Nadia started to wake, warmth covered her skin. Just for a while, she didn't have to worry about the bills on her table or the work waiting for her, only the thought of the dance from the night before.
She quickly turned to her side, holding a pillow against her face. "Calm down, Nadia," she said to herself. "He's your boss, and not some prince charming.
The picture of Ambrose holding her under the dim light of the chandelier showed up clearly in her head. How he looked at her, the certain moves he made , it all came back.
The quiet sound of giggling broke her thoughts. Nadia quickly sat up and saw her triplets , Gabriel, Grace, and little Noah , looking into her room, their school clothes a little messy and their shoes not tied.
"Mom, you're going to make us late!"
Nadia laughed a little. "Oh, no Not again."
What happened next was very busy, Nadia trying to tie three pairs of shoes while not fully dressed.
The craziness was lively, and in moments like these, she knew what kept her going.
When the last child ran out the door, waving goodbye with a smile that was very sweet, Nadia took a deep breath. Then she looked at the clock , and stopped moving.
"Eight thirty-five?!"
She arrived late again.
The elevator going up to her office felt like it wasn't moving.
When she got to the top floor, the meeting room was already shut, and she could hear low murmurs coming from the room.
She sighed and went through the side door, holding her notepad like some sort of weapon
Ambrose was standing front of the table, he talked to the people there. His voice filled the space.
The dark suit he had on looked great, and he stood up straight showing he had power.
Every small move , the way he used his hands, the way he tilted his head , showed the same power she felt when he danced with her.
And as if he knew she was looking, Ambrose turned around.
Her face immediately turned red.
He turned his back to continue talking as if nothing happened, but Nadia could feel the air get tighter.
She sat down immediately, head tilted down so no one could see her, and pretended to write things as her thoughts raced. Every look he gave the room felt important.
When he looked at her again, she almost dropped her pen.
This is silly, she told herself.
You're acting like a little girl who has a crush.
But thinking clearly didn't calm her down.
The meeting took a very long time and went on until the late afternoon.
When everyone left the room, she stayed for a bit to get her papers, waiting for the room to empty. That was when she saw them, two men she didn't know, wearing black suits that looked too fancy even for a work building.
They moved without making noise, with a purpose, and their eyes were covered by dark shades. One of them touched his coat a little as he fixed it, and that's when Nadia saw it.
Something hidden under his coat.
She couldn't talk.
A gun.
She understood it all at once. She blinked, wondering if she was imagining things, but then Ambrose walked to the end of the hall. The men stood up straight right away, following him silently as he went into his office.
Nadia didn't move for a few seconds before making herself move. She told herself it was none of her problem, that powerful people had security for different reasons. Still, she felt worried.
The rest of the day was quiet because she was thinking about other things.
Nadia tried to pay attention to her work, typing reports and putting bills in order, but she kept thinking about what she'd seen, and what she'd felt.
When the clock said six, the office had started to become empty. Nadia leaned back in her chair, feeling very tired.
Right then, a quiet voice broke the silence.
"Hope you're still with us, Miss Reyes?"
She stopped moving, looked up and saw Ambrose standing by her desk. The dim light from the hallway made him look sharp.
"Mr. Romero, I was just about to take my leave," she said quickly, grabbing her things.
There was a short, but heavy, pause.
In a nonchalant way, almost too casual, he said, "Have dinner with me."
"Um… What?" she said.
Ambrose moved his head a little, smiling a bit. "Dinner. Just a harmless meal."
Her heart skipped.
"Sir, I don't think that will be okay"
"Why not?"
He spoke calmly, but it made her feel like she couldn't breathe. "We've already danced with each other. You can think of this as what comes next."
She remembered last night, his hand on her waist, the music, the look in his eyes. It felt magical. She grabbed onto her purse.
"I… I didn't expect,"
Ambrose gave a slight smile, like he was kind of entertained by her nervousness.
"That's just how life goes, Miss Reyes." He said.
Things happen spontaneously."
And before she could think of a good response, he had already turned and started heading to the elevator.
"I'll come get you by eight,"
The elevator doors shut, and he was gone.
Nadia just stood, looking at the empty spot where he was standing. His words stuck with her, becoming more impactful as time went by.
She felt a mix of excitement, worry and interest.
One side of her thought it was a bad idea, that it was a risky situation.
The other side, the side she didn't want to acknowledge, felt a clear sense of excitement seeing him again.
She gathered her things.
Outside, the evening air felt warm on her face. The city was vibrant with sounds, cars, distant voices, lights but Nadia hardly paid attention to any of it.
As she walked home.
She had carefully put her life back in place, bit by bit, determined to never get hurt again. Ambrose Romero, with his mysterious eyes and unshaken composure was already starting to break down the defenses she worked so hard to rebuild.