My Ex is My New Boss

Part 7

The pleasant coolness of the spring night, gently caressed my burning cheeks.

I walked down the street, my head a little dizzy.
The familiar route, which I have done hundreds of times, from Alberto's bar to my apartment, felt different this time.

Beyond being a little drunk, or maybe more than a little, what was different this time was the person walking next to me.

I guess we looked weird, a tall man dressed in a fancy business suit, next to a young woman, wearing tight jeans and simple long-sleeved T-shirt.
The contrast between us must have seemed striking.

I drank more alcohol than usual, during the evening.
I needed to overcome all the feelings my ex-husband aroused inside me.
I wanted to feel the sense of ambiguity that alcohol gave, becuase being near him, evoked feelings and memories that I have managed to suppress for the last five years.

"What about driving? Did you do anything about it?" Andres asked all of a sudden.

What made him think of that right now, out of the blue ?!

"I actually made progress, I got my driver's license last year!"  I proudly announced.

"Really? Well done Daniela, good for you"  His voice sounded surprised and pleased at the same time.

Andres did not forget my fear of driving...
My mom was killed in a car accident when I was a child, and since then, I have not been able to sit behind the wheel of a car.
It was one of the things that connected me and him from the beginning, his parents were also killed in a car accident, when he was a teenager.

"I've not actually driven since, but it's a big step forward for me. I'm glad I did it!"

He glanced at me. "I'm proud of you for not giving up.
Do it at your own pace, the main thing is that you managed to overcome the first obstacle".

The warmth that spread within me immediately irritated me. 
"I don't need your approval, Andres!!
And you didn't have to accompany me home! I can manage on my own, without any problem!"

"You didn't let me drive you home, and I certainly can't let you walk home alone at this hour, drunk.."

"I'm really not drunk!!"  I announced in an annoyed voice.

"Yeah, right..whatever you say"

He sounded amused.  I glared angrily at his face and he grinned.

Wow...the time that has passed, has blurred my memory of how truly breathtaking this man really is..

Then his expression became serious.

"Who's the guy you talked to when I came in?"  His voice sounded nonchalant.

"Beto? He's the owner of this bar"

"Is there something between you two?"

"No, he's just a friend. I've known him since Paula started working at his bar, but Paula has known him for years, they used to be neighbors."

"Okay."

We walked quietly side by side for a few moments and then he casually asked,
"Are you seeing anyone, Daniela?"

"It's really none of your business!"

"Answer me anyway"

"No. I don't have a boyfriend."  I knew he would not give up until I answered what he wanted to know.

"We have arrived. This is my building!" I announced happily, feeling a sense of relief.
The sooner he leaves, the better. Being near him was too much for me.

"Goodbye, Andres."

"Wait!"  He said before I had time to turn my back on him.

"What do you want?  You already said what you wanted to say...I need to go to bed, I have to be at work tomorrow morning!"

"Promise me you'll not resign because of me!" His voice sounded more like a command than a request.

"I don't know what to do.." I confessed. 
"You ruined all the fun at work for me...I don't want people to talk and believe me, there is nothing they like more than gossip!
And most importantly, I really don't want to see you every day...I don't want to see you at all, for that matter..."

He looked into my eyes, making me move uncomfortably.

"Look, I didn't tell Pedro Delgado that I know you, that we were married ... because I understood that you didn't want that.
And I'm not planning to come to Delgado every day, I'm usually in my head office or at the construction sites.
So you don't have to worry, you won't see me that much.."

Andres got closer to me, and I instinctively moved back, the sudden sharp movement making me stumble.

Within seconds, I felt his hands on my waist, trying to stabilize me.

His sudden closeness, his intoxicating and familiar scent and the touch of his hands on my body, made me lose my balance even more..
My heart pounded hard.

"Don't touch me and don't come near me!"  I hissed angrily.

He did not move immediately, he towered over me, his eyes burning me with an intense look, that penetrated my soul ..

I felt currents of electricity all over my body. His closeness stunned me, even in my slightly drunk state. Strange feelings have passed through me, as if it had not been five whole years since the last time our bodies were so close to each other..as if all the anger I felt towards him did not change anything for me..

He, too, looked somewhat shaken.
I could not fully read his expression, but he certainly seemed to be affected by our sudden physical closeness, no less than I was.

Then he moved away from me and I felt a sudden chill, as if he had taken with him all the warmth, at once.

Andres' expression changed, he half smiled at me, a cocky, teasing look in his eyes.
He picked up on my reaction to him, and all the intense urgency that had been in his eyes, immediately calmed down.

"Goodbye, sweet Daniela, see you when I get back".

I had a hard time falling asleep that night, despite the long day that passed and even though I did not sleep well the night before.

My head was full of thoughts and my body was still charged with this electrifying energy ...
It took me a long time to immerse myself in the sweet world of dreams ...

.