XVI
Three months passed, and the young people seemed even more distant. Maria and Léo met very infrequently when they left the hospital. Just greetings, nothing was like before. Even their friendship had been disturbed by a lack of frankness.
In these new times, Léo ended up winning over the fiery Sandrinha. Not through effort, but through attraction. Attraction to the big house, to comfort, and convenience. Sandrinha would go to the boys' house at the end of class and would either sunbathe or swim with some friends until Léo returned from work. A boy wouldn't resist beautiful women walking around his yard in such short and sensual outfits without taking a few minutes to observe. Alex, contrary to expectations, spent almost all day in his office writing and editing texts. He only left to entertain, never letting the girls see him or be bothered.
He always spoke delicately and in a low tone, and even the most boisterous laughter and the sometimes abusive sounds that disturbed him were not grounds for complaint or comments.
A few weeks were enough for some of the girls to become more daring in their actions, especially Vanessa, a young woman with honey-colored eyes, fair tanned skin, dissimulating eyes, and a voice that begged.
Vanessa would enter the office without knocking, stand behind Alex, and read what he was typing. She would inhale deeply and exhale, blowing warm air that would brush past his ear and touch a good portion of his face. When he turned, Alex would appreciate her breath for a few seconds before asking her the reason for her presence. There was no reason; the young woman would lie down on the divan, then rest and murmur something unintelligible until she had all of the young man's attention. After a few minutes, Alex would get up and go to the kitchen to prepare something for the girls. He never prepared anything light or diet, claiming the girls didn't need it, and despite Alex's insistence and the girls' refusal, he would end up gaining a few minutes alone.
A sensual atmosphere entered the house with these companions. Alex had no doubts about what was happening in the bedroom during the hours Léo and Sandrinha remained isolated. This did not make him see it differently; he saw it as something completely alien to him. He knew who he was... He knew he was an immortal, but always young, who had moved to that city interested in feeling some responsibility. He never felt like the others.
He knew he could have sex; he knew his body. He knew he could love. But to be loved? That was something he still needed to learn. That was the doubt that kept him awake at night, sometimes until sunrise.
***
Day after day, he retreated to his office, prepared bad food, and claimed to be very busy finishing some work. The fact is, that until that moment, the host had not laid eyes on the bodies of any of his attractive guests.
In this atmosphere of shame and temptation, Alex found himself called upon. Defending my friend, it wasn't his fault, but his eyes, his instincts named it. He could no longer concentrate; he walked through the rooms of the house, in a mixed behavior where he sometimes searched, sometimes hid from the windows where he could see them splashing in the pool or in the sun. On one of those hot afternoons, Vanessa lay down on the divan. Claiming she couldn't stand the heat, Alex turned on the office air conditioning. Alex looked at her and smiled openly for the first time. The young woman noticed and didn't hesitate for a second; she moved closer:
— So you're feeling a little happy today? — Vanessa asked.
— I liked you. — Alex affirmed.
— You liked me? — she asked insinuatingly — liked what?
— You are dissimulating, you have unstable, fickle behavior. You are not at all like me, and don't ask me why, but I like that.
— It's enough that you like it.
In a mixture of heat and cold, innocence became lust; sorrows turned into pleasures. Alex was deflowered; life drained from his body, and upon consummating, he felt pleasure and great guilt.
