The Assistant
1758 Words
CYNTHIA
I was already late for work today. My alarm went off several times before I was finally able to get out of my bed, only to realize it was twenty minutes to my shift.
“Oh, s**t!” I cursed in Spanish, dressing as quickly as I could, but making sure I still looked presentable. Those were the consequences of having your parents make an unannounced overnight visit from Colombia.
*~*~*~*
It had been years since I last saw them, and it shocked me to hear the doorbell ring, only to open it and see them in front of me. I stood there, not knowing for how long, when my mother spoke.
“Aren’t you going to invite us in, honey?” She asked, looking at me expectantly.
I opened the door wide for them to come in, still trying to process the fact that they were in the city, at this late hour of the night, in my apartment.
“What are you doing here?” I asked them, pulling my robe closer to my chest. It might have come out rudely, but they had never visited me, unless they were here for other reasons.
“Can’t we come visit our daughter?” Dad frowned as he looked around the apartment, whistling in amazement, “you have a nice place here. Your boss is very generous.”
I wonder if there was any implication in those words. Knowing my father, I wouldn’t be surprised. All my life, he made sure to try to hurt me verbally and even physically on some occasions.
“Yes, my job pays well. Now, what are you doing here?” I asked again. They both ignored me, making themselves at home, not saying a word.
“Why don’t we talk tomorrow, honey. We are exhausted from the trip. Do you have a room we can stay in?” Mom smiled as she walked down the hallway to find where to sleep in.
“This is not a hotel, Mom. The city is big enough and there are a lot of them around, and luxurious. Just the way you like it. They are also open twenty four hours of the day,” my sarcasm didn’t go unnoticed by my father. He shot me a glare, his way of intimidating anyone, especially me.
“We are staying here, and that’s final,” he said, picking up his luggage and heading over to my guest room. This was going to be a nightmare.
*~*~*~*
I walked out of my room in a hurry, putting on my jacket and hoping seeing them here was only a dream. To my luck, they were in the kitchen, preparing themselves some breakfast while listening to Colombian cumbia on my entertainment system.
I didn’t have time to talk to them, so I snuck out of my apartment and made my way to my car.
Lucia and Ernesto were well known in my town, and possibly the whole country as the most dangerous leaders of the Colombian Cartel.
Aka, my parents.
I was not back home fulfilling their wishes and duties, and the reason for it was my hate for violence and murder. That was not the life I wanted or needed. Going against his orders, I left the country with a student Visa and decided to pursue a career in business.
That’s where I met Beatrice Santiago, my roommate. She was a Goddess, her jet black hair and big brown eyes instantly got my attention. She was also slim, but had a few muscles here and there, as if she exercised everyday.
And those lips...
Those plump lips that would drive any man...or woman crazy.
I arrived at my work, praying that she hadn’t arrived yet or I would be in trouble. Beatrice...or Miss Santiago as I had to refer to her when she was around, didn’t tolerate tardiness.
“Morning, Coral!” I greeted the receptionist before walking straight past her in a hurry. She always had that smile and even the bad days would turn out into good ones just by looking at her.
“Have a good day, Miss Martinez!” she replied as I was getting on the elevator, waving at her goodbye for the morning.
The slow music in the elevator accompanied me while I made my way upstairs to the top floor, where I worked as Beatrice’s personal assistant. I was grateful for her consideration to work for her, and thanks to a great salary, I was able to live comfortably.
Now, this was my life.
*~*~*~*
Did she ask me what I thought she asked me? After being bold about what I told her earlier about sleeping with someone every night, she was still asking me to go on vacation with her?
“Well, do you want to go with me, or not?” she repeated, irritated.
“Why would I want to go on a vacation with you? I have a lot of things to do here, and no time for leisure plans. So, please Miss Santiago, finish your tea and get ready for your meeting at eleven,” I replied, walking out the door.
I sat down on my desk chair, moving the computer mouse to bring the screen to life as the thought of her invitation came to my mind.
Hilma, the COO’s assistant, a lady in her early 60s, with her white hair combed neatly to the back and an elegance that only she can pull off, looked at me with a concerned expression as I sighed loudly in frustration, rubbing the palm of my hands on my skirt.
“Are you okay, dear?” she asked, giving me a smile.
“I don’t know, Hilma. Beatrice thinks she can just use me for her own convenience. She’s infuriating,” I replied, moving the mouse to focus on my task at hand.
“I thought you two were best friends back in college. What happened?” she asked with a hint of curiosity.
“Life happens, Hilma. She’s changed, that’s all.”
I was so engrossed in my work, that I didn’t realize it was already time for Beatrice’s meeting when I saw the designer step out of the elevator and walk towards the conference room. Getting up in a hurry, I knocked on the door before hearing her call me in.
“Miss Santiago, Paul is here. Time for the meeting,” I announced, as she looked at me with a frown on her face, rubbing her temples.
“Tell him I’ll be there in a second. Just need some time for this headache to alleviate,” she replied in a whisper. Biting my lips, I opened the door and asked Hilma to let Paul know Beatrice would be there.
Closing the door behind me, I approached her, turning her chair around so her back was facing me.
“Did you take your painkillers?” I asked, rubbing my hands together to warm them up before I massaged her temples. She stiffed under my touch, relaxing a short time later as I worked my magic.
“I did, but they’re not working,” she groaned.
Moving my hand counter-clockwise, I tried to soothe the pain gently. I could see her closing her eyes, taking deep breaths to help ease the tension she probably had.
“What’s bothering you?” I asked, my hands moving down to her ears and massaging them, only to relax her. She could be frustrating, but as someone who suffers from migraines constantly, I don’t wish a headache to anyone.
“My parents invited me to Italy on vacation. I’m sure they have something up their sleeves for them to call me out of nowhere and tell me they wanted to see me,” she confessed, putting her hands on top of mine to move them away from her face as she looked straight into my eyes.
“What can be so bad about seeing them? It’s normal that the family wants to spend some time together, especially if you haven’t been back home in so long,” I mentioned, leaning against her desk.
Beatrice stood up and walked towards the floor to ceiling glass windows that gave her the sight of the city, folding her arms on her chest.
“I just wanted to stay away. They want me to take over the family business, and I just wanted to do my own thing, you know? Besides, it’s dangerous.”
I have known her for that long, but I feel like she hasn’t been completely honest with me when it came to her family. To be fair, I wasn’t either. If she found out who my parents were, I was not sure how she would react.
“Come on, Miss Santiago. It’s not like they are a bunch of mobsters,” I mentioned in a nervous chuckle, standing next to her and overlooking the city. She looked at me with a serious expression.
“Are they…. mobsters?”
“They are, Cynthia. My father is one of the leaders of the Spanish Mafia, and they have been getting me to take over. I don’t want that life, been running away from it since I graduated high school,” she said, taking a deep breath, “I have seen first-hand how violence consumes them and I told them I wanted nothing to do with it. My brother can take over for all I care.”
I guess my irritation towards her didn’t have a valid point. She was still the same Beatrice I met back in college, but with more sass than before.
“Now, the whole family is having a gathering, I assume it is one of the babies’ baptisms and they want everyone to attend. Sophia, one of the friends’ daughters, just called me to make sure I brought a date. Since I have no one to bring, I thought you could go with me.”
It was very thoughtful of her to consider me for this trip, and I was not going to fail her.
“Okay, I’ll go with you.”
- Writer
