Rosa’s face scrunched and I nodded in agreement before moving on.
“Anyways, we lived next door to each other for a year or two around third grade and were, like, inseparable. He was my first crush and he introduced me to soccer.”
Rosa let out a muffled squeal and, again, I nodded. Because it really was straight out of a movie.
“And you didn’t know this? Like at all?”
“No! He lookssodifferent. His hair was blond when we were kids. And he didn’t have a resting bitch face back then.”
“But the name?”
“I thought he spelled Olli with an E. Plus who knows their elementary school friends’lastnames? And again, he wasn’t a grouch as a kid. It literally never occurred to me to compare the two.”
At this point, Rosa was literally cackling at my embarrassment. If things with Olli work out and Rosa becomes as close a friend as I pictured, this was gonna be her speech at our wedding.
“Okay, okay,” Rosa said, getting her giggles under control. “So how didthatcome out? Did he walk you out in to the garden and say, ‘Since you like me too, now seems like a good time to confess that we’re childhood friends’?”
“No. We went out to the garden and Olli said all this romantic shit and I kissed him. But he tasted like alcohol and I …” I chewed on my lip, debating if this was something I could share with Rosa without it sounding like trauma dumping. But with how she patiently waited and was seated on the edge of the desk, I figured it was all right. “So I did a lot of drinking and partying in college, slept around with a lot of guys that … I kinda wished I didn’t. And a lot of stupid shit I did impulsively back then has come back to bite me in the ass. So I pushed him away. I didn’t want to be something he regretted the next morning. And Idefinitelydidn’t want to lose my job or ruin … whatever feelings are growing.”
“Totally reasonable,” Rosa assured. “Not fun. But you’re right, some things are worth playing safe for. A lifelong good dicking is one of them.”
“Rosa.” I laughed, shaking my head at her. But then I remembered theverygood dicking I got after the gala. And yesterday morning. And how good he was with his tongue.
“Mm-hmm, you definitely got a good dicking.”
“Shut up.” I smacked her arm. “Anyways, I thought he was drunk, took him home, and then he brought out all these letters he sent me as a kid that got returned.”
“What? Did he spellyourname wrong?”
Another little smack.
“No. He got the address wrong. But isn’t that the sweetest thing? That he kept those letters for all these years? All the moves?”
“It is. Is that what made you crack? Or did some other wild shit happen?”
“No, no other wild shit. He made it clear he wasn’t drunk and he wanted … more with me and I just …” I tilted my head up to the ceiling and sighed. “I cracked. Or at least my heart did, just enough to let him win me over.”
“Aw, you’re all swoony,” she teased, poking at me. “But jokes aside, you’re still feeling safe and whatever with the whole work situation? 'Cause I’ll be happy to get Carmen to beat his ass.”
“Yes, I’m good. Thank you for checking though.” I squeezed her thigh, hoping she understood how much it meant that she checked in on me. “And if it makes you feel better, and know I’m not saying this egotistically, but Olli is kinda super down bad for me. He tried to get me to take today off.”
“Good. He should treat your reappearance in his life as a gift. Honestly, a little disappointed he didn’tforceyou to take a break.”
“I can’t.” I sighed again. “Between this relationship thing and the possible career consequences and the owners thinking about selling, I’ve got a lot of shit to do.”
“Is that rumor really true though? Because at the gala —”
“It is true,” someone interrupted and Rosa and I jerked to attention. Leaning against the suddenly open door was Renee, smiling like a fucking vicious Cheshire Cat who just got sworn into the cuntiest sorority. Pink skirt suit, pearly whites, and all.
I’d forgotten to take Renee into account with my plan. And if she happened to hear any of our conversation, I’d be screwed. For her, getting me and Olli in trouble would be a two-for-one deal.
“Uh, who’re you again?” Rosa said, an eyebrow raised at the bitch, body tensing as she picked up on my vibes. Renee pasted on a bright, fake smile and held a hand to Rosa. My friend looked at me and when I shrugged, shook Renee’s hand.
“Renee Hall, Carlos Lunez’s agent. And I have room on my roster if Jimenez is looking.” I don’t know what was creepier, Renee knowing who Rosa was in relation to her husband or opening up with an attempt to poach him.
“No,” Rosa said simply, letting go of Renee’s hand and shaking her own like she could shake off Renee’s bitchiness.
“Well —” she started to say, but I cut her off.
