Office Affair (English Version)

Chapter 1

Francesca POV

"Oh, yes. How I've been looking forward to this."
I slowly pulled the foil off my Ben & Jerry's ice cream and made myself comfortable in bed while my face mask tried to restore youth to my skin.

I didn't want my mood to be spoilt today. Just because it was my 30th birthday tomorrow and I was alone ?!

Pfft. I wasn't going to let it spoil my mood. I was an emancipated woman. Almost exactly in her thirties. It still felt strange to leave my 20s behind. But I couldn't change it.

What was the point of my fiancé telling me at the beginning of the week that he had to cancel our holiday, my birthday weekend, because he had to go on a business trip?
It wasn't the first time that work had got in the way, and with my new position as Head of Planning & Consulting at Statue Event Agency, I knew the feeling well enough that work was more important than your private life if you wanted to be successful.

We had to make the best of it and Ben and Jerry's ice cream was the solution.

A bit of self-care and numbing the heartache with sugar at the same time.
What more could I want?

I just leaned back in bed and switched on the TV. I loved my home. A small 3 bedroom smart flat here in New York. It was my pride and joy. Furnished in an industrial style with a few finds from the flea market. I liked the contrasts.

I was just shovelling a bite into my mouth when my mobile rang.
Maybe it was Carlo who wanted to apologise again that we weren't lying on the beach together today and he'd left me alone?

With my mouth full and sundae in my hand, I took the call and switched on the loudspeaker.

"Francesca! Sweetie! Before I forget! Thank you so much for your support with the opening of my new club. 'Looking at the queue at the till, you've all done a great job. And that idea with the masks. So sexy and wicked. I can hardly wait!
I'll be thinking of you when I cut the ribbon. So now to my actual call. Have a great birthday weekend and have a great time! What's it like in Italy?<<, Rico shouted into the phone. The basses were already playing in the background.

Shit! The opening of Rico's new Latino club "El Gallo", which means the rooster. I had forgotten all about it.

Rico was my client at the agency and this was the second nightclub opening I'd opened for him. But he wasn't just a customer, he was also my gay best friend since my marketing degree.

We had lost sight of each other after graduation, but found each other again through my job. He had become the most popular club owner and everyone wanted to be at his party. He was known for his theme parties and tight outfits. His first club "The Rush" was a pure techno club with the longest and wildest parties in the whole of New York.

For the new club "El Gallo", he wanted to win over the Latino scene and give something back to the community as a Cuban. Latin dancefloors, wicked theme parties and hot dance battles. It was the place where the rhythm would find its home.

"Ehm. Hang on a minute." I quickly swallowed the lump of ice in my mouth.

"I was happy to do it. Always happy to."

I would have loved to tell him next that I was sad I couldn't be there today, but Italy was so marvellous. Unfortunately, I hadn't been to Italy and had to admit it honestly.

"Unfortunately, I don't know what Italy is like. Carlo had to cancel the trip. He's travelling on business." I told him honestly and could no longer hide my sadness.

"No. No. No. Chica! That can't be true! Don't tell me you're home alone on your last night in your 20s, gorging on some junk food like a depressed housewife who just found out her husband cheated on her."