Challenge

Mariana

The question was just to make conversation, clearly, everything was under perfect control.

"Everything is fine, Mari" he pointed out the obvious.

"I needed to distract myself!”

Matheus always starts to talk when we question him about his school of Production Engineering and I took the opportunity to talk about exactly that.

"We are in exam week, but everything is fine, yes," he said modestly, "I am taking the course I want, so I shouldn't complain.”

As I imagined, Matheus starts talking about the course, the college, and his friends and I am happy to hear how excited he is about everything.

I encouraged him to talk, asking him questions that made him tell everything in detail, but he kept his eyes fixed on the store's entrance door, looking out for any possible customer who needed help since the other saleswomen kept taking turns among the customers who were already on the shelves.

Suddenly, Matheus stops talking, and after touching my arm, he says hurriedly

"There's a customer coming in, I'll take it," he says, coming out from behind the counter.

I had my back to the entrance door and had no interest in looking to see who had just entered, but I ended up turning my body in that direction, just out of habit.

When I see who the newcomer is, I am sure that he is not a potential customer, but a great nuisance.

But Matthew didn't know this and approached him, but after a quick exchange of words, he looks in my direction, as if in doubt.

I understood that the man who had just entered had explained what he had come for, and it was not to buy clothes, I knew that.

The man started walking towards me in a determined manner, and I, even more, determined than he, pretended I wasn't seeing him.

"You're a pretty hard girl to find," Ethan says wryly as he reaches the other side of the counter.

"Especially when I don't wish to be found," I replied rudely.

To my utter amazement, Ethan smiles upon hearing my answer. An authentic smile, without the faithful trace of cynicism always present in him.

I have to admit that when he smiles like that, Ethan is even more beautiful and attractive, his smile is something truly captivating.

I am immediately concerned when I realize the word I used to define Ethan and berate myself in thought for the misstep. Apparently, the night of sex between us has managed to affect my head, something quite dangerous.

" Is there a problem? " Ethan's expression is one of genuine concern as he asks me this question.

"None," I answer without understanding the reason for the totally random question.

"Then why are you fidgeting, when the air-conditioning is working perfectly?" He is looking at me analytically.

" I... " I couldn't think of a convincing answer " Never mind! And don't change the subject, Ethan Constantino, that you still haven't answered my question. I want to know what you are doing here, in my store.”

I tried to turn the tables, because not only was Ethan not welcome here, but I also didn't feel ready to face that terribly hot being again.

Ethan

I looked at Mariana's beautiful and visibly uncomfortable face, standing across the counter from her store in the mall, and smiled broadly.

She was shaking her hands, which was completely out of order, considering that the air-conditioning was making it very comfortable for everyone in the room.

She also seemed nervous, wondering about the answer to a question she hadn't even asked yet.

" I didn't answer, because the question hadn't been asked by you yet " I made a point " But if you really want to know, I can tell you right now."

" Then say it!"

I started listing my reasons on the fingers of my hand.

"You don't answer. You don't answer my messages either " the smile had already been forgotten as I felt anger remembering this " I then went to your house and you weren't there, obviously. But Aunt Celina was very kind to explain to me where I could find you."

" I will need to have a very serious talk with my aunt " she speaks as if to herself " She can't go around telling just anyone where I am."

"I'm not just anyone, Mariana," she manages to annoy me.

"I'm working, Ethan. I don't have time to be making small talk with anyone.

Just as I loved to tease Mariana and make her angry, she also seemed to enjoy doing the same with me, because in addition to saying that, she also used actions to make it clear that I was not someone she wanted to talk to.

He unlocked the computer screen in front of him and started typing something on the keyboard, ignoring me in a purposeful and annoying way.

"I think you would be much wiser if you paid more attention to me, Mariana..." I used a lower and more lethal tone, trying to get her attention again.

I know I'm being a complete jerk, but Mariana is so willful that sometimes I simply have no idea how to win over that girl.

Now I got her full attention, and irritation as well, as Mariana glared at me.

"I can give you attention, but not now, when I'm at my job" she justified, to which I understood perfectly " You must understand that I have a life and you are not the most important thing in my life.

" And what would be the most important thing in your life? " I was really curious now.

Mariana could not answer, as the same young man who attended to me as soon as I entered the store caught her attention at that very moment.

" The customer wants to talk about an adjustment, Mari " he warned, indicating a customer at the end of the store " Can you take it?"

" But of course, I can take it, Matheus," she says, and her tone of debauchery is solely to annoy me, I know " I'm totally unoccupied right now."

Without even a quick "I'll be right back", Mariana went to where the customer was and stayed there longer than I deemed necessary.