Page 54 of Love is So Mean
Me: okay
Me: the list that I sent you when you first started working has someone who can check that out.
Me: i’ll wait for your confirmation before making any attempts to go back home.
Drew: okay perfect. Glad you’re safe, Yasmi! .
Me: thanks, Drew.
Drew: anything else I need to make sure is done?
Me: water the plants?
Drew: done.
Switching from Drew to my computer, I look at every detail focusing on what I can at the moment without wanting to think too much about how much more invasive my life is about to become or what I'll have to hide in order to be out in public with the cameras on me again. I don’t hate the paparazzi or the news nor the blogs for doing their job but I do hate that I can’t go to my doctor’s office in peace anymore and that I’ll have to further hide what is going on with me. While I am detached to a lot of things, I am not detached to myself or the situation that I’m being put in.
The couch doesn’t do it for me, it makes me restless. I move to the plush carpet sitting in an accomplished pose as I simultaneously work on semi meditating while still focusing on what needs to be done. My cell pings again.
I move on to Francois’s message. This brings a smile to my face.
Francois: wait… wait… your CFO? Darling, what have you not been telling me?
Me: I wanted to keep that a secret for a little while longer.
Francois: I get it. Your secrets are always safe with me and fine, as long as he’s making you smile… I don't care.
My head tilts at the text message because what do I reply to this? Does Enrique make me smile? Something I could’ve thought about but it doesn’t matter because smiling isn’t really in the contract, is it?
But does that mean I have to practice on smiling around him for the interview? Will I have to say he makes me smile?
Francois: darling, you’re starting to make me wait when I know you’re not at work… ouch, i thought i would have an affair with a married woman, one day but this is soooon, non?
This makes me laugh out loud and shake my head. Leave it to Francois to make me laugh especially at a time like this.
“Who in the hell are you talking to?” Enrique asks while leaning in to see the screen. His frown deepening as he reads.
My eyes move to him. Enrique is in a towel, my mind goes blank as I eye him from toes all the way up to his v-cut, his abs, well-veiny arms, biceps, formed chest, defined shoulders, full lips, light green eyes that are wanting to probe deep into my body and slicked-back, wet hair that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in this state.
“Francois. He was checking in.”
“That last text looks like more than checking in and you're laughing. He needs to respect me as your husband.” he leans over and covers my mouth. “Don't you dare say the wordcontractto me when your brother just outed our marriage to the world. Francois needs to respect my role as your husband.”
He removes his hand and stands back to full height. It's hard to decipher the look on his face.
“His message upset you? Even though he’s joking?”
“We don't need any mention of possible affairs in the wake of this scandal. Jokes or not. Plus, no one likes when someone flirts with their spouse.”
“I see.” There’s not much else I can say to that so I leave it alone. “Any ideas spark up?”
“About?”
“Strategizing.”
Enrique’s phone rings, not giving us the chance to speak. He makes a face taking a deep breath in and out before he answers the phone. “Amá, my love.”
Enrique walks away to the bed and sits on it as he listens to the person on the other end of the phone call.