End of party

Isadora

After what happened in the room that morning, a carnival that had everything to be simply perfect was ruined by the simple fact that I didn't want to have sex with the man I was in love with and some other guy. Even though I felt an intimate desire to do so, it wasn't enough to go through with it.

When Matteo returned to the room without saying a word to me, I concluded that I couldn't stay in that apartment anymore. Still, I made one last attempt to mend things between us.

"Do you have any plans for today, or are we just going to enjoy the street carnival again?" I asked, seeking some closeness.

I was still lying in bed, wrapped in the sheets, hoping that Matteo would join me again after coming out of the bathroom. However, not even my attempt at conversation was well received. Matteo looked at me with raised eyebrows, already fully dressed and perfumed for the day, and responded disdainfully:

"I don't know about you guys, but I plan to meet up with some friends here in Salvador."

The blow from Matteo's words was so strong that I was left speechless for a few seconds. I didn't expect such a rude attitude from him, and I couldn't even think of a suitable response to his statement.

"I'll get ready and leave your apartment," was all I managed to say.

Matteo didn't seem to care about my departure, as he simply nodded and left the room, leaving me alone to deal with that great disappointment.

∞∞∞

As I had imagined, when I left Matteo's room, he was no longer in the apartment. I was embarrassed to have to tell my friends that we were no longer welcome in the professor's apartment.

"What happened between you and Matteo?" Jennifer asked immediately. "He seemed upset when he left here."

I had thought a lot about how much I should reveal about the situation between Matteo and me, but I wasn't willing to expose myself beyond what was strictly necessary. Even though I knew Benny could easily spread among our friends what he saw when he was in bed with us, I still didn't intend to divulge anything prematurely.

"We had a little disagreement this morning," I confessed, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment as I recalled what had happened. "He said some things I didn't like, so I intend to go back to the hotel."

Jennifer, visibly disappointed, bombarded me with questions that I didn't intend to answer. As she lamented, I noticed Benny's absence.

"Where's Benny?" I interrupted Jennifer's questions.

"He went out with Professor Lucchese," Johnny replied calmly.

He was lounging comfortably on the sofa, with Jennifer seated next to him, his legs resting on her lap. Meanwhile, I stood there feeling out of place in that setting. The desire to leave Matteo's apartment as soon as possible consumed my thoughts.

"I imagine he plans to stay here with Lucchese," Jennifer vocalized what was on my mind. "It's probably best if we pack up and head back to the hotel."

"Yes, I agree. We should do that sooner rather than later," I replied, silently grateful that Jennifer had stopped pressuring me for answers.

"Are you coming with us, Johnny?" Jennifer took the initiative once again.

I also had doubts about whether Johnny would follow Benny's example and leave us to enjoy the comfort of staying with our professor. However, Johnny stood up from the sofa upon hearing the question, displaying a determined expression.

"We came here together, and we should stick together, agreed?" he declared with conviction.

Jennifer and I nodded in agreement with his words, but it was evident that Benny had different opinions. Perhaps it was for the best, a way to discern who was truly on our side.

As agreed, we returned to the hotel and tried to enjoy the last days of the carnival. At least I pretended to do so, as I couldn't get Matteo out of my head for a single moment.

We didn't see him again on the last day of the carnival, for which I internally expressed gratitude. I didn't want to witness any scenes where he was accompanied by someone else in the same way we had been during the days we were together.

The last day had been a whirlwind of fun for my friends, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the passage of the electric trios. The morning after, the exhaustion from the previous days took its toll, as we all woke up late and almost missed the flight back to Curitiba.

I even doubted whether Benny would return with us on the same flight, but when we arrived for check-in, there he was in the airline queue, ready to board. Our seats were reserved side by side, with Jennifer occupying the third place in line. However, the flight passed in complete silence. Both Jennifer and Benny succumbed to sleep throughout the journey, leaving me alone with my thoughts and reflections on the recent events.

I needed to prepare myself for the return to the same old routine, filled with work and evening college classes. I didn't feel ready to talk to Jennifer about my disagreement with Matteo, but I knew that at some point I would have to deal with it. Jennifer and I had been friends for years, ever since we started college and she got me a job at the same company where she worked.

Jennifer held a position of extreme trust at Hickmann & Werneck, a company owned by two partners, Vincent Hickmann and Thomas Werneck. She was Thomas Werneck's secretary, and when a vacancy arose to work as Vincent's secretary's assistant, the CEO of the company, she didn't hesitate to recommend me, proving that our friendship went beyond the university.

And on the following Monday, we would be together again, at work and at college. I had exactly five days to prepare myself to deal with the feelings of shame and disappointment that had accompanied me since the moment Matteo left me alone in the room, clearly upset with my refusal to participate in a threesome with him and Benny.

I just hoped that by then, I would have already managed to move past it.