Love curves and heartbreak novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The carpet

At least… the man listened to me.

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Over time, our communication became strictly professional. We had meetings where he made general comments and some requests, but nothing

more.

Most importantly, he avoided speaking to me directly, maintaining a polite but cold demeanor even when he said good morning.

At times I wondered if I had exaggerated or misinterpreted everything that had happened. I must admit that his change in behavior made me feel somewhat relieved, but also sad.

Suddenly, I went from being a friend he was trying to reconnect with to essentially… nothing. I had told him we were nothing, and that’s how he treated me. Maybe even less than nothing.

Although the project was progressing smoothly and I had some arrangements to oversee, my life felt relatively normal and much more relaxed. These changes seemed positive, I told myself.

Everything I had hoped for had come true: a great project, a satisfied client, and a peaceful life. I spent most of my days outside the office, and many hours at the hotel where the design would be implemented–all without seeing Ethan.

I spent time with Suzy, having a good time, going to the movies and eating out occasionally. With Tommy, we went to clubs and had a great time.

“What if… Ethan have feelings for you?” Tommy said.

“Or… he is attracted to you…” Suzy adds. No fucking way…

It seemed absurd, given our history in high school. But regardless of its feasibility, it was a possibility I didn’t want to entertain in my heart.

It’s better to no expect… anything.

Preparing for Lily’s wedding also brought joy, as we sampled cakes and appetizers and even practiced dance steps. Tommy and I often practiced together and ended up in fits of laughter.

Sometimes Tommy would mention that Ethan looked at us suspiciously, not joining in the dancing or discussions about the wedding.

“Ethan seems… weird” he usually says.

Eventually, I learned that he had left on a business trip for a few days without telling me. I felt a slight emptiness; perhaps I had wanted him to confide in me, but he was under no obligation to do so.

When everything seems calm and we’re relatively content, life has a way of throwing a curveball that shatters our world. It’s as if life is reminding us to stay alert, that it’s not all about enjoying leisurely activities like watching movies, seeing rainbows, or taking naps.

Life doesn’t give us a heads–up or wait for us to be ready. As the project deadline approached and the hotel’s installation and repairs neared completion, things were going even better than expected.

It was my first solo design project, and I couldn’t have been prouder. Every detail, from the intricate wall patterns to the perfect lighting and envisioned carpet, was coming together just as I had imagined. But then disaster struck.

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“Sorry Mis… we have a problem” I received a call from one of the workers at the hotel.

“What happened?”

“We had an accident involving the paint and the carpet, its look bad…” he says.

I thought it couldn’t be that bad, but as soon as I arrived… it really was. Or rather… it was a catastrophe. The carpet was… irreparably damaged.

We had less than thirty hours to find new workers willing to labor through the night and procure a replacement carpet. However, finding an identical replacement proved impossible, forcing us to settle for a lower–quality option that fell short of the client’s expectations.

It wasn’t just a minor setback like a missing vase of flowers; it was the entire focal point of the entrance hall that had been compromised. It felt like I was living a nightmare,

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3:18 PM P

Chapter 13: The carpet

“Dear lord… help me”

I wished I could smoke, drink, or even bite my nails to relieve the stress, but I was too busy coordinating the frantic efforts of the workers throughout the night. The atmosphere was desolate as we dismantled and rearranged everything we had painstakingly set up.

“Okay… Just do it… dont think about it… get on with it,” I said to myself.

Despite my exhaustion and hunger, I worked tirelessly on my hands and knees, piecing everything back together. I couldn’t help but feel regret for not having a contingency plan or enough experience to handle this crisis more effectively.

My boss expressed concern, and Kate incessantly harped on about the importance of preventing accidents, as if it were intentional. It felt like torture. Eventually, my boss, Clark, approved my solution, but it required informing Ethan…a prospect that made my stomach churn.

I wanted to run away from the responsibility; I didn’t want Ethan to see my mistakes laid bare.

As the opening day arrived, I was exhausted and frazzled, but everything appeared relatively presentable. My nerves were on edge as the client arrived, accompanied by Ethan. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, realizing I wasn’t as immune to his presence as I thought.

Ethan seemed somewhat pale, prompting me to wonder where he had been or what he had been doing. However, he didn’t even acknowledge my

presence.

“This…doesn’t look good what happened?” said the customer.

“Ohhh that was the carpet sir…there was an accident, someone was careless” said Kate, looking at me. I felt like I had been punched in the gut with each word

I looked worse than ever, tired, haggard and not very groomed, I didn’t have time to put on makeup and high shoes like her!

“I’m really sorry… I must apologize. It was our employee’s fault, I must say that without a doubt we are going to make some hard decisions, something like this cannot happen… we promise you that it will not happen again” she adds and I was stunned by what she said.

I felt like the blood rose to my head, my cheeks burned. The client stared at the carpet with distaste as if it were a dirty spot on the floor. I just worked so hard on this…

“But… this… this was not what we wanted!” he suddenly exclaimed and I felt each of those words as if it were a blow to my chest.

I was going to take a step forward, surrender to my destiny, and my head was inevitably put on a silver platter. I felt sorry for all my work, all my effort. So much that I thought I had achieved! But there was nothing to do now. Suddenly I heard Ethan’s voice, and I was speechless.

“You know? I think this carpet fits nicely. It’s more related to the concept. It reminds me a lot of the one we saw at the resort in Barcelona, one that is your favorite, don’t you think? It looks… handmade” he tells his boss with a calm and convincing voice.

He explains him in more detail, highlighting some points of the overall design, and finally his boss seems convinced. Amazing, truly, amazing.

“They are really very good points, Ethan. Thanks for commenting. Clark, your team did a nice job. I mean, it’s different… but no bad” I don’t know if it’s a compliment at this point but, I’ll settle for this.

T

Almost at the entrance I see Ethan and even if I don’t want to, I have to talk to him.

“Ethan I called him, and he didn’t turn around for a couple of seconds, as if trying to think what to do. He hates me, he fucking hates me.

“Please, Ethan…”

I finally caught up with him, and he looked at me. He looks like a statue… beautiful… and cold.

“Oh Priscilla… it is you…I really don’t have time…” he says seriously. I think it’s the first time he’s called me by my full name.

“I don’t want to bother you… I just wanted to say thanks. I know you didn’t have to and also…I know we didn’t have the best conversation the last time we met…you really didn’t have to defend me…”

*I didnt defend you. This work is important… do you understand that?” he interrupts me coldly. His brown eyes stare at me and I feel like a little cockroach.

“Yes I know…”

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3.10 PM p p.

Chapter 13 The carpet

This is business… and we’re all in this. I also need all these projects to be successful. And I didn’t want to look bad to my boss” he affirms and

then turns his back on me.

Of course, I hadn’t thought of that… he wasn’t doing it for me, but for himself. It seems logical. He knows more about business than I do.

“I know… I just wanted you to know that it meant a lot to me. Thanks again” I add almost in a whisper, and he turns to see me. He runs his hand over his forehead and then through his hair. I watch that move carefully.

“They told me that you worked all night, you made a great effort to achieve this, despite the problems” I nod. We were silent for a few seconds.

He knew what was going on, he always knew. Maybe he sent me to watch to see if I was doing things right. And he let me figure it out. Maybe he just wanted to confirm that everything was going well. Again… business is business.

I look at the ground, not knowing what to say. Suddenly I’m going to say something, but he speaks first.

“I have to go, there is still a lot to do” he says and leaves. I wanted to say so many things to him, to ask him where he was or if he was okay or what was bothering him, but with his attitude he makes it very clear to me that he is giving me space.

The space that I asked for. What I wanted… right?

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