Myria POV
I've been ignoring Sandra as best I can for a week now and I think she's starting to notice. Every day she shows up at my desk and I have to hide, pretend I'm on the phone, run out for coffee... I'm running out of excuses and at some point, I'm going to have to say something to her. Like: Hey, Miss Hevia doesn't want me to talk to you because apparently, I'm unprofessional.
'Telling her that doesn't make sense, I want to run away from her, not to make her think my boss believes I'm flirting with her.'
Alternatively, she might understand that I have no interest in talking to her and withdraw, but I don't think that's the case, every day she comes back and comes back. I don't want Alba to question my professionalism or my commitment to the project again. Elena is very excited and she really liked the drinks. She's looking forward to putting them on the stream soon. And not just because of Elena, I have to do things right, I like my job. I just hate my boss.
'No, I don't hate her, she hates me, I feel indifference.'
That's it. Indifference. Alba is indifferent to me. I don't care, I just have to smile and look at her with a good face, maybe respond with some sarcasm (because I know that's what bothers her the most) and everything she says to me completely slips my mind. I laughed to myself.
I glanced into Alba's office to find her absorbed in her mobile screen and smiling. She's been like that all week.
'Wow, the super-professional boss.'
In the distance I saw Sandra approaching my desk. I tensed, Alba hadn't seen her arrive yet and I had to get away now. I scrambled to my feet and went to the bathroom trying not to let Sandra see me. The guy at the back table laughed seeing me running as if I had an urgency.
'Let him laugh if he wants to, it's a bit of an emergency.'
When I was safely inside, Sandra came through the door.
She asked me why I was avoiding her and I told her I wasn't, but I don't know if I sounded very credible. I explained that I was very nervous about the project and that I didn't have time for anything, but I promised her that we would talk another day.
Alba POV
'Did I just see Myria go into the bathroom with Sandra?'
I rolled my eyes. A week ago I told her very specifically that those behaviors were not appropriate or professional and to stop doing it and now they're hiding in the toilets to do God knows what.
'Seriously, what does she see in her?'
My phone vibrated, snapping me out of these thoughts. I don't care what Myria sees in Sandra, and I don't care what she does in the toilets as long as she gets the project done, and so far she is. Actually, Myria is a very good worker. And I have Adriana, who wants to meet me. Maybe on Saturday I'll invite her to dinner. I've been talking to her all week and she's nice, I find her interesting. She keeps flattering me and telling me she thinks I'm attractive. It's just what my self-esteem needed right now; a pretty girl saying nice things to me.
Myria returns to her desk with a confused look on her face. I'm not going to say anything to her about Sandra, I'm not going to let her think I'm making a big deal out of it.
'I'll send her to make photocopies, that's what pisses her off.'
I smiled and gestured for her to come in.
MYRIA: Is there something you need, Miss Hevia?
As always with that sarcastic tone that I hate so much.
ALBA: I need you to make photocopies of these reports here.
I pointed to a huge stack of papers and watched Myria's face go pale.
MYRIA: Of course, Mrs. Hevia. -She smiled at me and walked out with the papers.
Myria POV
Saturday night and we're going out. We are joined by Alicia, who now seems to be very close to Arancha and Noelia, and Rosa. Isabel has been missing for a few days (which happens often) and there's no sign of Alba.
'Better.'
We are all having dinner at Noelia's house. She lives with her grandma in a huge old house, and we love coming here. Noelia's grandma always prepares food for us, tells us stories about when Noelia was little (and apparently she was just as much of a personality as she is now) and then goes upstairs to sleep and leaves us to our own devices.
ARANCHA: So Alba's not coming today?
I rolled my eyes.
ROSA: She's gone to dinner with a girl, then they'll join us.
'Alba Hevia has a date?'
NOELIA: Wow, Alba has a girlfriend?
'Girlfriend? Is there anyone in the world who can stand her?'
MYRIA: How can Alba have a girlfriend, probably a Tinder hookup.
ROSA: Yes, she's a girl she met on Tinder.
She looked at me like when a teacher wants to scold you but at the last moment decides to keep quiet and look at you with disappointment in her eyes.
ALICIA: She doesn't have time for girls with all her work.
ARANCHA: We can be her girlfriends.
Noelia, Arancha and Alicia giggle at each other. They always seem to be in their own atmosphere, making jokes that no one else finds funny.
ELENA: Your grandma's chicken is amazing, Noelia. Is that all it is left?
--
After dinner we went to the disco, our sofas were free, sometimes it seemed like they were waiting for us. We had had a drink at Noelia's house and were quite happy when we arrived. Elena and Rosa are having a palpable foolishness, I hope they'll get it on for once. All this week she's been in our flat organizing the aesthetics of the drinks promotion for Elena's stream and they've been spending a lot of time together, but they haven't kissed yet. Elena wants to take it slow, I think she really likes her. I'm happy for her, I can tell Rosa is a good person and she's very sweet.
When we were about to have our second drink the place seemed to fill up all of a sudden, it was packed to the rafters, I've rarely seen it so full. We were lucky to get the sofas, if we had arrived a bit later there would have been no way.
Noelia, Alicia and Arancha were playing a bottle game between the three of them. I don't understand the point of playing bottle with three people, but the rest of us didn't want to and they played anyway on the sofa table. I was talking to Rosa and Elena about silly things when Alba appeared.
ALBA: Hey girls, wow, it's really crowded in here today. -She smiled at us.
Alba was stunning. She was wearing a red dress, shorter than her usual ones, and heels. She had put on her make-up, her lips matched her dress and her hair was perfectly straightened. For a while I couldn't take my eyes off her. She came with a tall, slim girl with long brown hair. She looked like a model.
'She's not bad. But I look better.'
Alicia, Arancha and Noelia stopped playing with the bottle to say hello.
ALBA: Girls, this is Adriana. Adriana, these are the girls.
We introduce ourselves one by one.
NOELIA: You guys play bottle with us? They didn't want to join in. -She pointed at us with a disappointed look on her face.
Alba laughed, she was radiant today, very giggly, happy. I felt my stomach tingle.
'Why does she have to smile so much?'
ALBA: You ask questions you know the answer to, Noelia.
Noelia recoiled dramatically as if she'd been shot. Then she laughed.
NOELIA: I had to try.
I got up, I didn't want to stand there with Alba and her flirt without a drink in my hand.
MYRIA: I'm going to get something to drink, do you want anything?
ELENA: I'll go with you, we barely have anything to drink.
From the bar I saw Alba and Adriana talking happily with the girls.
MYRIA: Why did she bring her?
ELENA: What?
MYRIA: Alba to that girl, why did she bring her?
ELENA: I don't know, she wanted to go out with her friends and she wasn't going to let her down...
MYRIA: They don't fit at all.
Elena chuckled, she didn't say anything to me.
MYRIA: What about Rosa, tonight's the night?
Elena tensed up.
ELENA: I don't know, I'm not in a hurry. We're in a nice moment, I like to drag it out.
MYRIA: I don't know how you can go on without kissing her, I see you two and I want to put your heads together. -She laughed.
ELENA: Sometimes it's better how than what. I like to enjoy the little details with her.
MYRIA: Aw, sure you do, Mr Wonderful.
When we got back to the sofas we all started drinking. Adriana and Alba decided to go to the dance floor and the rest of us stayed on the sofa to drink some more. That night someone would always have to stay seated so they wouldn't take our seats, the place was crowded.
NOELIA: Oh my god, tremendous goddess Alba has brought us.
They all giggled. I didn't.
ARANCHA: Have you seen that? Do you really find things like that on Tinder?
ROSA: Girls, please, she's not an object.
NOELIA: I do want her to use me as an object. -She looked at us seriously- With all respects to Alba, of course.
Noelia, Arancha and Alicia chuckled, Rosa rolled her eyes, I was still serious and Elena looked at me without saying anything.
MYRIA: Well, I don't think she's that pretty.
They all stared at me.
ARANCHA: Are you serious? But... have you seen her?
NOELIA: What's wrong with Myria is that she's not the hottie of the group tonight and she's hurt.
They laughed. I don't think it's funny, she's not hotter than me.
MYRIA: Well, no, I don't think she's that beautiful. She's weird. Alba could be with someone a hell of a lot better.
ALICIA: Better than Adriana? Is there such a thing?
'Of course, agh.'
ARANCHA: Look at her dancing. She told us she was a dancer, she's the perfect woman.
The three of them turned to look at Adriana as they drooled. She danced well, normal. She was just fine. I'm a better dancer.
ALICIA: If it doesn't work out with Alba we can tell her to join our polyamorous relationship.
The three of them giggled like 12-year-old girls.
MYRIA: Your what? What are you now, a Kpop band?
They looked at each other and started laughing louder.
'I need to drink now.'
I've had 3 drinks in less than 30 minutes and I still need more. The night sucks. Noelia, Arancha and Alicia keep talking nonsense about Alba's flirting and Rosa scolds them when they get too intense. I'm going to use the word intense out of politeness, but I can think of much stronger words to describe their comments.
Elena approaches me.
ELENA: Jesus, Myria, slow down. You're drinking too fast.
MYRIA: Don't worry, I'm fine, I didn't get drunk.
ELENA: I'm not so sure.
She leaned close to my ear and whispered to me so the others wouldn't hear anything.
ELENA: And stop staring so much at Alba, you're too obvious.
I felt my face burning. What does she mean?
MYRIA: What are you saying? I'm not looking at her, she's the one standing there in the middle of my line of sight.
Elena shook his head.
ELENA: Just try to drink slower, okay?
I looked over at Alba, she was dancing with Adriana, they kept saying things to each other and laughing like idiots and they were getting closer and closer. And that's a dancer? I'm going to show them what dancing is.
I stood up.
MYRIA: Come on girls, let's dance.
A/A/N: Let's go!!!!