My Tuesday started bright.
Unfortunately, the sky didn't get the memo and came in gray.
It wasn't raining, but the air had that damp, rainy taste.Even so, I left the house humming and, as if it were a lucky sign, managed to reach the bus stop on time for once.
Classes, as always, were long, but today they felt even longer than usual.
Lívia noticed my restlessness and watched me all morning with a mischievous smile, as if she knew more about me than I did.
During the break, she finally couldn't hold back her curiosity.
"You've got the face of someone thinking about someone." She bit her straw, eyes sharp and amused. "Tell me—who is he?"I blushed before answering.
"You don't know him," I said quietly. "And we haven't even started anything yet."Lívia's eyes grew even brighter.
"Seriously? So you're still on this?" She leaned on the table, excited. "Tell me it isn't Miguel, please. No… it can't be—him I know."She started scanning the cafeteria like she was searching for the culprit.I made a face, then said, "He doesn't study here. No need to look."
She raised her eyebrows.
"My God, look at you." She thumped the straw against the table, laughing. "Helena—the girl who never goes anywhere besides work and school—is going out with someone…"As if the idea finally clicked, she slapped her cup down dramatically."Work! That's it. You're totally crushing on a guy you met at work."
The way she said it, drawing attention to our table, made me briefly wonder if I was committing some kind of crime.
"I'm not in love," I lied. "I just think he's… interesting… and I've only seen him twice, and today will be the third." I practically whispered the last part.
"Interesting?" She let out a teasing little laugh—then froze, processing what I'd said. "Wait. Twice?"
Now she looked at me with a mix of indignation and concern."Girl. Aren't you being a little impulsive? That's not you."
I couldn't hide my smile at her genuine worry. I still remembered how she saved me from the freshman hazing when I first enrolled. She was practically a knight in shining armor.
"You talk like I'm some silly teenager. I'm not going to do anything stupid."
She kept squinting at me."I know you're not the type to do something stupid, but I also know how easy you are to fool."
I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out."You're exaggerating. I only saw him while I was working, and by the looks of it he's not even that interested in me."
Her eyebrows climbed higher."Oh!" She leaned forward, eyes glittering with curiosity. "What kind of person rejects a face like yours?"
I sighed, resigned, then remembered Sunday."I don't know yet, but I'm going to find out," I said, as if making a promise.
Lívia leaned back on the bench again, studying me with a playful look."And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
"I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out." I remembered how he didn't seem to want to talk but hadn't rejected me outright.She laughed, wickedly pleased.
"You don't need much. Just ask him out. That's totally normal now."
I choked on my juice and turned red immediately.
"You're ridiculous. You get all flustered just thinking about him.""It's not that…" I took a deep breath, trying to recover.
"How is it not? Look at you—blushing, eyes full of little heart doodles."
I tossed a napkin at her.
"You're unbearable.""And you're in love," she shot back, handing the napkin back with a triumphant smile. "Just admit it."
I fell silent for a moment. Maybe because, deep down, she was right.I was being silly—completely silly.
I arrived early at the swim school.
Vanessa glanced at me, surprised, but she was busy with a student, so I dodged the interrogation.I sat behind the counter and tried to look busy, shuffling papers that didn't need shuffling.
But my heart was beating too fast, and I hated myself a little for it.
People in love are ridiculous—and worse, they know it.
Since the first time I saw him, I caught myself smiling at nothing.I knew I shouldn't expect too much—not after trying to approach him—but a small part of me still hoped he'd notice me.From the minute I got there, I kept watching the glass door. Every time it opened, my eyes jumped up, anxious.
My face gave nothing away.But my chest wasn't calm.
Vanessa came back to the front after a few minutes, drying her hands with a towel."You're way too early today," she said with a crooked smile. "What's up?"
I played it cool."I forgot to enter a few forms in the system, so I figured I'd come in early."
She lifted a brow."That's never a good sign, but even if it's temporary, showing commitment is always good."
I smiled without answering.
Vanessa propped an elbow on the counter and gave me a sly look."You know, something funny occurred to me," she said. "Last week, that new student—Caio—kept asking if you worked every day."
My heart jumped so hard I almost dropped the stapler.
"He asked?""He asked," she said, grin getting even naughtier. "With those puppy-dog eyes, too. I almost felt sorry for him. Thought he was about to ask for your number."
"Vanessa!" I hissed, nervous. "You're making that up."
She laughed like she'd just uncovered something amazing.I fell quiet, blushing and unsure how to hide my embarrassment.
Vanessa laughed a bit more and then, "Ah, so he's the real reason. Knew it.""It's not like that."She laughed even louder.
"Helena, you lie like… Look at these blank intake forms. What are you even putting in the system?"I turned an even deeper shade of red.
Before I could answer, footsteps echoed in the hallway.
I looked—and there he was.Caio walked in slowly, the same dark jacket as before, open now, revealing a white T-shirt.
The window light traced the lines of his face; his hair today was dry, a little wavy.His beard had grown in a bit more.
He still looked tired, but it didn't hide how handsome he was.When he saw me, he smiled.
A brief smile, almost polite."Helena, right?" he asked, voice low and rough."Right." My voice shook, and I wanted to duck behind the counter.
"Are you okay? You're really flushed.""Blame the heat," I said—then shot Vanessa a death glare.
He seemed to buy it because he nodded.Vanessa watched with an amused smile, pretending to shuffle spreadsheets.When he glanced down to adjust his watch, she elbowed me and whispered:
"My God, he's too handsome. Say something before I do."
I looked at her, indignant but laughing.
When I turned back, Caio was looking straight at me.
His gaze was calm, but there was a kind of hesitation there—like he wanted to get closer and was afraid of what that would mean.His expression stayed light, but the smile… the smile was a half-invitation."What time do you get off work?" he asked, simple as that.
For a second, I thought I'd misheard."Sorry?""Today." He tapped his watch. "What time does your shift end?"
Before I could answer, Vanessa jumped in."She's off at seven," she said like it was nothing.
I stared at her, speechless.
Caio smiled to himself. I was pretty sure I'd go into cardiac arrest if I saw that too often.
"So… I'll see you after eight?"I tried to hide the blush and the smile that came without permission. It was useless.
"Maybe," I said.He laughed, soft, and the sound seemed to run right through me.
The instructor appeared at the doorway and called his name.
Caio looked at me one last time, and before he walked away, he winked.Vanessa barely contained a cackle.
"If you faint now, I'm dragging you to the locker room.""Shut up," I whispered, smiling anyway."You're grinning like an idiot, you know that," she teased.
The next hours crawled.
Every distant laugh, I thought it was his.By the time the last class wrapped up, I was more nervous than before.
Vanessa clocked it from across the hall."So? You gonna pretend to run off again or actually talk to him?"
"I don't even know what to say," I confessed. "Worse—I have nothing to wear."She laughed and shook her head.
"Helena, he won't care what you're wearing.""But I do." I looked down at my sea-green school uniform, which was not exactly flattering.
"Come here." Vanessa went to the cabinet, grabbed a dark jacket, and handed it to me. "Here. Mine. And put on some lipstick, for the love of God—you look like a cute tomato."
"Is that a compliment?""It's the best you're getting. Now go before he changes his mind."
I checked the clock: 8:04 p.m.
My heart was going way too fast.I grabbed my bag, fixed my hair, and took a deep breath.It wasn't a date; it was just a conversation.That's what I told myself.
Outside, the night air was cool; the sound of traffic and voices gave that part of the city a different pulse.There he was.Leaning against the car, arms crossed, posture relaxed.
The streetlights fell over him in warm gold, and the slick shine on his black jacket looked almost otherworldly.I couldn't help sighing for the umpteenth time that day.He was handsome—the quiet kind of handsome. That deep gaze looked like it held a whole world I didn't know yet.
When he saw me, he smiled.
A slow smile, almost contained."Eight oh four," he said, glancing at his watch. "Right on time."
"I had help," I said, still a little breathless as I walked closer.
He smelled like rain, soap, and something warm, woody—like an invitation to step closer still."Can I drive you home?" he asked, simple, like it was the most natural thing.
I looked at him, then the car, then myself—heart racing, voice stuck."I…"
"It's just a ride," he said calmly, though there was a light in his eyes. "And we could grab something to eat on the way."
I hesitated for half a heartbeat.Then I stepped forward.
And smiled."Okay."
He opened the door for me, and I got in.When the engine turned over, my stomach flipped and my heart took off like crazy.I didn't know what this meant.
But for some reason, every part of me knew the night wasn't going to be just a ride.