Just as Jago Linares was about to help Estrella Berrocal drink the glass of wine, Fidel Dimas laughed and said provocatively, “I say Jago, what is your relationship with Estrella, you will drink for her and we will deny it.”
Jago Linares was momentarily stunned by the question and froze with his glass.
Estrella Berrocal stood up with her glass of juice and, with a serene and kind smile on her face, said to everyone present: “I’m sorry, I’m pregnant and can’t drink, so I’ll drink the juice.”
The whole table was stunned, even Fidel Dimas, who had not realized that Estrella Berrocal was pregnant.
Fidel Dimas watched her drink the juice and then looked at Jago Linares, deliberately looking for a fight, “Estrella, I remember when you were in high school you really liked Jago, how come you got pregnant without saying anything? You’re not lying to me on purpose to keep the drinks away, are you?”.
Estrella Berrocal, without irritation or anger, showed her right hand, her eyes sparkling with laughter: “I’m married, I’m not lying. My husband is the one who sent me here today”.
When Estrella Berrocal mentioned Adán Rouco, she was genuinely proud and happy, and the smile was so genuine that Fidel Dimas was convinced.
The atmosphere in the booth started to get uncomfortable, after all, at first they were messing with Estrella Berrocal and Jago Linares’ love handles.
But the booth was crowded and soon someone brought the conversation forward and everyone was back to pushing and shoving and drinking.
Towards the end of the meal, Estrella Berrocal’s cell phone rings.
Claudio Belles heard this and reminded her, “Estrella, your phone has been ringing for a long time.”
Estrella Berrocal guessed it was Adán Rouco and hurried to take the phone out of her purse, the corners of her lips curling unconsciously as she saw the caller ID.
“I’m going out to take a call first.”
Estrella Berrocal picked up her phone and left the booth.
Jago Linares peeled the shrimp in his hand, a little distracted, his fingers stung several times by the shrimp’s tentacles, he frowned slightly and could not help asking Claudio Belles: “Claudio Belles, have you … met Estrella’s husband?”
Claudio Belles shook his head, “I have also been in contact with Estrella in the last few days.”
Jago Linares was curious and asked, “How did you get in touch with her?”
“Oh yeah, I was dropping my son off at daycare and she was dropping her daughter off at daycare and we ran into each other in front of the daycare.”
Jago Linares was even more surprised: “Is Estrella’s daughter that old?”.
Is he already in kindergarten? Must be at least three years old.
“Yes, she’s three weeks old, she’s super cute, looks like Estrella and has a sweet mouth.”
Jago Linares put down the shrimp he had in his hand, already without appetite, his face a little unhinged, but he laughed lightly and said, “I thought Estrella was a career woman, but she didn’t expect to have a child at twenty-one, and now…. she’s even pregnant with her second child. With her like that, doesn’t she have no life of her own – spending all day around her husband and children?”
Claudio Belles laughed awkwardly and merely said, “Her husband is good to her, I guess, everyone has different ambitions.”
…
Outside the private room.
Estrella Berrocal talks on the phone with Adán Rouco.
“How was lunch?” Adán Rouco asks with total normality.
Estrella Berrocal looked at her watch and said, “I guess it will be over in about twenty minutes, I’ll call you when it’s almost over.”
Adán Rouco grabbed his phone, his dark eyes deepened for a moment, and asked, seemingly without meaning to, “Have you seen the person you want to see?”
Estrella Berrocal joked with him: “Who are you referring to? I didn’t think so when I came here”.
“Your first love”.
“Well, I’ve seen him.”
Adán Rouco: “…”
Really?
Estrella Berrocal says: “I’m not going to talk to you, I’ll talk about it at home”.
He hung up quickly and Adán Rouco froze for a second.
It looks like he’s had a good time catching up with his first love.
“Felipa!”
“What can I do for you, Master?”
“Tell Facundo Montes to get the car ready and pick up his wife at the Banyan Tree Hotel right now.”
“Yes, I’m on my way.”
He would have liked to meet his first love, but unfortunately he was blind now, if he hadn’t known how badly she had looked at him.
Adam Rouco, arrogant and self-absorbed, thought to himself that, in any case, the man was definitely not as good as he was.
…
The meal was almost over.
Adán Rouco sent her a WhatsApp message, which was not easy to write because she could not see it, so Adán Rouco sent her a direct voice message.
Estrella Berrocal didn’t have her headphones on, so she turned the sound down and listened to it directly with her ear pressed to the side.
He said, “I’m here, at the door.”
Claudius Belles, who was sitting next to her, heard the voice and said with a smile, “Is your husband here already? So soon.”
“I was afraid she wasn’t safe alone, so she followed me closely.”
Claudio Belles said, “How sweet.”
Estrella Berrocal arches her eyebrows and, in good humor, holds up her phone and sends a voice message to Adán Rouco, who cannot read it if he sends it by text.
Jago Linares sat to the side, feeling full, his stomach was surprisingly full after the two glasses of wine he had had tonight and the fact that he hadn’t eaten anything.
…
Adán Rouco sat in the back seat of the Maybach and listened to Estrella Berrocal’s voice.
Then to Facundo Montes: “I’m going in to get it.”
Facundo Montes, fearful of his eyes, said, “Señorito, why don’t I go with you?”.
“No, the Banyan Tree Hotel I know very well.”
The Banyan Tree Hotel, owned by the Rouco group, I visited frequently and could find it in the dark.
Besides, these days he had gradually become accustomed to not relying on his eyes to see the road.
When he first entered the Banyan Tree Hotel, the person in charge of the reception desk had the good sense to recognize Adán Rouco.
“Good afternoon President Rouco!”
Adán Rouco nodded slightly and asked, “There is a private room for a class reunion, see which one it is.”
“Ah, this one rings a bell, he’s in room 2112, President Rouco, are you also here for the class reunion?”.
“No, it’s my wife’s promotion meeting, it’s almost over and I’m coming to pick her up.”
“Well then, President Rouco, shall I give you a ride?”.
The lobby manager had also noticed that Adán Rouco did not seem to have good eyesight, but he did not dare ask how exactly.
Adán Rouco nodded and emitted a faint “hmm”.
…
When the meal was finally over, Estrella Berrocal and some of her companions were about to leave the private room when the door opened and they ran into Adán Rouco.
Estrella Berrocal approached him and grabbed his arm: “What are you doing here, weren’t you waiting for me in the car?
Adam Rouco smiled warmly and said with a slight nod, “I’m not sure, I’m afraid you won’t go home if you meet your first love.”
“…”
Adam Rouco heard a lot of voices, a calculating glint under his eyes, and said, “Won’t you introduce me to your colleagues?”
“… That, this is my husband.”
Estrella Berrocal’s presentation was casual and Adán Rouco felt a little dissatisfied.
“Hello everyone, I’m Adán Rouco, Estrella Berrocal’s husband”.
Estrella Berrocal whispered, “I’ve already said it.”
The man, to his surprise, reemphasized.
One of them, a friend from high school, who had set up his own business and opened a company, immediately recognized Adán Rouco and ran through the crowd to shake his hand.
“You are President Rouco of the Rouco group, right?”.
“I am.”
“Estrella, did you marry President Rouco of the Rouco Group without telling us?”
Estrella Berrocal: “…. We just got in touch, didn’t we?”.
The man was so excited that he wouldn’t let go of Adán Rouco’s hand: “Hello President Rouco, I’m Gasper Haro from Gasper Network Ltd. I would like to invite President Rouco to dinner one day, he would be delighted.
Adán Rouco gave Estrella Berrocal the benefit of the doubt and said, in a rare moment of good humor, “Of course.”