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As she pushed open the heavy door of the gymnasium and stepped out, Carolina closed her eyes for a moment, the spring breeze fresh on her face. Her sweat was not yet dry. The fatigue in her body made her muscles burn from the inside, but she loved the feeling. Every repetition, every breath... It reminded her that she was still alive. Beyond the small changes she was beginning to see in her reflection, she missed that stirring in her body.
As she turned her steps toward Amelia's shop, her thoughts raced.
"Is anyone looking at me?"
This question had been on her mind for several days. The years when she had been the center of attention seemed so far away. Just a few years ago, when she walked down the street, she could feel the stares, the admiration washing over her from head to toe. Now it was as if time had taken not only the years from her body, but the looks as well.
"Could Amelia be wrong? If I really still have an effect... would I want to use it again?"
As she approached the shop, she noticed the clothes in the glass cases. New ones had obviously arrived. One in particular caught her eye: a pastel-colored, waist-hugging, off-the-shoulder dress. It reminded her of when she was young. How similar it was to the dress she had worn on the beach, the one that had attracted all the attention on that famous summer night...
As she opened the door slightly, she was greeted by the familiar scent of the shop - a mixture of light vanilla, a hint of lavender and leather. She liked the quiet inside. But a moment later she heard laughter and her eyes darted to the voice.
Amelia was standing at the register, but she was not alone.
Next to her was a bald black man who looked about thirty years old. He was wearing a slim cut black t-shirt, his body looking remarkably fit. His smile seemed to warm even the shop. Carolina took a few steps. The young man also smiled at her and nodded politely. Carolina returned a friendly smile, but her eyes were fixed on Amelia.
"Ah, here she comes," Amelia said, her voice warm with excitement. "Our queen has arrived."
Carolina rolled her eyes sarcastically. "You overestimate me."
The name Marcel would soon roll off Amelia's tongue, but Carolina wouldn't remember it. The man was impressive, yes, undeniably so. His presence was strong, his aura intense... But there were other windows in Carolina's mind at that moment. She was no longer used to the attention of a young man like him, and it was a fact she had to accept.
"Carolina, this is Marcel," Amelia said with a smile. "He's new in town. He's into art. You can tell by his posture."
Carolina nodded politely. "Nice to meet you."
Marcel bowed his head slightly. "Me too."
It was a brief but polite greeting. Nothing more was needed. After saying goodbye to the young man, Amelia gently took Carolina by the arm and pulled her inside.
"Give us some privacy, Marcel. We're going to have a ceremony with the queen," she said, then burst into laughter.
Carolina laughed, but there was a slight curiosity in her eyes. There was something about Amelia's tone today. A different, slightly provocative excitement.
When they reached the seating area at the back of the store, Carolina put down her bag and sat down carefully. Her gym leggings still hugged her body, the thin fabric of the tank top accentuating her shoulders.
Amelia leaned over and placed her hand on Carolina's knee. "I have to admit... when Marcel walked in, you were the first thing I thought of."
Carolina narrowed her eyes. "Me? Why?"
Amelia grinned mischievously. "Because he has something very similar to your energy. It's so full that you feel every move he makes. When you look into his eyes, other questions swirl in your head."
Carolina leaned forward slightly. "So you're saying... when I see a man so young and full of energy, I should think of other things?"
Amelia blinked. "Haven't I already?"
Carolina smiled, this time ironically. "Oh, Amelia... You're trying to give me the wrong idea. At my age, such men are only models. To be watched, admired, but that's all."
Amelia leaned back and crossed her legs. "And that's what I'm wondering." Her eyes were on Carolina. "Why don't you cross that line for once, why don't you push your limits with someone young, energetic, someone who wants you?"
This question silenced Carolina.
She lowered her eyes slightly.
Suddenly the memory of her youth on the beach came back to her. The way she had left her dress in the wind, deliberately leaving her shoulders exposed... The night she knew, her skin glowing from the salt water running down her back. Yes, a man was interested in her. And he wanted her.
But then...
He had suppressed that excitement. Because he was married then. All that remained of that night were a few glances, a few deliberate steps, and then a great emptiness.
Now Amelia's question brought that night back to life.
"Because..." Carolina said, turning her eyes back to Amelia. "...sometimes the line you don't want to cross is what makes you who you are."
Amelia shook her head. "Maybe. But sometimes... crossing that line reminds you of who you are."
Carolina was silent.
Amelia watched her think. She wasn't angry. She was just curious. And perhaps a little provoked.
Carolina understood in that moment: Age was just a number. But the one who used that number as a shield, who turned her back on her own desires... was herself.
Amelia's eyes were still on Carolina's face as she reached for the coffee cup she had left on the edge of the table. She smiled slightly, then leaned back against the chair and tilted her head to the side.
"By the way," she said in an almost casual tone, "I don't think you thought Marcel was just some guy, but... if you knew who he was, maybe your cynical smile would be a little different."
Carolina raised her eyebrows slightly. "So she's not a window model?" she said with a wink.
Amelia burst out laughing. "Oh, honey... He's not just someone to look at. In fact, look, Marcel just moved to this town, but you'd be surprised where he's from."
Carolina noticed the twinkle in Amelia's eyes. "Tell me, I can't wait."
Amelia began, running her fingertips over the coffee cup:
"Marcel was born in Paris, but is originally from Senegal. His father worked for many years as an executive in an international law firm, and his mother was a former theater actress. He grew up surrounded by art. She is a painter, but she also studied contemporary dance. I first saw her two years ago in a gallery. She was selling her own work at an auction, and in that crowd...she was the center of the room. They were talking about her work and about her.
The amazement in Carolina's eyes was palpable. "And what is he doing here?"
Amelia shrugged. "He was looking for a new start. The gallery scene, high society, performing artists... He has connections to all of them. But it's like he wanted to get away. Like a breather. He arrived in town three weeks ago and has already made some important contacts. Even met the director of the local art museum for a private dinner last week."
Carolina shook her head from side to side. "So he wasn't just some random guy off the street..."
Amelia bowed her head. "Not at all. There's a serious attitude, a mind underneath that exterior. But you know what's interesting?"
"What?"
"Everyone who looks at him just talks about his physique. But he tries to figure you out with his gaze. It's like he's trying to figure out what you're thinking when he looks into your eyes. Even when we first met, he never looked away when I was talking. He has a strange weight... but a reassuring weight."
Carolina nodded thoughtfully. "Impressive."
Amelia smiled. "More than that. And he's so graceful. There was a moment when he touched me... just on my arm, when I greeted him... but even that touch was different. Not so rough. It's like there's a language in his hands and he speaks to you silently."
When Carolina heard these words, she involuntarily thought of her brief encounter with Marcel. The man's gaze... brief but clear. She hadn't paid much attention when they met, but now Amelia's words echoed in her head.
"With those eyes..." Carolina said quietly. "Do they really seem to read you?"
Amelia laughed. "With those eyes you forget yourself and then you start to question yourself."
Carolina smiled slightly. "You're provoking me again."
"No, I just want to open your eyes. Sometimes the walls you build up in your life are too strong."
Carolina sighed. "With a man like Marcel... I don't know, Amelia. We're from different worlds."
Amelia looked down at her. "No, darling, not different worlds. Different parts of the same world. And sometimes you just have to go to the other corner."
Carolina's eyes became thoughtful as she took a sip from the coffee on the table. Marcel's name was now firmly anchored in the back of her mind. It would not be easy to forget him. But the real question was this: Could she break the rules with a man like him?
Amelia noticed a slight flicker in Carolina's eyes. Enough had been said about Marcel. Any more would have taken Carolina completely off guard. Knowing this, Amelia gently changed the subject.
"Of course..." she said, smiling slightly, "it's fun to talk about Marcel, but what's really exciting is the new collection. There are one or two pieces in particular that I thought of first when I saw you."
Carolina smiled. "With your eyes, every piece would look good on me anyway."
Amelia winked, "Because they do. And believe me, these new designs aren't just clothes. It's like feeling yourself again. Would you like to take a look at some of them?"
She was about to turn and go to the clothes on the hanger when Carolina's voice stopped her.
"Amelia..."
Amelia stopped. She had immediately noticed the change in tone. A slight slowness, a hesitant sigh. She turned to look at her friend. Carolina's eyes had fallen to the floor.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice soft.
Carolina closed her eyes for a moment. "I just remembered something... You spoke so naturally just now, you took me back so many years."
Amelia waited in silence. She knew that Carolina didn't open up that easily.
Carolina shook her head for a moment, as if she thought it would be better not to say anything. But now the words came out.
"It was three years after I lost Richard. Everyone told me I needed someone in my life. But I didn't feel anything. There were men that everyone liked, kind, gentle... but I didn't even want to touch them. Then one day..."
He turned his eyes to Amelia, a slight warmth in her cheeks. She was ashamed, but somewhere inside she wanted to share the weight of that feeling.
"I was alone on the beach, it was crowded, full of young people. I was wearing a long pareo, but I was in a bikini. I still felt good then. The way I looked. But I didn't just feel it, I wanted to feel it."
Amelia raised her eyebrows and smiled slightly. "What did you do, Carolina?"
Carolina bit her lips and bowed her head slightly. "There was a group of young people on the beach. One of them... he never took his eyes off me. I noticed... and... I guess I wanted him to notice me, too. I took off my sarong, walked into the water, but it wasn't a casual walk. My hips were a little more lithe, my shoulders square, as if I wasn't just going there to swim... I went there to be watched."
Amelia narrowed her eyes and listened with a confused smile. "So you put on a little show?"
Carolina tried to laugh, but there was still embarrassment in her eyes. "It was just a moment... like a second of freedom. When he turned around, he looked at me. And I... I was strangely satisfied."
There was a silence. The confession hung in the air. It was neither grand nor dramatic, but a scene that carried years of repression.
Amelia leaned forward and gently touched Carolina's hand. "And you're telling me this now?" she said, her voice both tender and slightly mocking. "Now I realize how much you've been hiding this woman inside you."
Carolina sighed. "I don't know... Maybe I was afraid to feel it again. Or... I just felt guilty."
Amelia shook her head. "Guilty? No, Carolina... it's one of the most honest moments of your life. To be desired, to be noticed, to be playful... To be a woman is not only to be in love. It's your body, your will, your time."
Carolina closed her eyes and relived the moment for a few seconds. The warm sand of the beach, the coolness of the water on her skin and the feeling of seeing herself in the eyes of a stranger... She hadn't felt that for a long time. And now Marcel's presence, Amelia's brave words, merged with the echo of the past.
"Maybe... maybe I shouldn't be afraid anymore," he whispered.
Amelia smiled. "And maybe... not just a bikini, but a red dress will light that spark. Come, let me show you."
Carolina nodded slightly. She would no longer try to suppress the little spark that burned inside her. Maybe that day, for the first time in years... she would really feel like a woman.
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