Make-Believe Marriage by Dill Ferreira

been
empty, with no conversation between them, but that would be the best option so
that the end of the evening did not lead the two of them on a bed quenching
their bodies in need for love.
    - Thanks for the lovely
evening we had - thanked Amanda when they reached the door of her apartment and
she looked for her keys, baffled.
    - Glad you had fun – said
Antônio in a low voice. Both went in still sort of embarrassed. Although the
evening had been cheerful and promising, they seemed afraid of their actions. Each
one of them knew of their blame in that situation, but both did not know how to
solve it
    – This evening was quite
convincing! – sad Amanda putting her pocket book on the couch.
    – You are right. It was
really revealing for our acquaintances. – He completed, standing near the door.
    – Do you suppose we are
doing the right thing Antônio? – Amanda asked him. Something started to bother
her.
    – I don’t know Amanda, but
I hope so. – He replied. They looked at each other in a different way than
Amanda remembered. That could be the end of a great friendship and Amanda was
not willing to lose a friend that was so important to her.
    – If I said that I’d like
to cancel out on our deal, would you agree? – Amanda flinched. But she needed
to go on with that pretend on account of her son. Somehow, however, she felt
that might not work out as they had imagined.
    – Unless you are
determined to stop everything, I do not agree! –He explained trying to show
more confidence than her.
    – All right. If you still
believe in the possibility of a good outcome, I’ll be there with you. – She
could not do that alone and since she did not have his support, she would go on,
but more cautiously.
    – I’ll get going. Good
night! – Antônio went up to her and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
    – Good night, Antônio! – they
held hands and Antônio left.
    After leaving Amanda at
her apartment, Antônio kept wandering through the city before going to his own
house. At first, he believed that he could control himself and act only as the
friend he had always been to Amanda. She needed him. However, now he did not
know what to do with that old feeling that insisted on emerging at any moment.
His self-control was coming to an end and he would need it until everything was
over, or until Amanda realized the huge chemistry between them, but that she
insisted on ignoring, maybe now out of sheer fear. He knew that from then on,
his battle would even harder because they would be nearing their wedding day
and had no idea how it would be after that date, sharing the same space with
her. Time was closing in, it was time to go back to reality and go home. Antônio
started the car and left.
    On Monday morning, Amanda was
checking some of her notes when Antônio called to check on her.
    – My day started out very
busy today, but everything is in order now. How are you? She wanted to know.
    – I do not have much to
do, so I thought of inviting Lucas to know the new house - said Antônio.
    – I’ll be too busy this
morning, but think that I will be finished in the afternoon. – Amanda really
wanted to see her son’s reaction to the new house.  She hoped that he would
behave as he did when he knew about their wedding. His reaction was pure joy,
which Amanda already expected, because her son and Antônio got along very well.
Now she would take him to his new home.
    – I’ll stop by your store,
pick up Lucas at school and we’ll go to the new house. – Antônio said happily
with the confirmation of the visit. He had been waiting for that moment for
days.
    – Lucas returns to classes
today and soon afterwards we’ll take him to see his new house. I hope he likes
his new home. – said Amanda to her friend hanging up the phone.
    Her son had returned from
the trip the day before, full of news from the farm and she took the
opportunity to spend her free time with him. Antônio was off to settle a family
matter and could