Michael

Chapter 3

I finished a task on the computer, and after much thought, I was struck by my conclusions. Valeria hadn't dared to trust him and invented that scheme so I would find out about her mother's illness and feel sorry for her. She wasn't as innocent as I thought. Well, what can you do? I don't blame her. Maybe she needed him to know and hadn't found the right moment to tell him. Anyway, that was already sorted out. There's no problem that money can't solve.

With that matter behind me, I glanced at the clock. It was 6 pm. I thought about it and decided to call the girl who had impressed me. We had exchanged phone numbers. Her name is Daniela Caruso, and she's a bit young, probably around 24 years old, but that doesn't matter—she's a beautiful woman. She would make a good wife, bringing joy to my life. She had money, so it was clear she wasn't after mine.

Until now, the only woman I trusted was my personal secretary, and she had also disappointed me a bit with the strategy she used. Her salary is high for a secretary with her limited education, though she learns quickly and rarely makes mistakes.

The call wasn't answered on the first attempt, so I tried again. On the second ring, the signal stopped, indicating someone had picked up. A voice responded:

"Yes, hello?"

"Good evening, this is Michael Dubois. We met yesterday."

"Hi Michael, of course, I remember. How are you? I didn't expect you to call so soon."

"Well, I thought of inviting you to dinner. What do you think? Are you free tonight?"

"Let me think... yes, I am. What time should we meet?"

"How about 7 pm?"

"Sounds good. Send me the restaurant's address. I'm not at home right now."

"Alright, I'll send it right away."

I was excited. I was going to meet Daniela. I knew she was young, but I needed a family of my own, a home, a trustworthy woman in my life, and she had impressed me. God, just looking at her makes my body tremble. Ever since I spent time at Sebastián's parents' house, I wanted what they had—a harmonious home, a place to come to and feel at peace. I was going to take the first steps to achieve that.

I arrived at the restaurant, feeling expectant. Daniela sounded interested when I called. I think she likes me too. I'm not a fool—I know I'm attractive. My burly bodyguard got out of the vehicle first and immediately opened the back door for me to step out.

I can't help it. Due to my impressive success in business, it's necessary to have at least one bodyguard, and of course, my driver, who is also hired as a bodyguard. I often go out with them—they're the best money can buy.

The table was already reserved at the best international cuisine restaurant in the city. The establishment was just a few meters from my company, and if the rumors were reliable, it was one of the most exquisite, ideal for impressing my future girlfriend. At the entrance, some employees were waiting to welcome me, and I exchanged a few words with the person leading me to the restaurant's terrace. I asked if my companion had arrived, and they confirmed she had. The atmosphere was surprisingly calm and intimate for such a large place.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and thought about the girl who had piqued my curiosity enough for us to meet again. The idea of continuing alone didn't appeal to me much. I knew many people, but there weren't many I could be spontaneous with, who could fill my loneliness and boredom.

I grew up practically alone, which had left an emotional void that never left me. No matter how much money and success I had, I could never stop feeling isolated from the rest of the world. And although I believe I deserve someone to love me for who I am, I've always doubted that such a person exists, someone who would want to form a family with me.

My history with the people around me had proven it. Even my parents didn't care, and my vulture-like family even less. Anyway, I would soon resolve that.

She was already at the restaurant, sitting at the table I had reserved, and smiled shyly when she saw me arrive.

After the greeting and once seated at what was undoubtedly the best table in the restaurant, I proceeded to observe her. She really seemed a bit shy, barely voicing her initial greeting.

"Would you like something to drink?" I offered, and when she nodded slightly, I asked, "A glass of wine? Or maybe a juice or a lemonade?"

"A glass of wine, thanks."

I ordered a bottle of the region's typical red wine, thinking it might help my companion relax.

"They'll bring the drinks shortly," I announced.

We received the drinks and glanced at the menu, ignoring the furtive glances from the other diners.

Seeing her, my pulse quickened. She looked so angelic with her jet-black hair falling over her shoulders. I confessed to myself that I was willing to do almost anything for her to get along with me. Surprisingly, I wanted this woman to be what I had been waiting for and to truly be my destined partner.

It was truly incredible. I didn't know where to look. Every inch of this girl was impressive.

"I hope you like fish," I said. "It's the house specialty, but if not, I'm sure they can prepare something else you like."

"I love fish," Daniela assured me with a smile. "Honestly, I prefer it to other types of meat. You've chosen the perfect restaurant."

"It makes me happy to have your approval."

"I didn't mean to be condescending. I'm very grateful for your invitation."

"You don't need to feel grateful, Daniela. I wanted to be with you. I want to get to know you better. Tell me... Is there a boyfriend in the picture?"

I go straight to what interests me; I don't beat around the bush. I need to find out from the source and make her understand my interest in her.

"I've been too busy to have a boyfriend," she smiled.

"So, there's no one you're seeing?"

"I have many friends, so if I want to go out, I go with them."

For the first time in a long while, I felt like I had set aside the commitments that come with running a successful business to fully enjoy the moment. I want to forget that I'm a businessman and live like a carefree young man to enjoy this pleasant company. I stop thinking when I hear Daniela's question:

"I've heard that no one can be that successful without being a bit ruthless... But that's something they say about many businessmen, right?"

"And what do you think? Do you think I'm ruthless?"

"I don't know you well enough to say if you're ruthless or not."

"In the business world, it would be suicide to lower your guard against the competition," Michael declared after taking a sip of wine.

She tossed her hair to one side, drawing my gaze to her shoulders, her arms, and her chest. Then she gave me a smile so sweet it made me shiver. I'm very attracted to this young woman; she is stunningly beautiful, and I desire her as a woman and as my wife.

"I have the feeling that it's easier to be successful without always worrying about what others think, so you have more freedom to do what you want."

She smiled; her naivety was so adorable that I felt the urge to kiss her.

"I didn't mean for it to sound funny."

"Sorry, it's just that in the business world, it's essential to always be concerned about the competition. I didn't laugh because it sounded funny, but because it's hard not to."

The arrival of the food provided the necessary pause to evaluate and conclude that the more time I spent in this woman's company, the more captivated I felt by her beauty and innocence... and I felt the need to get to know her more deeply.

When the waiters left, I raised my glass and said:

"Let's toast to our fortunate meeting," I smiled.

"To our fortunate meeting, it truly was fortunate," she responded timidly before bringing the glass to her lips, looking at me intently.

God, she's adorable. Absolutely adorable. I can't handle how adorable she is. Physically, she has no flaws. She was a very attractive woman, with a beautiful figure, tall and slender. Plus, she had excellent manners.

Her long hair reached her waist, and her big eyes had an innocent look. Her mouth was wonderful, and it made me want to kiss her. Honestly, I could be falling in love with this girl, and I've just met her. Is that possible? Is this love?

By the middle of the meal, I had already realized that I was becoming more attracted to this woman. She was witty, imaginative, a good listener, and well-informed, all of that despite her young age.

Something that surprised me was that she seemed worried about ending the evening, as most women would have wanted to take advantage of any opportunity to be with me.

"I'll ask my driver to take you home and pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Don't worry, I came in my own car. And thank you also for the lunch invitation. I really enjoyed the food and the company," she added with a shy smile.

At first, Daniela seemed shy, nervous. But by the middle of the meal, she no longer seemed nervous like other people around me. She looked at me directly as if she had absolutely nothing to hide... as if what she was telling me was nothing but the truth.

I had to admit that I'm a bit extravagant, somewhat boorish, and bitter. And although I've slept with many beautiful women throughout my adult life, most of them only attracted me physically, and I knew they weren't as beautiful inside as they were outside.

It was just out of a need for sex. I never lied to them, and I made it clear that I had no intention of marrying them, just living in the moment, and they accepted that to enjoy my money and gain fame, mostly.

Although I know most of them held onto the hope that I would offer them marriage, feeling like they had won the lottery. I didn't value them; they were just objects that satisfied me. But I made that very clear, taking them to parties occasionally when work permitted and to dinners in places where I could go incognito.

I'm clear that I want an innocent woman as a wife, preferably a virgin, not scheming or interested. Those relationships with different women in my free time had only left me feeling lonely and with an immense void. That's why I want someone who loves me unconditionally, someone I can trust and share my day-to-day life with.

Now the incredible had happened. This beautiful woman had managed to spark my curiosity, and I wanted to know more about this beauty with an angelic face. I was completely fascinated by her beauty.

We stood up, and I escorted her to the exit to find her car. We agreed to meet the next day for lunch. I said goodbye, waited for her to leave, and then looked for my car, noticing that my bodyguard and driver were waiting for me. And so I headed home, hoping that one day it would be a real home.