SOUL TIES (The Sánchez Brothers Series, Book 1)

CHAPTER 16 : DEBBIE

"That'll be all for today. Do have a great weekend."

With that, Andre brought a close to the week's staff meeting. Everyone in the conference room stood to leave, include me. Well, almost everyone since Gina stood to walk to the end of the table where Andre was already standing. I didn't get to ponder a lot about that because someone was grossly unhappy about the same thing.

"Stupid slut." I gazed at Madison with barely concealed humor on my face. "She's probably going to try to win him over by spreading rumors about everyone. That's the only thing she's good for anyway." Based on what Andre told me the previous day about chatterboxes, the she in question would have a hard time getting into his good graces.

"Who? Gina?" I asked the obvious question because I didn't want Madison to think I was also paying attention to Andre. I paid extra attention to him that day and had to keep glancing around to make sure nobody caught me in the act. I'd be hella embarrassed. I noticed things I didn't notice earlier. Like how his smiles always start with smirks and how he rubbed the tip of his nose with his index finger when he wasn't paying attention to someone. Every single time Ray opened her mouth to talk, his index finger was on his nose and I wasn't surprised. Ray was a know-it-all who knew nothing at all, nobody ever paid attention to her.

"Yeah, Gina. She's so stupid." I replied with a shrug. Bitching about people was not really my thing. "Where are you going to? Aren't you going home?"

I let out a deep sigh of exhaustion. "You know, someday you would see me and decide to not bother me with questions and that would be the happiest day of my life. But for now, I can only pray that that day comes quickly."

"I know you love when I bother you, but you're too proud to admit it." Her laughter made her words a little hard to comprehend.

I got to the elevator that would take me to the floor my office was on. "I'm pretty sure I'll love it more if you didn't bother me."

"Too bad, I won't give you that luxury." I nodded and accepted my fate. "I have some ideas for the gala but I can't stay and chat, I have plans at home."

The elevator doors slid open and I walked into it. "That's fine. Just send it to my work email and we can discuss over the phone if there's a need." She nodded and the doors created a barrier between us.

I plopped down on the sofa in my office in exhaustion. I didn't have a lot of work because Mrs Smith cancelled her session so I used that free time to double down on work. The woman explained to me that she was on a vacation in some fancy island with her kids. I thought about my own baby who was also on a vacation with her grandparents. Was the universe trying to mock me?

"Nelly, why did you pack sunscreen for Kayla? She's not going to a fucking beach." I reprimanded my friend as I checked the carry-on bag she had packed for my daughter. "A beach hat?" I threw the straw hat on the floor. "This bag weighs 50 fucking kilograms. This is unnecessary load. Sara and Alejandro are just going to pay for the overload that you packed."

The culprit sat cross-legged on the bed with nonchalance clearly written on her features. "They can afford it, they are rich. I don't know why you bother about them." Nelly had never been a fan of the snotty couple and always made it obvious.

I ignored her and went to wake my daughter up. It was way too early for her but I wouldn't be able to see her when I got back from work so I had to do it earlier. "Bebe."

She rubbed at her sleepy eyes with clenched fists and my ovaries burst at the adorable sight. "Mama, good morning."

I placed a loud kiss on her forehead and proceeded to tell her how much I'd miss her while she would be away and the things she shouldn't do around her grandparents. I knew they both indulged and pampered her but I wouldn't want my daughter misbehaving. I gave her a thousand kisses and a million hugs before Nelly finally pushed me out of the house.