IN THESE FIRST months of our relationship, Jaime is behaving like a perfect gentleman. Everything is going marvellously. Yet just occasionally, I can see and detect some odd things. Perhaps it’s only my imagination. I have never interfered in anyone else’s life before, but now I find myself looking into his diary, and feeling terribly guilty about it. I found coded entries, a sign that he is hiding something from me, but as yet I have no proof. In the end I chose not to worry too much about it, and we have gone on seeing each other. Then today at noon he asked me to go and live with him.
We have to find somewhere to live together. We have already agreed on the district we would like: Barcelona’s Olympic Village, mainly because you can see the sea from there. Both of us adore the sea. I’ve always dreamed of living in a huge loft facing the sea and the beach, and now at last with Jaime this can become a reality. With some difficulty we eventually found a flat of a hundred and twenty square metres looking onto the beach, with private parking and round-the-clock security. I insisted the flat should have at least three bedrooms, so that we can have his children to stay. When I explained why I wanted so many rooms, Jaime was in complete agreement, but I was surprised that the idea didn’t come from him. I think that he probably wants to cement our relationship before he mixes it with his family.
This morning we went to sign the rental agreement at a very demanding estate agency. Jaime had to bring half a million pesetas in cash to cover the deposit and the first rent payment. I went with him because we had said we would put the agreement in both our names; I thought this was clear, but then at the last minute Jaime asked if I had a problem with using just my name.
‘I thought we were both going to be on it. Is there something wrong?’
‘No, don’t worry. I’ll pay the rent, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer not to have my name on the contract. I don’t want my ex-wife to find out. If she did, she’d only ask me to pay more for the kids.’
At that moment, I picked up on an important detail. The kids, as he calls them, are adults, and each of them lives with their own partner, works, and is completely independent. The payments for them must have been agreed more than ten years ago, so his explanation did not really stand up.
However, I was so excited at the idea of living with him in this fantastic apartment I did not want to cause any problems, so I accepted that only my name should be on the rental agreement.
We told the agency all this, and that although I did not have steady employment, I had more than enough money to pay up to two years’ rent. The agency said that the owner did not wish to rent to anyone without a fixed job. I was devastated, because I could see our dream home slipping away from us.
Yet again, Jaime said he would deal with everything, and this afternoon we went back to the agency, he gave them some papers, and I signed the contract. As we were leaving, I said how surprised I was that everything had been sorted out, and Jaime told me that he had showed them my bank statements and that had been sufficient. It was only later that I found out he had given them my latest ‘payslip’, which he had drawn up in his office without saying a word to me, signing it with his name and putting his company stamp on it.
I feel happy because this morning we moved in. We did it all in a few hours, as I have so few things. Jaime only brought clothing from his mother’s house, where he stays, and some paintings which he says were left him by his father from his private collection, and which are extremely valuable. It’s not much for such a huge flat, and I can see we’re going to need lots of furniture.
This afternoon we went on a tour of all the local furniture shops. When we had chosen what we wanted, Jaime insisted on paying for it all despite my protests, because I wanted to share the expense.
Jaime has told me he has a chalet outside Madrid, and that he often meets up with his children there at weekends. I was delighted at the idea of spending my weekends there too, but he said he would first have to explain to them that he now had a serious relationship with someone. But I would need to be patient because his son, although he is almost the same age as me, gets very jealous when he sees his father with women who are not his mother. I could understand that, and told myself I would just have to be patient and understanding. Above all, I wanted them to accept me. After all, I’m going to be the stepmother of a boy and girl who are already grown-up.
As today is Friday, Jaime caught the shuttle to Madrid to meet his children. He called me soon afterwards to find out how I was, and our conversation on the phone was very affectionate. We seem to have a marvellous and happy future ahead of us. Curiously, now we are living together, we will probably see less of each other than when we lived apart.
I only see Sonia occasionally. She knows about my relationship with Jaime, but thinks I rushed into living with him.
‘You hardly know him! And besides, he doesn’t even spend a single weekend with you. Doesn’t that seem odd?’
‘Listen who’s talking!’ I said ironically. ‘You were always looking for your Prince Charming, and now you’re saying I rushed into it when I met mine!’
‘That’s not what I’m saying, Val! I’m simply suggesting you were being a bit hasty in leaving your flat and going to live with a man you don’t know at all well. Has he introduced you to his family at least?’
‘Not yet, Sonia. He needs time. You can understand that, can’t you? He has two children and an ex-wife who has cancer. With that situation in the family, just think what would have happened if I turned up out of the blue. It would be adding insult to injury. I don’t think it’s right. Not for now at least.’
‘OK! I agree. You’re right, it’s too soon. But don’t you think it’s odd that he has this luxury chalet outside Madrid, and that before he met you he lived with his mother?’
Sonia was starting to make me feel nervous. At first I put her suspicions down to the sort of jealousy all women feel when one of us gets what we have all dreamed of. It’s only human.
‘He bought the chalet when he was going out with Carolina, a former girlfriend he met in Madrid. That’s where they lived. In those days, Jaime also had an office in the capital. Whenever he came to Barcelona, he stayed with his mother. It seems perfectly normal and logical to me. There’s nothing odd or mysterious in wanting to see his mother.’
‘All right, but tell me just one thing. If his children live in Barcelona, why do they all have to go to Madrid to see each other?’
I had no answer to that. I could see that Sonia was very concerned about me and the new life I had chosen. She’s also a bit put out because ever since I got together with Jaime, we see less of each other.
‘You’re right, Sonia. But you’ve been with your boyfriend a lot as well. Anyway, I promise to ring you more often from now on. With the apartment and the move and everything, I haven’t had a moment to myself. I hope you can see that. Oh, and by the way I was thinking of organizing a small dinner party next Thursday so you could meet Jaime. What do you think?’
‘Of course, I’d really like that.’
‘That way you can make it up to him,’ I said with a laugh.
‘OK, that’s great.’
‘You can bring your boyfriend if you like.’
Her face fell a hundred feet.
‘We broke it off last week.’
I had really put my foot in it. Now I understood why she was so suspicious of Jaime. A man had dropped her, and she was angry with all males.
‘He had another girlfriend he hadn’t told me about. I found out by accident and told him I had had enough.’
‘I understand, sweetheart. I’m really sorry. But just because it happened to you with that bastard doesn’t mean all men are the same, Sonia.’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll get over it. By the way, Bigudi really misses you.’
Hearing that made me very sad. Above all, I would like to have Bigudi back with me, but I had been forced to leave him with Sonia because Jaime can’t stand cats. So for now the poor creature would not be welcome at home.