Tied to a Castillo I 18+

twenty three

Shoes, shoes are the topic...

"Hi, Mommyyyyyy," Natalie sang as she entered her mother's office.

Serena looked over at her, instantly knowing she wanted something.

"You need something, sweetheart?" placing her pen down, giving her daughter her undivided attention.

"Just checking in to make sure you're good," she says, running her finger against the chair in the room, "how's life?"

Serena beamed, "great. Now tell me what it is that you want."

"Would you mind watching Luca for me tonight?" it slipped her mind to ask before, especially when her mother was busy with clients and calls.

Serena didn't mind, but she still asked, "Sam's not available tonight to watch him?"

Natalie's eyes widen, "no, he's busy."

Serena eyes her, "okay."

"You can watch him?" Natalie asks with her hands clasped together, hoping.

"Yes, of course. I should be outta here by seven. That's good for you?" Serena asked, picking up her notepad.

"Perfect," Natalie smiled widely.

"These plans must be important," Serena said with a head tilt.

Natalie waved her hand, "yeah. It's, uh, this thing for Alana."

Serena nods, "another art show? I have to attend one of those."

"Something like that," Natalie began walking backwards, "I'll have Luca ready for you later. Thank you again, ma," she said, blowing her kisses.

"No problem," she said, sending one back.

Miguel was walking by when he spotted Natalie's cheesy grin. He's been making an effort to connect with her without doing too much, not wanting to annoy her or make things awkward. So, he hoped she saw his niceness, greetings, and small talk as such.

Serena was someone he was falling deeply for. Having this wall built between them would be unbearable. He knows Serena wants to wait it out and not jump into things, but he was afraid that if her daughter didn't like him, he'd be out of the picture.

"Nice shoes, Natalie," Miguel said, pointing down with the file in hand at her heels.

Natalie looked down at her feet, the white pumps tying in her beige fitted slacks and white sleeveless top.

"Thank you. A friend brought them for me," she replied, the friend actually being the man she used to date. But explaining that would be a waste of air.

Miguel says, "wow. How generous," seeing with his own eyes that they were expensive, "I have to find your mother a pair. She is a fan of heels," Natalie smiled and nodded.

Even though his face didn't show it, Miguel was scolding himself in his mind.

are you serious?

why would Natalie want her mother to have the same shoes as her?

am I trying too hard?

"She is," she said.

And in her mind, she was trying to make herself utter more than two words to him.

Natalie, say something, she said inwardly.

"She's been trying to steal these since I got em'," Natalie adds.

Miguel chuckled, "well, by Christmas she'll have a pair, so you won't have to keep yours hidden from her."