15: Them

Felisa pulled back for a moment.
"Does Manuel have a double-barrelled name, or are you talking about another man?"
Marta couldn't speak, but raised two fingers.
"The second one. Right." Felisa lifted her chin and looked her in the face.
A pair of bright eyes, deep brown, gave back a feeling Felisa recognised.
"Oh, sweetheart — this is serious!" She couldn't find a trace of disapproval. "The feeling is just as intense as what you felt for my brother, God rest his soul!"
Marta managed half a smile, and finally spoke.
"Mario is very young. He's vivid, he's intelligent, he's magnetic, he's funny without trying to be — and he doesn't hold back for a second when it comes to saying what he feels or thinks, as long as he's sure of it."
"A beautiful description, darling—" Felisa pressed her cheek to Marta's, both of them looking at the same point "—but you have one very big problem."
"Only one?"
"Choosing too soon." Felisa looked at her and smiled with understanding. "If you could choose again now, would you choose the same?"
Marta opened her mouth — she wouldn't have known how to answer — but her body answered for her, and she gave the faintest shake of her head.
"There you have it." Felisa slowly turned her head towards the window, then swung back with a mischievous expression. "You could always make it clear to Manuel that your private life doesn't have to cross over into the company—" she raised an eyebrow "—and politely ask Mario to be your lover."
Marta's face flushed crimson at the suggestion.
"I'm not like that, Felisa."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I said goodbye last night. I won't see him again."
"You — always so perfect, always doing the right thing—" Felisa clicked her tongue several times in disapproval "—that's no way to live, Marta."
After a stretch of silence, the two friends put on their pyjamas and decided to sleep together — until a small surprise that wasn't really a surprise at all caught Felisa off guard.
"Good God — what is that smell?" Her expression of disgust was priceless. "Tropical Santiago cake with chocolate?"
Marta brought her face close and smelled nothing — her nose had long since adjusted.
"My perfume has pine nut, not almond."
"Wait — there's that chocolate deodorant too." Felisa's eyes went wide. "Something happened in this bed!"
"Yes." Marta covered her face with her cuffs.
"I'm not asking, darling — I'm stating."
Felisa stretched out her arms and wrapped them around her friend, swaying gently like a boat adrift.
"You finally let yourself enjoy life, Marta!"
"Felisa — I haven't told you the whole story."
Without letting go, Felisa waited for the rest.
"What have I got wrong?"
Marta winced, and moved her head slightly.
"I met Mario on Thursday. I got engaged to Manuel on Friday. And I spent the entire weekend back in bed with Mario."
Felisa's jaw dropped and one eyebrow shot up.
"Who are you, and what have you done with my prim and proper friend?"
"Felisa, this isn't funny!"
"Marta, for heaven's sake — you say it like it's something terrible!"
"It is!" Marta looked away and turned her face aside. "I've become someone who's unfaithful."
"Didn't you say it was purely business?" Felisa smiled broadly. "What infidelity can there be, if your marriage is just a commercial arrangement?"
"Does that make it any less of a marriage?" Marta opened her arms slightly so Felisa would let her go.
"Killjoy!" Felisa rolled her eyes. "If it's only business, I wouldn't call it infidelity — at least not until after the papers are signed."
Marta gave a lopsided smile, and Felisa picked up her phone.
She searched online for both companies and, although GOZZE had a fairly simple website, ADAN's site had little more than examples of their work.
"Marta, would you mind if your nephew did your website?"
"I'd have to talk to Manuel about it tomorrow — but I'm fine with it."
Felisa browsed on and found an article.
"The corporate merger of two advertising firms could unseat most of their competitors and put them on the podium in the Community of Madrid."
"I'm sorry?" Marta sat up.
"I've only read the opening line, Marta."
She moved beside Felisa to look at the screen.
There were several images of both companies. At the top was a photo from the industry congress where Marta and Manuel had met. Below that, separate mid-shots of each CEO, and further down, various corporate images of each company individually.
Felisa paused on the photograph of Manuel Ruiz.
"He's very handsome, Marta!"
"Oh, is he now!" She looked her in the eye. "I know you, Felisa — you just behave yourself."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, how rude!" Felisa feigned offence.
"You dare yourself to seduce a man, and the moment you see he can't resist you, you get bored and drop him."
"I have very high standards!"
"Capricious, more like."
"But if you don't want anything with him, Marta — leave something for the rest of us!"
"If it weren't for the fact that you could torpedo the merger, I'd hand him over with pleasure. You always do exactly as you please!"
"So if I only play a little—" Felisa showed her most impish side "—nothing will happen."
"If you do that—" Marta pointed at her accusingly "—I am formally disclaiming any responsibility for your madness."
Felisa raised her eyebrows.
"I think I'm old enough not to need you keeping tabs on me."
"That's precisely the problem!" Marta laughed.
"I'm thinking I can't push too hard — your nephew might not get the website job after all."
"Yes, think of Hugo!" Marta felt relief. "Manuel doesn't deserve to be seduced and then discarded, Felisa."