Claudio Belles hid his birthday cake and rushed out of the kitchen to see Eduardo Tercero, grim-faced, heading for the second floor study.
Claudio Belles couldn’t resist asking old K: “What happened to your teacher?”.
Old K pursed his lips and said, “Miss Claudio, please try not to disturb President Eduardo today if there is nothing else to do. ”
Claudio Belles bristled, unconcerned, “…. When have I ever bothered him, speaking as if I always bothered him.”
Too bad he even made his own birthday cake today, just to please him and bring them closer.
“So … what about Edward the Third?”
Old K wanted to say something, “Miss Claudio, this is a secret in President Eduardo’s heart, I as a subordinate should not talk too much … better ask President Eduardo yourself. ”
After Old K left, Claudio Belles did not go to see Eduardo Tercero immediately, but when dinner time came, Claudio Belles went to the studio to call Eduardo Tercero for dinner.
“President Eduardo, it’s time for dinner.”
Eduardo Tercero did not look up, just walked around concentrating on his work and said in a deep voice, “You eat first, don’t worry about me.”
Claudio Belles growled softly and, without leaving, walked over and said “Presidente Eduardo is not being fair with me like this. President Eduardo said I would join him for dinner, but tonight when I needed President Eduardo to join me for dinner President Eduardo did not agree. Hey, it looks like I’m really just President Eduardo’s little pet.”
Claudio Belles let out a long, leisurely sigh and then sat on the couch, not far from the desk, chin cupped in his slender hands, his gaze true and innocent, watching Eduardo Tercero with those straight, innocent, moist eyes.
Eduardo Tercero froze at her theory, then put the pen down in his hand and looked at the little woman not far away.
Claudio Belles added, “When President Eduardo needs me, my little pet has to be at his disposal, and when President Eduardo doesn’t need me, I have to stay home alone counting ants.”
Eduardo Tercero was a little taken aback by her pretentious tone, and his dark eyes looked at her playfully as he asked, “So, how many ants have you counted at home today?”
Claudio Belles lied and said, “Two thousand one hundred and thirteen.”
To her surprise, Eduardo Tercero said, “It’s only a count of 2. 113, this thought of yours is not deep enough.”
“…”
Claudio Belles approached and offered to take Eduardo Tercero’s hand, “President Eduardo join me for dinner.”
Eduardo Tercero remained still in his chair and looked at her with a slight nod, “Claudio, I’m not in the mood to beat around the bush today.”
“But I’m not making a scene, I just want to ask President Eduardo to go eat, if one is in a bad mood and doesn’t eat one’s mood will only get worse. It’s better to have a full meal, it might get better.”
Claudio Belles, while reassuring Eduardo Tercero, is inwardly sarcastic: Eduardo Tercero has never been hungry, as he was in an orphanage until he was ten years old, when the food was not much or plentiful, and the kids in the orphanage were gangsters, so he went hungry many times as a child.
I guess I was so scared of being hungry as a child that, when I grew up, I was easily satisfied and happy when I had enough to eat and drink, so there was nothing to worry about.
For a profession like theirs, the only thing they were worried about was probably how to save their own lives, and all other worries were just floating clouds, and compared to life, death and hunger, all other things were just minor.
When Claudio Belles pulled Eduardo Tercero down, the latter did not even get angry and, as usual, they sat across from each other to eat.
Halfway through the meal, Claudio Belles suddenly said, “President Eduardo, take your time while I go to the bathroom.”
Claudio Belles ran to the kitchen and then took the birthday cake out of the fridge with Soledad.
“Soledad, turn off the electrical switch and light the candles.”
“Okay, Miss Claudio.”