28: GODANE S.L.

As they came in and closed the door, Felisa's face lit up with a mischievous look.
"I think that adjective is a stretch — I may be misremembering it. Let me see!"
"Felisa, this isn't the moment." Marta tried to dodge her friend's hands, which were already attempting to lift her shirt.
"I remember it as dull and sad. I want to see it."
Marta clicked her tongue, untucked her shirt from her skirt and lifted it slightly so Felisa could look at the tattoo.
"You know what—" Marta fixed her gaze on the ceiling "—I'm going to put on the trousers from my green suit, and then I can wear the knit top you brought me from Dubai."
Felisa was studying the tattoo with something between pity and mild horror, half-listening to what her friend had just said.
"I don't think orange and green will work — but if you feel confident enough to try that colour combination, you should at least cover up that eyesore you've got drawn on your lower back."
"May I remind you that you have one too?"
"But mine isn't as dreadful as that."
Marta covered herself with her shirt, though she didn't bother tucking it back in.
"Are you coming to the office or staying here?" she asked as she walked towards the bedroom.
"Are you going back to GOZZE?"
"When I was the sole director, I could take half a day off because the company was solvent and my children had learned to run things in my absence—" Marta said all of this sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling on her trousers "—but I need to adjust to the new way of working so I can get back to that routine of managing the company from wherever I am."
Felisa walked over and positioned herself in the bedroom doorway.
"And the fact that Mario is there has nothing to do with it, of course."
"I'm going to discuss the company name with my business partner and husband. I don't imagine he'll be there."
Felisa crossed her arms and looked at her with a smirk.
"He's your husband's son — don't you think he'll also be part of the management? You have Julián and Melisa. Manuel will have done the same."
"Fair point."
"I've been thinking — I still have about ten years before I retire, and since Hugo and his ones and zeroes now have someone to keep him occupied, I could try to set up some kind of international liaison using all the contacts I've made on my travels."
"No offence, Felisa, but you've spent all your time travelling ever since Hugo was old enough to fend for himself."
"And I've earned those contacts, thank you very much." Her friend shot back.
"I can mention it at this afternoon's meeting, but it'll be a suggestion, not a demand. Agreed?"
"Fine by me."
Marta rolled her eyes, finished putting on her shoes, grabbed her bag and phone, and headed straight for the office.
When they arrived, neither Manuel nor Mario was there — but Melisa and Julián were, chatting easily with Liliana, a very young blonde girl who couldn't keep her eyes off Julián.
"Good afternoon — I'm the secretary to Mario Ruiz, head of PR and HR at ADAN."
Both Marta and Felisa shook her hand.
"What a delightful young woman!" Felisa exclaimed. "I'm sure you'll learn a great deal where you are."
"Learn?" Liliana blinked, incredulous. "I'm the secretary, not an intern."
"I don't think they were big enough to have interns before—" Marta shared her previous impression of ADAN "—but after the merger and the return to the stock market, we'll be able to offer internal development programmes for employees who want to move up."
"You speak so well, Mrs Marta — you're so wise for someone so young!"
Liliana's sincere compliment caught Marta off guard. She looked at her with surprise and a touch of embarrassment.
"Thank you — but young as I may seem, I'm Julián's mother." She smiled with warm honesty. "Which means I could be your mother."
"Were you a teenage mum?"
"Not her — but I was!" Felisa cut in.
"And you are—" Liliana blinked, waiting.
"Felisa. Hugo's mother. You met him yesterday when we were all putting the furniture together."
"The muscly IT guy?"
"That's my son."
Liliana took a step back and looked at them all one by one.
"What remarkable genes. I'm twenty-three and I look older than I am."
Everyone laughed — even Marta managed a faint laugh — just as Mario and Manuel came through the door with Lorena.
Felisa, seeing Manuel's secretary, extended her hand.
"I'm Felisa — Hugo's mother."
Lorena gave her a brief handshake and turned to Marta.
"I hope to serve you as faithfully as I have Don Manuel."
Marta looked at Manuel with an accusing eye. She felt somewhat pressured, realising he was passing his secretary on to her. Mario noticed the situation and tried to step in.
"Do you really think Lorena is going to adapt to Marta just like that?"
"Don Mario—" Lorena seemed mildly offended "—I am the corporate secretary. I will be secretary to both of you."
Mario rolled his eyes, turned around and, with a small touch on Marta's shoulder, headed towards his office.
"As if it would be so terrible for everyone to manage their own diaries as before — blimey!"
"Manuel, your son has a point — we can carry on as we have been." Marta tried to be diplomatic, speaking to her husband while watching Mario walk away to his office. "I don't mind having a secretary, but I don't like having one imposed on me by force."
Melisa and Julián watched with quiet pride. Liliana and Lorena had both felt the truth in Marta's words. Felisa looked at the ceiling with mild weariness, and Manuel took a step back.
In his office, Mario sat down at his desk with a heart full of pride.
"Can we now go and discuss the new company name?" Marta changed the subject decisively. "Blimey!"
Mario retraced his steps and headed to the boardroom. Marta, Manuel, Julián and Melisa all made for the same door, where Mario was waiting.
"Can I suggest GODANE?" he said as everyone filed into the boardroom. He held the door, with Marta coming through last, and rested his hand lightly on her back as she entered, following just behind her. "Whatever we choose, we'll pop a cork to celebrate — won't we?"