Page 46 of Fool Me Twice

“It’s incredibly sexy.” She batted her eyes. “And I’m sure Rodrigo will agree.”

“I didn’t do it for Rodrigo,” I said.

“Oh, I didn’t say you did.” She took my suitcase and walked for her car. “But he will appreciate it nonetheless. I imagine he is feeling injured that you didn’t ask him to pick you up today.”

“He’s busy,” I argued.

“But he asked, right?” She opened her car’s trunk and put my suitcase in.

“Uh…”

Yes. He’d offered to pick me up from the airport. Twice.

Juliana had offered as well, though, and I didn’t want to depend on Rodrigo too much. He had already given me this new job (which came with a nice bump in pay), and he was hosting me at his house until my Rio apartment was ready.

Juliana bumped her hip against mine. “I am happy you allowed me to pick you up. I can’t wait to see Rodrigo’s house.”

“He says it’s nothing fancy.”

“That’s what he says. It’s probably a million square feet.”

Hopping in the car, we buckled up and rolled the windows down. A delicious breeze floated into the car as we drove off, and I took a deep breath.

Home sweet home.

The thought startled me. Rio wasn’t home.

Then again, neither was Baltimore anymore. Or were they both home, since I would be splitting my time between the two?

Home is where the heart is, they say. So where was my heart currently?

With the excitement for the new, I decided as I watched the buildings flash by. Even though I’d been to Brazil a handful of times, working here, as well as being a sort of delegate between headquarters and the Baltimore station, would be nothing like anything I’d done before.

“I still cannot believe he bought your company to be closer to you,” Juliana said from behind the steering wheel.

“You sound just like my friend Maddie,” I laughed.

Still… if the two of them were saying the same thing, did that mean they had a point? Had Rodrigo only promoted me in order to be close to me? Suppose I wasn’t even qualified or capable of this new job?

The thought soured my stomach. Of course I wanted the job, but only if I deserved it. Only if I had what it took to adequately perform. I wasn’t interested in coming all the way back to Brazil just to make a fool out of myself.

I pushed the thought away. I could put these questions to Rodrigo, but if my fears were true, he would never admit to them.

Time, however, would tell. If I really weren’t cut out for the job, then I would fail at it in good time.

I frowned. What a joyful thought.

“Tell me what’s new with you,” I said, turning the attention to Juliana. “How is your family?”

We passed the rest of the drive talking about her girls’ ballet classes, her husband’s upcoming family reunion, and her new interest in canvas painting.

“Everything I paint is awful,” she said. “Just awful. I love it, though.”

“I guarantee they’re better than you think. What’s the last one you painted like?”

She didn’t answer, though, and I looked up from hunting for gum in my purse to find her slack-jawed and staring through the window.

“What?” I followed her gaze, and she slowed down the car as we approached a driveway.

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