Chapter 2 The engagement (II)

My friend raised her eyebrow, analyzing me:

- You look like an 80's rocker.

- What did you expect? A dress in pastel colors and a sandal with sarowsky crystals finishing with a bun on top of my head? I'm only 24.

- I think Robin is expecting a pastel dress and a bun on top of his head. He's in a suit and looks about 10 years older than he really is.

- And I don't know? If he does, he's closing deals while he waits for me. - I started to laugh.

- I'm going to go downstairs and give my son some more love," Babi warned. - Don't be long, Malu. Being late is chic, but being too late is tacky.

- I think I'll come down with you, Babi... To give your son a little cuddle too... - Ester made a gesture of leaving with Barbara and I pulled her by the arm.

- Are you mad?

- Why? Theo's a hottie.

- It's Theo, damn it!

- So talk to your cousin about me, explaining that I'm an interesting woman, rich, good in bed and not at all clingy.

- Who would fuck Dimitry? - I pretended to have a stomachache.

- Fuck, what happens in your family to make these men so beautiful? I'd take them all except Ben.

I laughed:

- I'd say genetics, girlfriend. After all, look at Heitor and Sebastian. As for Ben, he wouldn't want to be caught by you.

I took a step towards the stairs and Ester asked me:

- Do you love Robin?

- Love is a strong word," I said.

- You know he loves you, don't you?

- Love exists between my parents. And between Ben and my parents. And between my parents and me... And between us and Theo. I don't believe in any other kind of love.

- Fuck, what are you doing then?

- Trying to be a responsible, serious woman.

- And you think marrying Robin is what's going to get you this title?

- I like him.

- But...

- That's for me to decide," I finished.

- May I ask you something?

Ester was serious and we rarely had revealing conversations.

- 'Yes,' I said, uncertain.

- 'Do you still love that boy from your teenage years?

I arched my eyebrow, confused, feeling the blood boil inside me, at the same time I answered, with another question, making myself look unintelligent.

- What boy?

- The one who used to make you cry when you were drunk....

- I don't remember that. - I pretended to be ignorant.

- You never mentioned his name...

- I never drank my sanity away.

- Do you still love him?

- He never existed. "I think it was you who drank it," I assured, turning my back and heading for the small flight of stairs.

As soon as I got down the few steps, Robin came up to me and everyone clapped for us. The living room was completely packed and I barely knew the people who were there. I was not the sociable type, but Robin had so many friends that when we got married we would have to use two churches to accommodate everyone.

- You look... Beautiful! - He looked me over from head to toe.

Robin wore a black suit of a famous brand, perfectly cut, impeccable. His white shirt was showing, with the first two buttons open. Amazingly, he wore no tie that night, perhaps because it was so customary, almost like wearing underpants.

My almost-fiancé was dark, tall, with light brown eyes and thick, well-drawn eyebrows. Slim, slightly muscular and with long legs full of curly hair. His chest also had fuzz, which bothered me somewhat. I could never persuade him to shave. His well-cut hair had a slight tuft at the front, which he made a point of combing upwards, giving it an even more masculine look.

Robin Giordano exuded masculinity from every pore and was not bad in bed. The X of the matter was that I didn't like such men, gallant even when it came to fucking.

While I was analyzing my future fiancé, Robin took a small box out of his pocket and opened it, showing the ring with a gigantic diamond that would soon belong to me.

- É... Beautiful! - I couldn't help myself as I admired the simplicity of the pure yet huge stone.

Robin kissed me on the cheek and took the ring off, putting it on my ring finger. Everyone clapped. We were engaged? Was that it? Or would we do something else?

The flashes lit up the room overnight, everyone trying to get a photo of the engagement of one of the Casanova heiresses and the owner of the largest cosmetics company in Noriah Norte.

I looked at Heitor and didn't see a smile on his lips, which worried me somewhat.

- 'I'm happy, my little star,' Robin whispered in my ear.

Ever since we met, he had been calling me 'little star'. It was all because he closed a near-miss deal the day we first got together, so he thought I was his lucky star. I hated the nickname the downgrader had given me.

- I'm happy too... - I smiled.

My mother-in-law took my arm gently, pulling me away from Robin, while she spoke in my ear:

- What is this outfit, Malu? Did Barbara approve of this?

I faced the woman of more than 1.80 meters and said:

- This is the outfit I chose for today. And my mother doesn't usually approve or disapprove of what I wear. In case you forgot, I'm 24 years old.

- Your pictures will be all over the media tomorrow. And it looks like my daughter-in-law is going dancing in a Babylonian cage.

- Here's a wonderful idea I hadn't thought of, mother-in-law. Robin would love to see me take my clothes off in one of the cages.

I spotted Theo among the crowd, a cup in his hand, drinking alone. He turned towards me and smiled. I didn't hear anything else the woman was saying next to me, although her voice still echoed in my ears. I practically ran to Theo, pushing past everyone around me.

When I got close, I stood still. It had been a couple of years since we'd seen each other. And fuck... He had grown up so much.

Theo came over to me and hugged me tightly, using only one arm, his hand still trying to keep his drink intact.

- Should I be flattered by your presence, little brother? - I joked.

- Yes, you know I wouldn't leave my business for the world.

- But I'm your favorite sister, isn't that right?

- Yes, you are. - He smiled, showing his beautiful white, aligned teeth.

Theo wore a black suit with a tie of the same color. The buttons of his white shirt were closed all the way to his neck, and it took my breath away to imagine how uncomfortable he must be in that. Or not!

My brother was light-skinned, like my mother. His eyes were a mixture of my father's and hers. He was tall and thin, but not as tall as Robin. Yes, he had grown into a man. And I remembered what my mother used to say, that I still looked like a girl. I guess the same was true for my brother.

The black hair was very well styled, even with an extremely short cut. And the face was smooth, the beard completely removed.

I felt arms wrap around me from behind and Robin's hand was extended to Theo:

- Am I to be flattered by your presence, brother-in-law?

Theo shook my fiancé's hand and smiled:

- Looking at it from the side that we are almost enemies in business, I think so, "brother-in-law".

- It is forbidden to talk about business today. - I was emphatic.

- Of course we won't talk business. It's the day my little sister made an appointment. - Theo looked at me.

- E... Your girlfriend?

Before he could answer, Dimitry appeared, hugging Theo:

- A miracle? It's a miracle! Theo Casanova in Noriah North? You have power, Malu. You brought our baby back," he joked.

I laughed at the way Dimitry was impressed by Theo's presence.

- 'I don't like the presence of the press,' my father said, coming closer.

- 'I don't mind,' I confessed. - 'I even think they are being nice and giving us space.

- 'My only condition is that they don't go beyond the living room.

- And are you complying? - Theo asked.

- 'I left Anon to take care of it.

- 'Then no one will go past the living room,' Theo assured.

- 'I hear you're developing a unique product, Theo. 'Still thinking of taking me down? - Robin teased.

- 'Damn it, Robin, you haven't seen Theo in years. It's our engagement party and you're going to talk business? - I criticized, crossing my arms, bored.

- I'm going to be your direct competitor, Giordano. - Theo called him by his surname, his voice firm, commanding.

- 'I'm betting on Theo,' my father mentioned, smiling.

I took a deep breath and turned around, heading towards the bar, where they were making the drinks. Impossible as it seemed, there was no flavored draft beer, the flagship of the North B. Company. I ordered a sparkling wine and heard the whisper in my ear, causing the usual shiver:

- Does this engagement mean the end of us?

- Yes. It's over, Dimi. - I stared at him.

- 'What if I say I don't accept that?

- "You'll have to accept that this little body will never be yours again," I teased, sipping sexily at the bubbly drink in my glass.