Chapter 4 Two Cars Are Waiting

for Her By Pupy

My voice startled Emma, my new employee.

I had to suppress a smile.

My question caught her off guard.

She was arguing with her boyfriend on the phone.

The truth is, I called her on purpose when I heard that all the girls in the office were watching the man in the red BMW parked on the sidewalk outside my factory.

As I made my way to my office, I couldn’t help but glance out the large window that spanned most of one of the hallways, peeking discreetly out onto the street.

That man—whom she called her boyfriend—wasn’t Ramiro Tayler, the man she’d had dinner with the night before and who’d kissed her passionately in the parking lot.

Something about this woman caught my attention.

The car she got into the night before was a Mercedes GLC—a small SUV, packed with technology, as sophisticated as its owner, with a relentless beauty, just like her. It seemed like the perfect fit for her; it was as if they’d drawn inspiration from Emma when designing it.

I was definitely thinking nonsense.

She mentioned something about a company—I couldn’t make out what it was about—but I understood perfectly when she said she didn’t work for the money.

I watched her from behind; she had a… spectacular body… plus, she had every appearance of a well-to-do young woman.

She had class and a privileged upbringing.

She wasn’t afraid of me, and I’m not sure if she respected me.

The day before, I’d been having dinner with a businessman—not a small-time one, not a monster like me, but certainly not a negligible catch—and the man waiting for her today, judging by his car, wasn’t just any guy either.

After her initial surprise, with a single glance, she told me to fuck off. “Is there anything else?

” she asked politely, completely ignoring my words.

And yes… they were meant to be suggestive.

I don’t mess with the employees—that would only cause me trouble—but Emma… “No

, unless you want to clarify something.”

I backed off.

“No, sir, good afternoon.”

I didn’t answer her; I just watched her walk away.

I looked out onto the street—the red BMW was gone—and it seemed Emma wouldn’t be seeing her boyfriend after all.

I smiled mischievously.

I got home; everything was quiet. My wife hadn’t returned from her trip yet.

I suppose when she gets back she’ll call one of the drivers—that’s what she usually does.

I went to bed early; the night before I’d barely slept a wink. After dinner, I ended up at Odri García’s apartment—a beautiful model who, though she tried hard, lacked that certain something to drive me wild.

The one who did have it, though, was Grace Obban, a model whose career I’d helped launch—she’d even been crowned Miss Argentina, thanks to my sponsorship.

She didn’t get along with Odri—that rivalry between women.

In the morning, I had a meeting with Kika, my personal secretary; however, since she was in charge of the sales office, she delegated her secretarial duties to Emma. “Who recommended Emma Fonda?

” I asked, casually. “I have

no idea; I think she applied along with several other young women and was chosen. Do you have any complaints about her?

” “No, not at all, but she catches my attention—she’s young and highly educated.” “Yes

, that may be true, but not much more so than other employees.”

I realized that Kika didn’t like my opinion of Emma at all.—

Maybe so.

I replied, changing the subject, because Kika isn’t very kind to the rest of the staff, especially those below her level, and I didn’t want her to feel threatened by Emma’s brilliance.—I don’t

want any problems or retaliation in the office.

I told her seriously, sensing a series of problems coming.

She stammered,

“No… no… I… sir.”

I didn’t want Kika to torment her, because that entertainment was going to be mine; I was sure I’d have fun for quite a while. Although, since she was so well-prepared for her job, I had to be careful not to push her too far.

She was even much better prepared than Kika herself—she even seemed ready to take me on.

Around quitting time, I stopped by Emma’s office; she shared the space with three other women. Kika had a separate office—smaller, but her own.

I needed to know if that little boyfriend of hers was going to pick her up.

I don’t understand what was happening to me—I guess I was just bored.

I knew it right away. “Your boyfriend is waiting again

,

” Catalina told her.

I was about to go in, but I decided not to take another step and to stay in the shadows.

I guess Emma walked over to the window.

“Oh my!

” she exclaimed. “What’s going on?

” asked a voice—I think it was Mirta Naranjo’s.

“I just saw, parked a little further back, the black Audi belonging to… a friend

.” “A friend?

” asked the same voice. “Yes

, you know… I have both of them right here, and they know each other!

” I showed up right then. “Ladies

, what’s all this commotion?

” “Nothing important, I’m sorry.”

Emma immediately took charge.

She’s a natural leader.

She handled it with ease.

This woman is used to being in control of everything.—

Mirta… please, can you tell Martín, my boyfriend, that I’m in a meeting with no set end time, no cell phone, and that I’ll call him when I’m done?

She’s so brazen! I think she even forgot I was there.—When

Martín leaves, I’ll go see Ramiro.

—Miss! What is this lack of ethics and morals all about?

She looked at me, closing her mouth, barely blushing, and with an expression that was anything but innocent.

—Excuse me? I won’t let you lecture me on ethics and morals, because I didn’t do anything immoral.—

Come with me to my office; you and I are going to have a talk.

Emma didn’t bat an eye.—

Yes… sir… girls, could one of you go over to… the guy in the black Audi, same excuse… his name is Ramiro. Thank you.

I looked at her sternly

. “Shall I accompany you to your office… sir?

” Did she really have the nerve to speak to me with sarcasm?

I didn’t know what I was going to say to her, but I felt an enormous sense of satisfaction at keeping her away—for the time being—from her boyfriends or suitors.

She referred to the guy in the BMW as her boyfriend and Ramiro as a friend.

If they knew each other, I probably knew the man in the red BMW, too.

Emma followed me; I could hear her footsteps, despite the plush carpet.

I walked into my office and sat down behind my desk. “Excuse

me,

” she said, coming in behind me.

She didn’t sit down right away—I don’t know if it was because she thought I’d just call her over for a few minutes, or because she didn’t want to challenge my authority, or because she understood the rules for employees and was well aware of my power.

Maybe she thought I’d cut her off with some hurtful remark if she sat down.

I ruled that out.

I didn’t know who Emma really was, but if I said something hurtful to her, she’d fire it right back at me without batting an eye.

I think she didn’t sit down because she simply didn’t feel like it. “Sit down

.”

I told her, making it clear that the conversation was going to go on for a while, though she must have guessed as much, because she sent her two suitors away.—I

think we need to talk about this company’s reputation.—

This company has an unbeatable reputation.

Hahaha, she walked right into the lion’s den on her own.—

Exactly,

” I said with a smug smile.

“That’s why we expect our employees to contribute to our reputation.” “I don’t

understand.”

I wasn’t sure if her eyes held mockery or contempt, but I was certain they weren’t screaming respect.

I decided to be clear. “Miss

, scandals aren’t allowed in the company, and having two men come to pick you up at the company’s front door—that could cause some kind of commotion, and it’s not acceptable.”

The half-smile she flashed threw me off for a moment.

“It’s true, my boyfriend came to pick me up without me asking him to, and a friend came too—someone I don’t even remember telling that I work here. I mean, I can’t be held responsible for other people’s decisions or desires.”

“But that’s because of you.” “That’s

relative, because neither of them came to the front desk—they were just parked on the street—and that, dear boss, is something neither you nor I can control; it’s a public space.”

The confidence with which she spoke told me she’d already thought that answer through.

She drives me crazy!

I was trying to annoy her and… keep her here.—

Even though it’s a public street, you have to try to…

Sometimes I address her formally to create distance, and then I switch back to the informal “you” so she realizes I have power over her—so she understands she’s just an employee and I’m the boss.

“Sir, I drive my own car, which is parked on company property. I would never arrange to meet someone after work. It’s easier to find me at a café, a restaurant, or at my home. That’s why I’m telling you that I can’t force anyone not to park in front of a company that doesn’t belong to me and whose parking lot is open to the public.”

I feel like laughing, but I hold it in. It’s obvious that Emma doesn’t need this job and that, given her education, she could get a job anywhere she wants. That’s why, even though she answers me politely and never fails to acknowledge that I’m her supervisor, in her mind she doesn’t see me as a superior.

I’m going to enjoy indoctrinating her, because somehow, I feel that’s what I want—even though I enjoy this confrontation, disguised as fake smiles and polished words. “Miss

, you didn’t understand,

” I said, trying to make my voice sound deeper than it was.

“Here, we don’t tolerate mixing personal life with professional life, and we don’t want gossip about who does or doesn’t come to pick you up to be the talk of the company.”

"They didn't set foot in the entrance, they didn't ask for me—there were just two men on the sidewalk, and as far as I know, Ramiro Taylor—who's also an acquaintance of yours—could very well have been waiting for you." "

What are you implying?

This woman is driving me crazy, and I'm going to teach her a lesson." "Just

that we can all have friends.

"