Love for hire

r

arch

a patron

ading the endless list of documents my boss has aske

to put it would be ordere

angrily into the wastebasket in front of one of the dividing doo

! -I mutter

I have almost two hours left, my patience has run out, I'm done with my false and natural nails, my stomach is growling, my hair is falling out in

You want your job.

inst the cold metal

eet aren't good enough to sell pictures of them on the internet. So, the only thing left for you to do is to put up with your obnoxious boss and work your ass off until you retire in many year

for th

illnesses it has brought me, but I repeat it as an internal mantra until I convince myself, if that ever happens. I

acquaintances know it; I talk to myself, I'm absent-minded about what's going on around me and I leave what's important until the last minute. I pretend it's for the adren

as long as we have kno

too used

e also lik

sperately seek, even by putting your own foo

ngers. The reflection mimics my movements. I stretch my arms above my head until I hear my back thunder. I've been in a trance for a moment trying to remember what I was supposed to do, but now I remember I don't want to do it. Those rings are the only thing that

ad reminds me just before I leave the old ch

nervous, I count the steps

wo, th

bouquet. -I hear my siste

five,

ch is full and I squeeze Dad's arm tighter. I'm afraid of falling and making a fool of myself in front of everyone. I'm sweating like never bef

ght, nine

nervously with the little clip he carries everywhere in his hands, and as

my back until it gets lost right at my backside, the lace is a little tight, but the silk is quite comfortable. I shake m

efore the wedding, we weren't children to pretend purity before marriage, but it felt peculiarly good to wait. We shared almost everything from the beginning; friendships, tastes, hobbie

ve without making love, he prepared to kiss me

y of the rest

," I smiled, and

ationship, with ups and downs, but mostly a good story, we were finally a long way from really sharing everything. I would go from being Ara

aced my hand on his and that's when - within my memories - I saw my life change in a flash, and his fur

t the sight that meets my eyes leaves me momentarily paralysed in every way. My b

and her exasperated voice triggers my senses,

I think he's about to attack me with his long red fingernails pointing in my direction until h

eed anyth

o the new president in ten minutes. -He h

re already starting to ravage my stomach to the point of nausea, a

id co

t rid of her, to get back to my quiet, chaos-free life by devising some way I can throw her across the desk until she's flat on the floor or just scream

she smiled confidently, but terror in my gut

ign and Martha the assistant, top model, of the new president of the company, I drink in two sips one, two and three coffees, I feel my tachycardic heart about to go out of control, my mouth is

t that my boss is supposed to do, but I always end up doing it myself. I manage to place all the documents, in a record time of four and a half minutes, on the white marble desk in my boss's office.

t a decent meal and can only wait until dinner or my liver is magically free of cirrhosis thanks to too much coffee. But, contrad

at'

direction, so, throwing up my hands and with a gesture of utter embarrassment fo

cus

alendar on the side of my workspace

inner with the girls

uch shorter white dress than usual and heavily made up, heading for the elevators,

e just looking to move up? -Agatha

ittle girl in the group, although I have never seen her get intimidated by anyone, unlike me. When we first met, in early April 2019, I didn't like her at all, she was so opposite to me - cheerful, lively, passionate about life and with an energy that very few people possess - and she still is, but

st one of my greatest enemies. That's how she dresses to seduce. -He reta

ort in the area was Eunice Carbal, who after six months was promoted to commercial promoter and I, in more than three years, have not been able to earn a single promotion since the last time. Nino, of course, sees me as his enemy, his rival to beat, but he hasn't got it for two simple r

eternity, but it was on

e the computer mouse over the screen

director general. -Nino winks at me and goe

t trust him to keep quiet and not run to Greta and tell her how bad I'm talking about her, because if I liked her I would, as long as she fired him once and for all, but I may

my partner, and almost best friend, iron

ot many centimetres when I see the small piece of paper fall on the coffee of old Inés, the main assistant in the desi

ar her murmur and nod even t

ator open again and my boss

ing. He, on the other hand, is quite handsome, dark wavy hair, full eyebrows, symmetrical face and full lips. He's wearing a rather expensive Valentino s

y mo

. How will it feel to sq

way I li

sexual admiration for the man,

e's

out it," Aga

l my face flush. Not because it's wrong to like a man or to refer

ther secretive, looking all over the place - as if looking for something specific - twists his mouth slightly, a

her hand, quickly decide to return to my seat, at least my body decides that's the best thing t

if they have anything to

head, unabl

ll is wrong

play with your w

l r

on. They are standing in front of the window, she has her hands on his shoulders as she smiles flirtatiously at him, and he grabs her unconcernedly by the hips. Immediately and more

omeone as obnoxious as her? As if y

s with annoyance. He's my main assistant. -Now she turns

earned it, I'll spit in wh

stare at him, hoping to find something to tell me

ts to eat me," or s

e, quite and intimidating at the same time with his flat expre

my m

liked to in terms of my skills and knowledge, so that I could be promoted, he adored my b

ta smiles condescendingly in

can't wait to find out

p and down my face, biting his lower lip and swallowing his saliv

w does on

xy voice shakes me and for a

ffice, staggering a little b

reta while Agatha questio

voice or is it the kind that creeps you out? Will they

I want to

t wet. So it seems. Well, as if I wer

ar myself scr

e in its tracks. Let me finish this,

le at her scolded girlish expression. I restrain the impulse t

everything ready o

t to spit, tha

brella I've put up as a decoration. When I go back into the office, I leave everything on the table between the leather sofas

incessantly and interrogates me again about the new boss, while I remain nervous a