An Irresistible Widower

Jack

I think I'm going to die in this elevator, it's so stuffy. I have never understood why elevators are always full, it is rare when I use this thing and it is empty. I hate elevators! There are always people talking shit. I have a friend who always says: "Jack, stop being silly. You're the only one who has a problem with elevators. I have no patience with idiots like her, who love to talk this shit. I am terrified.

And to make it even better, my friend's son of a bitch friend owns a company with several floors here in New York. I keep thinking... if his company couldn't have two floors at most... He couldn't have a company on the first floor, or even with one or two floors, but of course not, he likes to see me suffer, he must.

I look down at my clothes to see how I look. Not bad, in my humble opinion: basic jeans, with a rocker t-shirt, jacket and sneakers. I am fine as I am, I run my hand down my back lightly so that no one notices that I am carrying a gun. It is embarrassing enough to walk through the lobby and the alarms go off because of the metal detector. This is when I feel like killing my friend. I even had to listen to his laughter, making fun of my face. I breathe a sigh of relief as I get out of the damn elevator.

I walk towards his office, but first I stop at his secretary's desk, who just by looking at it I can tell is a slut, I don't know how he could have hired her. In my opinion, he can only have some problem hiring a woman who is written on her face: slutaaaaa. I give a fake smile and ask the oxygenated blonde in front of me:

- I came to see Mr. Monteiro. - The fake dog Barbie looks me up and down, as if I were an unidentified species. And says:

- Mr. Monteiro, at the moment, is busy and will not be able to attend to you.

The cow tells me this in such an ironic tone that I immediately imagine that he must be fucking her, who, in turn, imagines that I am one more who has gone out with him. Who does she think she is? Looking at her, the donkey must be eating her. And this one must think I'm one of his flings.

- Hmmm, seriously. Tell her that Jackeline Baptista is here and, for your information, I don't need to schedule an appointment, my child.

- So, Mrs. Baptista, he is really very busy and will not be able to see you. I will make an appointment with him for next week. November 3rd, at 9am. What's up? Does Barbie really think I'll expect to be seen next week?

Has she gone crazy? Has she? I grab my cell phone, call the number of my asshole friend and hear a voice saying:

- Rafael Monteiro. - Wow, that son of a bitch can be serious when he wants to be.

- Kindly, Mr. Monteiro? - I ask, knowing it was the idiot.

- Yes?- he answered.

- You idiot! Would you please come out here and tell your "FUCKING" secretary that I don't need an appointment to talk to you," I say all this in a very sweet and debauched way. I hear a great laugh and he says:

- Only you, Jack. - And the human beast continues to laugh in my face. Asshole.

- Is it over? - I ask. - Thank you," I answer dryly.

- I'll be right there, my love. - he says in a passionate tone.

- It's no use talking like that, using that tone with me, Ralph. It doesn't work with me!

I turn off the cell phone. Before long, about two minutes, I hear the door open and see Rafael pointing at the door to his living room. As always, a cat. The good thing about being friends is that we never had any interest in being together. We have always been companions, I confess that sometimes he was a pain in the ass, but I love him just the way he is.

- My goodness, how beautiful you look! - he says in an amused tone. And I just glare at him, making him laugh again.

- Ralph, you're such an idiot," I grumble.

- You love me," he teases.

- Oh, you poor thing! You really think you are," I mock.

He comes to me and hugs me. I give in and tell him that I love those moments. I know and he knows it, because I am not one to show it and easily tell the four winds what I feel. When he lets me go, he turns to the dumb and watery blonde secretary and says:

- Cristina, whenever Miss Baptista comes here to the office, you can let her in, I don't need to be notified.

- But, Mr. Monteiro, I've never seen her around here. I thought she was just one of the girls who come here to see you. Do you understand me? - she says looking disdainfully at me.

- I don't understand and I don't want to understand. Please, Cristina, put yourself in your place. Please, Cristina! - he says in a serious tone.

- Yes, sir! - replied Cristina in a sad tone.

- Now, please, I'll be busy talking to Miss Baptista and I don't want to be interrupted. Do you understand?

- Yes, you may, Mr. Monteiro," Cristina answers with a look that frowns at me.

- Good," he says and looks at me, "and you, Miss Troublemaker, come into my office now.

- Yes, sir. I salute him and enter his room.

Jack

- Who is Alex? Don't change the subject, Rafael. I bet it must be very good indeed, because it is a sign that you eat it or you must have eaten it already. And if you haven't, then do it. Because Barbie over there thinks I am her new lover.

- What kind of language is that, Miss Jackeline? - he says in a serious tone.

- It seems that you don't talk like that with the "good" women," I comment, making quotation marks with my fingers.

- It is normal to speak. I am a man.

- Really? I didn't know, I thought you were a woman. - I ironically say. He quickly changes the focus of the conversation.

- Gee, you don't sleep, do you? - he asks ironically.

- I wish I could. But there's someone who thinks I shouldn't sleep more than eight hours a night and calls me into his office at the crack of dawn.

- Wow. Jack, I don't know how you can stand it. If I had known, I wouldn't have called you.

- I can take it, Ralph, you know that I am always available to help you. I come here whenever you need any help. Now, tell me what is going on that made you get me out of bed so early.

- You are so sweet, aren't you, honey? - he mocks.

- I'm an angel," I say.

- Let the angel hear this," he jokes.

I watch my friend sitting down and realize that he looks like a seductive leading man. This must be the reason why so many women are always running after him, he only needs to snap his fingers. From the position I am in, my gun starts to bother me, I take it off my back, and when I look at Ralph, he is wide-eyed, surprised to see that I am carrying a nine millimeter.

- Holy shit! Jack, did you have to bring a gun with you? - he asks seriously.

- Ralph, it's not like you don't know me? I have to carry a gun because of my profession. Did you forget that I'm a security guard?

- I know, I just never saw you with a gun in your hands before.

- You weren't even supposed to see it, nobody sees it with me, I hide it very well, nobody notices that I have it on my body.

- That's why you called me, I thought it was about the knife you always carry that set off the alarms.

- Now you know that's not it. Look, I hardly ever come here to your office, bro, you know I hate elevators and I told you that. So, to receive me, you could have a room on the first floor - I speak optimistically

- No way, Jack. You always knew that my office is on the roof of the building. In fact, I never understood your fear of elevators.

- I know, you could have a room only when you have to attend to me, right? - I don't know either, I have even asked my mother about this fear I have and she can't even explain it to me, I confess.

- Honestly, you have to see a therapist - he warns me and I know he is right.

- Yes, Mom. I'll let you know when I go, okay? - I declare, rolling my eyes at him once more.

- Wow, you are so playful, so helpful," he tells me, making me roll my eyes and he continues, "Now, changing the subject, Jack. I have a friend who needs a security guard.

- Okay, which one? - I ask curious.

- Alex. The guy I told you is a lot like you when it comes to my secretary.

- Oh, right! Got it. Well, what exactly is going on that he needs a security guard?

- Well, here's the thing. He is getting death threats from some people," he stops talking.

- And why? Come on, Ralph, you are not making any sense, start from the beginning.

- Okay, Jack, first I want you to think carefully if you want to take the case. Okay? - he asks.

- All right," I answer and he continues:

- Well, here's the thing, Alex is a friend of mine, he's thirty years old and owns a modeling agency that has grown a lot in the last five years. He has a couple of kids, twins, at the age of ten, who are just adorable.

- Wow, so he had children early, huh? - I commented.

- Yes, he did. His wife Sarah passed away almost ten years ago and left him alone with two small children...

- Ralph, just tell me, what is going on? - When he finally tells me, I am shocked by the revelation.

Jack

I remain silent when I hear that the two children have been orphaned. That was very sad. With a lump in my throat, I comment:

- Wow, how pitiful. I feel sorry for that man, who was widowed young and has two small children to take care of.

Ralph continues talking:

- Yes. But in the industry he works in there is a lot of competition, his company is one of the best and this causes a lot of envy.

- And this is the reason for the threats? Wow, that's good for him, and why is he being threatened so much?

- So, he has an agency, and the competitors don't always look kindly on it. Yes, it is that old story, when one company is much more successful, the others feel threatened. And then he started receiving threatening e-mails, warning him that they would destroy his business if he did not retract.

- Not retract? Why not? - I ask, curious.

- Jack, you must know his agency from TV. Sarah Model's," he says and I am at a loss to understand what a TV station has to do with the case he is trying to pass on to me.

- You know I barely have time to breathe," I mumble to him.

- I'll start all over again, okay? - Ralph says and I stand there waiting for him to start clearing things up for me.

- Okay, I'm listening - I answer curious.

- Come on, Alex has a modeling agency called Sarah," he begins.

- Yes, I know this agency, does it have the same name as his deceased wife?

- Yes, Sarah was a beautiful model and loved by everyone. Alex himself worshiped her.

- Wow, this Sarah must have been pretty special! - I say this sentence feeling even a little jealous of the dead woman. And may God forgive me.

- Yes, she was. Until she found out that she had an incurable disease, it was a shock at first, after all, Sarah was the joy of everyone.

- And Alex, how did he react? - I ask, curious about this story.

- When he found out, he broke the whole office and was supported by her.

- How awful, Ralph - I felt sorry for the story of the girl who lived a short life, and didn't even have the chance to live with her husband, Alex, who should have loved her very much. Poor guy! - Rafael continues to tell me the story:

- Yes, Sarah had very serious heart problems. She could never have become pregnant if she wanted to stay alive.

- Let me get this straight, Sarah had a heart condition, but she died after many years of conceiving children.

- Yes, let me tell you Sarah's story. She was born with a heart murmur, but she didn't know that she had the disease. Her parents always hid the truth from her, letting her live as she wanted. Sarah was often ill, and once, in a conversation with me, she said that she went to the doctor and through tests discovered that she had a heart condition. She must have been devastated for her parents - she says this with a lot of empathy.

- How did they react when she found out the truth? - Well, they agreed with everything the doctor said. She was very upset with them for keeping the truth from her, but afterwards everything was fine between them.

- And her husband? - I ask curiously.

- So, as I told you, he reacted badly when she told him. When the disease came out, she was already pregnant with the twins. It was a complicated pregnancy and Sarah almost died in childbirth. A C-section was performed and the children were fine. Sarah went into shock and spent a few days in the ICU. It was a miracle that she came out of there. She kept getting better, only what she didn't know was that her health condition had gotten much worse. After the pregnancy, she started to get tired for any silly thing, until one day she was found lying in her room.

- I felt so sorry for Alex, his wife sick and him taking care of the babies! -After this event, Sarah was sent straight to the hospital. Her heart was failing and, after a week in the hospital, she could not stand it and passed away... Alex decided to take refuge at work. He changed the name of his agency from "Belíssima" to "Sarah Model's" in honor of his wife. And today he dedicates himself exclusively to his children in his spare time.

Rafael, with much regret, ends the story. I am moved by everything I hear.

- My God, how much suffering," I reply, saddened by the situation.

- Yes, it is true! Sarah did not last long and ended up dying a week after being hospitalized. Her heart couldn't take it," she says sadly.

- Wow... - This is the only thing I can say, still shocked by what I heard. - How sad that she died - I answer feeling sorry for a man who lost his great love and for his children who lost a mother.

- That's true! - Alex hardly leaves the house because of the children and I understand that.

- Well, and the threats come from where? And why does he have to retract them?

- I am getting there. On a night of events to raise donations for the heart hospital, there was a talent agent and, as it was normal to deal with this subject, this Veronica was introduced by her agent to Alex, saying that she was the right type of model for the agency.

- What was the reaction of his friend