May: Huh?
He squints and chooses his shoulders, revealing his curiosity and doubt about my behavior. He watches me as if he has found the first piece of a puzzle whose existence he did not know and is now about to discover.
May: Why are you looking at me like that?
Tomás: Because you look weird.
May: I'm not weird, you'll be asleep anyway.
She shakes her head with forced lips in imitation of disapproval.
Tomás: I just hope it's not because of what I think.
He adds, raising a somewhat defiant eyebrow and I must admit that his attitude is beginning to unsettle me.
May: And what do you think?
Tomás: Don't pretend you don't understand.
He says very seriously, making an icy breeze hug my back, as it always does when nerves flood my body. I prefer not to answer anything, fearing that I will make everything worse by giving myself away through the unnecessary help of my clumsiness.
Tomás: You were speechless.
I shake my head to come back to reality and try to look at him reflecting more confidence in my eyes.
May: No, I am sleepy.
I answer, rubbing my eyes with some bitterness in the failed attempt to act that I really want to sleep, although it is the least I want at the moment.
Tomás (nods): I'll let you rest then.
He adds, thinking of getting up and by the calmness of his voice for a moment I come to think that his suspicions might have disappeared.
May: No dad, wait.
I exclaim when he's already on his feet, looking much taller than he already is.
May: About Samuel ...
Tomás (interrupts me): I already said no May.
"May", the way in which he calls me every time his patience reaches the limits and there that particular tone of him returns, exposing his authoritarian and decisive character. When I was a girl, events like this did not happen very often and if they did, at most it was due to nonsense like: having gone to bed late when I should not have or not having fulfilled some stupid task at school. At this age ... they are unique opportunities that I usually take advantage of to generate discussions or simply take it against him as if he felt pleasure from just provoking him, but this time it is not like that. Now I depend on him, to be able to fulfill my promise to Samuel hangs on his decision like a fine and defenseless thread that can be broken with the slightest mistake and, as strange as it sounds ... I cannot risk revealing myself to him just for fun,
May: It is a favor that I ask of you.
I insist again, highlighting the "I" and abounding calm in my voice. I notice how the muscles in his face tighten. He lets out a stifled sigh and stares at me, sitting back down in front of me.
Tomás: You really don't have anything with that boy?
May: I already told you no (I say something dry and change the tone of my voice when reacting), seriously, no. I just want to help him because I'm sorry for what happened to him.
Tomás: Well, you can go, but… (I smile from ear to ear) don't get used to it because this is not going to happen again.
I jump out of bed as soon as my father crosses the door and closes it carefully, something that does not compare with the brutality of my movements trying to find my damn cell phone that I do not remember where I left before going downstairs. Finally it appears under the sheets, as if that were the most normal place I have indicated for your accommodation. I open the mailbox by moving my fingers with agility and I smile when I see his name among my contacts and then start a conversation telling him what happened moments ago. As much as I don't hear his voice or have him in front of me, I can imagine the happiness on his face when reading every message I write to him. He thanks me more than three times, moving me inside and ends with "I love you", managing to draw another smile on my face.
I leave my phone happy and proud of myself, I don't even know why. Since when does helping employees make me happy? I lie to myself differentiating Samuel from the others as an excuse, although inside I know perfectly well that it is not only that. Something in me changed even though I denied it. I shake my head, tired of so many overwhelming thoughts, and head to the bathroom to remove my makeup, carrying with me the backpack that accompanied me throughout this trip. I leave it on top of the small white chest of drawers whose interior is occupied by a remarkable quantity of hygienic products. I open the smallest zip on the backpack, pulling out a pink case in which I brought my makeup removers. I finish several minutes later and look for a towel to use after showering on the shelves above the chest of drawers. Then I notice it hanging from the handle of the second drawer. I narrow my eyes, surprised by the appearance of that tie and I remember its lack on Samuel's neck in the last moments of the trip, understanding that I had put it in my backpack. River. I take the thin band of cloth in my hands and bring it to my face, smiling when the scent of his masculine perfume invades my senses, forming a strange tingle inside me.