“My heart?” Jourdanne looked so sweet then as she lowered her hand from her hair down to her chest. “What do you mean?”
I took Jourdanne’s hand in mine and held it up against my chest. “It’s not hard to see how much you care about other people. You genuinely want others to succeed and do well for themselves, and that is exactly what Leandro and Franklin try to do every day. It’s part of the reason we wanted to bring you into our lives.”
Jourdanne drew a big smile as she leaned into me playfully. “Just a small part,” she whispered.
As we both laughed at her words, Leandro came back in from the balcony shoving his phone into his pocket. He clapped his hands and looked at both of us as he said, “We’re meeting in forty-five minutes.”
“Okay then,” Jourdanne replied. She and I stood from the bed at the same time. I helped her get her cardigan on as Leandro collected the papers into his shoulder bag.
Leandro came over to me and caressed my face as he gave me a brief kiss. “Thank you for everything.”
“What did I do?” I had to ask. I honestly felt like I hadn’t done much besides help them get ready. But it turned out that that was all Leandro truly needed.
“You’re here. You’re supporting me like you’ve always wanted to, and it’s really helping.” Leandro looked at Jourdanne for a pause, then he announced, “We have to get going. It’s across town and the car is outside ready.”
Jourdanne gave me a quick hug as she followed Leandro to the door. They hurried out together with their things, both of them turning before the door closed to wave and smile at me.
JOURDANNE
Leandro and I went across town in his car. It was about ten in the morning, and he kept checking his watch and looking out the window at traffic. I had butterflies in my stomach as I sat at his side holding my shoulder bag tight in my arms. Part of me was worried that I wouldn’t do well in the meeting, and that I could cost Leandro his next event. But when I looked over at him after his latest check on his phone, he glanced up at me with a smile and I put my worries at ease.
“How are you?” he asked as he put his phone into his jacket pocket. His hand fell over my knee for a light squeeze.
“I’m okay.” I gave him a smile and a nod. He knew better. “A little nervous,” I confessed as Leandro tilted his head curiously.
We didn’t really have time to talk about it because the car stopped alongside the road a moment later. The driver got out, went around to Leandro’s door, then opened it and waited for Leandro to climb out. I scratched over and got out as well, adjusting my dress and clinging tightly to my bag. Leandro held the papers in his bag; mine was just there to give me a sense of security. I needed something to hold onto, something tangible that could keep me grounded. Even though I was excited to get into the business world, this meeting with Leandro and Franklin had high stakes, and one slip up could cost Leandro an enormous amount of time and money.
Leandro took hold of my hand and walked me up to the door of the building. It was an old building with classic architecture and stones that must have stood there over a hundred years. The large archway entrance was decorated with giant, symmetrical bricks the color of sand. Just walking through that doorway made me feel like I was stepping back in time.
Leandro and I went into the lobby of the building, which had marble floors and polished metal fixtures. There were two elevators on either side of the lobby and a grand desk in the middle. Leandro led me to an elevator to the right, then he pushed the buttons to get us to the 4th floor. After the smoothest elevator ride I have ever experienced, Leandro and I were stepping out to a restaurant with a balcony that overlooked the street below. The fresh air rolled in and carried the scent of baked goods and honeyed ham. I took it a deep width, then hummed at the flavor that lingered in the air.
Leandro gently shook my hand to get my attention. “We can get something to eat as soon as the meeting concludes.” He was smiling, so I copied, and then his eyes traveled upward to find a man across the room. We hurried over there as the man got up from his table with a gracious smile.
“Leandro! Early as normal.” The man reached out and shook Leandro’s hand, and then he looked at me with a tender gaze. “You must be Jourdanne.” He reached for my hand to introduce himself. “My name is Joseph.” There was a true kindness to him, a welcoming feeling. He was just a little taller than Leandro, and he had light brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing a dark blue suit without a tie, and for some reason he wore the same seductive cologne as Leandro. “Leandro has told me so much about you.”