Lucia walked briskly into Diego's apartment, the door creaking slightly as she entered. The dim morning light cast long shadows across the sitting room, highlighting the figure of Diego still sprawled on the couch. She paused for a moment, taking in the sight of him looking so vulnerable, before softly calling out, "Mr. Diego."
She hesitated, biting her lip. After all, you're my man, so what's with the 'Mister'? she mused to herself, her heart skipping a beat. Clearing her throat, she tried again, louder this time. "Diego?"
He stirred, a weak groan escaping his lips. "Hmmm... Emily? You're here so early?" His voice was rough with sleep, his eyes barely open.
Lucia smiled faintly, concealing the rush of emotions swirling inside her. "Yes, sir," she replied, though her voice faltered slightly on the word sir. "I've been around for over 20 minutes now, but you didn't come out. I thought I'd check up on you so you wouldn't be late for work."
Diego let out a heavy sigh, running his hand over his face. "That's thoughtful of you, but I won't be going to work today, Emily," he said quietly, his voice tinged with sadness.
"Really?" Lucia asked, her brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?"
"Yeah, I'm not going to work," Diego confirmed, his tone resigned. "You can go back to your house and enjoy the rest of your day."
"Sir, what about your meeting?" Lucia pressed, concern creeping into her voice. "Don't you have any today?"
Diego groaned and sat up, rubbing his temples. "Emily, Emily, Emily," he groaned, shaking his head. "I'm not going anywhere today, okay? I've got some personal issues. But I won't let them affect my business—I just need a break today."
Lucia studied him for a moment before offering softly, "I understand, but maybe you should talk about it? A problem shared is a problem solved, you know."
Diego stood up fully from the couch, stretching before his gaze fell to the floor. "My fiancée isn't picking up my calls…"
Lucia's heart skipped a beat, her thoughts racing. "Fiancée?"
"Yes, my fiancée," Diego confirmed. "But she's in Canada for her studies." He let out a frustrated breath. "I haven't heard from her since our last conversation. She wanted to talk all night, but I was busy. I told her we'd talk another time, and now… nothing."
Lucia felt a rush of emotions, but she masked it behind a calm expression. "You have a fiancée, yet you… flirt and sleep with bitches?" she asked, her voice laced with barely concealed frustration. "Maybe nemesis has caught up with you."
Diego's face contorted in worry as he vented, "I'm freaking out. I don't know if something's happened to her, or how she's doing. I should have made time for that call…"
Lucia softened, stepping closer. "I understand how you feel, sir, but you need to get up, take a shower, and get some breakfast. Your fiancée is fine wherever she is. She'll call you, okay? Don't let this get to you."
Diego nodded slowly but remained seated.
Lucia's teasing tone returned as she said, "I didn't even know you had someone you wanted to marry, and now I'm wondering why you carry all those bitches around with you."
Diego gave a weak smile. "I need them to keep me company. A man must not live by bread alone, you know. This house is too big to be empty."
Lucia chuckled. "Well, you slept alone last night, and the world didn't end. Now get up and take a shower." She nudged him playfully as he reluctantly stood.
As he walked towards the stairs, she added with a teasing grin, "If you can show mighty strength with those bitches, show mighty strength now and get up."
Diego smirked. "Wait here for me," he said before heading upstairs.
When he came back down, he held out a pair of uniforms. "Here," he said, handing them to her. "This is what you'll be wearing from now on to drive me around."
Lucia smirked. "Thank you, sir," she replied teasingly, holding up the uniform. "I'll wear it with pride."
"Go check the car," Diego said, waving her off.
Lucia chuckled softly as she walked out, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions swirling in her chest.
Diego emerged from his apartment dressed casually after his shower, his mood slightly lighter. He stepped out, finding Lucia standing by the car, still in her regular clothes. He raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"I thought you were supposed to change into your uniform, Emily," he teased, using her driver name.
Lucia shrugged, playing along. "Well, I thought I was supposed to start wearing it tomorrow."
Diego shook his head with a smile. "Nope, today. Come on, let me show you one of the rooms where you can change. I'm going to eat breakfast at a restaurant, and I want you looking sharp."
"As you wish, sir," Lucia replied with a mock salute, the playful exchange making the tension between them fade momentarily.
They walked back inside, and Diego led her down the hallway, opening the door to one of the guest rooms. "You can change in here. I'll wait outside."
Lucia entered the room, taking a moment to look around before eyeing the uniform in her hands. She sighed and started changing, glancing at herself in the full-length mirror once she was fully dressed. The corporate attire suited her surprisingly well, the fit professional yet flattering.
She ran her fingers through her hair, adjusting her appearance, before Diego's voice broke through the door. "Thirty seconds more, Emily."
Lucia chuckled softly to herself, then opened the door. Stepping out, she did a playful 360-degree spin and grinned. "How do I look, Boss?" she teased.
Diego glanced at her, his eyes lingering for a moment longer than they should have before he quickly looked away, clearing his throat. "You look... fine. Let's get going, I'm starving."
Lucia smiled at his flustered response, clearly enjoying the effect her new look had on him. "Alright, sir," she said, her voice filled with amusement as they walked toward the car.
As they got into the vehicle, Diego's mood seemed to lift even further, the banter between them bringing some light to the otherwise heavy day. But as they drove off toward the restaurant, Lucia couldn't help but wonder if Diego's mind was still on his fiancée—and what he planned to do next.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Diego seemed to be in better spirits. As they walked inside, the soft hum of morning chatter filled the air. The place was cozy, with warm lighting and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Diego spotted an empty table near the window and gestured for Lucia—Emily, as he called her in public—to follow him.
They sat down, and after placing their orders, Diego's attention was quickly drawn to a woman sitting at a nearby table. She was striking, with long, dark hair and a confident air about her. She caught his eye, and Diego, never one to resist a pretty face, smiled at her.
"Excuse me," Diego said, standing up and casually walking over to her table. "I couldn't help but notice you from across the room. Mind if I join you?"
The woman looked up, slightly surprised but intrigued. "Sure, why not?" she said with a smile.
Diego sat down, flashing her a charming grin. "I'm Diego, by the way."
"Sophia," the woman replied, her eyes meeting his as she leaned slightly forward. "So, Diego, what brings you here this morning?"
"Just grabbing some breakfast," Diego said smoothly. "But now I think I've found something much more interesting to focus on."
Sophia chuckled, clearly enjoying the attention. "Oh? And what might that be?"
"Well, I think you already know," Diego said with a wink, his charm in full effect. It was the kind of moment he usually thrived in, his confidence unshaken.
However, before the conversation could go any further, Lucia stood up from their table and walked over, standing just behind Diego. "Excuse me," she said with a smile, her voice sweet but her eyes sharp. "I don't mean to interrupt, but Diego, don't you have a fiancée in Canada? Or did you forget?"
Sophia's expression immediately changed, her smile fading as she looked between Diego and Lucia. "Fiancée?" she repeated, her tone now cold.
Diego's face paled as he turned to look at Lucia, caught completely off guard. "Emily," he said through gritted teeth, his smile strained, "this isn't the time."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Lucia said innocently, her hands up in mock apology. "I just thought you should mention your fiancée before you start charming another woman." She turned to Sophia with an exaggerated look of concern. "You see, Diego's been pretty stressed out about her. She's not picking up his calls lately, poor thing."
Sophia's eyes narrowed as she turned back to Diego, her interest quickly dissolving into disappointment. "Really? A fiancée, huh? And here you are, trying to flirt with me."
Diego stammered, clearly trying to recover. "It's... it's not what it looks like. My relationship's complicated right now—"
Sophia stood up, cutting him off. "I don't do complicated. And I don't waste my time with men who can't be honest. Good luck with your fiancée." She grabbed her purse and walked out without another word.
Diego glared at Lucia, who simply shrugged, a satisfied grin on her face. "What?" she said, her tone light. "I was just looking out for you, boss."
Diego sighed deeply, rubbing his temples in frustration. "You're really something, you know that?"
Lucia smirked, unbothered by his anger. "You should thank me. I saved you from making a bigger mess than you already have. Besides," she added with a teasing glint in her eyes, "your fiancée wouldn't appreciate hearing about your little breakfast flirtation, would she?"
Diego leaned back in his chair, still annoyed but unable to argue with her logic. "Yeah, yeah... Let's just eat."
Diego sat back in his chair, clearly deflated, but he couldn't deny that Lucia had a point. Still, the sting of her interference left him in a foul mood. He glanced at her, who now sat casually across from him, flipping through the menu as if nothing had happened.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Diego muttered.
Lucia glanced up from the menu with a playful smirk. "Enjoying? No. Just doing my job—keeping you out of trouble, sir."
He scoffed. "Some job. Remind me why I keep you around again?"
"Because I'm the best driver you'll ever have," she said confidently, "and apparently, the only one who'll stop you from making terrible decisions before noon."
Their food arrived, and despite the tension, Diego dug into his breakfast with the same energy he always had. Silence lingered between them for a while as they ate, but Lucia could tell that Diego was still stewing over what had just happened. His pride had taken a hit.
After a few minutes, Diego broke the silence. "You didn't have to embarrass me like that in front of her, you know. I was just making conversation."
Lucia raised an eyebrow. "Conversation? Diego, come on. You were halfway to inviting her out for dinner."
He threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine. Maybe I was flirting a little. But it's harmless."
"Harmless?" Lucia repeated, leaning forward. "You have a fiancée. You can't keep living like this and expect everything to work out in your favor."
Diego sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You don't get it. It's not like I don't care about her. I do. But she's far away, and... I don't know. I guess I get lonely sometimes."
Lucia's expression softened, but her tone remained firm. "I do get it, Diego. More than you think. But distracting yourself with other women isn't going to fix what's going on between you and your fiancée. If anything, it's only going to make things worse."
Diego looked down at his plate, pushing his food around with his fork. "I know you're right," he admitted quietly. "I just... I don't know what to do."
Lucia placed her utensils down, looking him straight in the eyes. "Then figure it out. If you love her, really love her, you need to stop messing around and fix things before it's too late. If not..." She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "Then you need to be honest with yourself and her about what you really want."
Diego's jaw clenched as he stared out the window, clearly mulling over her words. The reality of his situation was starting to hit him harder than he expected.
"You've been giving me a lot of advice today," he finally said, his voice quieter now. "Why do you care so much?"
Lucia hesitated, then shrugged. "Maybe I just don't want to see you destroy your life over something that could be fixed. And maybe I don't like watching people make the same mistakes over and over."
Diego's gaze softened as he looked at her. For a moment, the tension between them lifted, replaced by something quieter, something more honest. He hadn't realized how much Lucia had been paying attention, how much she saw.
"Thanks," he muttered after a long pause. "For looking out for me, I guess."
Lucia smiled slightly. "Just doing my job, boss."
Diego chuckled, shaking his head. "Right. Just your job."
They finished their breakfast in a more comfortable silence, the awkwardness of earlier now behind them. As they left the restaurant and walked back to the car, Diego couldn't help but feel a little more grounded, even if his problems still loomed large. Lucia had a way of cutting through the noise and giving it to him straight—something he realized he needed more than he wanted to admit.
As he got into the passenger seat, he glanced over at her again. "I don't say this often, but... maybe I'm lucky to have you around."
Lucia grinned as she started the engine. "Maybe? Oh, you're definitely lucky, Diego. And don't you forget it."
Diego smirked, leaning back in his seat. "Let's just get home before you ruin anything else today."
Lucia laughed as they drove off, the dynamic between them lightening once more, but with a new sense of understanding.