Doctor Engel [A Spanish bestseller now in English!]

CHAPTER 8

'What's this?' We both turn quickly at the sound of Manuel's voice. 'What is this destruction?' he puts his hands on his head and walks back and forth. 'Call the police!' He pulls his cell phone from his pocket.

'Stop, Manuel,' Cesar tells him as he walks over to him. 'Put the phone away, it was me. The kick boxing classes are working,' I see how he winks an eye at Manuel.

Manuel looks at him in astonishment. He doesn't understand anything, but he knows he shouldn't ask. He is very discreet when he wants to be. Between the two of them there is a noticeable complicity. He approaches Cesar and calmly says to him:

'Later we will talk, now I'm going to take care of all this,' and then he leaves.

We are left alone and an awkward silence settles between us. Neither of us dares look at the other. What was about to happen?

'Pack your things, I think you will have to sleep in another room today,' he says, scratching his head thoughtfully.

'I think so too,' I start to pick up the little clothes I have.

I unplug the charger from the phone and put it in my bag. I pick up the phone from the bed. It still has the last message from Mario on the screen. I stare at it. I look at Cesar and again at the screen. «Should I tell him?», I wonder. And as if he knew what I'm thinking about, he approaches me.

'Is everything okay, Natalia? What triggered that panic attack that you were trapped in when I arrived?' Without thinking too much, I show him the message. 'There are three more like this,' I say.

He takes the phone out of my hand and starts examining them one by one. Without a word he returns it to me. His eyebrows are wrinkled and his jaw tight, and something tells me he is quite pissed.

'Come with me, we will find you another place to spend the night.' He takes my purse. 'Tomorrow you can come back again. I imagine they would have already repaired the door.'

We leave the room and I find out why the glass broke. I walk on tiptoe so I don't step on it. Meanwhile he gives me the explanation.

'I went to see a friend while you were sleeping. When I got back, Manuel was carrying that tray,' he points it out, upside down on the floor. 'He told me that it was for you and that Laura had just left, so as I was going home I offered to bring it myself. All this around here was your dinner,' he says, pointing to bits of cookies and spilled milk.

'I'm sorry,' I say sorrowfully.

'Calm down. I eat the same thing. If you feel like it, you can come home with me, I have cookies and biscuits to spare,' he says with a smile.

'I-uh... I don't want to disturb you.' Imagining myself at his home makes me nervous.

'If I thought you were going to bother me, I wouldn't ask. Don't you think?' His beautiful blue eyes dance on me as he waits for me to answer. He is so fucking handsome and a thousand sensations run through my body.

'Eh... Yeah, well, that's fine. Let's go.' We walk to the elevator.

The doors close and a fuzzy memory tries to come to mind. This afternoon, were we very close to each other here? Something similar to what minutes before almost happened in the room. Only I was so fucking drunk that I can't tell if it was real or I dreamed it. All my memories vanish as soon as the door opens.

The first thing I see is a wonderful, wide hallway with parquet floors, wooden skirting boards and several pots with fresh, green indoor plants.

'Welcome to my humble abode,' he winks at me.

'Wow... It's anything but humble,' I say, laughing.

It's very spacious, there are three huge sofas in white leather. Five to six people could easily fit on each. There is a solid wooden table to the right that must measure about three and a half meters and is ready for twenty-four diners, at it there are twenty-four chairs. At the front is a bar, made of old bricks that separates the living room from the kitchen, and next to it, eight stools placed in line. The kitchen is wall to wall. it's oak and very rustic. The worktop is made of marble.

He takes my healthy arm to guide me to the kitchen and a current runs through my body. Lately, every time I touch him, the feeling is greater. Almost to the point of paralyzing me. I try to ignore it, but I can't help but enjoy it. 'But why do I feel this?'

'Cold or hot?'

'What?' I'm so lost in myself that I don't know what he is talking about.

'How would you like to drink the chocolate milk?' he smiles at me. 'Cold or hot?'

'Cold, I'm thirsty,' I say, smiling back.

I watch helplessly as he prepares it, he knows perfectly where everything is stored. Open doors, close doors. Open drawers, close drawers. He removes utensils that he puts on the counter and prepares everything with ease. Finally, he has it all ready.

'Here,' offers me one of the bowls.

As we reach out to grasp it, our fingers rub against each other and the current returns, this time more intense. We stay like this for a few seconds, neither of us takes our hand away from the other. I would swear he also feels that strange electricity, by the way he is looking at me. His eyes are fixed on mine. I get lost in those blue seas. They are so tempting. I return to planet Earth little by little and I notice how my cheeks begin to turn red. I'm totally blushing. I bite my lower lip and look down in shame. Before I can say anything, his hand is on my chin. I feel the warmth of his fingertips. They are soft and strong. My heart quickens with his touch. Slowly he pulls my chin up to look at me again. There they are again those deep blue wells nailed to me. It comes very slowly. His gaze runs over my features and stops at my lips.

'Natalia.' My name comes out of his mouth in the form of a whisper.

His warm, fresh breath envelops my face. He closes his eyes tightly and I hear him swallow. He rests his forehead on mine. I can't think of anything, I can't see reason, and I don't want to. He is fighting himself. I feel it.