Chapter 3
“Never let doubts paralyze your actions. Always make all the decisions you need to make, even without having the security or certainty that you are deciding correctly”
— Paulo Coelho
At nine o’clock, my phone’s ringtone woke me up. It was Sol.
“Hi, Sol”
“I can’t believe you left without telling me! Why didn’t you call me?! You’re a terrible friend!”
“Stop shouting, please. Are you still at Niky’s house?”
“Yes, I’m still here. Niky doesn’t want me to leave and I don’t want to either.
She believed, or at least said she believed your version, but just so you know, I’m clear that you left because of Henry Woollardy.
When we meet, you’ll have to give me a long explanation because you’ve been evasive and I can’t stand that. ”
“How do you know his name?” I asked, because it caught my attention that she knew his first and last name, I didn’t remember telling her.
“Niky mentioned it,” she said, though she seemed to become defensive and a bit nervous.
“You’re right. It’s true, I left because I didn’t want to run into him again. But please don’t say anything.”
“I won’t say anything. I’ll tell you that he came into the kitchen when we were having breakfast and asked about you, and when Niky told him you had left, he couldn’t hide his surprise and anger. You owe me a big explanation and I assure you that you won’t get away with this one.”
“The thing is that he just wants to get me into bed, nothing more,” I stated.
“That’s obvious, it’s not news, men like him always want the same thing, to take any woman to bed. But where do you know him from?”
“I met him once when he was at the hotel, and because you talk as if you know him.”
“Not at all,” she responded immediately. “Why don’t you come back? He’s gone already, he left right away.”
“I prefer to stay here. I’m sorry everything ended like this, I would have liked to spend the weekend with you all.”
“We’ll do it again another time.”
“I’m not going back to that house, I’m sorry for Niky, but just to be safe, I won’t go there anymore.”
“I agree with that. Next time it will be at your hotel or at my house.”
“Anywhere, except where I might run into him.”
“Why does he confuse you so much? You’re acting very strange. You’re not...”
“What?”
“Are you in love with Henry Woollardy?” she asked, though it sounded more like a statement, I even thought there was a hint of reproach in her voice.
“How could you think such nonsense?”
“Dalina, in this case I feel obligated to tell you to be careful. He’s a man who is several years older than you, a grown man and a great seductive charmer with extensive experience with women.
Next to him, you’re just a girl, and I don’t say this just because of age, I say it because of your lack of experience.
It worries me and I don’t like that this guy throws you off balance to the point that you want to run away.
Stay away from him,” she said, and I don’t know why, but that last part seemed like a threat, but obviously it couldn’t be.
“Don’t worry. Have fun and I’m sorry for leaving.”
“I forgive you. Take care and don’t forget what I said,” she repeated, returning to being the considerate friend.
“I promise, thank you.”
I ended the call with my friend’s words spinning around in my head.
I was convinced that Henry was only interested in sex without any kind of involvement, and apparently my friend thought the same.
You could recognize that type of man just by looking at them.
I shook my head, I didn’t want to keep thinking about him.
It was better to try to get some sleep. I was about to do so when the phone rang again.
I assumed it was Sol again who had forgotten to tell me something, but it was a number I didn’t have registered.
I answered thinking it might be about something related to the hotel.
I was wrong.
“Hello?”
“Can you tell me why you left in the middle of the night? Are you aware that something could have happened to you?”
“Who is this?” I asked, although I knew clearly it was him, by his voice and by the questions.
“You know who I am. Tell me why you did it,” he demanded. “And don’t give me that story about something coming up at the hotel.”
“Mr. Woollardy, think whatever you want because I don’t have to explain myself to you. I thought that was already clear to you.”
“Dalina, there's still nothing clear between us. We need to talk.”
“I have nothing more to say. I'm sorry, but I'm busy right now. Goodbye, Mr. Woollardy.”
I hung up and waited expectantly, thinking he would call back, but to my surprise, the phone didn't ring again.
Better this way, I thought.
I couldn't go back to resting either, so I got up with the idea of organizing myself a bit and going to the gym.
I was craving something delicious for breakfast, so I called the hotel kitchen and asked them to bring up a complete breakfast. I was planning to go to the gym afterward to burn energy and calories anyway.
It was spring and the days were warm and beautiful, perfect for having breakfast on the suite's balcony feeling the warm air on my skin.
When I was finishing getting dressed in workout clothes, I heard my phone ring.
At first, I picked it up cautiously in case it was him, but it was a video call from Sol.
“Hello!” they both shouted at once, because Sol and Niky appeared on the screen.
“Hello, dynamic duo. What are you up to?” I asked, smiling.
“We were planning to go out tonight. You're coming, right?” Niky asked.
“Of course she is, otherwise we'll go get her and drag her out,” Sol said in her characteristic commanding tone.
“And where are we supposed to be going?” I asked.
“Dancing and having fun allllll night long,” Niky said.
“Sounds perfect. Let me know how we're organizing it or which place you choose and I'll go straight there.”
“We're deliberating here. We'll let you know as soon as we decide.”
“Keep having fun, because I can see you're already doing that,” I said, smiling, because they were lying on loungers by the pool.
“You missed out by being so secretive,” Sol reproached me.
“Don't blame her, she had to leave for work!” Niky exclaimed, looking at Sol with a frown.
“Work, work, you'll get sick of her work soon enough, I'm speaking from experience,” Sol replied.
“Girls, I'll wait for your message and see you tonight.”
“See youuuuuu!” they shouted together.
And yes, we seemed like immature fools whenever we talked, but that's how our friendship was.
At the gym, I burned all my pent-up energy. I needed to disconnect a bit from everything that was spinning around in my head. My friends let me know we'd be going to a nightclub and would meet there at eleven o'clock.
When I got back to the hotel, one of the receptionists asked me to come over.
“Miss Dukart, I have a message for you,” she informed me.
“Tell me, Anne.”
“Mr. Woollardy was here asking for you,” she said, and quickly glanced at the other receptionist with a silly little smile.
With that gesture alone, I imagined the man had dazzled them with his beauty.
“We informed him you weren't in the hotel, but he didn't seem to believe us because he kept insisting.
He waited in the lobby sofas for quite a while, but he left about fifteen minutes ago.
He didn't ask us to let you know he needed to speak with you.”
Wouldn't that man leave me in peace? I had arrived so calm and relaxed, and he had already managed to rattle my nerves again!
“Thank you, Anne,” I responded, trying not to appear surprised.
The girl looked at me and nodded, but I could tell they were looking at me with something close to envy, probably thinking I had some kind of relationship with that sexy, arrogant man who had evidently left them drooling.
I arrived at the suite hungry, but the day was so lovely that I decided to change clothes and go out for lunch.
I put on jeans, a white tank top, and sandals.
I grabbed my purse and left. I felt like walking along the promenade.
After walking for quite a while, I entered a restaurant and sat in a prime spot with views of Montevideo's spectacular promenade.
I was waiting for my meal when my phone rang.
It was Henry again, though I hadn't saved his number, it was the same one that had called me in the morning.
I should save it as "Do Not Answer," I thought.
“What now?” I asked as soon as I answered the call.
“I see you at least know who I am now.”
“I see you're determined to keep bothering me.”
“Where are you? This is the second time today I've come to your hotel to talk to you and can't find you. Could it be that you're avoiding me?”
“Don't think you're that important. I'm not at the hotel,” I replied.
“Where are you?”
“That's none of your business, and besides, why do you think you have the right to ask?”
“Are you with someone?”
“What do you want, Henry?”
“I'm picking you up at eight tonight and we're going to dinner,” he stated, with his characteristic commanding tone as if his word was an indisputable order.
“Impossible, I already have plans.”
“Cancel them.”
“Goodbye, Henry. And stop calling me because you're going to force me to block your number.”
“Eight o'clock tonight,” he stated again, and hung up.
I stared at the phone in disbelief at what I'd just heard. Did this man even listen when people talked to him? And although I didn't want to admit it, the worst part was that every time I spoke with him, an irrational happiness invaded me. God help me!
Later, Niky created a WhatsApp group that she named “The 3 Musketeers” in which, obviously, the members were her, Sol, and me. I laughed when I received the notification.
First message from Niky to the group:
“Tonight we're going to light up the dance floor at 'Hot Dance' Club”
?
Sol:
“And don't forget this: ?
Me:
“ I'll be there. What time?”
Niky:
“At midnight”
Me: