Blake
-Good morning, Mr. Blakmoon.
-Good morning, Lola.
-I'm afraid your uncle hasn't arrived yet. He called to say he would be late.
-Is my uncle still in Barcelona?
-Since a week ago.
-What I was missing.
I walk and the woman follows me like a kite's trail. Lola is my uncle's secretary, and on some occasions when I come to Spain, she is also mine. The agency's headquarters are concentrated mainly in Baltimore, Barcelona and Berlin. My mother worked hard to diversify the family business in several cities to minimize the risks of a monopoly of ideas. When Simon, her brother, took over, the projects changed course. Today, the Barcelona and Berlin headquarters are something he wants to wipe off the map. As is consulting in new technologies. His interest in Baltimore and its new directions in the arms industry seems more interesting to him.
I open the door to the manager's office with the force of the storms that assail me. The bastard is not there. I look at Lola who answers me without questions.
-Mr. Raul is meeting with the Chinese in the central office.
I walk down the hall and open the door. The bastard smiles when he sees me.
-Good morning.
I answer her with the full measure of my polite right hook. Lola puts her hands to her mouth. She is horrified. She will have to console herself in therapy sessions. My fury is not available for the relief of hysterical secretaries.
-Lift!
The disgusting man caresses his lip without losing the smile of a stretched toad. Contrary to all my estimations, he rests his left hand on the carpet without the slightest intention of rising.
-Lift!
The three Chinese who have so far watched without understanding anything begin to take out their cell phones.
-You really hurried to travel. You should have warned me. It's always a pleasure to share a flight with a friend.
-Lift!
-So much history for nothing.
-I'm going to kill you.
-Lola, please call human resources. They will be pleased to witness the threats of a shareholder manager. The wretched man strokes the corner of his lip, which is running a thin trickle of blood.
-Lift!
-If you insist. The asshole shakes his jacket.
-Raul, go away. The deep voice bounces off my back. It's a good thing it would take a while. I glance at Lola, who is absentmindedly stroking her hair bun.
-Your nephew and I have something pending.
-Raul, leave right now.
My uncle never needed to raise his voice to assert himself. Sometimes I wonder if I have inherited that same power. Maybe that's the only thing that unites us. That, and the physical resemblance that I deny whenever I can.
-As you command," Raul stands up very slowly. After all, I'm not the uneducated brat who comes banging in.
I'm about to throw myself against his head when my uncle's voice pins me to the carpet.
-, my office. Now!
-You'd better obey your uncle or he won't give you the sports car this Christmas.
I shake my head. There are stupid things that don't deserve an answer.
-By the way, that girl has skin worth kissing.
Others deserve it.
My uncle spews out his mouth while the Chinese start filming us with their iPhones.
Fuck! That one hurt.