Strawberry Kisses Phavy Prieto (bookstand for reading TXT) 📖

my height and gave me one of those romantic movie kisses. I heard my secretary gasp.

"Don't even think about taking that ring off, honey," he whispered close to my ear. "I want you to keep in mind that one day you’re going to marry me."

Then without giving me a chance to reply and leaving me with the risk of a heart attack, he went away, as his words kept echoing in my mind.

Chapter XVI

I was sitting in my office in front of the blank computer screen, still bewildered by the echo of his words in my mind. I repeated to myself that it was only an illusion, that Damian was playing a role and that I could not afford the luxury of surrendering myself to fantasy.

Two knocks on the door made me jump and brought me back to reality.

"Work, Maria," I whispered to myself. "You're at work, and if you don't want to be kicked out after two weeks, you'd better start wiggling your ass and make your little brain work."

I turned on the computer and scattered some papers on the desk to pretend I was focused on something important.

"Come in!" I said as soon as I was ready to receive whoever it was.

"Excuse me, Maria, it has just arrived for you," said Ingrid, handing me a big bouquet of violets.

"Who sent it?" I asked surprised.

It was the first time that someone sent me flowers in my whole miserable life. Yes, that's how petty my ex-boyfriends were!

"I guess your fiancée did," my secretary answered a bit dazed, making me feel like an idiot.

Maria, focus and try to believe it, because he will behave like that for the next two weeks.

"He didn't tell me anything," I said and tried to smile as if his gesture had enchanted me.

I stood up and approached Ingrid to take the bouquet. As I smelled its scent I noticed a card of the same colour as the flowers. Despite the fact that Ingrid was still there, as if she was waiting to know who had sent it, I opened the card and read it.

"Is it from Mr. Devoir?" Ingrid asked, a little impatient to receive an answer.

"Yes, from him," I said smiling.

"Now I understand why you asked me about his mother. I guess you want to make a good impression on her. In a couple of hours you will have what you asked for on your desk," she replied winking at me and left the office.

Thank God she didn't hate me because I was going to marry a model. Soon all the other women that worked here would.

Damian was handsome, rich, and one of the owners of the company. Therefore it would be better to buy me an amulet against the evil eye because, as soon as our relationship was official, bad vibes would rain down on me.

I put the bouquet in a jar that I used as a pen holder. I asked Ingrid to bring me some water to keep it fresh longer. I took the card to read it again. I was surprised it was handwritten. Although I didn't know if the handwriting was his or from whoever had received the assignment, I devoured the content of that card again.

"I still don't know so many things about you.

For example, I don't know what your favorite flowers are.

So I'll give you a different bouquet every day until I find it out.

I'm dying to see you again.

Your fiancée, Damian Devoir."

That man knew how to conquer a woman! I didn’t understand why he was doing all this, but one thing I could not deny: I liked it or better, I loved it. The fact that he was so detail-oriented and so attentive, made it incomprehensible that he was still single. In what world would such a man be still available? A woman had to be blind or a lesbian not to fall at his feet. That led me to the conclusion that he was not over that busty giraffe, Rebecca.

"Damn witch!" I exclaimed, unintentionally kicking the hard drive under the desk. I hoped no one had heard me.

I decided to put aside all those thoughts, doubts and anything that referred to Damian Devoir. I would have time to go hysterical ten minutes before the happy dinner where I would meet his parents.

As she promised to my supposed fiancée, Ingrid showed up in my office at ten to eleven to remind me of the appointment in the cafeteria. I was so busy with the reports that I didn't even notice how fast those hours had gone by.

As I entered the cafeteria, I saw that Damian was with a few executives, judging by their impeccable suits and the relaxed way in which they were talking. I hesitated for a moment, thinking about whether to approach them or not, but just when I was about to turn around and leave, Damian called out for me and I had no choice but to go towards that group full of testosterone and sly smiles.

"Were you thinking of running away from me?" he whispered, after taking a couple of steps forward from the group, so that no one else could hear him.

"I thought you were busy," I whispered too.

"They are here because they want to meet you," he replied placing his hand on my back to introduce me to the group. "This is Maria Acosta, my fiancée. She's the new Key Account Manager."

To my amazement they didn't seem surprised. I thought they would look stupefied, since I didn't fit in with what the future wife of a Devoir was supposed to be: blonde, tall and busty, in short, like the giraffe. On the contrary, I heard some exclamations of joy and congratulations from them.

Could I really fit in as Damian's fiancée? I was