Chapter 17
When Violeta arrives home, Maite already has dinner prepared. She felt tempted to ask if she could invite Olga too, but since her mother didn't say anything, she preferred to stay silent to avoid raising suspicions.
"How did it go in Huesca?" Maite asks while they eat dinner. "Did you have any problems with the delivery?"
"None at all, everything went smoothly, light traffic and no parking issues," Violeta explains with a smile.
"And what did you do there?"
Maite stabs a piece of salad and brings it to her mouth.
"Not much, just walked around the center and ate. Then we came here to go to the Vero Walkways."
"Oh, really?" Maite looks at her surprised and Violeta worries, thinking that maybe she intruded between them.
"Did you want to take her?" she asks anxiously.
Her mother chews quickly when she sees Violeta's distressed face.
"No, honey," she hurries to answer, "I think it's great that you took her. Olga really wanted to go and I barely have time, I just assumed you'd take advantage of the day in Huesca."
"Yeah, but it was so sunny out."
"Yes, it's been a nice day, but by the end it was too cloudy, it will surely snow."
"That's what Olga says."
Violeta lowers her gaze, unsure if she's mentioning her too much. Maite glances at her, noticing her daughter acting a bit strange, but can't figure out why and doesn't want to overwhelm her.
After dinner, Violeta takes a shower and, after spending some time together on the couch, Maite starts nodding off.
"Go to bed, Mom," her daughter asks, her heart racing.
She can't wait to climb out the window and go to Olga's house. She would go through the door if it weren't for the loud click it always makes when closing, knowing it would certainly wake her mother. Maite yawns and arches her back tiredly before getting up and wishing her good night.
Violeta waits still as a statue, attentive to every sound her mother makes. She knows her routine by heart and knows the last thing she'll do before getting into bed is empty her bladder. As soon as she hears the bathroom tank, she lets fifteen minutes pass to make sure she's asleep and sneaks to her room, closing the door quietly. Then she sends a message to Olga announcing that she's coming out and puts on her jacket, opening the window to a wave of cold air mixed with tiny snowflakes.
"Damn," she says, upset by the setback.
She leans out and sticks out a hand to check the magnitude of the snowfall. It's quite light, so she decides she doesn't need the umbrella given the short distance she has to travel. The exterior light illuminating that side of the house - which in turn faces the side of Olga's house - is located on the corner that meets the front and barely illuminates that area. Violeta turns on her phone's flashlight, she only opened one of the window panes, so the space to exit is quite narrow.
Olga, who upon receiving the message went to the entrance to wait for her with an umbrella, sees her leave from her house. She sees how first a leg appears. Olga doesn't understand why she hasn't opened the whole window. Violeta wriggles and passes her body and head until she's left hanging as if riding a horse. The leg that's outside doesn't reach the ground and she feels around with the toe while slowly lowering herself.
"What the fuck is she doing?" Olga asks herself, holding back the urge to yell at her. How easy it would be if she opened both panes, sat on the ledge and took a small jump.
Violeta finally touches the ground and her lips stretch with satisfaction. She lets herself down slowly to find more support with her foot, but doesn't account for the snow having wet the patio tiles and, as soon as she puts all her weight on it, her foot slips and although she tries to grab onto everything, she fails to keep her balance and ends up sprawled on the ground.
The fall was very slow and the position Violeta ended up in very ridiculous. Olga can't help but laugh and covers her mouth to contain her guffaw when Violeta starts to get up while grumbling several swear words that Olga doesn't understand, but make her laugh harder.
Violeta picks up her phone from the ground and after looking at herself and seeing that all her clothes are wet, turns to the window and pulls the only pane she opened. Then, Olga sees her look for something under a flowerpot and place it as a wedge to jam the window shut from the outside, so that from the inside it's not noticeable and she can access it again when she returns.
"That bitch," Olga hisses, not taking her eyes off her.
Violeta walks quickly to her front door and when she comes out, Olga is already waiting for her on the sidewalk with the umbrella and a smile she can't wipe off her face.
"Did you hurt yourself?" she asks, shielding her with the umbrella.
"Fuck, did you see that?" Violeta replies, flushed with embarrassment.
"You bet, the best moment of the day."
Olga kisses her on the cheek and leads her to her house. When they enter, Violeta has forgotten her desire to get revenge for Olga's laughter and pounces on her lips as if she hasn't tasted them all day.
"You're soaked," Olga says when she touches her clothes.
"My clothes aren't the only thing that's soaked," Violeta quips, causing a jolt between Olga's legs.
"Come on, let's shower, you'll warm up there."
Violeta lets herself be dragged and they both end up under the hot stream of water amid caresses, kisses and moans that will later continue in bed, reliving that first night they spent together and confirming that something has changed since then. Now the connection between them has a different level, a much deeper one that makes them enjoy sex in a much more visceral way. It's something more attached to the gut because feelings are starting to get involved and sensations overflow when the two, after sharing an orgasm, look into each other's eyes with trembling lips.
Both women think the same thing, neither wants Violeta to return to Madrid, but they both keep quiet for fear of overwhelming the other and settle for melting into an embrace before falling fast asleep.