Thanks for the clarification.
I clear my throat. It feels like I have my grandmother’s Christmas cake lodged in there. “I like you too, then.”
As a human being.
That’s it.
That’s all it ever will be.
“Good.” She smiles triumphantly. “So, am I hired?”
Fuck.
I forgot about that.
“I guess you are,” I manage to say.
I still have no idea what the hell she’s going to do for me, since I don’t need an assistant.
But what I do know is that this is probably a huge mistake.
A mistake I’m readily walking into.
Five
Ruby
Being Luciano Ribeiro’s personal assistant is the easiest job I’ve ever had.
Probably because it’s not much of a job at all.
The minute Marco told me Luciano needed some help, I knew he was full of shit. I don’t know Luciano as well as I know his brother, but I knew enough that Luciano doesn’t need a personal assistant. Marco’s job is pretty much that, even if he won’t admit it.
No, I figured this job popped up out of nowhere because Marco was worried about my expenses and running out of money. And because I have this thing called pride, and I need cash, I went along with it.
Luckily, Luciano went along with it too. I didn’t want to admit to him how bad things really are, but he’s probably the only person I can be myself around.
Elena is gone. She left a couple of weeks ago, heading down south to her aunt’s house. We still message and text every day, so it feels good to still have her in my life, but at the moment I’m feeling very much alone. Sure, people come and go from the hostel, and I’ll hang out with them for a few days before they move on, but I’m feeling a bit adrift.
Especially as Marco isn’t back from his trip yet.
One week in Paris turned into ten days in Monaco, which turned into two weeks in Italy, and I know it shouldn’t bother me, but it does. Because he didn’t want me going with him, and the longer he’s away, the less time he has to spend with me. We only have so much time together.
This isn’t what I wanted when I started dating him. I knew that we had an expiration date, I knew that months of sex would be great, if only I didn’t develop feelings for him. And yet here I am, feeling slighted because he went away.
To be honest, I’m not even sure what my feelings for him are. I like him a lot, I like spending time with him, and the sex is pretty good. It’s not mind-blowingly good (despite him being Portuguese, Elena was wrong about him and I was right—he doesn’t spend too much time making sure I come. Thank god I have fingers). But it’s good enough.
And yeah, I could totally be vocal with him and tell him what I want but, honestly, it’s just fine. I’m having fun and that’s the most important thing. To be having a sexy relationship with a hot sports agent in Portugal is pretty much a fantasy come to life.
All that aside, it stings that I feel so cast aside.
He does text, but not as often as he should. In fact, I hear from Elena and Julie more than I hear from him.
At least I’m not alone all day.
I’m spending a lot of my time these days with Luciano.
Turns out, with Marco gone, he does need someone to step up and make sure he keeps his appointments. Luciano is a lot busier than I thought he’d be. Even though his shoulder is pretty much healed, he’s practicing a lot at the stadium, still having appointments with the physio, sometimes his coach. Other journalists ask to speak with him (which annoys the hell out of me), he’s got special events to go to, he’s often on the go, meeting with teammates and other people in the industry.
Today, he’s scheduled to go to his stepfather’s stables on the outskirts of the city for some sort of horse show. I’ve just woken up and texted him to remind him that it’s today.
I went out last night clubbing with a few people from the hostel, and they’re all in their beds still sleeping, since we didn’t get in until four in the morning, which is considered “early” for Lisbon nightlife. They party here like it’s their job.
Even though my mouth is dry and my head is pounding, I decide to try to go back to sleep.
Then my phone vibrates.
I glance at it.
Come with me.
That’s it. That’s the text that Luciano just sent me.
My stomach flips.
I stare at it for a moment then text back. What?
The bubbles appear as he texts, and I try to picture where Luciano is. Is he in bed? Did my text wake him up? I let my brain dance over the image of him shirtless beneath the sheets. Thanks to his habit of taking his shirt off when he plays, I know exactly what he looks like.
Heat flares between my legs.
It shouldn’t. It really fucking shouldn’t. I shouldn’t be thinking of Luciano this way when I’m dating his brother, and I hate that I’m making everything more complicated than it should be, at least in my rattled brain.
But I can’t help it.
I get turned on just by looking at him, and the more I try to fight it and berate myself for feeling this way, the worse it gets. The worse I get.
I want to be a good person.
He answers, finally:
To the stables. I don’t want to go alone. I’ll pick you up in an hour.
My heart trips over itself.
He’s just like his brother, I think. And yet, they couldn’t be more different.
See you then :D I text, then put my phone away. I get up, ignoring my aching head, and I quickly gather my clothes—leggings and a long flowing shirt that does a good job of hiding my chest. I figure a horse
