Chapter 2 The proposal

Mr. Reginaldo: I've heard that you're about to finish your advanced pastry course and I want to offer you a supervised internship to make our company's cakes. It'll be for two months and, of course, you'll get an extra R$200 every end of the month. If you pass the internship, you'll move up.

Lorena: That's wonderful, Mr. Reginaldo, I accept. Who will be my supervisor?

Mr. Reginaldo: I'll call you now.

The boss sends Victor a text message:

"Mr. Reginaldo: Victor, I want you in my office now. We need to take care of business - 17:47."

Victor - who had just finished arranging the cakes in the fridge - reads his boss's message and replies:

"Victor: ok boss, I'll be there - 5:47 p.m."

Mr. Reginaldo explains the proposal to his employee and he is delighted, because this way he can be close to Lorena and perhaps win her over.

Lorena, for her part, was surprised that he wanted to help her with her internship because she thought Victor thought she was strange - because they hardly spoke to each other.

Lorena is released from her job and goes home with her daughter, but Victor calls her to talk.

Victor: Lorena, wait! - she turns around and he flashes her a beautiful smile.

Lorena: Do you want to talk to me?

Victor: Yes, I wanted to sort out the details of your internship.

Lorena: I'll give you my contact and you can send me the details, OK? I have to take Aurora home because she's already tired.

Victor: Sure, all right - he picks up his cell phone and she writes down his number - I'll send you a message.

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At home, Lorena prepares a snack for her daughter while she finishes tidying the house. Victor has already sent her a message, telling her what the internship will be like.

Victor: you'll start in the morning because I know you need to pick up your daughter and in the afternoon you'll continue to learn, but only by observing my work. We'll bake the order cake together, which is a pizza-shaped cake - 7:12 p.m."

"Lorena: OK, thanks for the information. Will I be at the company at the usual time or do I need to arrive earlier? - 19h12."

"Victor: it can be the same time - 19h12."

"Lorena: ok, I'll see you tomorrow - 19h12."

Lorena continues with her housework while her daughter eats something - Sucrillos with warm milk.

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Before going to bed, Lorena reviews what she has learned in the course to put it into practice the next day, but she had no idea that her life was about to change.

Victor, for his part, is excited about finally spending more time with Lorena and being able to try to win her over or at least start a solid friendship.

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Lorena goes to sleep at 11pm, feeling tired, but at least she has managed to finish the housework and put her daughter to bed.

The next morning, Lorena wakes up feeling ready to start her new internship at the company. She wakes Aurora up and gets her ready for class.

(This is just to find out her school uniform. I couldn't find one with the character's features).

Lorena is wearing a long-sleeved beige T-shirt with dark-colored linen pants. She wears white sneakers on her feet and ties her hair up in a high bun.

Lorena: Aurora, brush those teeth well, huh - warns her mother - and don't be late because Mom has to go to work.

Aurora: I've already brushed them - she appears in the living room and smiles, showing off her clean teeth - can I play in the playground today?

Lorena: After I get off work, I'll take you. You don't have swimming today, so I'll pick you up from school and take you to work with me. So choose a toy to take.

Aurora: can it be two? I want to take my reborn baby and my coloring book.

Lorena: yes. Put them in your backpack and make sure you don't lose them at school. Can we go?

Aurora: Yes, Mom.

Lorena checked the messages on her cell phone and there was one from her mother:

"Letícia: good morning daughter, I miss you. When are you coming to visit? - 06h03."

Lorena replies to the message:

"Lorena: good morning mom. You're up early. We miss you too. We can come next weekend - 06h42."

"Letícia: I went for a walk with your father. He needs it because of his diabetes. I'll send a car to pick you up on Saturday morning. I know you work a lot on Friday - 06h43."

"Lorena: no need, Mom, we'll go by bus. We'll be at your house in two hours. Send Dad a kiss. Now I have to take Aurora to school and go to work - 06h43."

"Leticia: OK, child. I'd rather you came by car, but you know what's best for you. I'll see you on Saturday. A kiss for my granddaughter- 06h44."

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With Aurora at school, Lorena heads off for another day's work, thinking about what this first day of her internship will be like. Even though she already worked in the confectionery business, Lorena knew it would be a big challenge, with more complex orders that would require a lot of effort and dedication, which she has plenty of.

When she arrived at the company, Victor was already waiting for her, again with a cup of coffee in his hands, ready to hand it over.

Lorena: I'll get used to this, Victor.

Victor: it's okay, I like to please women - he smiles and she shyly returns the smile - finish your coffee and then we can start your new shift.

After a few minutes, the two of them began the process of making the pizza-shaped cake - which had been requested by a client who was going to have a birthday the following day.

Lorena was excited to learn how to make it and Victor took the opportunity to stay very close to her, making eye contact with her and holding her hand with the excuse that he needed to better instruct her to get her hands dirty.

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The first part of the shift was over and Lorena went to the school to pick up her daughter, when she saw someone she knew in the distance. She squints and recognizes him immediately - it's her ex-husband, Dimitri.