CHAPTER 12

Adriana

I get up and start walking back and forth in front of the room.

They all look at me intensely. They are certainly wondering what I have to say to them. I stop and cross my hands on my chest.

Me: Hello to everyone here!

They all respond.

Me: Well, the reason I insisted we could talk today is because of a situation that's been bothering me... I'm not going to hang around too long : The police are on our trail.

Peligro:... They've always been on our trail and never caught us...

Me: Peligro, this time they are about to catch us. My contact in the police informed me about it.

I stop and gasp. There is an impeccable silence in the room. I can see that they are wondering what I am getting at.

I put my hands on the table and stare at them.

Me: ... We need someone who will permanently infiltrate the police and make all the evidence they've already accumulated on us disappear.

I read fear in their faces. They all recoil.

Me: Sure, the person will go in with a false identity.

There is still silence. No noise! A yellow laugh comes over me. I didn't know I was surrounded by wimps.

Me: How come out of fifty employees, not one of them is brave....you know exactly how much a mission like this can bring in. Don't you think about all the gifts you dreamed of giving to your families? Peligro!?... Even you? You don't even volunteer?

Peligro (stammering):... Exactly, Madam! When I think of my family. This risk is huge. It is to go to the den of the wolf....

Me (cutting him off): ... yes, yes, I understand. Since there is no one for the mission. We'll end the meeting.

I was about to leave when a voice rang out in the room.

-ME

I look around to see where the noise is coming from and I find the new recruit: Pablo.

All eyes converge on him. Everyone, as well as me, wonders where he could have found such courage.

Me: Very well, follow me in my office.

The thud of my heels resounds on the marbled floor. I hear his steps behind me as well.

Marita

Pablo is definitely a very intriguing character. Of all the people present, he was the only one to offer himself to Adriana's almost impossible mission.

We leave the room. During the entire sit-down, I noticed Anthony's hard, cold stare. He wasn't even looking at me really.

I see him walk away and I walk toward him.

Me: Anthony, please wait!

He pretends not to hear. I take short strides to reach him. I put my hands on his shoulder and he turns around.

His eyes are visibly turned off.

Me: Hello, I... uh

Anthony: ... What's going on? Did you come to make fun of the cuckold?

Me: No, it's not that. I just want you to wait for what I have to say.

He remains silent. There are chairs in the hall.

Me: Come on, let's sit down.

He hesitates a moment but executes.

We sit down and I start talking to him.

Me: Well, yesterday I was very bad. I wasn't feeling well at all. Pablo didn't come near me. I threw myself at him.

Anthony: Is that what he asked you to tell me?

Me: No, not at all. I am talking to you very sincerely... There is nothing between him and me. I'm just attracted to him but it's not mutual. Whenever I've tried to make a pass at him, he's always gently pushed me away. Yesterday I was at my worst and desperate for comfort. I threw myself at him and you came to us.

Anthony: .... Yeah right!

Me: Look, I'm talking to you with all the sincerity I have. Yesterday's incident showed me how far this has gone. I don't want to be a source of trouble between friends. And then you thought about our trio? How will we best execute missions in this atmosphere?

Anthony: what trio? Pablo is going on an undercover mission, haven't you heard?

Me: yes but, we came here together, we have our apartments in the same hallway. Even though we've spent very little time together, we've become attached to each other in a familiar way.

He remains silent.

Anthony: How can I believe you, what proves that all this is not a bunch of lies?

Me: Anthony, I have told you everything. I also know that you have a heart, a conscience. We've all been around Pablo and you've seen the kind of person he is.... Think about it and sort it out for yourself. And I am sure you will make the right decision because you are also a good person and you have a beautiful soul.

Anthony: it's normal that you talk about him like that. You like him so you like him

Throughout the discussion, the expression on his face has changed. He's no longer staring. I feel that he has listened to me and I hope that he will come back to new feelings.

Pablo

I sit in the chair in front of Adriana who looks at me without saying a word.

Me: Uh, Madam....

She cuts me off

Adriana:... So you're ready to do the mission?

Me: Yes of course!

Adriana: And where do you get such courage?

Me: I came here to make money. I want to make a lot of money that I will put at the disposal of my mother who is old and can't work anymore.

Adriana: Yes, I read all that in your file but it's not enough to jump into the lion's den. You are driven by something else.

I start to laugh. I realize that she didn't get where she is today just because of her beauty. Adriana is very smart.

I see her asking herself a multitude of questions.

But above all I can't realize that I am standing in front of my mother. The one who gave birth to me and threw me away like a piece of trash. And who even when she became rich, did not try to find me. After thirty good years....

Me (laughing): But let's see, Madam! For me the only important thing in this life is money. Money is important, isn't it?

Adriana: Of course money is important.

Me: Here you go! I am at your disposal for information about the mission. The sooner it starts, the sooner we can get the cops away from us.

She still remains incredulous.

Adriana: Indeed! This mission is very delicate because the future of the Mafia of Monte Carlo is at stake. If we get burned, you will have led them directly to us. We take a risk but we don't really have a choice. Stay at my disposal because we'll need to be in contact much more often.

Me: With pleasure, Madam.

Adriana: Well, the interview is over.

I get up and walk out of her office still under her insistent gaze.

Once the door is closed behind, I talk to myself.

Me (whispering): Perfect, Pablo. Now we'll have to excel to make the plan work perfectly.

Anthony

I stayed in the hall and had breakfast.

Of course I thought about everything Marita told me.

Pablo is a good guy. He would give anything for me to be noticed by Marita. I don't think he could have gone behind my back again. His downcast look last night and the effort he was putting into making me understand his point of view is coming back to the surface.

Deep down, I don't hold grudges. I have a huge facility for forgiving people and I think it didn't take much for me to forgive him as well, even though he didn't do anything.

It has nothing to do with the fact that Marita is so close to him. It's like that with all the women he meets on his way. He's a good-looking man, so there's nothing wrong with that.

As for me, I realized that I was forcing things with Marita. I do everything to make her notice me but she sees me as a friend. I waste most of my time there. And frankly, it's exhausting.

I'm going to withdraw from this situation. I'm going to forget about her and move on. That's all a decent man is supposed to do in this kind of situation.

Speaking of Pablo, here he comes towards me. I don't say anything, I'm speechless.

Pablo (with a disconcerted look on his face): Hello Anthony.... I know that the events of the day before are still in your head, but I wanted to tell you that I hate it when people take me for false purposes. I know that what you saw hurt you a lot. I was made to look like a hypocrite, which I am not. I have never had a friend in my life. You're my first friend, it hurts me and I think it's silly that we're breaking up over a girl and for a reason that isn't true....bref, excuse me because I'm not anything that you saw yesterday.

He was silent for a moment as he looked at me. He was about to turn away when I jumped on him.

Me: Yeah, buddy! You're forgiven now.

I started laughing and patting him all over the place.

Pablo (confused): What do you mean, since when? And you let me say all this?

Me: Well, Marita came and explained things to me. I thought about it and decided to turn a blind eye to it....that's forgotten.

Pablo: What do you mean? There is no question of turning a blind eye to it, you have to know what really happened.

Me: Whatever you want, I've never been a complicated guy anyway. I pass the sponge easily... and then I missed you.

Pablo: Oh yeah?

Me: Oh yeah!

The expression I read on his face was a joy that was beginning to rise in him.

Pablo: I missed you, too, buddy.

We hugged while patting each other.

Pablo: ...how about we go watch a game!

Me: With pleasure!? You bring the popcorn I hope.

Pablo: Don't even worry about it!

We started walking to our apartments.

Me (teasing): .... Mister cop!

We start to laugh.

Pablo (laughing): Oh no, I'm not a cop.... Just a mission here.

We continue chatting and laughing. I have to admit that it felt really good to have him back. Pablo is a good guy at heart.

Adriana

Sitting in the chair of my office, my nose in the documents I hold in my hand.

There's a knock on my office door

Me: Yes, come in!

The door opens on Catarina.

My heart does a good turn.

Catarina: Hi there, So can I know what's going on that you, Adriana who knows how to handle the most unimaginable situations asks me to get off my trip in a hurry?