Page 44 of Stronger Than Fate
“Whaaaaat?” they asked in unison again, those two seemed like synchronized twins!
“How old is he?” Lolo immediately asked.
“He’s 37 years old,” I responded calmly.
“Dali, he’s too old for you, he’s 13 years older,” Lolo said, more calmly.
Bastián looked at me seriously.
“Are you in love?” Bastián asked, and Lolo immediately looked at him and then at me with seriousness.
“I like him a lot and I feel good when I’m with him, but I don’t think I’m in love, not yet.”
“What’s his full name?” Bastián asked.
“Henry Woollardy.”
“I don’t know him,” Bastián said.
“Neither do I,” Lolo affirmed.
“I’m asking you please not to interfere in our relationship. Right now we’re getting to know each other, I have no idea what the future holds for us or if we’ll last a week or a month or maybe longer, I don’t know. The only thing I’m clear about is that I want to continue getting to know him and spending time with him.”
While I was talking, I noticed Lolo searching for something on his phone. When I finished speaking, he looked at me and then showed his phone to Bastián, who began to look at it attentively.
“He’s a well-known businessman,” Lolo said.
“How do you know?” I asked, surprised.
“Because there’s quite a bit of information about him on the Internet. That surname isn’t common. It’s this guy, right?” Lolo asked, showing me photos of Henry on his phone.
I nodded while my two brothers looked at me seriously.
“Do you know about his life? Because here he’s seen with many women. There’s no doubt he’s an attractive man with money, but he seems to be quite the playboy,” Lolo said, concerned.
“We have a relationship based on fidelity, that was made clear. If he starts seeing other women, we’re done.”
“I don’t like this, Dali, I can’t lie to you. I would have preferred someone your age and with less experience. This guy has more experience than Lolo and I combined, and you’re such a sweet,romantic, and innocent girl. Next to this guy, you’re just a babe in the woods,” Bastián said, and I could tell he was genuinely worried.
“Dali, I’m not going to tell you what to do. As much as you’re our little sister to us, we understand that you’re a woman now, but I want you to be careful and not forget that men like this Henry only look for relationships that provide fun without commitment. He’s a womanizer, Dali, keep that in mind. Guard your heart, please. You know you can count on us and that we’ll always be by your side,” Lolo said.
“I know, thank you. I promise to be careful,” I said to reassure them.
“Are we going to meet him in person?”
“I’ll arrange something soon,” I said.
“Do it as soon as possible,” Lolo requested.
“Do you promise to take care of yourself?” Bastián said, very seriously, and it seemed to me that he meant it in many ways, both emotionally and sexually.
I had never talked about sex with my brothers. The times they had tried to tell me something, they would come together and beat around the bush so much that they never managed to complete a sentence. I knew they were uncomfortable talking about the subject, and now wasn’t the time to discuss it. That indirect comment from Bastián was intended to ask me for caution and care, and I looked at him making it clear that I had understood.
“I promise.”
They left the office together. From their faces, I knew they were quite worried about me. I could put myself in their shoes and understand them. From my brothers’ perspective, the littlethey had seen of Henry’s life didn’t give him points in his favor; rather, it took them away.
Chapter 6
