| |
"Miss McAllister?"
"Kettermann, you can come in." The voice responding to me comes from the closet. It's a surprise to find the room perfectly tidy so early.
I quickly check my appearance in the mirror. My brown eyes carried subtle makeup, my hair was tied in a low ponytail, the dress shirt and black suit were perfectly aligned.
"Good morning! Everything alright? The car is waiting at the door," I say.
"Good morning! I'm coming down already. Won't take long, just need to finish my makeup and grab a folder of documents. Brett has arrived, I imagine!"
My boss was a woman of average height. Her red hair was loose but contained behind her ears, reaching just before the height of her shoulders and, as a result, highlighting her gold earrings. She was one of the wealthiest women in Spain, owner of several industries and, most notably, the family's centuries-old vineyards.
"Not yet, but surely won't be long. Need anything?"
"Actually, yes. Take my suitcase downstairs. It's near the door," she gestures with a makeup brush.
As I reach the stairs, some time later, the noise coming from the kitchen, from the espresso machine, indicates that Brett had arrived. Her hair was tied in wool braids in a shade similar to her natural hair and she wore formal clothes in blue. We definitely weren't close, all I knew about her was the research I did on the people who interacted daily with my boss so I could know what I was dealing with. But the coexistence was quite easy.
Casually, I check the watch on my wrist and immediately a familiar beep echoes in my ear. I answer the call and one of the other security guards informs me that they are ready, just waiting to leave. I grab the suitcase, take it to the car, and head to the security room to make sure everything is okay. I hear laughter coming from the garage. I meet Dianna and Brett, I sit in the driver's seat while the two settle in the back seat. I start the car and, as we leave the street, I activate the mansion's security system.
A few hours of flight later, we arrive at the hotel. Dianna has two more bodyguards, Luke and Michelle. We, besides being coworkers, are best friends. I met Luke in the police training course and Michelle, I met a few years later at the academy, because we trained at the same time. Since then, these two are the most important thing in my life.
Michelle would stay with Dianna at the hotel until nighttime, which was when I took over to take my boss to an appointment. During this time, Luke and I went to get the rented cars. There were two BMWs, one for Miss McAllister's service and the other with the two guards who weren't escorting her and Brett.
At night, I pick up Dianna from her room. Walking through the corridors, I see how beautiful the hotel was: well decorated, luxurious. I head to the presidential suite where Dianna was staying. Michelle was in front of the door, already waiting for me.
"Good evening. Is she ready?" I ask.
"I believe so."
"Luke is already waiting downstairs. We'll be on our way soon. You can go."
I position myself next to the door, in the place where Michelle was when I arrived. She nods, bidding farewell.
We descend the hotel elevator. It was all mirrored and well-lit, with a navy blue carpet. I adjust the communicator in my ear. Luke and Michelle were waiting for us in the car, outside the hotel. I inform them that we were on our way. I look at my boss, she looks stunning. Wearing a black satin dress, hair pulled back, and a good smell, almost woody, had taken over the place. It was just a simple welcome dinner in town, with the company director she was going to buy. Tomorrow, there would be a more festive dinner; today, it would be just a mere formality.
Her posture changes as we enter the restaurant: head held high, confident, intimidating, clearly superior to anyone there. I look around and I'm sure the most modest dish there would be a whole month's salary for me. Just by hearing the surname McAllister, the waiter changes his demeanor. For a second, I thought he was going to kiss the ground for my boss to pass. After all the flattery, we head towards the mezzanine reserved for dinner. We walk, and, with two steps to go, I realize that, at the table, the company director was already waiting for us. He was a man who looked only a few years older than me, short hair combed back. Handsome.
"If my eyes don't fail me, Miss McAllister herself!" He stands up and positions himself at the side of the table to greet her with a handshake. He leans forward to kiss Dianna's hand, but she pulls it back before it happens. That was more than enough to put me on alert.
"Good evening, Alencar," she says, simple and formal.
"Good evening. It's a pleasure to welcome you back to the city," he replies in a cordial tone and sits back in his chair. I pull out the chair for my boss to sit and position myself close to the wall behind her.
"The pleasure is all mine. Besides, we have many matters to discuss this week."
"Yes. All the board members were very pleased with your collaboration. I'm delighted that such a young lady can have such great talent for business."
"Yes, I know how important it is. Especially with the company entering this new phase, our partnership will undoubtedly be a success. I trust your work very much to manage things, as my partner," she says calmly, but with the air of superiority always present. A dig.
"We'll make this new project a millionaire success. It won't be the first one I lead, my family is a partner in many equally large companies, as you know. Undoubtedly, it will be a great deal."
The appetizer dish is soon served. Alencar starts bragging about his family's fortune, as if that could surprise anyone there. Their conversation is full of suspicions, always on a fine line between formal matters and an outright fight.
I was used to standing for hours, but the fatigue of the trip wanted to start taking its toll. I wonder if, for Dianna, the chatter is as bad as it is for me. Every time the waiter changed the dish, a part of me rejoiced in knowing that dinner was closer to the end. My experience with refined dinners said there would be 7 courses in total. The fact that he spoke obvious things about Dianna's work with a tone of superiority made me want to interrupt the meeting right there. But as long as her security wasn't threatened, I couldn't do anything but stay there quietly and do my job.
"Considering everything that happened, all that scandal with your father, I believed you would back down from accepting this proposal. I assumed you wouldn't be willing to deal with such responsibility," his tone is disdainful.
"I committed myself. I am sure of what I am doing. Regardless of what happened, any debt that the McAllister companies could have had has already been paid. After all, we started processing the paperwork for this deal in December. I honestly don't see any reason for this insecurity. Anyway, I will be more than happy to answer any of your questions if that will make you less insecure," she doesn't let herself be shaken, has a rehearsed answer, and doesn't leave room for him to counter-argue.
A waiter passes by the table, removes the dishes, and soon serves a plate of shrimp. According to my calculations, it was the fourth dish. The next one was dessert, leaving only coffee and crystallized fruits.
"I admire your confidence and determination. After what happened, I myself found it necessary to increase my security," Alencar tries to replicate to the same extent.
The dinner proceeds quite amiably once she, McAllister, began to lead the dialogue, a more relaxed atmosphere even though everything said there was related to the company, investments, and momentarily some comments about the refined gastronomy of New York restaurants.
The last dishes arrive and it doesn't take long for them finally to rise from the table. Dianna bids farewell with a firm handshake and I accompany her to the exit. I leave first, briefly looking at the street, and then she descends the steps of the restaurant door.