Blatant

Alexia

The company's jet landed at Santa Maria airport very early. It was still five-fifteen in the morning, the sun hadn't even come out. I anticipated my return because of Marcos' phone call, because he had something important to talk to me about. I would only return on Monday, I would enjoy the beaches of Fernando de Noronha, which were beautiful and inviting. Two months of work without rest, I only made time for my weekly meetings with Hector, other than that, I had no rest. And as this week Marcos and Carla were going to travel with Hector, I decided to stretch this break. I needed a weekend to rest, however, this phone call made me very worried, so I decided to anticipate my return. For Hector, he would do anything.

With my bags in hand, I headed to the airport parking lot. Flavio was already waiting for me with the car running. He came back the day before to pick me up by car at the airport. After the anonymous threats and the attempted kidnapping, he became more cautious. He always left a security guard with me, as he put it, his "companions in charge". He never allowed me to be alone. However, when I needed to be discreet, it was Flávio who accompanied me. He knew about Marcos and Hector, he always went with me to my meetings with them. So he came back the day before, to prepare everything for our date, as we always did.

"Good morning Alexia! Everything is planned as agreed" We always spoke in code, not that he didn't trust the comrades, it was because I wanted it to be that way. "I'll take him to his apartment and when the time comes, we'll follow protocol." He looked all silly talking loud, like he was an intellectual. Just because he bought a suit, he was feeling like an FBI agent, it made me laugh. "Why are you laughing?"

"Nothing! It's just that I never thought I'd see you talking difficult."

"Are you making fun of my face?"

"No, it's just that I thought it was cute." He looked at me askance.

"You don't look like the Alexia I met in high school." I looked at him curiously. "This Alexia was tougher, intimidating, I think the redneck changed you."

Putz! Did he have to mention that? I stuck my face in my work trying to forget my problems and how much I missed Romão, your body, your kiss, your ... Concentrate, Alexia! Flávio had to remind me, bring me back to reality that we can't be together, especially now, with these threats.

Flavio put my bags inside the trunk. As I settled into the passenger side, Flavio gave instructions to the cronies in the other car. It was these partners who helped us rescue Romão's farm with the loan shark. Yes, I hired the whole group, do what!?

Flavio sat beside me and started the car.

“You should take the backseat, you know? Is safer."

"I don't like being in the backseat, I get sick."

"Look! It's not pregnancy, is it?"

"Turn that mouth over there." I patted his shoulder. "It's been over two months since I had sex." Did I say that out loud?

"Are you climbing the walls yet?"

"Focus on traffic, please?" This idiot kept laughing in my face. Two months without sex, two months since I ended my relationship with Romão. Even my toy wasn't serving as a substitute, I was screwed! At least I've been occupied with my mind these two months, I haven't had time to think about nonsense. I just wasn't so lucky with my dreams, I dreamed of him almost every night. We didn't talk about us anymore, in fact, I was afraid to tell him how I felt. Maybe it's the right thing to do, we wouldn't do it anyway. Now that it's been so long since our last conversation, I don't know what it will be like when we get a chance to be alone.

I spent hours in my apartment, until it was time to talk to Marcos. We agreed to meet at ten sharp, I had plenty of time to rest, but I was so looking forward to this meeting that I couldn't sleep a wink. I was constantly looking at my pendant, thinking about what was so important that Marcos wanted to talk to me. We arrived at the restaurant ten minutes before the scheduled time, I was very agitated, I couldn't calm down. Marcos arrived five minutes later, easing my nervousness. He sat across from me and we placed our orders, after the waiter left we started talking.

"I called you because I had something to tell you."

"Can you tell me, is there a problem with Hector? Is he alright?"

"He's fine, yes. The problem is with Carla." I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the bomb. "I was getting Carla ready to talk about you and for you to show up at Christmas dinner, but Hector saw you on television and blurted out that he knew you."

"She didn't like it?" He grimaced with displeasure.

"She's adamant, she doesn't want you near Hector."

My heart raced, I shifted uneasily in my chair, ran a hand through my hair trying not to freak out. That's what I feared, Carla with your overprotection, wouldn't make it easy for me.

"Is there anything I can do, talk to her for example?"

"Her problem isn't so much that you get close to Hector, the problem is that she's afraid you'll take him away from us."

"I would never do that! I already told you."

“I know, but there's also gossip about you with a boyfriend every day. She is insecure and I must tell you that her image is not good, she fears that this will come into Hector's hands if it becomes public that you are his mother."

"I plan to hide it as much as possible from the media."

"But eventually the bomb will explode and I fear Hector will be affected."

I thought it best not to tell him about the kidnapping attempt and the threats, as it was quite possible that Marcos himself wouldn't let me see Hector.

"I don't know what I can do with the gossip, I can't control it, at best I can find the photographer who took my pictures."

“Or, for you to find a boyfriend so you can expose in the media, that would greatly reduce gossip. Where's that cowboy you talked about him melting?"

Me what? I didn't melt, did I? I can't believe Marcos said that, but I couldn't blame him, he didn't know what was going on in my life right now. I still hadn't told you that we closed our case.

"We haven't spoken for two months, I've had a lot of work, after that speech on national television, I can't put it like that in my life, anyway. And you know very well that we can't be together because of that matter." I said quietly and looked around to make sure no one could hear us. "I think the first option is the most viable."

Romão was my partner, Francisco's son who was my parents' partner. A relationship between the two of us wouldn't work, especially with the threats I've been suffering. She couldn't stand it if something happened to him, I already had to be careful with Hector, I didn't need to worry anymore.

"Maybe it would be a good idea if he knew the truth."

"That's out of the question."

'You could be together and Hector would be happy if he knew…"

"Marcos! That subject is out of the question."

"Okay, I only mentioned him because you seemed to be in love when talking about him."

OK! It must have been a pathetic scene, me, looking in love, telling Marcos about a person who could only be a partner in my life. Due to current and past circumstances, this relationship would not work.

"I will identify the photographer as soon as possible and undo this image."

"In the meantime, I'm going to talk to Carla, try to convince her to let you see Hector."

"Thank you Marcos! Thanks for everything you've done for me and Hector."

"I'm the one who's grateful for Hector's life, he's our life and you deserve to be close to him, you deserve to be happy."

We finished the meal and said goodbye, it was already noon on a Friday, I had the whole afternoon to advance my work, so that on Christmas Day and the day before, I didn't have to work.

Flavio took me straight to the company, my hope renewed, at the same time a little apprehensive. I needed to fix this mess I got myself into, find this photographer and redo my image. Maybe I could offer an opportunity in my company to work in the press office, as I still don't have someone I can trust to take on that position.

I know it would be crazy to hire someone who harmed me, but it was like they said: (Have your friends around and your enemies even closer.) Besides, that's not what I did with Romão, when he decided not to work at the company anymore. company? I had to buy the farm, with my own money. Well, it wasn't really my money, it was my dad's, but he wasn't going to use it anyway, so I used it for a good deed, saving the company. But my concern at the time was having to live with, if I was left without the company, at least I would have the farm to survive.

My intention was to make Romão back off and go back to work at FazenTéc, which I did, but if he didn't accept, I would be willing to take the farm from him. However, the affection and love with which your parents received me, especially after I said I had rescued the moneylender's farm, won me over completely. I really felt part of a family and over time Romão also won me over with his simplicity, his mocking way of teasing me and driving me crazy. He disarmed me every time he put me in my place, making me understand that I was not the center of the universe and that I needed to be more humble with simple people and arrogant with those who thought they were superior. He made me understand who my enemies were and who I could trust. It made him meet another Alexia.

Alexia from before the escape. Alexia from before meeting the wrong guy and getting pregnant. Alexia who found herself on a farm and in the arms of a cowboy, who looked very sexy in a suit and tie and without those horrible furs.

Damn it! How I missed him! I stuck my face in my work, so I didn't have to think about Romão, which resulted in considerable growth for the company, although we still have a long way to go, but it was only someone saying his name that the memories came with force. Your touch, your kiss, your smell, the sensations I felt when we were... anyway! No man has ever touched me in such a way that he could twist my wits. Just a touch from him, I could feel that electricity that was coming out of us, making my skin crawl at the simple touch.

I felt an overwhelming desire to see him, even though I could only look at him without having to touch him, I just wanted to have him around. Frankly, I became pathetic, a complete lovesick idiot who would be content just to see the target of his passion, even if he didn't want me around, I just wanted to see him.

And it was in this rush that I opened his office door without knocking and saw something that made my world come crashing down. Pomegranate was... shit! He moved on, he had someone else in his life. Maybe it was better that way, since we couldn't be together. But who was this woman? I had the impression that I knew her from somewhere. Both were startled by my sudden entrance and were uncomfortable.

Romao leaned against the table and kept his head down, unable to face me. That... I don't even know her name. She was a little away from Romao and also with her head down, biting her lower lip trying to hide her smile.

Yes, I know what it was, I felt that way, every time Romão kissed me and seeing it hurt a lot.

It took me a few seconds to compose myself, endless seconds, it never took me so long to get back to my normal posture. I walked a few steps towards Romão's table, he raised his head to face me, I stopped at the same moment his scent reached my nostrils and I felt my body react in that strange way. Tears wanted to form in my eyes and a lump formed in my throat. I had to take a deep breath to be able to speak, which made Romao frown.

"I need the financial reports for the last two months."

My voice was restrained, authoritative, and a little anguished for my taste. I didn't even need that damn report, I just needed an excuse to show up there since I caught them red-handed. I didn't want to admit that I just wanted to see him.

Romão bit his lower lip nervously and ran a hand through his hair, which was a little voluminous, leaving a messy and sexy look, making me lose focus for a moment. Yes, he messed with me in every way possible.

I was screwed!