CHAPTER 22
”My goodness,” Victoria breathes out, her torso collapsing onto the table where they usually write. Except she”s not writing—she”s standing, pants and underwear at her ankles, with Micaela right behind her, hand still lingering between her legs.
The Italian writer leans over her and presses a kiss to her nape. She feels the sweat on Victoria”s neck and inhales deeply, distributing kisses along her cheek until they twist into a kiss on the lips. Victoria smiles, both satisfied and exhausted after another earth-shattering climax, the likes of which she has been experiencing for the past two weeks. She props herself up on her elbows, catching her breath, then finally stands fully, turning to face a flushed and grinning Micaela.
Victoria leans back against the desk and pulls Micaela close, feeling an irresistible urge to keep her near.
”We can”t keep doing this,” she intends to sound firm, but a smile breaks through, sparking laughter from Micaela.
”I know,” she admits with a resigned shrug, her eyes betraying her helplessness. ”It”s just that seeing you...” She shakes her head from side to side, her gesture confirming the undeniable truth—Victoria has become an addiction for her, as intoxicating as she is to the writer from Toledo.
For the past two weeks—since they agreed to indulge themselves during the lockdown—they”ve had this conversation at least twice a day. Since then, their progress on the novel has barely moved, because if it”s not one thing, it”s another; they spend their days tangled up, either making love or cuddling and chatting about everything until time loses meaning. And now, it has happened again.
”Yes, I know you can”t resist,” Victoria teases, trying to steer the conversation towards seriousness, a daily challenge. She senses Micaela”s effort to focus, but then, as now, Micaela”s fingers are wandering back between her folds.
”Stop,” Victoria gasps, folding over with pleasure.
Micaela bites her lip and enters her without hesitation, knowing this is exactly what Victoria wants. The writer from Toledo lets out a moan against her neck, biting her so fiercely that Micaela nearly loses control.
”You”re bad,” Victoria breathes heavily.
”One more and I promise I”ll start writing,” Micaela assures her, her voice husky with desire.
Victoria sits on the desk, wraps her legs around Micaela, and pulls her close, her right hand slipping Micaela”s underwear aside, finding her soaked. The next few minutes slip away as they lose themselves in each other, until, satisfied, they pause.
”Okay, that”s it,” Victoria pants, still breathless, always trying to be the one who brings order, though seldom successfully.
Micaela nods, still clinging to her, drained by the intensity of her climax, her legs trembling. Victoria laughs softly and kisses her on the shoulder, maintaining their embrace. But their moment of absolute connection is disrupted when Victoria”s phone starts buzzing on the desk.
”Damn,” Micaela mutters, eyeing the screen. ”It”s Javier.”
”Great, you answer it,” Victoria says, fixing her hair as though he could see her.
The Italian-named writer steps back, shaking her head as she readjusts her underwear. Victoria sighs heavily, pulling up her panties, just as the call ends. They exchange a look of uncertainty—they”ve already had several warnings from Javier, and just yesterday morning, Victoria promised they”d send two chapters by the end of the day—chapters they obviously haven”t written.
”Do you think he”ll give up?” Micaela asks, eyeing the phone.
Victoria doesn”t get a chance to reply, because suddenly, someone starts pounding on the house door. Their hearts race, and for a moment, they look at each other, unsure of what to do.
”It”s him,” Micaela hisses, bending over as if to hide.
”What are you doing?” Victoria looks at her as if she”s lost her mind, and Micaela straightens up immediately.
”Maybe he”ll leave if we keep quiet,” the Italian writer whispers, a tremor in her voice.
The pounding on the door grows louder. ”Open up, now!” Javier”s voice thunders through the wood, dripping with ire.
”Yeah, he”s not going anywhere,” Micaela concludes, her voice laced with resignation.
”No, hurry, go put on some pants,” Victoria urges.
Micaela glances down at her bare legs and nods, anxiety knotting her stomach. ”Just a minute, Javi!” Victoria calls out as she dashes to the bathroom to wash up and make herself presentable.
When she emerges, she nearly collides with Micaela, who is now dressed and ready to descend the stairs. ”What are you doing?” Victoria grabs her arm. ”Are you really going to greet him smelling like—like us? Go wash up,” she commands, and Micaela”s eyes widen in shock.
”Yes, damn, what was I thinking?” Micaela laughs, a loud, nervous guffaw that sends Victoria down the stairs, laughing to herself.
”Hello, Javi,” Victoria greets him after composing herself.
The editor storms in like a whirlwind, bypassing the customary kisses, his eyes darting around the room. ”Where”s Micaela?” he demands, his brow furrowed in frustration.
”Who?” Victoria plays for time.
”Don”t mess with me, Vicky.”
”I”m here,” Micaela descends the stairs and nearly trips on the last step.
”Damn,” Javier exclaims, alarmed as he catches her just before she crashes into the living room wall. ”What”s going on with you two?” he asks, steadying Micaela.
”Do you want something to drink? You seem stressed,” Victoria offers, trying to lighten the mood.
”I don”t want anything. What I want is to know what the hell is going on with the manuscript,” Javier insists, his face flushed with anger as he gestures toward the sofa. The two writers exchange uneasy glances and sit down, while he takes a chair across from them.
”I”m going to be very clear because it seems like you don”t take me seriously over the phone. By now, you should have finished or be close to it, and unless you”re planning to surprise me by sending it all at once, I only have half the book,” he states bluntly.
Micaela glances sidelong at Victoria, swallowing hard with dread. She hopes her partner will say something to diffuse the tension, come up with a solution, but the writer from Toledo remains silent, accepting the scolding with a stoic calm.
”Do you have the manuscript?” Javier”s question is rhetorical, laced with irony, but his penetrating gaze demands an answer.
”No,” Victoria admits when Micaela remains frozen.
”Damn,” Javier shakes his head. ”So you”ve been lying to me these past days when you said you were just polishing details, haven”t you?”
”We”ll finish it,” Micaela finally speaks up.
Javier stands abruptly, and Victoria watches him with concern, having never seen him this angry. ”Let me be clear because it seems you don”t understand. If you can”t meet the deadlines, you need to tell me now. I still have time to concoct some story to delay the publication date, but this is the last lifeline I”m throwing you. If you fail me again—and especially,” he adds, pointing at them both, ”if you take me for a fool, you”ll deal with the publisher”s lawyers.”
”How long do we have before you need to push back the deadline?” Victoria asks, her voice a mix of hope and trepidation.
”Fifteen days, but honestly, I”m not sure I can trust you anymore. I”d rather give you a bit more time.”
The comment stings Victoria like a slap. She shouldn”t even be embroiled in this mess—if she”s here, it”s because of Micaela”s writer”s block and the trick her friend played on her—but she”s not in the mood to argue over something that can”t be changed. Yet, she won”t let him insinuate that she”s not up to his expectations.
”Don”t do anything; you”ll have it in fifteen days,” she asserts, locking eyes with Micaela, who nods gravely.
”Fine, fifteen days. We”ll keep in touch,” Javier says as he rises and makes his way to the door.
Micaela remains seated, motionless, but Victoria chases after Javier, catching him at the door with a gentle touch on his shoulder.
”Wait, Javi,” she pleads.
The editor stops and turns around. Despite his anger, Victoria remains his friend.
”What is it?”
”Have you seen Dani again?”
Like her ex-husband, the editor had also mentioned he spoke with Daniel, insisting the boy was just busy with studies and nothing was amiss. The same story had reassured Victoria, who speaks almost daily with her son without him mentioning anything unusual. Yet, a mother”s intuition keeps her uneasy.
Javier looks up as if searching his memory, then shakes his head. ”No, I haven”t seen him again, but I can call him for lunch if it”ll make you feel better,” he offers, momentarily forgetting his earlier anger.
”No, no, I don”t want to overwhelm him. Thanks, Javi. Don”t worry, you”ll have the manuscript on time,” she assures him before turning back toward the house.
”I know what you”re going to say,” Micaela speaks up as soon as Victoria closes the door behind her.
”Well, what do you propose? Because we”ve tried everything, and it”s clear, we can”t write when we”re together,” Victoria says, frustration tinting her voice.
”Simple,” Micaela has devised a plan while Victoria was outside and she”s proud of it. ”When it”s your turn to write, I”ll go for a walk and won”t come back until you call me. When it”s my turn, you leave.”
Victoria ponders for a few seconds.
”The plan isn’t bad, but it has a flaw.”
”Which is?” Micaela pouts, convinced her plan is flawless.
”We can”t cross paths. If you just finished writing and I come back, those minutes together are a recipe for disaster. We can”t let that happen.”
”Damn,” Micaela laughs, ”that”s true. So, no crossing paths. I finish and leave, and you don”t come back until I”m gone.”
”We need to figure out which direction each of us will go so we don”t run into each other,” Victoria points out, ”but yes, it”s a good plan.”
”Do you think we”d end up making out in the middle of the street?” Micaela jokes.
”No, but I”d definitely kiss you to stop you from saying such things,” Victoria quips, moving closer to Micaela. She wraps her arms around her, pulling her into a kiss that blends promise with reprimand.