good of friends with him to begin with, it was all her husband, but ever since I left, she’s really tried to up the ante. The gap has widened even further since I moved to Madrid, so I feel like this is sort of our last shot to save the friendship.
If it’s even worth saving. I’ve never been that good at having friends. I’m so focused on my job, and I’m so lost in my head most of the time that I have a hard time remembering to reach out. My best friendships have always been the people I can call at any time and pick up where we left off, the ones that know you deeply and don’t make demands, like my best friend growing up, Ainsley, or even Liz, who is also low-maintenance.
But who knows, maybe I haven’t been fair to Helen. Maybe I’ve been pushing her away too much and she’s reacted in kind.
I’ll know soon enough.
“Me cago en tus muertos,” I repeat after Alejo.
He immediately starts laughing, covering up his face with the Spanish to English textbook.
“What? What did I say?” I ask. “Don’t make me come over there.”
Alejo is sitting at my desk, going through a textbook in an attempt to give me a real Spanish lesson, while I’m leaning against the doorframe, trying to learn.
The door to my office is wide open.
On purpose.
Nothing funny to see here.
Except that something is funny and it’s whatever the hell Alejo has me repeating.
We’re supposed to be discussing dialogue and terms that have to do with business, something that would be quite helpful to me if I ever hear Jose and Mateo speaking freely without knowing I can understand them. My Spanish is starting to come along and I’m up for the challenge.
I just wish Alejo would stop pulling my leg.
“It means,” he says through a laugh, “I shit on your dead relatives.”
“Oh my god,” I say through a gasp. “That’s awful! Is that really in there?”
He shakes his head, clutching his stomach. “No.” He takes in a deep breath, calming down. “No. But I figure it’s helpful in negotiations.”
“You’re the worst. Give me something real.”
“Oh, I’ll give you something real,” he says, biting his lip.
“Knock it off,” I warn him, my eyes darting to the open door and back.
“Vale, vale, vale,” he says, which I know means “okay.” He flips through the pages, frowning. I didn’t realize until today that he wears reading glasses and I also didn’t realize how fucking sexy he is with glasses on. He’s like my own Clark Kent.
“Pollas en vinagre,” he says, glancing up at me, straight-faced.
“Pollas en vinagre,” I repeat. “Something about vinegar? What’s pollas? Chicken? Chicken in vinegar? Is that slang for a bad business deal?”
He swallows, eyes steady on me, unblinking.
Then they flit over my shoulder.
I look behind me to see Mateo standing in the hallway.
“What’s going on here?” Mateo asks, his eyes volleying between the two of us.
“Pollas en vinagre,” I say to him. “The chicken is in the vinegar. Right?”
He runs his tongue over his teeth and looks over at Alejo, mildly amused. “Is this what you’re teaching her?”
“Did I say it wrong?” I say.
“No,” he says. “You didn’t say it wrong. I know exactly what you mean. Do you know what you mean, that is the question?”
I look over at Alejo who is trying so hard not to crack a smile, it’s killing him. He’s practically shaking.
Damn it. Fooled again!
“Look,” Mateo says. “I hate to interrupt these bizarre Spanish lessons you have going on, but we need to practice.” He gives Alejo a pointed glance. “?Vamos!”
“Sí, sí, sí,” Alejo says, putting the textbook back on my desk and getting up, heading over to the door. He smirks at me just as he passes through the doorway, and then he’s bursting into laughter once he’s in the hallway, following Mateo.
That capullo. I’m going to have to Google that later to figure out what he just made me say to my boss.
Anyway, since it’s his practice time, then it’s probably close to the time for me to pick up Helen.
I lock up my office and head out to the car park, taking a moment to admire my car. Alejo has a grey e-tron, while I have the teal, but he also gets his own parking spot with his name and a twenty-eight on the placard, right outside the first team building, while I have to park in the boonies.
I put on some Lynyrd Skynyrd which always reminds me