A Chance at Success
I continue staring, serious. I can't believe what my eyes are seeing. I cross my arms and take a deep breath while repeating:
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to fulfill what I said."
"Carlos, fulfill what?" I ask, not understanding. I run my hand through my hair and say, "Look, I don't have time to waste..."
"I'm here to help you."
"Help with what?"
"Dália, you said yesterday that you needed to sell a property, or you'd be out of a job. So I had an idea."
"Did you call the real estate agency and schedule this appointment?" I ask, irritated.
"Yes. Like I said..."
"Carlos!" I say, seriously. I grab his arm and lead him away from the reception. I stop in front of him and continue, "You shouldn't have done this."
"Why not?"
"Do you have any idea how much this apartment costs?"
"2.6 million euros," Carlos calmly replies.
"Exactly! We don't have that kind of money! Even if we sold everything we own, we wouldn't come close to affording it," I say, sitting in one of the hall armchairs.
"Calm down, Dália..." Carlos pleads, squatting in front of me.
"Calm down? Do you realize what my boss told me before I left the real estate agency?" I ask, tears already welling up in my eyes. "He said that if I don't close this sale today, I don't need to come back. This appointment was my last hope..."
"Then let's make the most of it," my husband responds, getting up. He raises his arms and says, "Bernard, voici mon ami!"
I turn towards the people Carlos is waving at. It's a very handsome couple; the man has curly copper hair, and the woman has a blonde bob. They approach, smiling and giving kisses on Carlos's cheeks.
"Carlos, mon ami. Très sympa de te voir. Voici Dominique, ma femme."
I don't understand a word of what they're saying. I know it's French, and the closest I got to it was ages ago when I was newly married. All I can manage is a forced smile.
"Plaisir. C'est mon épouse," Carlos says, extending his hand towards me. He embraces me and continues, "Dália Penedo. Dália, these are Bernard and Dominique Dubois, new partners in the company. They've moved to Barcelona and need a place to live. A good place to live. So I told them that my beautiful wife works in a real estate agency and would surely find a great place for them to live."
"A great place," I say, looking at my husband with a slight smile.
"A place that costs 2.6 million euros," Carlos repeats. "I came here to help them with communication..."
"Thank you," I say, emotionally thanking my husband.
"Don't thank me," Carlos says, looking at me. "Just show them what you're capable of, girl."
***
"This is an exclusive 263 m² apartment with a 30 m² terrace," I say, opening the door to the apartment located on the fifth floor of the building. I allow the couple and my husband, who is translating for them, to enter first. I close the door and continue, "It was recently renovated with all high-quality furniture. Because it's a corner unit, the exterior faces south, so you'll get plenty of sun from the private pool located on the terrace. As you can see, there's a large hall with a wardrobe near the entrance, as well as a guest bathroom."
I lead the trio to the living room, with walls in shades of charcoal and cement, complementing the gray and graphite sofas and armchairs, decorated with conceptual paintings and vases in cream, red, and black tones. There's also a beautiful black padded coffee table and a white floor lamp on top.
"As you can see, the apartment has a spacious living room with access to the terrace," I say, walking towards the terrace. "Here, you have access to a garden and a private pool. Now, let's move to the kitchen, equipped with all the latest appliances and close to the office, laundry room, and service area," I conclude, walking towards the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. "The apartment has three en-suite bedrooms with walk-in closets, plus a master suite with access to the terrace. The apartment includes two parking spaces, concierge service, nighttime security, and a common area with a pool, garden, and space for social activities." I finish observing Carlos translating everything I said so far into French.
The couple looks at each other and then starts talking to each other. Carlos lightly holds my waist, pulling me close to his body. I watch the young couple and remember when it was us searching for our first apartment to call home. At that moment, I feel an overwhelming desire to go back to that point in our relationship and feel all of it again—the thrill of something new. I know something has changed between us, and now we're an older couple trying to recapture what brought us together. A doubt then creeps into my mind: Will we succeed?
"Carlos, Moi et Dominique avons parlé et cet appartement nous a surpris. Votre femme est vraiment une femme brillante. Le prix que vous nous avez indiqué..."
"Deux millions six cent mille euros," Carlos says.
"Deux millions six cent mille euros, c'est un chiffre très élevé," Bernard comments.
"What is it, Carlos?" I ask worriedly. "I may be rusty in French, but 'très élevé' I understand in any language."
"We're negotiating," Carlos limits himself to saying.
"Mon amour, mais as-tu vu la chambre ? Cette pièce est parfaite pour moi et le placard pour mes vêtements," Dominique says to her husband.
"Je sais mon amour. Bien que..." Bernard begins, looking at his wife. Bernard looks at us and says, "D'accord, affaire conclude."
"So?" I ask my husband, curious.
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