“You’ve made it public knowledge that you’re estranged from your mother. Has your relationship changed now that you’re going to be a mother yourself?”

I smiled tightly at the host and laid a protective hand over my stomach where my child kicked actively. “My mother and I still don’t see eye-to-eye on certain things. But that doesn’t make her any less the person who gave me life. I just decided afterward that I was going to be a different person and make a life that was strictly mine. She doesn’t like that fact very much and that’s the reason why we’re estranged.”

My mother had also been the reason for my late start and foul mood on Monday morning. I’d stayed up late putting finishing touches on a proposal for a meeting I had later in the day and she’d called last night to check up on me, but I knew it was a cover. She needed something and I knew exactly what that something was.

I’d let her pretend to care about my wellbeing for a moment, and then subsequently told her to cut the formalities. She had ended up in Florida with a man who was five years my junior. By the way he’d wined and dined her she’d thought it was true love — and a means to get her hands on more money — so of course she had accompanied him back to Miami, only to discover that he had just about blown through his trust fund. Apparently, he was looking for a nice sugar mama to help him continue living the highlife. And because my mother played a socialite so well, he’d been fooled right off his surfboard.

“I hope you have enough sun block to last you a while,” I deadpanned.

“You’re not going to wire me money to fly back?” Her voice wavered and I could hear the onset of tears.

“Hell no, I’m not wiring you shit.”

She gasped. “Alandra Denise Meyer, where do you get off speaking to me like that? I gave you life! I—”

I snorted humorlessly. “Let’s face it, mom. I made a life for myself. You were just the incubator.”

I heard her gasp for a second time and reveled in the sensation of hurting her, like she’d hurt me so many times over the years.

“Alandra…I love you. I can’t even believe…why are you being so hurtful?” The raw emotion in her voice had me shutting my eyes and urging myself to stay strong.

This was all an act. I had to hand it to her; she knew how to tug at my heart strings. It was a shame she had never openly pursued a career as a thespian. She would have had an Oscar by now.

“Cut the bullshit. I’m done playing these games. I have an early morning and I don’t have time for you,” I said with finality and started to close my cell, but not before I heard her condescending words echo through the receiver.

“You’re worthless as a daughter! I hope your business fails and when you have nothing left, you come running back to me for help. Do you hear me, Alandra?”

Trying to keep my temper in check, I brought the phone back to my ear. “I heard you, mommy dearest. Fortunately, you have nothing to offer me if my business does fail. But, just in case, why don’t you hold your breath until I call.”

For the rest of the night, her words resonated in my head and as much as I’d tried to keep her from affecting me, she had. She would always be my mother, no matter how many times I prayed she wasn’t and I would always have a part of her in me.

Even Folgers couldn’t pull me out of my funk as I entered the building and remembered that Julio’s cousin was supposed to make an appearance and get acquainted with the rest of the office today.

An impending dread settled in the pit of my stomach.

Not that I hadn’t been looking forward to meeting his cousin, just the thought of him screwing things up put me in a worse mood. I couldn’t afford mistakes, especially with my biggest clients coming in a few days. I needed everyone to be on their A-game. And what a great example I was setting, running in with a bagel hanging from my mouth, my patent leather pumps secured in one hand and the top three buttons of my blouse undone for the entire world to see my cleavage.

Luckily, I have time to right myself before Julio or his cousin arrive, I thought as I passed my empty receptionist desk and began to enter my office.

I nearly dropped my belongings when I caught sight of Julio leaning leisurely against my desk, smiling over the shoulder of a man only inches shorter than him. I stood in the doorway and watched the exchange between the two. They both gestured wildly as they continued their conversation in fast disjointed Portuguese, not noticing I had intruded on them. Every so often, Julio would place a hand on the other individuals shoulder and give it an affectionate squeeze before pulling away. If I wasn’t so sure that this was the cousin Julio had bragged about, I would have been able to tell that the two had a connection of some kind. Although, Julio was affectionate by nature, he tried to reserve touching for those he truly cared for. Many people in L.A. had not initially taken kindly to his friendly contact, not understanding that it was a part of his makeup.

I hated to spoil their moment, but my lips were going numb around my soggy bagel. I cleared my throat, catching both of their attention.

When I caught Julio’s gaze, his delight turned into amusement. “Meu amor, here, let us help.”

I was relieved when he took the bagel from my mouth first. “Thank you,” I sighed and let the younger gentlemen take my purse and laptop bag that were hanging from my shoulder. He kept his head bowed so that his sandy blond hair fell into his face, and all I could see was the faint outline of a smile on his thin pink lips. I wondered why he was avoiding eye contact, but chalked it up to nerves and tried to forget it. It was then I suddenly remembered that my blouse was open and exposing the tops of my breasts. I quickly dropped my pumps and secured the buttons into place. I cleared my throat to rid myself of the heat I could feel creeping into my cheeks.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” I directed the question at Julio, who had the same amused expression.

“Alandra Meyer, please meet my cousin, Mateus Vardel.”

I thrusted my hand out to shake his. He took a moment to observe it before he finally lifted his head and pale green eyes hypnotized me. The light stubble on his face made him seem more rugged, more handsome even than Julio. It was apparent that they were related in some way by the downward tilt of their eyes and the gaunt shape of their jaws, but I could see ample youth and optimism in Mateus’s emerald orbs.

“I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Meyer.” His quiet bedroom voice settled over me like warm syrup over a hotcake. I felt almost intrusive that it allowed me to imagine what he may have sounded like in the early morning.

“Like wise.” I did my best to conceal the affect his voice had on me but I’m sure I wasn’t doing a very good job. “Julio, would you do me a favor and show Mister Vardel his desk while I…situate myself?”

“Of course. Take your time, meu amor.”

Once the door closed behind them, I closed my eyes and chastised myself. What the hell is wrong with you? You act as if you’ve never seen an attractive man before. Get it together! I pressed a hand to my chest and took a deep breath.

I made sure to survey myself, swiping my hands over the front of my skirt to eliminate any foreign bodies. I readjusted my blouse — just to be on the safe side — and collected my thoughts before I wretched open the door and plastered on a friendly smile. I approached Mateus who was sitting behind the desk, becoming familiar with the computer.

“Finding everything alright?”

Never taking his eyes away from the screen, Mateus made a noise deep in his throat that was supposed to be confirmation but instead sounded more like a luxurious moan after having taken a bite of a succulent peach.

I had to get a grip.

“Well, I have a meeting with my agent in an hour.” Julio leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned to impart some final advice in Portuguese to Mateus. Whatever he had said had the younger man chuckling and shaking his head.

I’d have to ask Julio what his parting words were later. Once he was gone, I turned to Mateus.

“I’ll have Jason set up your email in just a second. For now, I’ll take you around and introduce you to a few of the other folks you may have to deal with in the coming days.”

He stayed relatively quiet as I showed him around the office. It was obvious his attractiveness and exotic charm weren’t lost on my female employees. I rolled my eyes while giggling and snickering ensued after we’d depart from one division and enter the next.

HR was our last stop and I’d hoped the head honcho there, Joanie Duff, had gone to lunch but as luck would have it, she’d decided to order in. There’s absolutely no hope of Mateus getting out of here unscathed, I thought.

Joanie was ten years past mid-life and still going strong. Nothing about Joanie was real, except for her personality and work ethic. She was the stereotypical epitome of an L.A. girl — dyed, botoxed, and surgically enhanced. I’d almost felt sorry for Mateus when she laid her blue contacts on him.

“Is it Christmas already?” She batted her fake eye lashes and stood from her chair with a lazy flirtatious smile.

Joanie had absolutely no shame and I thanked God Mateus wasn’t familiar with current sexual harassment laws in the state. Joanie would have been on the Most Wanted list, if there was one.

I tried to contain a chuckle and shook my head. “Joanie Duff, meet Mateus Vardel, my new assistant. He also just happens to be Julio’s cousin.”

“I need to get my butt to Brazil,” she sighed dreamily and held out her hand for him. He took it without hesitation and kissed the back, surprising both Joanie and I.

“If you do ever visit my country, I would be more than happy to be your guide.” He said in a way that would have made Casanova himself proud.

Dazed, all Joanie could do was nod.

I had to hand it to Mateus; he knew how to handle the ladies before they handled him. This revelation made me that much more determined to keep my guard up around him. For the rest of the day, I exuded nothing but professionalism. I found a way to avoid asking Mateus direct questions by simply emailing him from my office — a mere ten feet away. It was a cowardice move but I couldn’t afford to let his husky voice and gorgeous eyes get the better of me. The less interaction we had, the better off all of us would be. It had helped that he was completely proficient with a computer, writing memos, and even helping me edit some of the recent proposals and presentations I’d begun for other potential clients. I didn’t have to hover over him or make sure it was formatting everything correctly. It was as if he’d been born to be an assistant or, at least, gone to school for it. I had gotten more than I had planned to accomplish, thanks to him, and decided to leave early and give Mateus the rest of the day off.

“Is Julio supposed to be by to pick you up soon?” I asked Mateus as I switched off the light to my office and closed the door behind me.

“I am not certain…”

Reaching into my pocket, I secured my cell and pressed Julio’s speed dial number. It rang twice before he answered.

“Hey, we’re done for the day. Mateus needs you to come get him.”

I sent a reassuring look toward the man in question and was surprised that he caught and held my gaze. I hadn’t realized that he’d been watching my every move since I’d put the phone to my ear. I squirmed under his unnerving stare and tried to concentrate on what Julio was saying.

“Sorry, Julio, could you repeat that?”

“I said I’m a little tied up with negotiations. Will you drive him back to my house? You still have my spare key, yes?”

I barely contained a groan. “Yeah, I’ve still got it. You owe me buddy.”

“Isn’t offering you my seed payment enough?” I could tell he was grinning.

“Ha ha. Very funny. When can we expect you back?”

“Hmm, I would say no later than six.”

Six? That was a full three hours and I couldn’t just leave the guy all alone in an unfamiliar setting.

I sighed, knowing what I was about to do would probably come back to bite me in the butt later. “I guess we’ll see you at six.”

“Obrigado, meu amor. You are the best! I will see you then.”

When I hung up, Mateus’s pale green eyes were waiting, watching…absorbing.

I cleared my throat to push away the feeling of being mentally undressed. “Julio is still tied up with work so I’m driving you back to his place.”

He remained silent but nodded his affirmation. His smile was leisurely and he took his time to collect his belongings. When he finally stood, he swept his hands out in front of himself as if to say ‘after you.’ That smile never left his face.

It would be another forty-five minutes before we pulled into Julio’s driveway. His two story neocolonial styled home always put me in a state of awe. I’d opted for a condo in the Hills with a great view of the ocean, while Julio had gravitated toward the suburbs near Riverside. It all looked so…normal. It was such a contrast from the lifestyle Julio lived because of his career choice. If I didn’t know the man so well, I’d have pegged him as the type to live above a busy night club or rent out a penthouse in the Four Seasons Hotel.

“Home, sweet home.” I turned to smile at Mateus, who I’d caught staring again.

I quickly exited the car and made my way to the front door, not really caring if he was following behind me or not. This kid has got to stop with those looks, I thought as I retrieved Julio’s spare key from my purse and unlocked the door.

The sun filtered in from the kitchen to illuminate the spacious foyer. The hardwood floors had first attracted me to the house when Julio had asked me to tour it with him. The stairs leading to the bedrooms and his office were directly to the right and also hardwood encased. A baby grand piano in the center offset the feel of the space and the artsy glass chandelier hanging in the middle of the high ceiling told anyone who entered that the person living here had money. My favorite parts of the home were the sepia-colored photos of family members he’d taken during a trip back home that adorned the walls. I also loved how the house always smelled of cinnamon and cedar. Julio loved the candle warmers I’d gotten him for Christmas last year and had put them to great use throughout the house.

Mateus whispered something in Portuguese but the tone of his voice was of wonderment.

“I know. I get the same reaction when I come in here. It feels like home.” I grinned without looking in his direction and placed my purse by the door while toeing off my shoes.

Mateus remained quiet as I padded toward the kitchen to rummage through Julio’s fridge.

“Are you hungry?” I asked as I opened the refrigerator door. “He doesn’t have much but I’m sure I can whip something up if you’re hungry.”

When I didn’t receive a response, I assumed he had gone upstairs to be alone. I reached for the items necessary for a salad and backed out of the cold space. I turned to shut the door with my hip and almost dropped the food I held as I caught sight of Mateus hunched against the counter opposite me, quietly observing.

“Good Jesus! Don’t sneak up on me like that,” I laughed nervously and continued with what I was doing.

“I apologize.” He said solemnly and bowed his head slightly. “Are you here very much?”

I shook my head, surprised he had initiated a conversation with me. “Not very often. Julio and I usually have dinner at my place because it’s closer to the office and the site where his show is taped.”

He made a sound deep his throat and I had to keep from shuttering as I retrieved a knife to cut the vegetables.

“So, you two have been together a long time?”

I paused mid-chop and looked up. “Together? Julio and I aren’t together. Julio is…” I trailed off, hoping he understood where I was going with this.

Mateus’s confusion never wavered and I suddenly got a sinking feeling. Oh good grief, Julio hasn’t told his family he’s gay.

“Is…what?” He raised an eyebrow and waited for me to continue.

My lord, Julio, I could kill you right now. I groaned inwardly and maintained an emotionless expression as I resumed chopping. “He’s my best friend. Julio and I don’t have that kind of relationship,” I said carefully.

It may have been my imagination but I could have sworn I saw Mateus visibly relax. Dismissing the thought, I continued fixing the salad and hoped Julio made it home soon.

****

At six-fifteen, the front door slammed shut and I jumped from the living room couch. Mateus had excused himself an hour ago to head upstairs to unpack and get himself acquainted with his room, or so he’d said. I had entertained myself with a rerun of The Office as I waited for Julio to arrive home.

Julio called out to me and I made a beeline straight for him. He began to open up his arms to me but I quickly evaded his embrace and grabbed the front of this shirt, dragging him into the kitchen for some privacy.

“Why haven’t you told your cousin you’re gay?” I demanded in a harsh whisper.

The confused amusement in his honey brown eyes suddenly transformed into shame and embarrassment. “I have not gotten around to it…” He said uncomfortably.

“Mateus seems to be under the impression that we’re together.” I glared.

“I am sorry, meu amor.” He hung his head and for a moment he seemed very child-like and innocent. Nothing like the Julio I knew. “I never meant to give him the wrong impression of us. I just...”

I sighed, attempting to reign in my temper. “Darling, you need to tell them. You know they won’t care. They’ll love you just the same.”

He nodded but didn’t seem too convinced. “I’m just afraid they will not understand, or even worse, disown me. I do not know what I would do if—”

“Hey, hey.” I cut him off and pulled him into a hug. “You’re working up yourself over something that hasn’t even happened, nor will it happen.”

“I will tell them, meu amor. I just need time,” he said with a little more confidence.

I pulled away and kissed him softly on the chin. “Of course you will, baby. Of course.”

The scene we created was intimate, and anyone looking from the outside in would have thought Julio and I may have been a couple — lovers even. The way we looked at each other, the way we held each other, everything about us was love and admiration for the other. It was no wonder why the magazines pegged us as an item. But what they didn’t realize was that there was no passion between us. No spark.

I palmed his face and began to say something I knew would make him feel better but I was interrupted by a low accented voice.

“Casa bem-vinda, primo.”

Julio took my hands in his and eased away from my touch to greet Mateus properly. They began speaking animatedly in Portuguese and I couldn’t help feeling left out. I stood watching their exchange and wondered why I was suddenly struck with a pang of jealously.

“Alright, enough with the Portuguese, por favor! Lord only knows what you’re saying about me.” I said, only half joking.

They both stopped and stared with equal amusement.

“Meu amor, we speak of how beautiful you are and how much we would like to take you to dinner.” Julio jested and I swatted him away playfully. “Seriously, we are going out to dinner tonight. I want to show Mateus some of Los Angeles.”

I tried to muster up a smile as I made my way to the door to retrieve my purse. “Well, I hope you guys have fun—”

A callused hand landed on the soft skin of my wrist, halting my forward motion.

“Alandra.” Mateus breathed it out as if it were a prayer, meant for only us to hear. “Please come.”

My eyes landed on his hand that began to move upward as he stepped closer. He cupped my elbow and I trailed my gaze up his arm, over his chest, along the column of his neck to his face until we were staring at one another. His pale green eyes held the request his lips had uttered but there was a hint of something else. Something that wasn’t all together appropriate. Yet, I continued to meet his stare head on.

“Yes, meu amor, you are coming with us.” Julio said, breaking the jade spell.

I tore my eyes away from Mateus and smiled at my best friend. “Okay. I just need to change,” I said hurriedly and rushed up the stairs.

Once in the room I usually occupied when I slept over, I went straight to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. I’m definitely losing it, I thought as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Either Mateus was a distant relative of Harry Potter or I had been sexually deprived for far too long and his eyes were playing tricks with my head. My guess was the latter but I wasn’t going to completely throw out my theory on witchcraft.

If I didn’t get my libido under control, it was going to be a long night.