Chapter 4 Desperate

Celeste and her boss stood for a second looking at the open door through which the man who had burst into their lives like a tsunami had come out, sweeping them away with all his calm.

"Why did you do that?" the blonde finally spoke, her face red from shame and helplessness.

Her boss turned to her still frowning, but he relaxed it to a passive look when he saw those blue eyes that had never been his because he had always been a coward.

"You don't have to do this, Celeste..." he said much more calmly, coming back to himself.

-I need the money...

-You know that I...

-Dany...- she interrupted him- I don't want to hear more than you can help me- she exclaimed furiously, then she watched as her boss lowered his gaze and sighed exhausted- You know that I will never be able to compensate for everything that you and your father have helped me all these years, you have been my guardian angels along with Kristal, but I am no longer a homeless girl- she said in a sweet tone, getting closer to her old friend- I want to do this on my own. Please?

Dany sighed defeated, the lamb-like look of his friend had a sedative effect on him.

-As you wish...

Celeste smiled satisfied and hugged her friend.

-Thank you Dany.

-Let me take you to your house- exclaimed the young man when the hug broke- You know how worried I get every time you return to that neighborhood at night and alone.

The young woman was about to protest once more, but this time she let it go, having gotten Dany to listen to her was already a great achievement.

-Okay, just let me take my things.

Dany smiled widely with those dimples of hers that made the blonde forget that a few seconds ago she had ruined her private show. Because her boss and friend had that, he could be a hardhead, a fighter and a very possessive person, but he also cared about his loved ones and knew that he would do everything in his power and more for his little family.

Not for nothing was he her first love.

-

-Which one do you want?

-The same as always, darling- exclaimed Bruno, sitting down on the soft armchair in the living room of his friend and boss César Cáceres.

César snorted but said nothing and served him silently. It was not the time to send him to hell, not when his idiot informant finally had some information about Thomas.

Ever since he had created his company CC Motors, Thomas de Anchorena had been a nuisance to his company, always beating him by a hair, which was humiliating. He needed to find something to destroy him and be alone at the top, there was no room for both of them there.

-Come on, tell me what information you got- he exclaimed dryly, sitting on the armchair in front of Bruno.

The young man did not feel intimidated and crossed his legs while enjoying his favorite whiskey.

-Calm down Cesar, didn't you miss me? - he said in a pout. - We haven't seen each other for months.

The CEO of CC motors clenched his fists tightly and restrained himself from telling him to fuck off and firing him.

-I don't have time to think about anyone- he said harshly.

Bruno rolled his eyes. - You're just like Thomas, how boring men are.

-Are you going to tell me once and for all?

-Okay, okay- he exclaimed with annoyance.- Today we went out with Thomas, I invited him to have some drinks. Do you know that he is just as desperate as you to win first place? He spends his time talking about that, that CC motors this, that CC motors....

-Stop going around in circles Bruno!

-That's it! God... everyone is yelling at me- he made a fake pout- Angel...

-Huh?

-Angel... that's the name of the girl that Thomas acted like a complete idiot for today. You should have seen it! All that was missing was for him to kiss her feet-

Cesar's tense and grumpy face changed to a sinister expression, a long and pointed smile appeared on his face.

-So Anchorena has a weakness....

-Well, I wouldn't say that...

-Find out more about her.- he ordered dryly.

-But Cesar, what are you planning to do?- he said now leaving the jokes aside.

-You just do your job.

Bruno was about to protest when his phone vibrated. He wasn't surprised to see Thomas' name on the screen, he had left the bar without saying anything and perhaps the young man was asking for an explanation. The last thing he wanted at that moment was for someone else to yell at him.

-Go with him...

-But...

-Go with him, Bruno- he ordered- The last thing I want right now is for him to suspect, just go and make a simple excuse and play along as always.

Bruno got up from the chair and nodded sadly. He was getting tired of playing both sides, it was exhausting, especially when he had grown fond of the idiot Thomas. But when he saw the hard and intimidating face of his real boss, he ran out of there terrified, unable to refuse his orders.

-

His boss's Mercedes Benz entered Celeste's neighborhood. The street lights had turned yellow, as they were very old streetlamps. They barely illuminated the run-down neighborhood of streets with large holes that made the car shake.

The blonde was used to the place, so many years living in the same area had made her grow fond of it. She wasn't afraid to live there, in fact, she loved her neighborhood, it was quiet, the noise of the traffic couldn't be heard and that was music to her ears.

Dany growled under his breath as he turned down a street without light. He stopped his latest model car at the entrance of Celeste's old building and got out before her, observing the scene with suspicion before opening the door to the young woman.

Celeste would have laughed if it was the first time her boss did that as if he were her bodyguard, but she knew he was just worried about her, even though nothing had ever happened to her when she arrived so late.

They climbed the 10 floors in silence, there was no time to talk when it was hard to breathe from the exercise. The elevator had stopped working months ago and the owner didn't have the money to pay for the repairs.

What he charged the tenants in rent, poor people, some with addiction problems or debts, wasn't enough to be able to maintain the building. No one complained, because no one could stand an increase in the rent, and Celeste was no exception.

They finally reached the door of her apartment. Dany stepped aside, knowing that the metal door had its tricks to be opened. Without using a key, the blonde gave it a precise kick and it opened.

"What did I tell you about locking the door?" he said, more worried than angry.

Celeste entered her home followed by her boss and threw her bag aside with a giggle.

-They could steal from me? - she said mockingly.

-Just don't do it at least when you're inside, please- she begged.

Celeste brought a glass of water to Dany while she placed frozen food for two people in her old microwave.

-You shouldn't live in a place like that- she heard him say behind her back.

"Again with that" she thought furiously.

-It's the only thing I can afford. But it's mine- she said proudly.

-It's very dangerous, Celeste. You come back so late. You even forget to lock it! How can you sleep so peacefully in a place like this?

-I'm sorry I can't afford a more decent place! If it bothers you so much to come here, you'd better leave.

-Celeste...

-Go away Dany, it's not going to be a problem if they steal the wheels from your car- she exclaimed without looking at him, taking the food out of the microwave.

Dany lowered her head and sighed, turning around.

-Just lock it this time, okay?- Celeste didn't answer- Get some rest, angel.

The blonde heard the door close and finally released the air she had been holding in her lungs. Dany could be insistent, like a father suffocating his only son.

Tired, she walked with the now hot tray of food to the couch and threw herself down hard, beginning to eat carelessly. When she finally calmed down, she remembered those jade eyes and took the card she had put in her cleavage.

-Thomas de Anchorena... CEO of Anchorena Motors...- he said out loud, reading the card.

He looked like someone important, although he had no idea who he was. Curious, he searched for his name on the internet, surprised to see thousands of news stories about the young man.

"The prodigious son of the Anchorenas opens a new branch in Argentina"

"AM Motors dethrones CC Motors for the fifth time in profits"

"The coveted bachelor of the most influential automobile company in the world"

-He's a damn rich kid!- he screamed, dropping the tray of food that fell forgotten on the floor.

"Shit, I can't lose him" He thought, saving his number in his phone.

-

-Boss, I got here as fast as I could. Sorry for leaving you alone at the bar! It's just that my friends...

-What do you know about angel?- asked Thomas quickly.

-Huh?- exclaimed the young man, confused.

-What do you know about the girl who did the show dressed as an angel?- he asked losing patience.

-Wow... for a moment I thought you had worried about me- he said with a pout. But he stopped joking when he saw his boss's furious face- Fine, calm down... she's one of the bar dancers, she usually does shows on the weekends.- he said without giving it much importance.

-Do you know if that's her real name? Do you know anything else about her?

-I don't know anything else, why do you ask?- he exclaimed raising his eyebrows amused.

At that moment Thomas realized how desperate he sounded in front of Bruno. So he leaned back in his seat pretending to keep his composure.

-You're welcome- he said- You can go now.

-You're not fooling me, you liked the pretty dancer- he said amused.

Thomas was about to kick him out when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. -Go away- he said, distracting himself with his cell phone. If Bruno saw that he was busy with some business, he would leave at once, and it worked.

-Tomorrow you pay for my breakfast, you've been very cruel to me today- He received no response from his boss, who seemed to be in shock from whatever he was reading on his screen.

Thomas read and reread the message from an unknown number, he thought that the blonde wouldn't talk to him, that his idiot boss had taken his card.

"I'm sorry about what happened today, I'm very embarrassed. Do you want me to reserve the private session for next Saturday? This time I promise that no one will bother us ;)"

-

Since she had sent the message, Celeste walked from one end to the other of her small apartment nervously. She had barely pressed "Send" and regretted it, she didn't have time to delete it when she saw the two blue check marks that the man had read her message.

-Shit shit! He must think I'm desperate.

She almost dove headfirst for her phone when she heard it vibrate. She had imagined a message like "Get lost, I'm not going back to that seedy dive." But her blue eyes opened wide and her cheeks flushed when she read:

"See you next Saturday, Angel."