Chapter 13
Like before, Trinidad has arrived at the hangar earlier than agreed, though this time, she stays outside the plane, next to the stairs with Benjamin while enjoying the fresh morning breeze.
Minutes later, a taxi arrives and Maria steps out from the passenger door, immediately lighting a cigarette while the other doors open and Ursula, Mildred, and Lili get out.
Trinidad, still as a statue, watches the couple get their luggage before heading toward the plane.
The businesswoman observes them walking and feels a pang of healthy envy seeing Mildred walking beside Ursula while answering something on the phone, and Ursula herself holding Lili's hand, like a united family.
Maria walks right behind, with that quick, nervous step and her gaze fixed on Trinidad, who suddenly feels like smiling but holds back without understanding why she does it.
"How big!" Lili exclaims, letting go of Ursula's hand to run toward Trinidad, while her eyes look at the aircraft in amazement.
"Hello, Lili," Trinidad greets her and ruffles her bangs, the child hugs her legs for a moment like yesterday and then looks at Benjamin.
"Who's he?"
The man narrows his eyes looking at her, with a serious expression and, suddenly, winks at her which draws a sudden laugh from the child.
"This is Benjamin, he works for me and will accompany us to London," Trinidad explains just as the three women reach them and exchange greetings.
"And do you fly the plane?" Lili asks with a curious expression.
"No, little Lili, that's what the pilot does," Benjamin responds with a kind smile.
"Then what do you do?" Lili insists.
Benjamin exchanges a look with Trinidad, who remains expectant with a mocking half-smile.
"I take care of Ms. Trinidad and make sure everything goes well during the trip."
"Like a superhero," Lili concludes with conviction.
Everyone's laughter manages to relax the atmosphere.
"Can we buy a plane?" Lili suddenly asks Ursula.
"We don't need a plane, Lili," Ursula answers, infected by everyone's laughter.
"Why? Trinidad has one."
"Because Trinidad travels a lot, honey," Mildred intervenes.
"Aah, what's your last name?" she turns to Benjamin.
"Don't answer," Ursula asks the man and everyone laughs again.
Trinidad feels relaxed watching the child's interaction with all the adults, the only thing that unsettles her is Maria's presence, though not in a negative way.
Their gazes cross for a second and both get caught as if trying to read each other's mind, until Benjamin announces it's time to leave and everyone boards the plane.
Mildred, Ursula, and Lili sit in a block of four facing seats where Maria could also fit, but without thinking, the lawyer sits across from Trinidad, who looks at her over her sunglasses that she's still wearing and sketches a half-smile that expresses a cocky attitude.
"I can change seats," Maria says quietly.
"You don't bother me, but do what you want," Trinidad answers knowing it will irritate her.
Maria snorts and takes out her tablet to ignore the businesswoman. Trinidad smiles again.
Once they reach their destination, they split up; the couple and the child have a reservation at a hotel because they'll stay several days, and Trinidad and Maria at another.
They all settle in their rooms and, in the afternoon, meet with the building owner at a notary's office in central London to formalize the purchase.
When they finish signing, Benjamin is stationed at the entrance and Mildred and Lili are in the park across the street.
"Well, now you have the building," Maria says, taking out her cigarette pack again.
"You're smoking a lot again," Mildred comments when they reach them.
Maria makes a nodding gesture.
"I've been very stressed lately, but I'll quit soon," she says and lights one.
Ursula takes it from her hands and also takes a couple of drags, as she likes to do when celebrating something or after good sex.
"We could celebrate the purchase with dinner," Ursula suggests looking at Trinidad.
The engineer presses her lips without knowing what to answer. On one hand, she really wants to, however, on the other she feels like she doesn't belong in this group that seems so united.
"Say yes," Lili jumps on her grabbing her coat.
"Lili, don't overwhelm Trinidad," Mildred scolds her, not understanding what's going on with the child and this woman.
"She doesn't bother me, it's okay."
"So you're coming?" Lili insists.
Trinidad's gaze goes straight to Maria who, positioned behind Ursula, keeps looking at her.
She doesn't know what she expects to find in the lawyer, but when Maria arches an eyebrow and makes a gesture with her head to the side indicating her to agree, Trinidad feels an inexplicable tingle in the pit of her stomach and nods without even thinking about it.
"Okay."
During dinner, seated at a round table, they talk about the project until gradually the conversation starts to shift toward personal topics thanks to Lili, who keeps asking questions like a journalist. Trinidad becomes absorbed for a few seconds, watching Ursula when she helps Mildred clean up the food that Lili has spilled on the tablecloth.
She sees their complicity and realizes she's never had that with anyone, which makes love start to seem less bad if it looks like what the couple projects.
While she's lost in her own thoughts, Maria focuses on her, increasingly aware that Trinidad is hiding something, but thinking for the first time that maybe, what she's hiding isn't bad, but just something sad.
"Are you married, Trinidad?" Mildred asks her, making her expression suddenly harden.
Trinidad feels a sudden tension in every muscle of her body.
"No, marriage is a farce," she answers dryly and abruptly, "if two people love each other, I don't think they need a paper to confirm it."
Everyone looks at her in silence, even Lili has stopped chattering.
"Sorry, I was a bit harsh," she apologizes nervously and unconsciously looks back, where Benjamin and Oliver are dining at their table, as if looking at her bodyguard made her feel more secure.
"I think the same," Ursula intervenes lowering the tension, "I was married and I've never been as happy as I am now with Mildred without being married. Though I don't rule out doing it again," she adds and Mildred's jaw drops drawing a laugh from Maria and a sigh of relief from Trinidad.
"Are you getting married?" Lili asks euphoric.
"No, sweetie," Ursula responds alarmed by her slip, "it would only be for legal matters, you don't understand that yet."
Ursula seeks Maria's gaze to get her out of the predicament by distracting Lili with one of her anecdotes, but again, finds her absorbed observing the businesswoman.
"Next week is my birthday," Lili blurts out addressing Trinidad, completely forgetting about the wedding topic. "Will you come to my party? I have to introduce you to Piadora," she explains as if it were a matter of life and death.
Everyone laughs at the engineer's confused expression.
"Who's Piadora?"
"A turtle that lives in Ursula's pond. She's older than me."
"Really," Trinidad laughs.
"Will you come?" she asks with pleading eyes.
Trinidad raises her gaze and, instead of seeking Ursula's or Mildred's eyes, finds herself caught again in Maria's, who smiles with arched eyebrows.
The businesswoman immediately corrects herself and looks at the mothers without knowing how to respond.
She doesn't want to go, but she also doesn't want to offend Lili.
"Come," Ursula tells her, who, somehow, connects with Trinidad and seems to notice that internal struggle in which the engineer constantly lives, "the party is at my estate. Just a few of Lili's little friends will come. It'll just be us and maybe some parents."
"Sure, join us," Mildred adds.
"Come on, say yes," Lili insists.
"Alright."
Lili gives a small cry of joy and gets up to hug Trinidad.
Maria watches them stunned, trying to find that cold woman who fucks her and then disappears in this affectionate woman who laughs with the child.
It's Ursula who pulls her from her thoughts when she moves her chair closer to her, taking advantage that everyone is distracted, and leans in to speak in confidence.
"Do you realize you've fucked all the adult women at the table?" she drops and Maria feels a current run through her that makes her body rigid.
She looks at Ursula ready to deny it, but when she sees how her friend looks at her, she understands she can't lie.
"How did you know?" she asks amazed while color returns to her cheeks.
"Because I've known you for more than twenty years, and it's not just your way of looking at her that gives you away, it's how she looks at you. Neither of you knows how to pretend," Ursula settles and returns to her seat while shaking her head.
At the restaurant door they say goodbye to Ursula, Mildred, and Lili.
Trinidad and Maria walk escorted by Benjamin and Oliver to the hotel. When they enter, Trinidad stops Maria for a few moments.
"You know Lili well, excuse me from her birthday."
"You're not going?" Maria frowns.
"I don't belong there, Maria..."
"I don't care if you belong," the lawyer cuts her off abruptly, surprising Trinidad. "You promised her you'd go and promises to children must be kept, so you better show up," she says before turning around and walking quickly toward the elevator.
"It seems Ms. Maria has quite a temper," Benjamin comments with a teasing tone positioning himself beside her.
Trinidad looks at him and they both laugh.
"Stop calling her Ms. Maria, Benjamin, how many times do I have to tell you?"
"One more," he responds and gestures for her to start walking.