to me! -L.J." Jane replied.
"I am so very happy I kept you up! Though, as wild as your imagination can be, I am better. Promised! You are not the only one who has learned new tricks! Btw, loooooved your new tricks, could get used to that..."
"We'll see about that, I have a very developed imagination, you're going to have to work very hard... Very glad you enjoyed yourself, so did I!"
"I know you did! And challenge accepted! I'm free for lunch..."
"So am I..."
"I'll be at HG by 1pm. Try to get some work down while you wait for me..."
"I'll try..." she replied, still grinning.
She heard Antonio clear his throat and she looked up, "Sorry to bother you, but we're here."
"Oh, right," she said as she looked out the window and saw HG. Antonio walked out and opened the door for her. She thanked him and wished him a good day as she walked to Luis and greeted him too.
"Alguien ha tenido un buen fin de semana para sonreír así un lunes por la mañana..." Luis said smiling. Someone has had a good weekend to smile like that on a Monday morning...
"No ha estado tan mal," she replied, returning the smile. "Y tu finde, ¿qué tal?" It wasn't that bad. And your weekend, how was it?
"Todo bien también. ¡Qué tengas buen día!" All good too. Have a nice day!
"¡Tú también Luis!" You too, Luis!
As she walked in, she stopped to talk to everyone in her way, as she usually did. She liked to engage with all her employees and the teenage moms living under her roof. It made it easier to keep track of everyone and notice the subtle changes before something major happened. Finally, she made it to Luna's office.
"Morning girl," she smiled at Luna.
"Morning..." Luna said, instead of her usual greeting. I am in trouble, Jane thought. "I'll be in your office in a few, OK?"
"OK..." Jane sighed.
In her office, Jane fired up her computer, checked her inbox and her calendar. She still had forty minutes before her first appointment. It might be enough time for her and Luna to talk. She also made sure that she was indeed free at 1pm, when Alek had said he would come by. Was she really going to do this?
At that moment, Luna walked in and shut the door. "Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out," she ordered, sitting down on the couch, cradling her cup of coffee.
Jane got up and sat on the couch next to her best friend. For a moment, she entertained the thought of not being completely honest, especially on the R-rated parts, but she decided she was already lying to too many people and needed someone to confide in. And honestly, she had never managed to lie to Luna, they knew each other too well. Surprise parties were always a bust! She took a deep breath and started telling Luna everything, from the first moment she had seen Alek, to the night they had spent together in her apartment, continuing with the lunch at her parents to the night before and finally ending with the scheduled hook-up session she had just agreed to for lunch.
"So, you went and did it?" Luna asked. "You cheated on Cain without thinking twice about it!"
"I did..." Jane confessed. "I feel terrible about it!"
"Not terrible enough to put an end to this," Luna retorted. She was mad, and she had every right to be!
"It's Alek, Luna! What do you want me to say! You of all people know I never stopped loving him," Jane added, her hands shaking.
"What about Cain, your fiancé?"
"You know I love him too... I just don't know what to do anymore..."
"What you can't do is continue down this path... we both know it! Put an end to this and do it now or you will end up losing everything!"
"I know... It's exactly what my dad said...."
"Well then, why don't you listen to us?" Luna replied as if it was the easiest thing to do.
"I can't stay away from him!"
"Then don't," Luna said, eerily calm. "If Alek is the one you love, then break up with Cain, be honest and tell him the truth, he deserves it!"
"I know he does! But..."
"But what?"
"I don't know what to do! I love him too... It's not the same as with Alek, but I do love him. I see my life with him, perfectly peaceful and I don't want to give it up."
"Then stop with Alek! If you stop now, he can move on and you can get married to Cain and have your peaceful life with him..."
"And not be with Alek? How can I do that? I spent ten years waiting for him, I can't let it go without a second thought!"
"What's your solution then? Be with the both of them? Cain will find out, sooner or later, he will, and he will leave you! Where does that leave you then?"
"I don't know Luna... I just don't know anything anymore!"
"You need to figure out what you want! In the meantime, I would stop fooling around with Alek... that won't help either of you, whether you chose him or Cain."
"You are right..." Jane agreed, brushing a tear away.
"You will ask him not to come for lunch then?" Luna insisted.
"I should, shouldn't I?"
"You really should girl," Luna said, grabbing her hand in hers. "You will figure this out, you just need to stay away from him until you do."
"I know you're right..."
"But it hurts like a bitch?" They both laughed. "What do you always say to others? If something is hard to do, then it's probably the right thing... Follow your own advice!"
"I will," Jane said, breathing in. "Starting right now..." She walked up to the table, picked up her phone and sent a message to Alek. "It's probably better if you don't come for lunch today. We both need to keep some distance and think this through. -L.J." She hit sent just as someone knocked on her door.
Luna hugged her tight. "You are doing the right thing. Take some time and you will see things clearer." She walked out of Jane's office and let in her first appointment of the day.
The hours flew by, as Jane went from one appointment to the next, barely having the time to add her notes into the computer. Just before 1pm, Martina stuck her head in her office and asked if she was free for lunch. Jane checked her phone and as there were no messages from Alek, she took her tub full of food that Rosa had prepared for Luna and her, and the three of them walked to the cafeteria.
"I had my meeting with Ángela this morning," Martina said, as the three of them were sitting around the table. "She's doing really good! She has high hopes for her relationship with her parents, but her head is still clear." Martina had been one of the first employee Luna and Jane had hired when they first started HG. She was a psychologist too, and even if she had not had much experience back then, they had not hesitated to hire her. With time, she had become a close friend. She was a bit shorter than Jane, dark curly hairs, fair skin, and chocolate brown eyes. She was as much of a bookworm as Luna and Jane, which was perfect.
"That's good news," Jane said, feeling out of spirits.
"What's going on with you? You were so cheerful this morning," Martina asked as she ate her leftovers from Sunday dinner.
Luna and Jane shared a look, and Jane replied vaguely, "Just tired, I guess. Looking forward to our drinks tonight."
"Me too," Martina rejoiced.
"Oh, yeah," Luna added. "We need some time away from men and just enjoy each other..."
"So true," Jane said unconvincingly. She finished her lunch quickly, not enjoying much of it and too much in her head to be considered as company, much less good company.
"I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your lunch, ladies. I'll see you later..."
"Sure," Martina said, giving her a knowing look, even if she did not know anything. That is what happens when you hung out with psychologists, Jane thought.
The hallway was free of people, and for once, she did not stop to look inside the offices and talk to everyone who was available for a chit chat. She walked straight to her office and closed the door behind her. A moment later, her desk phone rung. It was the reception.
"¿Diga?" Hello?
"¡Hola Jane! Hay un hombre aquí que dice tener una cita contigo, pero su nombre no está en la lista de invitados para hoy," Melisa, the receptionist, said. Hello Jane! There is a man here who says that he has an appointment with you, but his name is not in the guest list for today.
"¿Quién es?" Jane asked, her unsettled voice obvious even to her. Who is it?
"Alexander Williams Jr.," Melisa replied in a heavy Spanish accent.
Jane's heart stopped beating. He had come anyway, despite her message. Should she ask him to leave? How could she? Maybe they could just talk, nothing else!
"¿Jane?" Melisa prodded. "Puedo llamar a Luis..." I can call Luis...
"No es necesario que llames a Luis." No need to call Luis. That was their queue to throw someone out of the premises, probably not a good idea. "Que alguien le acompañe a mi oficina, por favor. Le estaré esperando aquí." Please have someone escort him to my office. I will be here waiting for him.
"Vale," Melisa said, and they hung up. OK.
It took him a few minutes to walk into her office, until he finished all the paperwork required for a newcomer, but there he was, standing in front of her desk, the door shut behind him.
"I brought you some macarons," he said, putting a box of her favourite treat on top of her desk. "I remember how much you used to like them, though I did not buy them for you, I asked my assistant as I have been in meetings all morning. Which also explains why I only read your message when I was on my way here, and I decided to come anyway. Thanks for letting me in..." He was being very careful with each word, as if he was expecting her to throw him out at any moment. She loved the fact that he had not lied about having his assistant buy her the macarons. Cain would totally have lied and taken the credit for it! And there she went, making comparisons again.
"Thanks for the macarons. I do love them!"
"That's good," he said with a soft smile. "Your office is lovely!"
"Thanks! I don't think you can compare it to yours... but thanks." She had never seen Alek's office, but she had seen Cain's and the luxury there could not be compared to anything she owned in her office or her home put together.
"You have never been in my office," he said with a half-smile. "I believe you'd like it as much as I like yours."
"If you say so," she replied, completely unconvinced by his statement.
"Let me guess," he said, changing the conversation completely and with it his tone of voice, as it grew deeper and more serious, "you told Luna everything this morning and the two of you decided that we took it too far last night."
"Didn't we? Take it too far?"
"We definitely did," he said with a half-smile. "I don't regret it though, I can't!" After a moment of silence, he asked. "Do you... regret it?"
"I can't regret being with you Alek. I regret what being with you is doing to Cain and my relationship with him..."
"I agree with that. I didn't want it to go this far, for the same exact reason! But I also think we owe it to ourselves, to our past, to find out if there is something left for us before you cut me off."
"I am not cutting you off," she said defensively.
"Come on L.J.! Don't lie to me... We both know you would choose him and the perfect life he can give you. But maybe our life together can be good too, not as perfect and peaceful, but just as good..."
"So, what do you propose I do? Keep lying to Cain? Until when? I sleep with the both of you and then I'm supposed to decide. It's not fair to him!"
"No, it's not! But if the situation were reversed, he would not be so attentive to our feelings as we're being to his. You know that's true!"
Cain had always been more selfish with his feelings, always taking what he had wanted and to hell with everyone else. But that did not give her the right to take him for a fool and cheat on him with his own brother! "That might be true! But I am the one cheating on him, and I hate it!"
"I know you do! And I can't ask you to continue doing something that makes you uncomfortable."
"What are you asking me to do then?" she asked, her frustration clear in her voice.
"I am asking for a chance to show you that I can be just as good for you as he is. Maybe then, you might choose me!"
"So, you going down on me today is your idea of showing me that you are better than him?"
"I am better than him in that, but that's not the point! I just thought it was only fair to return the favour..." His half-smile was so inviting she had to look away. "Just give me a chance to be with you, to get to know each other again, then you can decide."
"I can't do that," Jane said, shaking her head. "I can't trust myself around you!"
"No?" he asked seductively. "We could just make out..."
She looked at him; the invitation was too seductive to pass out. "This is really not a good idea," she whispered, walking to the door, and locking them in. The curtains were already drawn, so she sat on the couch and waited for him to sit next to her.
"You look lovely today," he whispered as he put his palm around her cheek, caressing her.
"Thank you! You look absolutely gorgeous in your black suit and black shirt and black tie." They both laughed.
"Thank you back." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek and then slowly kissed every inch of her face, but her mouth.
"You love to drive me crazy, don't you?" she whispered.
"You mean, like you did last night with me?" he smiled at her, his eyes shining at the memory.
"I was punishing you for being mean to me, even if it was only in a fantasy."
"If only you had behaved poorly to me today, like cancel on me last minute, I would also have a reason to punish you... I must say I love your way of punishing."
"Alek," she whispered, her lips parted, begging him to kiss her and he did.
Despite her words, her hands moved all over his body, trying to pull him closer, craving for more. He kept her at arm's length, his hands holding on to her face as he kissed her ever so slowly and sweetly. He gently pulled away and looked into her eyes.
"I heard that you have a girls' night tonight?"
"Yeah," she said, not caring at all about that right now.
"Go to your apartment afterwards, I'll meet you there, with some of Rosa's quesadilla. We can talk, watch a movie... whatever you want."
"That does sound amazing," she whispered. He kissed her again, though still keeping himself in check as not to lose control.
"You are the sweetest, L.J.!" He smiled at her and with a last kiss, he stood up from the couch. "I better go now, since you don't want me to repay you for your kindness from last night."
"I... Don't go..." Jane mumbled, feeling completely lost and knowing that she would feel much worse if they took it further.
"I can't have all these women hear your screams as you come for me! But if you still want me to, I'll gladly do it tonight and I won't stop until there is nothing left of you, and only me in your head and heart."
What was she supposed to reply to that? Alek smiled at her some more, feeling very satisfied with her reaction.
"Enjoy your evening," he said and gave her one last kiss and walked to the door unlocking it. "Give me a chance L.J., I promise I won't fuck it up this time... And don't cancel on me again, it won't work. Let me know when you leave the bar, I'll meet you at your apartment." He gave her another smile, a wink and left.
Jane sat on her couch until her next appointment arrived. She could not move and finally made her brain concentrate on work and push Alek out of it for a while.