BRIANNA

“Brianna… Wake up.” I felt a tap on my shoulder, but I only snuggled deeper into the soft pillow.

“Five more minutes, mom…” I moaned, barely aware of the world around me. Then, I heard a deep chuckle that didn’t sound like my mother’s.

“Wake up, we’re running late.” The voice came again, accompanied by a gentle shake. Slowly, I peeled my eyes open, feeling a bit disoriented. It took a second to register that I wasn’t at home. The person waking me wasn’t my mom but Adrian. I also remembered that I was no longer in California but in Madrid, Spain.

“Good morning, sunshine!” Adrian smiled brightly at me, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Good morning!” I tried to smile back, but it came out more like a grimace. Mornings were never my thing.

“Ooh, you’re not a morning person.” He chuckled, clearly enjoying my struggle.

“I hate mornings,” I grumbled, burying my face back into the pillow.

“Unfortunately, we have to go. It’s almost 11, and our meeting with the investors is at 12. I know it takes a while for you ladies to get dressed.” His voice was playful, but I could hear the urgency in it. At that, I quickly forced myself out of bed.

“Thanks for waking me up. I’ll go take a shower.” I stood and headed toward the bathroom, still half-asleep.

“Come down for breakfast when you’re done!” I heard Adrian call after me as he walked out of the room.

The shower didn’t take long. Once I was done, I dressed in a yellow peplum top with a sweetheart neckline and a navy blue pantsuit. I completed the look with a black purse and black open-toe heels. I brushed my hair, letting it cascade down my back, and applied a bit of makeup to look presentable.

When I entered the dining area, I saw Adrian already seated at the table. The food had already been laid out, and the aroma filled the air, making my stomach growl with hunger.

I slid into the chair closest to him. “Wow, who made this?” I asked, eyeing the spread of croissants, egg toast, and coffee.

“The housekeeper, Nadia, made it.” Adrian replied, already digging into his meal. I followed suit, taking a bite of the croissant.

“This is delicious.” I couldn’t help but gush after my first bite.

“Yeah, Nadia is one of the best cooks I know.” He nodded approvingly as he continued eating.

A few minutes later, we finished our meal, and just as we were about to leave the dining room, a middle-aged woman walked in. I immediately assumed she was Nadia.

“Adrian! How was the meal?” She asked him with a warm smile.

“It was delicious as always, Nadia. Thank you.” Adrian smiled briefly at her.

“You must be Brianna. How are you?” She turned to me, her face warm with kindness.

“I’m fine, Nadia. Thanks for the delicious breakfast,” I said, offering her a smile.

“We’ll be leaving now, Nadia. See you when we get back,” Adrian said to her as he took my hand. We walked out of the house together.

Outside, Wilfred was already standing next to a black Mercedes Benz, wearing a cool smile. He greeted us both as we approached.

“Good morning, Wilfred!” I said cheerfully.

“Good morning, Miss Brianna!” He smiled at me.

“Good morning, Mr. Adrian,” he greeted Adrian as well.

We climbed into the car, and Wilfred slid into the driver’s seat.

“Where are we headed, Sir?” Wilfred asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.

“The Emerald Palace,” Adrian replied.

“Okay, sir.” Wilfred nodded, starting the car and driving out of the compound.

“The Emerald Palace? Where’s that?” I asked Adrian after a few moments, curious about the destination.

“It’s a hotel. That’s where we’ll be meeting the investors.” He responded, and I nodded, taking in the information.

“Oh, okay.”

Suddenly, Adrian’s eyes widened as though he had just remembered something important.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, a little concerned.

“Oh shit! Did I mention that the investors we’re meeting with are Spanish?” He exclaimed.

“Yeah… You didn’t mention that,” I mumbled, feeling the worry begin to settle in. “How am I supposed to communicate during the meeting if I don’t understand the language? I don’t know a single word of Spanish!”

“Well… you shouldn’t really worry about that. You don’t have to say anything during the meeting. I speak and understand Spanish, so that’s not a problem.” He paused, then added, “You don’t have to speak, just take notes.”

“Take notes? How am I supposed to take notes when I won’t understand a single word they say?” I said, my frustration mounting.

“Oh right! Well, maybe you can just sit there and stare at my handsome face.” Adrian said smugly, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

I rolled my eyes, smacking him playfully. “Be serious! I can’t just sit there like a dummy and stare at you all without doing anything. They’ll probably think I’m a stupid bimbo.”

“Hey, don’t stress about it. I might actually have a solution. You won’t be so ‘jobless’ during the meeting,” he said, smirking at the last word.

I narrowed my eyes at him, glaring. “I’m not ‘jobless.’ What solution do you have?”

“You can record the whole conversation and translate it into English. After that, you can edit it.” He suggested, looking pleased with his idea.

“That could work. You’re a genius!” I exclaimed.

“Of course I am,” he replied, his smirk widening with pride.

“I don’t think my phone can handle all of that, though.” I said, feeling doubtful.

“You can use mine.” He offered immediately.

“And remind me to get you a new phone. You really need to get rid of the one you’re using now,” he added with a chuckle.

“I’ll get a new phone when I have the money. I don’t want you spending a lot of money on me,” I stated firmly.

“I’m still going to buy you a new phone. There’s nothing you can do to change my mind,” he argued with a playful tone.

“Whatever you say!” I sighed, giving in.

“We’re here!” Wilfred announced, breaking our playful exchange. I looked out the window and saw the tall, luxurious building looming ahead. It was clearly The Emerald Palace, a five-star hotel.

“I’ll call you when we’re done inside,” Adrian told Wilfred as he got out of the car. I followed suit, stepping out onto the pavement.

We entered the lobby and walked straight to the reception. A female receptionist, with a professional smile on her face, greeted us.

“Bienvenidos al Palacio Esmeralda. ¿Cómo puedo ayudarte?” she asked in Spanish.

(Welcome to The Emerald Palace. How can I help you?)

I looked at Adrian, hoping he would understand, and from the way he responded, it was clear he did.

“¿Puede indicarnos la dirección del restaurante, por favor? Tenemos una reunión con el Sr. Gómez y él tiene reservas aquí.” Adrian replied smoothly in Spanish.

(Can you point us to the direction of the restaurant please? We have a meeting with Mr. Gomez, and he has a reservation here.)

I watched them converse, my mind feeling lost in the language, and I just smiled awkwardly when Adrian mentioned my name. After some more exchanges in Spanish, Adrian motioned for me to follow him as we walked toward what I assumed was the meeting area.

Inside the hotel’s restaurant, Adrian scanned the room, clearly looking for Mr. Gomez.

“I found him. Come on,” Adrian said, leading the way.

We approached a table where two men in their late 40s were seated. They greeted each other in Spanish, and introductions followed. I smiled politely when Adrian mentioned my name, but aside from that, I stayed quiet. The meeting soon began, and I took Adrian’s phone to record the entire conversation.

I’m definitely going to learn Spanish when I get the time.