Page 29 of Distrustful

"I've been very stressed lately, but I'll quit soon," she says and lights one.

Ursula takes it from her hands and also takes a couple of drags, as she likes to do when celebrating something or after good sex.

"We could celebrate the purchase with dinner," Ursula suggests looking at Trinidad.

The engineer presses her lips without knowing what to answer. On one hand, she really wants to, however, on the other she feels like she doesn't belong in this group that seems so united.

"Say yes," Lili jumps on her grabbing her coat.

"Lili, don't overwhelm Trinidad," Mildred scolds her, not understanding what's going on with the child and this woman.

"She doesn't bother me, it's okay."

"So you're coming?" Lili insists.

Trinidad's gaze goes straight to Maria who, positioned behind Ursula, keeps looking at her. She doesn't know what she expects to find in the lawyer, but when Maria arches an eyebrow and makes a gesture with her head to the side indicating her to agree, Trinidad feels an inexplicable tingle in the pit of her stomach and nods without even thinking about it.

"Okay."

During dinner, seated at a round table, they talk about the project until gradually the conversation starts to shift toward personal topics thanks to Lili, who keeps asking questions like a journalist. Trinidad becomes absorbed for a few seconds, watching Ursula when she helps Mildred clean up the food that Lili has spilled on the tablecloth. She sees their complicity and realizes she's never had that with anyone, which makes love start to seem less bad if it looks like what the couple projects.

While she's lost in her own thoughts, Maria focuses on her, increasingly aware that Trinidad is hiding something, but thinking for the first time that maybe, what she's hiding isn't bad, but just something sad.

"Are you married, Trinidad?" Mildred asks her, making her expression suddenly harden.

Trinidad feels a sudden tension in every muscle of her body.

"No, marriage is a farce," she answers dryly and abruptly, "if two people love each other, I don't think they need a paper to confirm it."

Everyone looks at her in silence, even Lili has stopped chattering.

"Sorry, I was a bit harsh," she apologizes nervously and unconsciously looks back, where Benjamin and Oliver are dining at their table, as if looking at her bodyguard made her feel more secure.

"I think the same," Ursula intervenes lowering the tension, "I was married and I've never been as happy as I am now with Mildred without being married. Though Idon't rule out doing it again," she adds and Mildred's jaw drops drawing a laugh from Maria and a sigh of relief from Trinidad.

"Are you getting married?" Lili asks euphoric.

"No, sweetie," Ursula responds alarmed by her slip, "it would only be for legal matters, you don't understand that yet."

Ursula seeks Maria's gaze to get her out of the predicament by distracting Lili with one of her anecdotes, but again, finds her absorbed observing the businesswoman.

"Next week is my birthday," Lili blurts out addressing Trinidad, completely forgetting about the wedding topic. "Will you come to my party? I have to introduce you to Piadora," she explains as if it were a matter of life and death.

Everyone laughs at the engineer's confused expression.

"Who's Piadora?"

"A turtle that lives in Ursula's pond. She's older than me."

"Really," Trinidad laughs.

"Will you come?" she asks with pleading eyes.

Trinidad raises her gaze and, instead of seeking Ursula's or Mildred's eyes, finds herself caught again in Maria's, who smiles with arched eyebrows. The businesswoman immediately corrects herself and looks at the mothers without knowing how to respond. She doesn't want to go, but she also doesn't want to offend Lili.

"Come," Ursula tells her, who, somehow, connects with Trinidad and seems to notice that internal struggle in which the engineer constantly lives, "the party is at my estate. Just a few of Lili's little friends will come. It'll just be us and maybe some parents."

"Sure, join us," Mildred adds.