After Alessandro kissed me in my office and we were surprised by Rick, I didn't see him again for the rest of the week. The days were very busy and he and Patricio were having many meetings outside the office with new and old clients.

Another week had begun, as always with a vase of tulips and a card. He had promised me a long time ago that I would receive an arrangement of tulips every week and, until now, he never failed to send them to me, as well as the chocolate tarts that he left on my desk at lunchtime. We had been apart for a month, it was too much time, too much sadness, too much longing.

I had stayed at the office until late, because Patricio had asked me to finish a proposal for a client they would see the next morning. Samantha had already left, but Patricio was still in his office, as was Rick, who blew me a kiss as he returned to his office with a cup of coffee.

I pressed the elevator button and waited. It took a while and the door opened. When I got in, I smelled his pe