The next day Carol didn't see Harry up until the time she was getting ready to leave. She finished all her tasks and proofread her colleagues' as well. It had become an habit of everyone asking her to proof-read their written reports. She didn't like it at first, because there were people who had way more experience than she had, but she finally gave in.
She was on her way to the elevators and texting her friend when Harry was going to knock on his bodyguards' door. They actually bumped into each other on the corridor and her cell phone fell on the floor.
"Sorry" he said picking her phone and giving it to her.
"That's alright." she pressed the button to call the elevator.
"I'm glad to see that you're going home at a reasonable hour." He put his phone on his jeans pocket but it didn't stop buzzing. Someone was very eager to talk to him.
"Well, TGIF!" She joked.
"What are your plans?"
"Get home, have a shower and go to sleep.", she said matter of factly.
"Not going out with friends?"
"Nope. Not today."
"And not with the boyfriend?", he couldn't help himself and had to ask that question.
"I don't have one. Not anymore." She answered.
"Oh... Sorry." he was actually embarassed for asking that question.
"That's the second time you said sorry in less than five minutes, Harry. You alright?", she asked looking at him.
"Yeah. Sure."
She found his behaviour a bit weird but didn't comment on it. He wasn't alright, but she didn't press further since they weren't friends and he wouldn't be talking to her about personal matters anyway.
"What are your plans?"
"You know it. I'm going to Villa Country tonight. Edward and the PO's were very satisfied with the place."
"Glad I could help. Hope you have fun!"
"Thanks.", his phone started ringing and he looked at the screen, "I'm sorry. I really have to get this. See you on Monday, Ok?", he blinked her and continued his way on the corridor.
"Ok.", she answered at the same time the elevator arrived at the floor and said before it's doors closed: "Have fun tonight!"
---
"Come on, Carol, let's go!", her mom tried to take her off bed on Sunday morning.
"Mom, it's Sunday and I don't want to go. And it's not even noon yet. Why did you wake me up?", she grumbled and covered herself again.
"It's a beautiful day out there and it's been a while since we went to the park. Let's go. Get up. Up. Up." her mom gave light shakes for her to fully wake up.
"Leave me alone, mom. It's too early!", her grumpy mood was obvious.
"Come on, Carol. Up. I'll open the windows and turn on the radio if you don't wake up." Maria had her hands on her hips.
Carol only grumbled annoyed again and sat on her bed. She was sleepy, tired and her mom wanted a fucking stroll at Ibirapuera Park on a Sunday morning.
"Why go now and not in the afternoon?"
"Because it'll probably rain the afternoon. You know it. And it's a beautiful winter day. Come on."
"Give me 20 minutes to wake up and change clothes."
"20 minutes, Carol. I mean it.", Maria left the bedroom leaving the door open.
Carolina never understood the fact her mom actually enjoyed waking up early. She'd be up and running everyday at 5:00am. She didn't like to sleep in and she barely took naps when she was home. But Carol simply despised it. Everytime she had to wake up before 10:00am she'd grumpy and stressed and everything would irritate her. Mumbling and mentally counting how many hours she had slept the night before, she changed clothes and did a messy bun with her hair without really brushing it and brushed her teeth before going to the kitchen and grabbing something to eat. In no time both of them were headed to the biggest park of São Paulo.
There they visited the Modern Art Museum. It was a futuristic and minimalist black and white building with glass doors in the middle of the park. They had a look at the masterpieces for a while before it got too crowded. They left and walked through one of the many pathways of the park to the nearest bike and rollerblades renting place. They rented bikes and simply enjoyed the sunny day in the end of winter. When they were at a part of the park where there were no little kids running around, they even raced each other. They returned their bikes before their time was up and walked again to the part of the park that had lots of snack bars and restaurants. After having lunch in one of the many restaurants, they sat in front of the most famous fountain of the City. The one that got lights around Christmas time. The fountain was in the middle of a huge lake where they could actually see a few ducks and swans swimming and playing with each other.
They sat on the grass and saw many families walking on the park, young people working out, some small bands playing and other people simply reading a book, an actuall book, in front of the lake.
"How is it like to work with a Prince?", her mom asked.
"He is pretty normal. It's like working with anyone else."
"Is he polite?"
"Yes. So much." She adjusted her sunglasses on her face.
"I'm going to buy another beer. Because I can't take your joyful humour without it." Maria said after noticing that her daughter was still a bit grumpy because of her "lack" of sleep. "Do you want one?"
"Yes, sure. If you took me out of bed in the middle of the night, you might as well buy me a beer!" Carol said smirking.
"It was 10 in the morning, Carolina. Stop exaggerating.", she got up and started to walk away from her daughter.
While her mom walked to the small kiosk nearby, Carolina got to think about the last few months of her life. How her heart was still broken all because of someone who was supposedly her best friend. How she was still mad at her dad after her parents divorce, because he simply alleged to the judge that he was the victim in the middle of two manipulating people and that he was very damaged because of the treatment they were giving him. All lies, but that got him out of paying things for them. And that allowed him to do the worst thing ever: kicking them out of their apartment without a warning. And he hadn't even called for the last eight months to know if they were alive or if they had found somewhere safe to live in. She also thought how much her mom had worked to be able to pay all the bills and to see that she had aged more in those months than in the last couple years. How she was complaining of knee and back pain, because of all the standing she had to do as a kitchen chef. Seeing her mom like that had made Carol cry herself to sleep every other night while she was unable to help her. She thought about the exams at school that she wasn't sure she got a good grade because she simply couldn't concentrate with everything going on her life. Everything that seemed to be happening at the same time. And she didn't have the emotional structure to handle it all well. It was like she was juggling. And one of the balls was about to fall at any time.
"Carol", she heard her mom's voice and was a bit startled. She shook her head to clear it from the thoughts she was having and turned to look at her. She was accompanied with a man. He was tall, a bit athletic and had a thin bit of grey beard and hair. He was probably closer to age to her mom and was wearing black work out clothes and had kind blue eyes.
"Yes?"
"You won't believe it. I was asking for our beers and I bumped into Flavio."
Carol knew who he was. Her mom's ex-boyfriend, the one she dated 30 years before. Her mom had told her the history of how they had met, dated and how they fell apart due to his mom's prejudice. How they tried to stay togehter but it simply didn't happen. Shaking her head to be back at the present, Carol got up and reached a hand for him.
"Hello. I'm Carolina. Nice to meet you.", she offered politely.
"Nice to meet you too!", he answered shaking her hand and smiling.
Her mom gave her the beer can and Carol opened it to have a sip.
"It's been what? 30 years since we've seen each other?", her mom asked him in her usual cheerful self.
"Yes. 30 years. And then we just bump into each other in the middle of Ibirapuera on a Sunday afternoon."
They all laughed of the improbability of the situation.
"Have you guys eaten? We could head to the restaurant and have something."
"We actually have...", her mom started to make an apology for them.
"You know, Flavio, you guys probably want to catch up those thirty years." She smiled and her mom noticed it was another joke and hint about her age "And since my mom dragged me here in the middle of the night, why don't you guys go have something while I go home to study and sleep for a bit?", Carol smiled at them.
"It was 10 in the morning, Carolina!" Her mom answered crossing her arms annoyed. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. And I have to finish a school essay anyway." She had a half smile on her face.
"Well, then I guess I could stay a little bit more" her mom was uncommonly nervous at the time and her smile wasn't reaching her eyes.
"That's good. How are you getting home?" He looked concerned.
"Oh, by bus. It's Sunday, so it's basically traffic-free and I'll be home in no time."
"Don't you want a taxi? I can call one for you" He offered.
"No, the bus is just fine. But thank you. And nice to meet you, Flavio."
"Nice to meet you too, Carolina.", He said politely
before she left and she could hear him ask:
"She knows who I am?"
And her mother answer:
"She does. She's my best friend and knows everything about me."
------
Carol was the first to arrive at the office on Monday. Everything was quiet and calm. She made some coffee while her computer was turning on. Today she was more relaxed and rested. She knew the day wouldn't be a full one and that she didn't have packed up work. The feeling of being in control of things was one of the best feelings for her.
After people started to arrive, everyone started to do their jobs and Carol was the one everyone wanted an opinion from or tips while translating things and putting together a good sentence. Everyone there worked as real team and they were happy with the results of everything they were creating.
It was almost 4:00 in the afternoon when Harry entered their headquarters. He greeted everyone and had a huge smile on his face. He soon sat on the chair in front of her desk. It was becoming an habit of his.
"I guess I owe you a big thank you!", he said with a cocky smile on his face.
"Why?", she answered uncertain.
"That place was lit." He clapped his hands together and had his eyes wide open.
She burst out laughing because his reaction. But soon had to compose herself to try to not bring attention to them.
"Yeah?", she said still stifling a laugh.
"Yes! The music was great, I actually learned how to sing one with one of the singers. Who by the way, knew who you were.", he said leaning in and almost whispering, so nobody else would hear him. "The drinks were good and not very expensive, the food was delicious. And you should've warned me that the place was packed with beautiful women."
"Well, brazilian women are beautiful. I thought you'd know it by yourself at this point, mister.", she joked.
"Yeah, you're right. I went back there on Saturday as well."
"So you really liked it then"
"I did. Thank you Carol", he said.
"You're welcome, Harry.", she was about to get back to the files she had on her hands when he asked.
"So how was your weekend? I was hoping to see you at Villa on Saturday.", he said and she laughed because he was using the place's nickname, just like everyone who went there did.
"I just went with my mom to the Ibirapuera.", she said.
"Oh, that's fun. I went there last time I was in São Paulo."
"And we bumped into her ex-boyfriend." She said while typing things on the keyboard.
"Was it awkward?", he started scribbling on a notepad that was on her table.
"Not for me at least. I used it as an excuse to be able to go home and sleep.", she laughed.
"You sleep a lot, don't you think?" he said.
"I don't sleep enough, you mean. Try to go to school and work and have house chores to see if you wouldn't be as tired as I am."
"Yeah, yeah. You've got a good point."
They were in silence for a couple minutes before Harry's curiosity got the best of him.
"You said you bumped into your mom's ex-boyfriend. What about your dad?", he asked curiously tilting his head.
"My parents got a divorce at the beginning of the year."
"Oh, I'm sorry.", and he meant it.
"Is that the only word you know how to speak these days? You’re apologizing an awful lot since Friday.” she looked at him and smiled. “But... It was definitely for the best, though." she kept eye contact with him while saying it.
"Care to elaborate?"
"It's a long history. We don't have the time right now.", she answered knowing he'd have to leave in a moment.
"Some day, though. I want to hear it."
"Well, I'll tell you if you ask nicely."
A/N: I wasn’t going to post today, but since I am getting lots of help from many of you guys, I decided to update. This is also Bruna’s birthday gift. See ya next week.
