CHAPTER 14
”I”m leaving this place, Javier! I can”t spend another minute in this godforsaken village with that unbearable woman,” Victoria cries into her phone to her editor. Her nerves are raw, not just from the clash with Micaela but from the visceral reaction to seeing the writer moaning with another woman.
”Victoria, dear, breathe. I can”t make heads or tails of what you”re telling me. Can you explain what happened?” Javier”s voice comes through, trying to weave calm into the chaos, having been met with shouts since he picked up the call.
”I can”t stand it anymore, Javier. She”s a slob, completely disrespectful,” she rants, pacing so briskly it”s as if she”s fleeing a wild beast. She had bolted from the house toward the village, feeling suffocated.
”If you don”t tell me what Micaela did, I can”t understand or do anything about it,” Javier says, his discomfort rising with the tension in his chest. These kinds of crises are part of his job, yet they still unsettle him.
”She brought a whore home to sleep with, Javier. In our bed!” Victoria”s voice breaks, her breath ragged from both distress and her near sprint.
”Did Micaela hire a prostitute?” Javier asks, incredulous. Though Victoria can”t see him, his eyes are wide with shock.
”No. I don”t know. I don”t think so,” she stammers, her words tumbling out confusedly.
”Can you try to calm down? I”m struggling to follow you. I”ve never seen you this upset,” he presses.
Victoria slows her pace and attempts to breathe. Air trickles into her lungs slowly, and the memory of Micaela, legs entwined, head tilted back in sheer ecstasy, stabs at her heart. It”s a pain sharper than any she felt even when her marriage with Santiago was crumbling—she never felt as devastated as she does now.
”Victoria, are you still there? You”re scaring me,” Javier”s voice breaks through, laced with worry, fearing she might have fainted.
”Yes, yes,” Victoria replies, her voice letting out a sigh so forceful and plaintive that Javier has to pull the phone away from his ear to save his hearing.
”Okay, where are you, darling?” Javier”s voice is tinged with concern, fearing she might have made the drastic decision to bolt back to Toledo.
Victoria glances around, realizing she dashed out so swiftly she hadn”t paid any attention to her route. The house she shares with Micaela isn”t far from the village center of Vinuesa, a straight shot really, but once there, she”d turned down several streets and now has no clue where she is.
”I... I don”t know,” she admits, her eyes scanning for any sign that might reveal her location.
”Please, open the messaging app and send me your location. That way, I can figure out where you are,” Javier suggests, his voice steady yet filled with a hint of urgency, hoping Victoria won”t resist.
”You know technology isn”t my thing, Javier. Hold on, I see a neighbor; he must know where we are,” she says, spotting an elderly man stepping out of a townhouse vastly grander than her modest apartment in Toledo.
Javier waits, his pulse racing, but he remains patient. He had been so pleased these past days. The project he had pitched about pairing Victoria and Micaela was turning out to be a smash hit. The story they were crafting together was a blockbuster in the making, each chapter they submitted practically had euro signs flashing before his eyes. He loves his job deeply, but he can”t deny the thrill of the financial rewards a bestseller brings.
”I”m on Carril Street,” Victoria finally informs him, ”near the town hall. This kind gentleman told me there”s a bar just around the corner. I”ll head there.”
”Get a lime blossom tea; it might calm you down a bit,” Javier suggests, a wave of relief washing over him knowing that Victoria isn”t on the highway trying to hitchhike her way out of Soria.
Victoria doesn”t respond. Javier hears a murmur of voices and assumes she has entered the bar. He shakes his head when he hears her order a glass of red wine instead. The last time he saw her this upset, he had to travel from Madrid to Toledo to practically carry her home. That drunken episode was unforgettable.
”Javier, I”m serious. I want you to talk to whoever you need to and get me out of here. I can”t stand this village another day,” she whispers, careful to keep her voice low to avoid eavesdroppers—small towns can be terribly gossipy.
”If you don”t tell me what exactly happened, Victoria, I can”t help you,” Javier”s tone hardens. ”You called me screaming as if someone was attacking you, but you haven”t explained what caused this meltdown. All I know is that Micaela seems to have brought home a prostitute.”
”I don”t think it was a prostitute. Micaela doesn”t need to pay for sex,” Victoria blurts out, eyes widening in horror as she takes a long sip of wine, nearly choking on it as she realizes the gravity of her statement.
“So what’s the problem?” Javier asks, his voice tinged with suspicion as he begins to piece together the drama unfolding on the other end of the line.
Victoria’s breath hitches, the memory igniting a fresh surge of anger. “When I got back from lunch with Dani, I thought the house was empty. But when I went upstairs...” She pauses, the image burning bright in her mind. “Micaela was sprawled out like a starfish on the bed, and a redhead was... was all over her,” she explains, each word soaked in venom.
Javier’s brow furrows, still not seeing the issue. “I’m not quite catching the problem, Vicky,” he probes, suspecting jealousy but waiting for her to admit it.
“First,” Victoria starts, ticking off on her fingers, “our free day is for family and friends, not random hook-ups. Second, I sleep in that bed, Javier. It’s a total disrespect that this... this porn enthusiast uses it with just anyone. That place should be sacred.”
Javier bites back a laugh, knowing full well that if he lets it slip, Victoria might just throw in the towel. He understands that Micaela shouldn’t have used the bed they share for such escapades, but he can’t help but think Victoria’s reaction is a bit over the top—a classic jealousy fit.
“Look, sweetie. On your day off you can bring over whoever you decide and…”
“So, you’re saying I can drag Vicente up there and go at it like a kangaroo, regardless of sharing the house?” she cuts in, perplexed by his rationale.
“Of course not, Vicky. What I’m trying to say is that while you’re free to bring someone over, there should be a level of respect to maintain peace. I’ll talk to Micaela to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Javier mediates, though he knows smoothing this over won’t be simple.
“I want to leave, Javi. I can’t stand another day locked up with her. Right now, I just want to throw a rock at her head,” Victoria mumbles, her voice low and fierce.
“I know you’re upset, darling, but let me try to fix this. You both need to finish the book. Not just because it’s a hit,” Javier praises, trying to lighten the mood, “but because of all the legal ties if you bail without doing your part.”
Victoria falls silent, realizing she hadn’t considered the contract in her rage.
“Come back home,” Javier speaks up again, noting her silence, “I’ll call Micaela to clear the air so she won’t bother you. I’ll be there first thing tomorrow, and we can all talk,” the editor sends a silent prayer to any deity listening, hoping Victoria agrees.
“You better fix this, Javier. See you tomorrow,” Victoria hangs up abruptly, finishing her wine in one final gulp before standing to pay. She needs to get back home, and the last thing she wants is to face the erotica writer she lives with.