Page 25 of Distrustful

Adrian laughs and shakes it.

"I'm Adrian, it's a pleasure to meet such a small lady."

Lili laughs and, before she opens her mouth to continue talking, Maria cuts her off.

"Where can we wait for her?"

"In her office, you'll be more comfortable there."

The young man opens the door and invites them in.

"Thank you, Adrian."

As soon as the door closes, Lili's mouth opens like a fish.

"Wow, it's bigger than Ursula's."

"Yes, everything Trinidad has is very big," Maria rolls her eyes.

Lili runs around the office and, before Maria can stop her, sits in Trinidad's plush chair.

"Don't touch anything, Lili," she warns pointing her finger at her.

But Lili ignores her, because she's entertained making the chair spin. Maria finds herself alone and silent and, suddenly, her eyes fix on Trinidad's desk. The dark wood desk is perfectly organized, with several aligned clipboards and an elegant designer lamp.

She sharpens her hearing and, not hearing steps on the other side of the door, decides it's okay to snoop a little. The lawyer approaches the desk and, while Lili continues spinning in the chair, she starts looking at all the carefully placed papers on the wood. At first she doesn't touch anything, but then she can't resist and starts reading the sticky notes that Trinidad, in handwriting that Maria loves, has stuck under the screens she uses to work. She wants to find something personal, anything that might help her know the businesswoman a little better, but she's only had time to read three that tell her nothing, when the door opens and Trinidad discovers them where they shouldn't be. Maria feels mortified and pretends by grabbing Lili and yanking her from the chair.

"I told you not to sit there, Lili."

"You told me not to touch anything," the child rebuts, while Maria imagines her with tape over her lips.

Trinidad observes them from the door, paralyzed at first while going through several emotional states at the same time. The child with Maria impacts her greatly, makesher heart race almost uncontrollably and her hands begin to shake, but seconds later, she focuses on Maria and begins to experience another type of nervousness before managing to calm down.

"Sorry," Maria says circling the desk with Lili to go to the other side, "Adrian told us to wait here."

"It's fine," Trinidad answers, who closes the door and approaches them. "And you are?" she asks and narrows her eyes in a playful gesture that leaves Maria petrified.

"My name is Lili," she introduces herself smiling and repeats the action from before with Adrian, extending her hand toward Trinidad.

The businesswoman sketches such a sincere smile that Maria can't help but smile too.

"It's a pleasure, Lili, my name is Trinidad," she responds and shakes her hand gently.

"Are you Maria's girlfriend?" Lili asks.

The two women react very differently to the child's impertinent question. Maria chokes and fans herself with her hand, while Trinidad can't hold back her laugh at hearing it.

"No, I'm not Maria's girlfriend," she responds and glances sideways at the lawyer. "Where did you come from?"

"Maria came to pick me up from school."

"Sorry, she's Mildred's daughter, Ursula's wife. They're stuck in traffic and I went to pick her up."

"I understand," Trinidad nods.

"What's your last name?" Lili asks suddenly.

"Lili, leave Trinidad alone, she has a lot of work," Maria pleads, flustered.